Paintings Archives

Pippin Contemporary – Group Exhibition September 2018: In Living Color

A Sensory Experience of Color and Mood, Abstract Fine Art, Abstract Paintings, Contemporary Collector, Painters, Paintings, Shop Canyon Road

Our mission at Pippin Contemporary is to cultivate a “sensory experience of color and mood” for our visitors and collectors. Represented artists are chosen with this value in mind; our painters and sculptors thrive on creative processes that are tuned to the emotional effects of color. Whether it’s abstraction, representation, painting, sculpture or mixed media, the varied styles and mediums of our artists rely on color as a signature form of expression. Our September group exhibition features five artists whose wide-ranging aesthetics are connected through color. Liz Barber, Elizabeth Hahn, Suzanne Wallace Mears and Gina Rossi are featured for “In Living Color,” a dynamic visual display that conveys the powerful emotional impact of color through art.

“In Living Color” features an eclectic array of artwork that ranges from contemporary landscapes to ethereal abstracts, from luminous glass sculptures to whimsical portraits. Color is central to the artists’ process, however, uniting them in an otherwise diversified exhibition. Below is a sample of each artist’s work paired with personal insights on the importance of color in their work, inspiration or process.

Liz Barber

The backbone of my painting process is an intuitive emotional response to color. As I am painting I am thinking about color relationships and am responding to the colors being placed on the canvas in a very emotional way.

My paintings for “In Living Color” are inspired by the coming of spring. It is such a dramatic shift to go from barren trees to bursts of green and vivid colors. The shapes in my work reflect flower petals and foliage bursting with color all around me during springtime here in Atlanta.

Elizabeth Hahn

Color, pattern and relationships are the basis of my work. My exposure to generations of female relatives’ vibrant and brightly colored patterned quilts is an early impression that eventually found its way into my art. I initially took up sewing, quilting, and embroidery, but it was too tame of a creative endeavor. However the colors and patterns remain in my artwork.

Very Easy Rider by Elizabeth Hahn

Gina Rossi

The first thing I notice about a landscape is usually the light. I am challenged and enthralled by light and how to interpret it. Color is next, but really cannot be separated from light because when I am painting, I am using color to express light, glow, atmosphere, etc. And then it is the solitude, which comes from the vastness of the landscape. There is serenity to it even in the middle of a storm. It stops me in my tracks and I really want to express that feeling.

Santa Fe’s color seems magical and almost unworldly. I will be driving in late afternoon and often have to pull my car over to stare at the sunsets and cloud formations. I don’t take photographs and I don’t rush to my studio to paint it. I wait until it settles in my mind’s eye and at some point it shows up in the work.

Driveby 17 by Gina Rossi

Suzanne Wallace Mears

I use color and texture to create energetic, luminous, and joyous works with glass. Bright and bold reds, blues, and oranges reflect my travels in color-saturated countries such as Tibet, Nepal, China and Mexico.

At random I use solid color fields as a challenge to my driving love of vibrant color. My favorite themes are inspired by nature and antiquity. The message I want to convey is a joyous, energetic rendezvous with positive directions.

Old Mill Valley by Suzanne Wallace Mears

September 26, 2018/by Aleta Pippin

Aleta Pippin – Solo Exhibition, July 4, 2018: Here We Go Round in Circles

A Sensory Experience of Color and Mood, Abstract Fine Art, Abstract Paintings, Aleta Pippin, Canyon Road Art, Contemporary Collector, Painters, Paintings, Pippin Pics

Aleta Pippin is constantly evolving her creative practice. Over the course of her career the Santa Fe artist has poured, brushed and scraped; she’s worked with oil, acrylic and mixed media as well as canvas, aluminum and panel surfaces. Pippin is even known to incorporate digital and new media components into her paintings. “I continue to experiment which is key for my creative muse,” she says. “New ideas are continually born, some finding their way into new work.” Unchanging in Pippin’s process, however, is her commitment to color and the emotional effect it can have on the human psyche. “Color is my driving force,” she states.

Dreamland III by Aleta Pippin

While impressions from Pippin’s early life would become a key inspiration for her artistic career, she didn’t begin painting until 1992 upon moving to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Influenced by Santa Fe’s creative culture, she began taking classes and experimenting with various media and painting styles until honing in on acrylic and oils. In 2003 Pippin fully committed herself to her art, which she considered to be her third career after building a business and raising a family. “My passion for painting became realized when it bloomed into a full-time career,” Pippin explains. “I improved my technique and found my voice – becoming an abstract painter.”

