The mystique of the night is enthralling—skies of deep blues and twilight purples, the land illuminated only by the glow of the moon. While the color palette is somewhat limited in a nocturne, the challenge to create a piece filled with emotion and energy is what makes the subject so enjoyable, says California-based painter David Jonason. His oil Saguaro Moon, depicting the towering saguaros of Saguaro National Park in Tucson, Arizona, at night, is part of a forthcoming show at Manitou Galleries’ Canyon Road location. The exhibition, Night Visions, zeroes in on nocturnal scenes, many depicting the Southwest.
David Jonason, Saguaro Moon, oil on canvas, 36 x 24”
“It’s a very different challenge from painting the landscapes of New Mexico [in daylight],” says Jonason of creating night scenes. “The mountains, the mist. You can’t do that with nocturnes. Some people will just do a day scene and add a black sky and call it ‘night,’ but I think it’s more nuanced than that. It’s a unique challenge, but a fun challenge. You have to dial back the color a lot.”
Every November, Manitou Galleries hosts a small works show as the holidays approach, and Western painter Kim Wiggins is particularly excited about the exhibition’s nocturnal theme.
Sushe Felix, Moonlit Canyon, acrylic on panel, 36 x 36”
“In my own life, the nighttime has always been shrouded in a mysterious awe,” he says. “It seems to embody this magical sense of spirit and beauty not found in the light of day...Many see it as my most recognizable work. The evening is made for the heart of a storyteller, for there’s a romantic beauty evidenced through starry skies and moonlit villages.”
Tom Perkinson, Great White Egrets, watercolor mixed media, 12 x 6”
Colorado native Sushe Felix comments, “I feel that the nighttime is a very peaceful, mystical and magical time to experience. The moon and stars are a major element in my night scenes, and I often include moonbeams to help to move the viewers eyes through the composition. I like to repeat forms and shapes throughout my work to help to create a unity in the piece.” Her work is inspired by American regionalist and modernist art movements of the 1930s.
PJ Garoutte, Strokes of a Midnight Sky, oil, 8 x 8”
Tom Perkinson brings to the show a watercolor and mixed media piece, Great White Egrets, in which four of the aquatic-dwelling birds wade near a stream under the moonlight. “I consider myself a romantic realist and most of my work is from my imagination,” says the artist. Another mixed media watercolor, Geese Along the Rio Grande, will be a part of the exhibition as well. “When I started...Geese Along the Rio Grande, I knew I wanted to paint a quiet moment in time. To achieve this idea, I decided on certain images I might use such as a full moon, stars, water, mountains and trees...My job is to orchestrate all these images into a pleasing composition that conveys serenity,” he says of his process. “The value structure in the painting is very important; it’s the underlying foundation.”
Night Visions will be on view from November 13 to December 11. An opening reception takes place Friday, November 13, from to 2 to 6 p.m. Other artists whose work will be featured include PJ Garoutte, Don Brackett, William Haskell, Jerry Jordan and Curtis Wade. —
Upcoming Show
Up to 25 works
Nov. 13-Dec. 11, 2020
Manitou Galleries
225 Canyon Road, Santa Fe,NM 87501,
(505) 986-9833
www.manitougalleries.com
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