At One With Nature

This stunning Santa Fe collection uses outdoors spaces as extensions of the art-filled home.

By John O’Hern Photography by Francis Smith

Our collector is fascinated with creative people, how they think and what drives them to create. The collection in his Santa Fe home is “driven by nature, his love for the landscape and his love for the animals that inhabit the Southwest,” according to Cyndi Hall, manager of Manitou Galleries in Santa Fe.Greg Woodard’s bronze It’s a Stretch is displayed on the patio.

On the left is Liz Wolf’s bronze Raven’s Journey. The oil painting is Jerry Jordan’s The Long Way Home.

Among the artists in the collection, sculptor Liz Wolf explores the connection between animals and humans. Hall comments, “Liz’s sculptures highlight the connection of animals and humans in mind, body and spirit—how they reflect us and sometimes carry our illnesses, act out our pain, stress and suffering. Her artist statement embodies this connection: ‘If I had to choose one word to describe my artwork, it would be ‘animism,’ one of man’s oldest beliefs that in every object a spirit or soul exists.I want to infuse my sculptures with a quietness about them and a spirit within them, so they create their own energy and have the ability to communicate. When I am sculpting, 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.’”Paul Rhymer’s bronze bobcat Yawning of a New Day faces two bronze bears by Jeremy Bradshaw, Cinnamon Twist on the left and Cinnamon Roll.

Liz Wolf’s bronze Guardian Hawk is on the near wall and on the far wall is Jerry Jordan’s oil See the World Beyond.

Paul Rhymer’s bronzes Mama Bear and Bad News Bears are in the garden.

Liz Wolf’s bronze Shape Shifter is on the mantle alongside P.J. Garoutte’s oil The Comet’s First Appearance. Paul Rhymer’s one-of-a-kind bronze Cacti is on the hearth.

Jerry Jordan first visited Taos in 1963. He now lives there and continues to be inspired by the artists of the Taos Society of Artists, especially Victor Higgins and Ernest Blumenschein. Paralleling Wolf’s awareness of the spirit, he signs his paintings with an acronym for Taos: Together. Always. Our. Spirit. Cyndi Hall notes, “Jerry is a modern impressionist painter who is continually inspired by the work of the Taos Society of artists. Much like the Taos founders before him, he was haunted by the artistic appeal of Northern New Mexico, which includes stunning landscapes, unique architecture and an appreciation of Native culture. Taos became his permanent home and it is his constant muse. Since he is a colorist, the biggest overall reaction by the collector is in response to Jerry’s well-thought-out palette, each visible stroke a mix of colors that summons the viewer to take a longer and closer look. There is a spirituality about his work that is captured in his renderings of Pueblo life and of the landscape that serves as a backdrop for modern and historic life in Taos.”Cougar I, by Jim Eppler, is visible outside the window. Hib Sabin’s bronze Still of the Night is to the left on the window ledge next to Paul Rhymer’s bronze Flying Burrito Brothers. A print by Salvador Dalí is on the wall.

Jim Eppler’s bronze Raven IV E sits in the opening next to Don Brackett’s oil Spirit in the Aspen. On the right is Hib Sabin’s bronze Great Eagle Owl Spirit.

Above the fireplace is Jerry Jordan’s oil, Silent Stones. Douglas Aagard’s From the Bench hangs on the near wall.Jim Eppler’s bronze Wolf I, Night Song is in the garden.

Throughout the home and its gardens are bronze sculptures of animals, many of which were made by Paul Rhymer. Hall notes, “Paul Rhymer’s professional training as the lead taxidermist and model maker for the Smithsonian has undoubtedly helped him master an understanding of animal anatomy. Collectors are attracted to the way that he masterfully blends this knowledge with an artful hand to create each one of his beloved bronze sculptures. When we began building the collection for this Santa Fe hilltop home, we recognized in Rhymer’s work a seamless combination of academic knowledge and artistic interpretation that fit our vision. This incredible home is perched on the mountain and boasts dramatic views of the landscape below and the interior is designed using natural stone finishes and touches throughout—the choices are a nod to the natural beauty of the mountains and desert surrounding this space. Rhymer’s life-sized renditions of bears, bobcats, owls and other creatures are thoughtfully placed both inside and outdoors—peering through windows, or spotted in nichos and around unlikely corners as if to imply they too are a part of this natural landscape.” —