Trip Through the Cosmos by Aleta Pippin

Pippin’s July exhibition, “Here We Go Round in Circles,” is indicative of her commitment to creative exploration as well as her early and ongoing passion for painting in oils – the medium she always returns to even when continuously exploring other avenues. Her love of color, as always, is consistent throughout the exhibition. Her spontaneous nature and personal life impressions also remain constant across this body of work. “I do not plan the images,” she explains. “They are intuitive interactions created by life experience, accessing my broader knowledge. The impressions of my childhood environment express themselves in my paintings. They show up as color, freedom and energetic movement.”

Aglow I by Aleta Pippin

Pippin’s return to oil – her original inspiration for pursuing a career as an artist – is represented in pieces like “Joy Spreads,” “Carried by the Wind” and “Summertime, Sunrise.” Circular paintings such as “Trip Through the Cosmos” illustrate Pippin’s current explorations painting in the round. For these pieces, Pippin uses a variety of tools including her hands or a spinner to move paint across the panel. The panels are painted with colored resin, which incorporates acrylic or oil paint, and are often embellished with copper leaf or gold leaf details. “Resin is an interesting medium,” says the artist and gallery owner. “It accentuates the surface yet is a visual block to the viewer. In a way it says come closer, but not too close.”

Here We Go Round in Circles I by Aleta Pippin

Other mixed media pieces in the show are created using this process including “Fracture II” and “Through the Portal.” Here We Go Round in Circles opens with an artist reception on Friday, July 6^th from 5-7pm. Click here to preview Pippin’s work in the online exhibition catalog.

July 4, 2018/by Aleta Pippin

Canyon Road Paint & Sculpt Out 2016

Abstract Fine Art, Abstract Paintings, Aleta Pippin, Paintings

This weekend is the Canyon Road Paint & Sculpt Out, a lively event where artists demonstrate their creative process along historic Canyon Road. Artists bring paint, clay, fire, glass, easels and more to this event, and give visitors an interactive art experience as they involve onlookers with their process. Autumn is a beautiful time of year in Santa Fe with sunny blue skies and crisp mountain air, providing a brilliant backdrop for the event.

Alongside the visual artists, music students from Santa Fe public schools will perform from 1-3pm, and a parade of all 500 performers will take place at noon. Choirs, string ensembles, bands and more will participate in what is a highly anticipated event for the students.

This year at Pippin Contemporary, Cody Hooper, Gina Rossi, and Rebecca Haines will participate in the Paint & Sculpt Out. Watch Cody’s light-infused abstracts take form through his layering and blending process; see Gina’s cloud and mountainscapes evoke the magic of a Santa Fe sunset; and witness the soft personalities of wild animals come to life in Rebecca’s contemporary wildlife paintings.

Join us on Friday evening 5-7pm to kick off the weekend with Aleta Pippin’s exhibition, For the Love of Color. The vibration of color in Aleta’s new work will energize your evening and lift your spirits as you experience the freedom and passion imbued in each piece.

October 10, 2016/by Aleta Pippin

Aleta Pippin: For the Love of Color

Abstract Fine Art, Abstract Paintings, Aleta Pippin, Contemporary Collector, Paintings, Special Events

This October, an explosion of color will enliven the gallery with Aleta Pippin’s exhibition For the Love of Color. The show will run from October 12th through October 26th, with an opening reception on Friday, October 14th, kicking off the weekend of the Canyon Road Paint & Sculpt Out.

For this exhibition, Pippin is exploring new imagery within abstraction using both acrylics and oils. Vivid color continues to be central to her artistic expression with painting palettes that vary from soft mingling hues to strong contrasting colors. Swirling movement and flames of soft color rise up the canvas in Radiance, a 60×36” oil painting, while energizing motion and layers of striking hues vibrate against each other in Color Burst, a 36×36” oil on canvas.

Pippin’s intuitive painting style allows her to freely express her personal visions through abstract art. “My goal with every painting is to impart an internal expression that flows freely through me,” says Pippin. “It’s basically a narrative inspired by the paint.”

Color Burst by Aleta Pippin

Pippin is also revisiting pouring the paint, a technique she explored many years ago in her career. Feeling drawn to the free flowing movement of the paint and the ambiguity of the outcome, Pippin is now approaching the process with a broader skill set and renewed vision. New poured pieces will be on display for the exhibition including Magenta Pour, 48 x 48”, oil. Pippin says of this piece:

“In 2003 through 2005 I used the process of pouring the color. I liked the large splashes and serendipitous events occurring through the use of this process. All of those paintings were done using acrylics; I’d never tried it with oils. So in revisiting the technique, I decided to do some of the paintings using oils. I loved what happened. The color melded together differently than acrylics. I plan on continuing to fine-tune this process.”

