Sandra Pérez: Poetry in Pastel.

North of Taos by Sandra Pérez. Soft pastel on sanded paper.

"This painting was done one afternoon in late October in a small village called Arroyo Hondo, north of Taos. The sun was beginning to set, ...with the change in light a shadow was cast, and I started to notice the petroglyphs appear, almost as if they were moving. It made me profoundly thankful for this sacred cultural legacy." Sandra Pérez

The Southwest is a place that is very alive for Sandra Pérez. The spirit of the land and of all the people and cultures that have inhabited it move through her landscapes like the winds whispering through the cottonwoods. Often painting en plein air, as she did for this painting, she moves with nature's time - the sun - as it changes the colors and reveals things heretofore hidden. Yet, as an artist, she knows that she must encapsulate the whole experience in one piece. Here the mountain is shown in full sun, revealing the markings on it. While in the canyon floor, shadows are being cast. The reflections in the water begin to darken; a plant casts a purple shadow of itself on the banks of the stream; and the tops of the grasses catch the sun while the bottoms of the conifers are already in dark shadow. The sky provides a celestial southwestern unity, and just as it is darkest before the dawn, it can be brightest before the sunset. Pérez says that she was very concentrated on the sky while doing this painting, and she indeed achieved a perfect heaven of pure Sleeping Beauty turquoise balanced by a touch of Kingman Blue turquoise in the stream.

One might think that Pérez had spent her whole life among the hills, rocks, canyons, and valleys of the Southwest. While she did grow up among the almond orchards in and around Chico, California, a large part of her adult life was spent in her successful interior design business in Seattle, WA., a profession she took with her when she moved with her husband to Santa Fe, NM. Wanting to be an artist from early childhood, through her studies for a BFA from University of Washington School of Art, she was able to live her dream of combining art and design into a career. Through it all Pérez always also did fine art, winning awards from the New Mexico Masters 2002 Show; recently First Place in juried landscape in the Associated Arts of Ocean Shores Fine Art Show in Washington State; two other awards were received from the Santa Fe Trail International Art Show in Colorado: Best of Category, Pastels and Third Place (overall show), as well as an American Artist Magazine award in Gig Harbor, Washington State. She is also an active member of the Pastel Society of the West Coast and Plein Air Painters of New Mexico.

"There is an artistic vitality to this country, and with my soft pastel palette, I love to capture the vibrant colors of Northern California, Washington State and New Mexico." Sandra Pérez

Warm Sunset by Sandra Pérez. Soft pastel on sanded paper.

In Warm Sunset, Pérez captures the absolutely golden environment of a setting sun in autumn. When she speaks of the soft pastel palette, she means her wonderful array of soft pastels from Sennelier in Paris, the very place that made pastels for one of Pérez' art heroes Edgar Degas.

In fact in looking at this Degas, Landscape with Rocks, 1892, there is something in the loose, rather abstract handling of the grasses that has obviously come down to Pérez as seen in how she handles the ground cover in Warm Sunset. Her trees blend into an area of subtle variation, flushed with the rays of the sun as it begins its descent. The tops of the green hills pick up the light yellow of the trees in much the same way as Degas, the master, takes the cadmium orange seen in the foreground grasses of his painting and uses it in the distant rocks. Pérez captures the idea of the descent of the sun with a shaded area that comes at an angle across a stand of trees, some of which have the same warm orange/brown colors seen in the foreground. That line of shadow moves at a diagonal from right to left and has a counterpart diagonal going in the opposite direction, running across the field of grasses. The same movement can be seen in Degas' painting above. Pérez, like all good artists, has incorporated into her knowledge of the medium the wisdom of a great master who came before her.

Aspen Vista, Santa Fe by Sandra Pérez. Soft pastel on sanded paper.

"As I am painting a landscape, I like to visualize how the mountains, streams and trees evolve to define what is now the beauty and excitement of this colorful land." Sandra Pérez

One thing associated with the Southwest is the aspen tree. The white trunk and branches with shimmering leaves that create a delicate rustle when the winds blow are iconic emblems, as connected to the region as the maple tree is to New England. A grove of them provided a challenge for Pérez. As she says of her process, she likes, "to focus on the subject and give myself time and patience to meditate on the creation, constantly talking to myself." Here in Aspen Vista, Santa Fe, the complexity of this grove of aspens gives the artist the opportunity to work with contrasts, some subtle and some sharp. The golden leaves, once again, are done in a range of yellows, oranges, reds, and browns to give some feeling of depth and variety. The foreground is abstract and that continues through the trees into the background, which has a touch of yellow-green to it. That abstraction continues into the distant trees because what is important is the distinct way the aspen tree trunks are done. They are a white that stands out, and their limbs are bent and twisted for a sculptural effect. It seems that a strong wind is passing through. They wisely bend to its will, for it is obvious this is not the first time they have had to do it. Yet, they do not fall. They stand, and stand out from the rest of the forest with their gold and white beauty, backed by another emblem of the Southwest, a turquoise sky.

