The Abiquiu Inn Gallery, Abiquiu, NM
September 3-October 30
Jack McGowan, Snow Moon Over the Sangres, oil, 24 x 36.
The landscape and architecture of northern New Mexico are the heralded subjects of Painted Stories, an exhibition premiering this September at The Abiquiu Inn Gallery in Abiquiu, NM. It’s the inaugural group show from Milagro Painters, a group comprised of five award-winning New Mexico plein-air painters: Barbara Coleman, Sally Delap-John, Jack McGowan, Lee McVey, and John Meister.
“We came together during the pandemic as an art marketing mastermind group to provide a sense of community and to support one another,” McGowan says. “The show grew out of that camaraderie and each artist’s deep vocation for their art.” The talented quintet brings more than 200 years of passion, experience, and recognition in the pursuit of their art.
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- Barbara Coleman, Orilla Verde, oil, 16 x 20.
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- John Meister, Dressed for the Morning, oil, 16 x 12.
“Painted Stories sets a stage upon which we can each narrate through our art,” Meister notes. “We chose the theme of northern New Mexico because it’s a historical subject area in which we’ve all spent a lot of time painting. The colorful rugged cliffs juxtaposed with the vibrant high-desert life of the Abiquiu and Ghost Ranch area create a unique backdrop.”
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- Lee McVey, Parade of Yellow, pastel, 11 x 14.
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- Sally Delap-John, Monastery Road, oil, 8 x 10.
Each artist showcases their interpretative stories via 10-12 plein-air and studio works, and the group is on hand at the opening reception from 4 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, September 3. Paintings are available for sale through the Abiquiu Inn.
“I like to think that we chose ‘milagro’ [Spanish for ‘miracle’] in our group name because there’s a little hope for divinity as a painting rolls off the artist’s brush,” Meister notes philosophically. “It doesn’t always happen, but occasionally it just might.” Divinity does indeed strike for the Milagro Painters. Each of the five artists shares what inspires them about the northern New Mexico region.
BARBARA COLEMAN
Albuquerque, NM, www.barbaracoleman.com
Barbara Coleman, A Thousand Faces, oil, 16 x 20.
“One of my favorite artists, Kathryn Stats, told me to minimize the obvious and maximize the essential—and to have the wisdom to know the difference. Fierce landscapes—mountains, cliffs, and canyons—have been pared down to the essentials, down to the bones. There’s sparse rainfall, so the plants that survive are few and hardy. Fierce landscapes teach me to simplify, both in my art and in my life.”
SALLY DELAP-JOHN
Truchas, NM, www.sallydelep-john.com
Sally Delap-John, Kitchen Mesa, oil, 22 x 28.
“Working en plein air provides an immediacy and intimate interaction with the landscape, and light and color are my implements. The Truchas Peaks [13,000 feet] provide a stunning backdrop to the immediate east with an overview of the Rio Grande Valley, Jemez Mountains, and Cerro Pedernal to the west. The old adobes dot the High Road to Taos, many saved by metal roofs. These buildings nestled in the high desert landscape offer countless painting opportunities through the beautiful seasons of each year.”
JACK MCGOWAN
Santa Fe, NM, www.jackmcgowan-artist.com
Jack McGowan, High Spot on the High Road, oil, 18 x 24.
“My passion is the magical northern New Mexico landscape, particularly the villages and architecture that make the history of this region so evident. Ghost Ranch itself was developed by Carol Bishop Stanley after she got it in her divorce. Her ex-husband had won it in a poker game in the early 1900s, and no one wanted to go there because it’s where cattle rustlers used to hide out. Carol had a vision, though, and the rest is history. That type of history is around every corner in northern New Mexico, and it’s complemented by vistas that just catch your breath as you take in the vast beauty of this land. It’s an artist’s dream to be able to pursue the creation of images that reflect the light, color, and grandeur of this place. At the same time, the iconic adobe and frame structures that make up the scenes that unfold as you drive toward Ghost Ranch or on the High Road to Taos are my eternal inspiration.”
LEE MCVEY
Albuquerque, NM, www.leemcvey.com
Lee McVey, Blue Sky, Red Earth, pastel, 9 x 12.
“The Abiquiu area is one of my favorite places to paint. The Neopolitan-colored cliffs of the area, as well as the sage, chamisa, and beautiful skies, continually inspire me to paint—en plein air or in the studio—with pastel or oil. I’m drawn to compositions that place the cliffs close up, as well as the more panoramic vistas.”
JOHN MEISTER
Albuquerque, NM, www.johnmeisterart.com
John Meister, Center Stage, oil, 20 x 20.
“The term ‘magical realism’ had to have been created for this land. Living here, I appreciate the aesthetic of life in all its forms and gravitate toward intimate views of nature and the structure of things. Life must do a little something extra to thrive here, and sometimes it displays great beauty in the process. I strive to capture that.” —Beth Williams
contact information
505.681.7482
www.milagropainters.com
This story appeared in the August/September 2022 issue of Southwest Art magazine.