Magenta Pour by Aleta Pippin

Read Aleta Pippin: For the Love of Color full press release and browse the exhibition catalog. You can also view new inventory on Pippin’s artist page. We look forward to seeing you at the opening reception on October 14th, 5-7pm.

September 29, 2016/by Aleta Pippin

Q&A with Gallery Owner and Artist Aleta Pippin

Abstract Fine Art, Abstract Paintings, Contemporary Collector, Paintings, Special Events

This weekend is the highly anticipated Grand Opening of our new location and Fifth Anniversary Celebration at Pippin Contemporary. We moved into our new gallery space at 409 Canyon Road back in March after weeks of preparations (see the work in progress here), and now we’re gearing up for the season in the heart of Santa Fe’s historic art district. This permanent space is the culmination of a dream that started when Aleta Pippin opened her namesake gallery on Lincoln Avenue back in 2011. Since the original opening of Pippin Contemporary, the business has moved twice and now rests permanently at 409 Canyon Road in a space that is more than double the size of any previous location.

From selling her own work in a parking lot in downtown Santa Fe to owning a gallery space on Canyon Road that exhibits the work of 19 painters and sculptors, Aleta Pippin shares her journey as an artist and gallery owner in a city known as one of the top art markets in the country.

Q&A: Aleta Pippin

What was your first impression of the Santa Fe gallery scene and how did you break into it?

I started painting in 1992, landscapes and portraiture. It seemed that most art in SF was Native American or Western. As I progressed in my ability I moved toward abstraction. It wasn’t until 2004 that I committed to painting as a career (third) and proceeded to sell my work. I juried into the Santa Fe Society of Artists and began showing my work every weekend from the end of April through mid-October. The shows, though challenging to be out at 5:30 a.m. Saturday mornings to set up the tent, display panels, etc. were fun and a real learning experience. The first painting I sold was $4000. That couple bought two more paintings over the next few months and I still stay in touch with them. That painting signified a life-changing time for this couple and they remember it fondly as a celebration.

I met many artists, including Barbara Meikle and Guilloume, whose sculpture we show. Barbara eventually became my business partner and in 2006 we opened Pippin Meikle Fine Art. I’m thrilled to say that this is the 10th year celebration for Barbara’s gallery, Barbara Meikle Fine Art, which she continued after we decided to move forward on our own.

You’ve moved the gallery three times in the past five years. How did Pippin Contemporary evolve into what it is today?

In 2011, I asked Barbara whether she’d be interested in opening a gallery downtown. When she wanted to focus on her work and the Delgado location, I decided to go ahead and form Pippin Contemporary and sublet space on Lincoln Avenue. It was fun and we did fairly well, however the space was small and the location didn’t have near the foot traffic as what I’d experienced on Delgado, just off Canyon Road. Gallery space came available on the corner of Canyon Road and Paseo de Peralta in 2013. I decided to lease it and move back to Canyon Road. It actually ended up being a fortuitous move as there was room for outdoor sculpture and I ended up showing the work of a few amazing sculptors.

I have a habit of following my intuition in business. I believe I have an advantage that most people don’t have in that I’ve always been entrepreneurial, starting my business in 1984 in Houston during a terrible recession. I sold that business in 2008, not because I was looking to sell, but because I was given the opportunity by a large company who was buying. Since I no longer lived in Houston and wasn’t as directly involved in the business, it seemed that the timing was right.

Since I’d been focused on art and making a career in it, owning my gallery was a no-brainer. Shortly after Barbara and I opened our gallery on Delgado, we purchased the building, which Barbara bought out in 2013.

Did you ever dream you would own your own building on Canyon Road? How does it feel?

No, I didn’t anticipate owning a building on Canyon Road. However, as a result of some events that occurred during my lease, owning my building seemed like a practical option. It had to be the right building though as most buildings on Canyon Road don’t have large space for sculpture. Then the building at 409 Canyon Road came on the market and it seemed like the perfect fit.

I think the building is wonderful. It’s beautiful, the location is outstanding, and it’s one of the largest gallery spaces on Canyon Road.

A Bright Future by Aleta Pippin at Pippin Contemporary

A Bright Future, Aleta Pippin, 30×30″ acrylic on acrylic panel/resin

What do you envision for the future of Pippin Contemporary?

My vision is that we grow the current business via those collectors who come to Santa Fe. My broader view is that we move beyond to focus on the corporate and public art markets. Most of the artists represented by Pippin Contemporary could easily provide artwork for corporate clients, as well as site-specific work. Developing that client base will take time and effort. I realize it won’t happen overnight. There is so much happening right now with technology and the changes it has caused in how retail business is accomplished. We embrace the opportunities that technology provides and as it becomes more refined, we will continue to adapt our business style to it.