Rock Garden by Sandra Pérez. Soft pastel on sanded paper.

It is not every artist who takes on a pile of rocks, though we have seen that Degas found them a worthy subject. Certainly the terrain of New Mexico offers a wide variety of combinations of foliage, trees, and rocks. When I asked the artist what she learns from painting the subjects she paints, she responded, "I continually learn technique, color exploration and composition structure." This painting is a study in tonal composition and awareness of how nature has formed a collage of rocks half buried in the grasses and fallen branches. One can imagine that perhaps this is part of what might have been an old creek bed, since the way the rocks angle down makes them look as though they were placed there by the force of water. Pérez captures the effect of water-wear on the top rock, which has channels that look as if formed by rivulets of water. Again one senses a feeling for the sculpture of the rocks as Pérez shows how they have been weathered by the environment. She says, " I am fascinated by the eroding hills etched by rains, the mountain ranges with colorful rock slides and the furrows carved by the winds on the mesas." Here in this microcosmic piece, she indicates the processes that shape that larger landscape that has become so iconic in our imaginations.

Durango in March by Sandra Pérez Soft pastel on sanded paper.

Seasons in the Southwest are not quite the same as elsewhere in the country. On the Pacific Coast there are basically two seasons, wet and dry. In the Southwest technically there are four, but as one can see in this piece of an area near Durango, CO, autumn is still present even in March. The snowy Rocky Mountains make a wonderful deep blue backdrop, against the turquoise of the sky. Winter is still going on up there, but here in the foreground, it is a different story. March should be the beginning of spring. Yet here we have a survivor of the fall. Pérez describes the scene this way, "This was a vast field in Durango where I found these sad, forlorn trees still clad in dry leaves. I tried to embellish their color which was parched and dry looking." The look of these forlorn trees, as she says, is contrasted with the vibrant mountains and a distant line of trees that stand up straight, showing their whitish foliage (blossoms or new buds?). They seem as though they are prepared to march straight across that field to confront these sad trees that don't know their party is over. A little stream of brackish green water seeps past the leftovers of autumn, making one wonder what would happen here once spring actually arrives bringing a full stream of water. It is a painting full of the poetry of the changing seasons and seasons of life in general, where change comes regardless of how hard one hangs on.

Sandra Pérez fell in love with New Mexico after her first visit there in 1985, and in her words, "was so moved by the colors and intense light that I returned frequently to paint the landscape." After her move to Santa Fe, she not only painted, she studied by taking courses from a master pastel artist, Albert Handel, to continue to develop her skills. Pérez always carries soft pastels and a small sketch pad with her for impromptu sketches of scenes she might later develop into paintings. She says what she loves about art is "the challenge and possibility to create an image and the joy is in the process and the resulting product." I think it also allows her a way to express the poetry in her soul.

Here is the artist in her studio, with her works in progress, and wearing a necklace of Sleeping Beauty turquoise beads.

To contact Sandra Perez, email her at

slp4736@msn.com or call 505-577-7739

For more stories of art and artists, plus some tips on fine wines, please visit my OfArtandWine.com blog, and see more on Sandra Perez in the post, "Degas Makes Pastel Landscape Dance and Pouilly Fuisse Wine."éeé

For more on Marjorie Vernelle, see the author page at amazon.com/author/marjorievernelle

She also has an engaging art history blog that talks of painting and wine on ofartandwine.com

© Marjorie Vernelle 2020

#sandraperezpainter #oilpastels #newmexico #landscapepainting #santafeartist

Susan Johnson: Capturing the Spirit.

Just look at him. What a happy character. If he were human, he might be one of the characters at the neighborhood watering hole. You know, the one who knows everybody and can always crack a good joke. Yet, how is it that a particular impression of the character of this animal comes across? What does the artist, Susan Johnson, do to signal that to the viewer? Well, his ears are perked up, taking in everything said. His eyes are bright and with the look of a being that is very perceptive. His mouth seems to be open for purposes of communicating, probably a wisecrack if we could put it into our words. Yet, his softly rendered hair makes him easy to pet and cuddle. The warm colors of his hair are done in rich tans, with quite a variety of different shades and tones of brown and tan, from yellowish to reddish. Those are contrasted with shades of white, again applied to give the feeling of softness. The blue background serves to highlight this color scheme and makes the central image seem even more touchable.

"I want my animal portraits to tell a story, and I want the viewer to feel the soul of the animal." Susan Johnson

Johnson was for many years an art teacher, and her desire to get her students inside the art led her to do many things to pique their interest. One of the techniques was to present herself as a famous artist to gain their attention first and then proceed to give that artist's perspective on doing art, thereby showing that art is a real thing, not just an elective course.

