Santa Fe, NM
Waxlander Gallery, August 1-14
Andrée Hudson, Confrontation, acrylic, 30 x 60.
This story was featured in the August 2017 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art August 2017 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
Andrée Hudson stands on the back of a pickup truck on a ranch in northern Colorado. A crowd of horses runs across the landscape toward her, splitting around the truck at the last second. She snaps photos as they speed by. Later she transforms them into bright, energetic paintings that seem to vibrate with the memory of stampeding hoofs. The horses are just some of the many images of the West that dominate Hudson’s portfolio. In a solo show this month at Waxlander Gallery titled Romance With the West, Hudson presents 35 new pieces.
The show focuses on images of horses and longhorns against abstracted backgrounds. Hudson began her career as a medical illustrator but soon moved comfortably into her abstracted style. “It was a very freeing transition,” she says. “I can draft anything perfectly, but this gives me the right to experiment and see what comes naturally.” Cowgirls, ballerinas, and a few tropical scenes from the artist’s recent move to Florida round out the show.
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- Andrée Hudson, Stand-Off, acrylic, 30 x 60.
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- Andrée Hudson, Feeling Shy, acrylic, 40 x 20.
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- Andrée Hudson, Lone Bison, acrylic, 30 x 40.
“She has so much freedom in her painting, and she’s very fearless when she uses her colors,” gallery director Bonnie French says. “Our gallery is known for vibrant works, and she uses these wonderful jewel tones and stark whites against bright colors—we never know what we’re going to get.”
Hudson employs a variety of techniques to apply her acrylic paints, using paintbrushes and palette knives or dripping paint across the canvas. The artist tries to change up her color palette each year and has recently experimented with grays and purples. But she is always drawn to the warm colors of the West. “When I moved to Colorado, I decided to embrace that western style and adopted a contemporary twist to make it more vibrant and energetic,” Hudson says.
Collectors can learn more about the artist during a lecture and demonstration with Hudson at the gallery on Saturday, August 5, from 3 to 5 p.m. Reservations are suggested. “She just has so much fun, and when you look at her pieces and while she is painting them, you can tell she really enjoys it,” French says. —Mackenzie McCreary
contact information
505.984.2202
www.waxlander.com
This story was featured in the August 2017 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art August 2017 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
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