Emphasizing the distinct geography of New Mexico, artist Doug West captures the desert terrain in all of its spellbinding glory. This October, Blue Rain Gallery in Santa Fe will be hosting a solo show featuring eight new paintings by West completed during the past eight months.
“The Southwest resonates deeply with Doug West’s spirit. He is most interested in capturing what speaks of the expanse and the connection that ties us to this place in a timeless, memorable way,” says Leah Garcia, director of marketing at Blue Rain Gallery.
On The Way, oil on canvas, 30 x 30 in.
In this new series of works, West makes plant life the focal points of his compositions, placing cacti, succulents and wildflowers against distant mountains and dynamic desert skies. Some pieces feature realistic flora—depicting what are clearly yucca, sagebrush or prickly pears—while others capture plants that teeter on the imaginary.
“There have been a lot of landscape artists—thousands, maybe even millions, in this country—and they do nice scenes. But at Blue Rain we look at what makes the artist unique,” says Blue Rain Gallery owner Leroy Garcia. “I always look for uniqueness, innovation and refinement, and Doug captures [all of these qualities].”
Way Down South, oil on canvas, 24 x 40 in.
On the Way almost feels like a photoshoot with three models posing in a (nearly) barren valley. In the painting, one yucca stands in the foreground and slightly to the right, a second stands in the mid-ground, and a third (which you might miss at first glance) stands way in the back. Canyon Cholla features a spiny cholla with golden blooms set in front of a river winding through a canyon.
“If you look at these large oil paintings, they’re very pointillistic. Most artists aren’t willing to put that much detail into a landscape. His eye for catching the light, the clouds, the sage brush, the yucca plants, it’s just amazing his perspective,” says Leroy. “[Also] his use of color palette—he’s the whole enchilada.”
Canyon Cholla, oil on canvas, 40 x 24 in.
Many fans of West’s artwork will know that the artist was involved in an accident a few years ago in which he suffered severe burns after a water heater explosion. “He’s worked really hard to develop his skill set back to where it was before the accident,” Leroy says. “When I talk to Doug, he expresses that he wants to continue to get better.” Leroy adds that when the accident happened, the first thing the doctors worked on was West’s hands so he wouldn’t completely lose the dexterity needed to continue painting. “Sometimes that struggle makes us stronger, and in this case, I can say that about Doug.”
Seeing the Now will hang from October 11 to 26. An artist reception will be held Friday, October 11, from 5 to 7 p.m. —
Blue Rain Gallery 544 S. Guadalupe Street » Santa Fe, NM 87501 » (505) 954-9902 » www.blueraingallery.com
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