Manitou Galleries returns with their Annual Small Works exhibition that features paintings, sculpture and jewelry in a variety of styles and themes of a Western nature. Guest artists and gallery favorites display works that are all around 12 by 12 inches and under, making for affordable and creative holiday gifts.
“We celebrate small works at Manitou Galleries because it is a great way to discover new artists, it is a venue for collectors to purchase original artwork at a wonderful price and also a vehicle to appreciate the importance of small works in the art world,” notes the gallery. 
Tom Perkinson, Rider with Pack Horse, pastel, 10 x 10"
Collectors can expect one-of-a-kind beauties such as Awake Upon the Rock, an oil painting depicting a figure riding horseback set against a colorful sky and mountainous terrain. Artist Chase Tafoya explains of the piece, “Living in central Oregon, I’m fortunate enough to be close to some beautiful state parks and mountains. Awake Upon the Rock is from place called Smith Rock that my wife and I constantly hike, and where I plein air paint often. Early mornings at Smith Rock are something special, and the best part is catching the sunrise as light creeps over the horizon at dawn and lights the tips of the mountain.”
Tafoya wants to “create art that evokes an emotion, as well as capture a moment in time that makes the person viewing the art feel connected. American history is greatly impacted by the history of the West, and all the cultures and traditions that built that into what is so special and attractive. I want to pay respect to how the great Western painters of the past inspired me with their work, yet putting my own contemporary style to it.”
Curtis Wade, Chimney Rock, oil, 12 x 12"
Other paintings include the pastel work Rider with Pack Horse, a landscape and colorful skyscape with figures shown on the horizon. New Mexico artist Tom Perkinson explains, “When I was painting [the piece], I didn’t include the figures until the very end… I imagined them on the ridge and then added them. These figures create narrative, scale and add depth to the painting.”
Perkinson hopes that collectors see that his work is vital and vibrant, full of robust color, and romantic themes of light, shadow and panoramic vistas. “I hope they see themes that elevate and highlight everyday activities like horseback riding or fishing or simply being, all created in a romantic yet realistic landscape. I hope that my work offers exciting visual and poetic respite from a weary world.”
Liz Wolf, Shape Shifter, bronze edition of 25, 12 x 4 x 6"
The exhibition will also include sculptural work like Shape Shifter, a bronze hawk by Santa Fe artist Liz Wolf. “I saw a hawk perched high in a tree or flying endless circles in the sky observing its surroundings with extraordinary vision,” the artist explains of her inspiration. “The hawk teaches me to become like them and pay close attention to all that surrounds me, to see my boundless world from a bird’s-eye view.”
Chase Tafoya, Awake Upon the Rock, oil, 16 x 20"
Wolf strives to infuse her sculptures with a quietness about them and a spirit within them, so they create their own energy and can have the ability to communicate. “When I am sculpting,” she furthers, “I feel the sculpture take part in its own creation. I listen and we continue to work together. As an artist I feel grateful to see the world beyond its norm.”
The exhibition runs through December 27, with an opening reception December 3 from 5 to 7 p.m. —
Annual Small Works
December 3–27, 2021
Manitou Galleries
123 W. Palace Avenue, Santa Fe, NM 87501
(505) 984-9859
www.manitougalleries.com
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