Artist Brad Price returns to Meyer Gallery in Santa Fe for yet another thrilling series of paintings that depict the landscape of Northern New Mexico. While Price’s November show with Meyer Gallery focused on the theme of New Mexico back roads, the new solo show, Braking for Beauty, opening May 26, will highlight similar views but with an emphasis on the artist’s love of seeking out the perfect landscape scene from the drivers seat.
Black Mesa Cottonwoods, oil on canvas, 30 x 40”
“I’ve often thought I should have a bumper sticker on my car warning people, ‘I brake for beautiful landscapes,’” the artist explains. “When I see something I like, I brake immediately so I can get a photo of it.” Price lives and works in Oklahoma, but his deep fascination with the New Mexico landscape has him visiting for photo tours that last days where he pulls over almost every mile to take pictures for reference.
“A friend sent me an email a few years back that said, ‘I can’t believe you make nothing look good!’” Price recalls. “What she meant by this is I paint the things people overlook. I mainly paint chamisa because they’re abstract, intricate and gorgeous—so maybe my bumper sticker should say, ‘I break for bushes.’”
El Castillo, oil on canvas, 40 x 30”
This is illustrated in show pieces like Winter Chamisa, depicting a collection of chamisa among a snowy landscape. Price says, “It’s just a bush! But if I see a chamisa like this, I do a whole photo shoot and will go back to it several times to capture it in different light. I’ll often do a series of paintings of the same view, but each painting is at a slightly different perspective and at different times of day.”
Price will have two paintings in the show that feature the same mountain that he’s personally named El Castillo, because, “I couldn’t find an official name,” he shares. The piece pictured here is aptly titled El Castilloand is Spanish for ‘the castle.’ This painting in particular is a special one—the artist has spent years trying to find the location that he originally saw in a painting by another artist. “The artist passed away so I couldn’t ask him,” Price says, “but I finally found it off a dirt road in the middle of nowhere, on the high road to Taos.”
Winter Chamisa, oil on canvas, 30 x 40”
Also important to Price’s work is the style in which he paints. “I call my work ‘colorism’ because I use color to really amp up the experience for people,” he says. “I put conflicting colors next to each other so they vibrate.” Price also uses small, distinct brush strokes to show growth patterns or movement in bushes, trees and clouds. “I’m attracted to the natural world and the style I work in really marries itself to the landscape,” says Price.
Cottonwood Arroyo, oil on canvas, 30 x 40”
In the piece Cottonwood Arroyo, viewers can see these directional brush strokes in the brightly colored trees, emphasizing the uniqueness of each tree and eloquently showcasing their movement with the wind. The landscape is depicted in vibrant blues and purples, with a smattering of yellow where more foliage is found.
Meyer Gallery owner John Manzari describes Price’s work perfectly in stating, “[His] oil paintings are a masterful exploration of light, color and emotion…Through his use of bold complementary colors, strong directional lines and nuanced brushwork, Price creates immersive and emotive worlds that draw the viewer in and invite contemplation.”
The show of 30 new paintings will hang at Meyer Gallery through June 8. —
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