I believe just as one step led to another with my art career, that one step will lead to another growing the gallery.

May 25, 2016/by Aleta Pippin

Photo Recap: Canyon Road Spring Arts Festival

Abstract Fine Art, Abstract Paintings, Contemporary Collector, Paintings, Special Events

Last weekend, more than sixty artists took to the streets for the Canyon Road Spring Arts Festival. Painters, sculptors, glass makers and more created original works of art outside the galleries on Saturday; their pieces were sold either by silent auction during the day or at the live auction event that evening.

We celebrated the start of the season with a Local Artist’s Reception on Friday and enjoyed a fun evening with artists, collectors, and friends. On Saturday, Gina Rossi, Rebecca Haines, and Cody Hooper painted in front of the gallery and discussed their work with visitors. All three artists sold the piece they were working on. Enjoy our photos from the event and mark your calendars for next year’s festival, May 11th and 12th, 2017.

Artists and friends enjoying our Friday evening reception:

Saturday Slow Draw with Gina Rossi, Cody Hooper, and Rebecca Haines:

A lucky collector!

May 12, 2016/by Aleta Pippin

Meeting in the Middle: Aleta Pippin & Greg Reiche Collaborate

Abstract Fine Art, Abstract Paintings, Contemporary Collector, Glass, Paintings, Sculpture

Meeting in the Middle. This is the title of Aleta Pippin and Greg Reiche’s first collaborative piece, which now hangs in a corporate office building in Houston, Texas. Spanning over 12 feet long and reaching over 3 feet high, this monumental work merges Aleta’s acrylic and resin abstract panels with Greg’s kinetic glass and steel grids. Aleta and Greg have been showing their work alongside each other at Pippin Contemporary for three years, but the idea to create a piece together didn’t transpire until about six months ago.

A group of attorney’s in Houston, who have collected 26 of Aleta’s paintings so far, contacted Aleta last November to request a very large piece for their conference room.

“I wanted to give them something extraordinary,” said Aleta. “I felt that individual panels was the way to go, but it seemed that making three or five individual painted panels simply wasn’t as dramatic as it could be.”

Then something clicked, and that’s where Greg came in.

“I have to admit, I was surprised when Aleta asked if I would like to collaborate on this piece,” explains Greg. “I have great admiration for her work and was quite flattered by the request, but was also a bit skeptical at first as to whether it would work well.”

They decided early on that Aleta would create the painting first, and Greg would respond. Aleta painted five panels with acrylic paint and a resin surface. The piece then went to Greg’s studio, where he worked from her color palette. The piece was completed within two months…and the results were nothing short of spectacular.

Golds, blues, purples and subtle reds in Aleta’s panels blend together among interesting textures, and the resin finish adds a luminosity to the piece that lends itself well to the effects of Greg’s iridized glass tiles. The tiles perfectly pick up the gold and purple hues, and the three dimensionality of the steel grid adds a dynamic contrast to the surface of the piece. Just as in his own sculptures, Greg uses brass wire to attach each glass tile to the steel, adding another texture and glint of gold to the overall composition.

Meeting in the Middle, Pippin Reiche Collaboration

Although unsure at first, Greg was amazed at the outcome.

“In the end, I think it worked beautifully,” says Greg. “The combination of her luminous, organic paintings with the linear grid structure and iridized surfaces of my glass work, worked surprisingly well. I love the way the diverse mediums play so well off each other and the incredible depth of color and luminosity of the entire piece.”

Aleta concedes. “I’m thrilled that Greg agreed to do this. Personally, I’m so excited about how beautifully it turned out and it is such a unique piece that I can see it becoming an important part of Greg’s and my work. It gives each of us the opportunity to reach a market that we weren’t as able to access on our own.”

Soliloquy, Pippin-Reiche Collaboration, 54 x 47 x 3″, $13,500

The artists were so enthusiastic that they immediately started a second collaborative piece, Soliloquy, to hang in the gallery. This work is a bit smaller in size, 54 x 47”, but creates a similar impact with glass and steel grids moving along both sides of a vertical acrylic/resin panel, which glows with purple hues and tangible texture.

“All in all, I would say it was a fantastic match and I can see the potential for some amazing collaborations in the future as we work together to push the boundaries even further.” (Greg Reiche)

Are you interested in a collaborative piece by Aleta and Greg for your home or office? Call the gallery at 505-795-7476 or email pippincontemporary@gmail.com to discuss and personalize a dynamic piece of original art.

