Ventana Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
October 21-November 7
Barry McCuan, Lueur des Tournesols, oil, 30 x 30.
Bright fields of flowers, rolling French and Tuscan fields, and sun-kissed Southwestern mountains characterize the oeuvre of plein-air painter Barry McCuan, whose newest landscape paintings are on view at Ventana Fine Art on Canyon Road beginning in October. The solo show, which is aptly titled Le Beau Soleil (The Beautiful Sun), includes approximately 20 oils in sizes ranging from 8 inches square to 6 feet wide. The artist plans to attend the opening reception on Friday, October 21.
A longtime Santa Fe resident, McCuan is drawn to places with distinctive light and atmosphere, so he finds himself returning again and again to two favorite spots: southern France—particularly the Languedoc and Provence regions—and northern New Mexico. Those landscapes make up the majority of the paintings in this show, with a few additional pieces depicting landscapes in England, Italy, and Arizona.
- Barry McCuan, Near Miss, oil, 16 x 20.
- Barry McCuan, Ray’s Koi Pond, oil, 24 x 14.
- Barry McCuan, East Side Casita, oil, 12 x 16.
McCuan’s passion is painting from life, with the sun on his skin, the subject right before his eyes, and the quickly changing light keeping him on his toes. This approach imbues his canvases with a spontaneous freshness that never appears overworked. Most of the artist’s small and midsize pieces are completed on-site, while his larger works are created in the studio using his plein-air studies as references.
- Barry McCuan, Chili, oil, 14 x 18.
- Barry McCuan, Von Bock Farm, oil, 14 x 18.
- Barry McCuan, Near Rattlesnake Ridge, oil, 20 x 20.
McCuan’s favorite time of day to paint is from 4 p.m. until just after sunset, when the low light gives everything a golden glow. Adding to the luster of owning a McCuan landscape painting—which is a veritable passport to these beautiful places and times—is the custom frame the artist creates for each work, hand-carved with plein-air motifs and finished in 22-karat gold.
“My paintings are the leaves of my journal, the journey of my life,” the artist comments about his life’s work. “My inspiration comes from wanting to share my favorite places with people. I like the quiet places generally, out in the country, where you don’t hear the cars. I think that, in these times, people need those quiet places to just rest.” —Allison Malafronte
contact information
505.983.8815
www.ventanafineart.com
This story appeared in the October/November 2022 issue of Southwest Art magazine.