At the same time she continued to do her own art work, in particular she admits loving to paint animals, saying, "[e]very animal I paint leaves a paw print on my heart."

The individuality of the animals is always apparent, as can be seen in the pair of paintings below. Though from different households, these two almost look like an old married couple when posed side-by-side.

Again we see the skillful use of colors that compliment but contrast as well. In particular is the handling of the labrador's black coat, which is done without black but instead with a range of blues from cool frosty highlights to deep, inky, midnight blue. The soft tan and brown strokes behind the animal help to bring out the figure of the dog and help the viewer notice the brown tones in those alert eyes and at the bottom of the muzzle. Even his collar has browns and blues, which complete the sense of color harmony. The collie has that long soft hair, shown nicely through a variety of strokes done in different lengths and with different colors. Her eyes are alert also but with a warm sympathetic aspect to them. With these two one gets the feeling of having a lovely companion to cuddle and another to protect you.

Naturally, Johnson does not leave cats out of her repertoire. Here she again shows her expert handling of animal hair, from the whiskers to the tiny hairs sticking out of the ears. The use of dark slate grays and white, with touches of tan in the ears and soft gray further down in the body give a lot of dimension to this animal. Of course, the thing that captures the viewer's immediate attention are those green eyes and that expression of stark surprise, as if to say, "You want me to do what!" Again a soft background in warm colors, a bit of rose, a bit of soft yellow, mingle to form a contrast with the dark grayish black, white, and gray hair of the animal, and they all serve to emphasize those eyes. Meow!

In her desire to take up the challenge of capturing the spirit of the animal she paints, she has continued to expand her talents by taking professional painting workshops in various regions of the country, from her native Connecticut, to Florida, California, Arizona, and her current home state, Colorado. It may be her residence in the western U.S. that brought on some of her work painting horses. While Johnson uses photographs of the animals to work from, one always sees that she captures the essence of the animal and gives the viewer some insight into its character.

This beauty was done from a photo of a wild mustang provided by Gary O'Dell. Here we not only see Johnson's ability to capture the animal as it refreshes itself in a cool stream, but we also see some of her abilities to paint landscape. You can almost hear the gurgle of the creek as its waters pass over the rocks. The background in blue-grays and spring greens form the perfect color backdrop for the coppery tones of this sorrel horse as it gingerly steps out into the creek for a drink.

Having been a career educator, Johnson always looks for ways of helping provide spaces for artists to come together to paint and draw. Since her move from Florida to Colorado, she has been very active in her local arts community in Colorado Springs. She is one of the stalwarts of a group that comes together to do figure drawing every Wednesday evening. It is known as Venue 515, named for a part of the Manitou Springs Art Center. Their work can be seen on the Facebook page, Figure Drawing at Venue 515. Johnson works in more than just oil paints. In particular she likes to use textures, often created by coats of acrylic paint, over which she works in figures and portraits done in water soluble Caran d'ache pastels. The effects are stunning as can be seen below.

These pieces done in life drawing sessions at the open studio at Venue 515 or at Cottonwood Center for the Arts use the textured format described above. The psychological aspect to capturing the character of the models is something that Johnson refers to as "painting from the inside out." There is, of course, capturing the physical likeness of the model, which Johnson does remarkably well. However, the model is more than just a face. That awareness of the life lived in that body and the traces it leaves on the face, "lines of character" as they are sometimes known, allow Johnson to play with colors and textures to create a life to go along with the presentation of the image. While these two figures are certainly our contemporaries, the treatment of the surfaces they are painted on makes them seem to emerge from history. The female portrait looks at us with head held high and a gaze with eyes that could have come from ancient Nubia, while the aged male figure could be a stand-in for a Roman senator.

Here the artist stands by another of her textured creations from her participation in the various figure drawing studios.

Once again we see her skill, and here not just in the use of the colors and a variety of lines to show the difference between the figure and the background of the sofa she sits upon, but also in the composition.

The model is turned away from the viewer. One arm crosses over her legs as her body is turned in a three quarters pose. It gives the viewer the somewhat unaccustomed view of someone partially from behind. The legs are mostly visible, but the most interesting thing again is the use of the lines there, while the arm is shaded in smoothly. The combination of shading and the flurry of lines helps to create the idea of texture without the build up of an underlying base. Just more signs of an expert using her skill to fill a space in a beautiful way.

For more on Susan Johnson's work, go to the post on OfArtandWine.com "Painted Animals and Wine + Chile (and not just the country)," where another of her wonderful horse paintings appears. To contact Susan Johnson, go to Contact in this website and send an email or just email vernellestudio@gmail.com

Works of art used in this article are used with the artist's permission.

For more on Marjorie Vernelle, see the author page at amazon.com/author/marjorievernelle She also has an engaging art history blog that talks of painting and wine on ofartandwine.com

© Marjorie Vernelle 2020

#suejohnsonartist #animalportraits #oilpastels #portraitartist