Brad Price doesn’t just paint landscapes—he amplifies them, transforming desert vistas into vivid experiences. Price will unveil his latest body of work in a solo show at Meyer Gallery titled Painting Out Loud. Featuring around 40 new pieces, the show marks a bold evolution in Price’s signature contemporary post-impressionist style.
Black Mesa Chapel & Chamisa, oil on canvas, 30 x 40 in.
“Technically, I’m pushing things—more color, more texture, more impasto,” Price says. “If the mountain looks a little blue, I’ll make it bluer. I’m taking what’s in the photo and bringing out the colors I think it should have.” All of his new works are landscapes depicting the land he loves in northern New Mexico.
“Brad Price’s latest work introduces a richer use of impasto, adding more depth and movement to his landscapes,” says gallery owner John Manzari. “The layered application of paint allows light to interact with the surface in new ways for Brad. This evolution brings new dimension to his northern New Mexico imagery, while still true to his vibrant style.”
Educated in art at the University of Oklahoma, Price initially pursued a career in graphic design, which shaped his approach to color. “Whether it was in ads, posters or brochures, color was always a huge part of design,” he says. In 1985, he turned his attention toward painting, and while he initially focused on realism, he soon found more satisfaction in taking a looser approach.
Ranchos Reflections, oil on canvas, 40 x 30 in.
“I was very inspired by the work of early Taos painters, as well as post-impressionism—Van Gogh in particular,” he says. “I had always loved his work and wanted to paint like that, but I hadn’t had the courage.” As he began painting more seriously, he experimented with color and the placement of his brushstrokes.
To capture his desert scenes, Price goes on three or four photo journeys a year, usually in New Mexico. “I don’t paint anything I haven’t photographed myself,” he says. He spends a week winding down back roads and taking pictures of every mountain, mesa and tree that captures his attention. “Sometimes I even take video so I can play it and hear the wind or a stream and really go back to that place, mentally,” he adds.
Each trip results in thousands of photos, but only a handful will become the basis of a painting. “My technique has become more direct over the years,” Price says. Instead of doing an underpainting, he lays a thick layer of paint directly onto the canvas, enough for it to stay wet for three or four days, then uses a brush with nothing on it to move the paint around and create strokes that guide the eye through the shape of the landscapes. “The colors I use are fairly arbitrary. They’re close to nature, but they’re more about what I want to use than what’s realistic,” he continues.
Chama Wilderness Road, oil on canvas, 30 x 40 in.
Among the paintings on view at Meyer Gallery is Chama Wilderness Road. “It’s this 15-mile farm-to-market road near Ghost Ranch that leads to the Christ in the Desert Monastery,” Price says. The painting shows the dirt road in shadow, and the sandstone cliffs the distance lit up by the morning sun.
Another painting, Ranchos Reflections, has a puddle of water in the foreground that captures the reflection of a nearby church. Price says, “When I took that photo, I knew it was something special.”
An opening reception for Painting Out Loud will be held on May 23, from 4 to 6 p.m., and hangs through June 5. “I hope people can hear my heart in this work,” Price says. “That’s what I mean by ‘painting out loud.’” —
Meyer Gallery 225 Canyon Road, Suite 14 & 15 » Santa Fe, NM 87501 » (505) 983-1434 » www.meyergalleries.com
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