The Promise of the Sun
Pastel
20 x 24 in.
In the 23 years I have lived in New Mexico, there have been beginnings and ends of days, so shockingly beautiful, I just stood before the spectacle frozen as the colors morphed before my eyes in slow motion. The Promise of the Sun is inspired by so many of these impossibly beautiful sunsets over Bosque del Apache. In the wintertime, the Bosque diverts water from the Rio Grande to flow through the refuge mimicking the flooding that has brought migratory birds for millennia, offering food, safety and a moderate season for them. Tagged species have taught us that these birds, snow geese and Sandhill Cranes more specifically, come from as far away as Siberia to winter over.
Since I moved here, I have been fascinated by the patterns made from preparing the refuge, turning over reeds and coyote willow, field grasses and corn to sustain this seven year cycle and prepare to flood. When the shallow waters come in, the geometry against this gentle landscape, illuminated by the low light of dawn and dusk are simply overwhelming to me. The vibrant reds, oranges and yellows changing every second beg me to paint. When creating these silhouetted pieces, I never use black. A closer look reveals myriad intense darks that agree with temperature and value objectives for the painting.
May 2020 Art of the West Magazine is doing a 5-7 page feature on my work! It is currently in press. I’m very excited to see what they have to say!
June 2020 This painting is one of more than 60 works I’ve prepared for my upcoming solo show, Earth and Sky at Ventana Fine Art in Santa Fe on Canyon Road opening June 5, 2020. The new work will be on display both in the gallery and on their website https://www.ventanafineart.com/natasha-isenhour . A large inventory of my work is on display there year-round.
July 2020 Through July 28, I have work in the prestigious Cowgirl Up! Invitational in Wickenburg AZ at the Desert Caballeros Western Museum.
August 2020 I’m proud to announce my addition to the PACE2020 Faculty for the rescheduled event in Santa Fe! I will be doing a Pastel Demonstration and will also be a Field Painter at the convention.
September 2020 I have the honor of being a featured artist at the Mendocino Open Paint Out. I am invited to participate again this year in the Central City Plein Air Festival, as a benefit of winning best of show last year.
You can also find my work at RS Hanna Gallery, Abend Gallery, Cobalt Fine Arts, and at my website.
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