Santa Fe, NM
Sorrel Sky Gallery, November 4-27
Walt Gonske, Vallecitos in Winter, oil, 12 x 16.
This story was featured in the November 2016 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art November 2016 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
The eighth annual Plein Air Painters of New Mexico members’ exhibition opens at Sorrel Sky Gallery in Santa Fe on Friday, November 4, with an opening reception and awards ceremony from 5 to 8 p.m. This national juried art show and sale shines a spotlight on as many as 150 original plein-air paintings by PAPNM members, including works by Master Signature members Bill Gallen, Walt Gonske, Albert Handell, Paul Murray, and Peggy Immel.
The plein-air group, which includes nearly 300 artists from across the U.S., is dedicated to preserving plein-air painting and advancing the art form in the tradition of New Mexico’s early- and mid-20th-century artists. “This is the single show all year that affords the entire membership an opportunity to submit and show their work in a major gallery,” says event co-coordinator Immel.
Visitors to the exhibition this year can expect more variety than they’re used to seeing in plein-air works, notes Immel. Unlike prior competitions, there were no size restrictions for entries this year. “Artists could submit as big as they liked,” she says. Works hang in Sorrel Sky’s upstairs gallery area, which lends itself to showcasing larger paintings. “That’s rather not the norm in a plein-air show,” says Immel, adding that the larger formats help diversify the exhibit. “It’s exciting to see work that’s a little bit outside the box in terms of the standard 8-by-10 or 9-by-12-inch field study.”
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- Paul Murray, Taos Morada, pastel, 15 x 15.
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- Albert Handell, A Touch of Yellow, pastel, 16 x 20.
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- Albert Handell, On King Rock Face, pastel/mixed media, 16 x 20.
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- Jeff Legg, Lyptus and Melon, oil, 12 x 18.
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- Jeff Legg, Viridian and Citrus, oil, 16 x 12.
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- Lee McVey, Soft Light Picacho Peak, pastel, 10 x 8.
In addition to varied painting sizes, visitors can expect to see a wide mix of subject matter, including outdoor still lifes, southwestern and other regional landscapes, and even a portrait or two. Nationally acclaimed artist Jeff Legg, a Master Signature member of the Oil Painters of America, serves as the judge of awards and shares a few of his own paintings in the show. “Jeff is really known for his still-life work,” says Immel, “but he’s a terrific plein-air painter and a terrific judge, so I’ll be interested to hear his choices.”
Events during opening weekend include a still-life painting demonstration by Legg on November 5 from noon to 3 p.m. in the gallery and painting demonstrations by Lee MacLeod, Damien Gonzales, and Lee McVey on November 6 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. —Kim Agricola
contact information
866.878.3555
www.sorrelsky.com
This story was featured in the November 2016 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art November 2016 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
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