April 12, 2016/by Aleta Pippin

409 Canyon Road: Inside Our New Gallery

Abstract Fine Art, Abstract Paintings, Paintings, Special Events

Our staff has been hard at work over the past week getting settled into our new gallery home at 409 Canyon Road. Now art is up on the walls, sculpture is placed in the courtyard, and visitors are pouring through. We’re still adding the finishing touches, but we love the way things are coming together and are getting excited for the upcoming season on Canyon Road. Plan to join us on Memorial Day weekend for our Grand Opening & Fifth Anniversary Celebration, and in the meantime, virtually explore the gallery through these photos:

March 25, 2016/by Aleta Pippin

We’re Moving!

Abstract Fine Art, Abstract Paintings, Paintings

Exciting news – Pippin Contemporary is not only relocating, but expanding in 2016! This February, we move to our new permanent home at 409 Canyon Road, the previous location of the Tom Ross Gallery. This means more wall space, more artists, and more contemporary art for us to share with you. We’re invigorated by the growth of our business and are looking forward to new events and ideas for the coming year, starting off with a five-year anniversary celebration and grand opening in May 2016!

Tom Ross has shared his art in this space with Santa Fe locals and visitors for the past 23 years. We plan to continue the thriving atmosphere the gallery has sustained while bringing a new and vibrant energy to this active Canyon Road location. We’ll continue to show Tom’s work along with several other artists – John Charbonneau, Rebecca Haines, Margaret Nes, Gina Rossi, Greg Skol, Elizabeth Hahn and Paul White. We’ve also been privileged to add two outstanding artists to the gallery this past fall, Adam Shaw and David Baca, and will continue to show the core group of painters and sculptors who’s work you’ve come to love over the past several years at Pippin Contemporary. Our full roster of talent will be as follows (click the artists’ name to learn more):

Painters:
Aleta Pippin
Adam Shaw
Cody Hooper
David Baca
Elizabeth Hahn
Gina Rossi
Greg Skol
John Charbonneau
Margaret Nes
Rebecca Haines
Stephanie Paige
Rosenberg (Tom Ross)

Sculptors:
Greg Reiche
Guilloume
Kevin Robb
Paul White
Suzanne Wallace Mears
Troy Pillow

We’ll be introducing our new artists on the blog over the next few months. Subscribe to our e-newsletters to stay updated on the move as well as exciting upcoming events at our new gallery space, and mark your calendars for the grand opening on Memorial Day Weekend, May 27^th, 5-7pm. This will be a lively event of meeting new artists and reconnecting with current ones, as well as enjoying music and relishing hors d’oeuvres and wine. Not to mention helping to usher in the next five years!

Our goal for the 2016 season is to create a welcoming place to spend an evening immersed in Santa Fe’s art and culture, as well as the local contemporary art scene. We’re excited to share our journey with you as our business grows, and most importantly as the careers of our artists reach new heights.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for regular move updates and behind the scenes photos, and watch our live broadcasts on Periscope.

December 31, 2015/by Aleta Pippin

Back to the Future: The Art of Exploration

Abstract Fine Art, Abstract Paintings, Paintings, Special Events

Painter and Pippin Contemporary founder Aleta Pippin has followed an artistic journey of continuous exploration through various media, styles, and color palettes. From luminescent oil paintings to acrylic abstract landscapes, from poured paintings to LED lit panels, Pippin’s constant experimentation keeps her work fresh and exciting to viewers and collectors. For this show however, Pippin is revisiting her original passion for creating vibrant, abstract oil paintings, and plans to bring that energy and emotional resonance into her future artistic endeavors.

Back to the Future: The Art of Exploration opens September 23^rd with an artist reception on Friday, September 25^th from 5-7pm. Vivid blues, glowing yellows, and joyful pinks fill the gallery with light and evoke a feeling of happiness from the viewer. Some paintings take on a more spiritual and thought-provoking theme, while others, such as Caribbean Play, are simply about Pippin’s use of color and the emotions each tone can trigger.

Aleta Pippin Paintings at Pippin Contemporary

Caribbean Play (left) and Magical Mystery Tour hanging at Pippin Contemporary.

“The reason I continue to pursue color and light in my work is because I believe it has a positive impact on people,” explains Pippin. “My goal is to create art that when people look at it, it joyfully inspires them.”

Bloom Where You're Planted by Aleta Pippin at Pippin Contemporary

Bloom Where You’re Planted, 16×16″ oil/panel.

Pieces like Reaching Deeper, Garden’s Gate, and Bloom Where You’re Planted still burst with color, but the titles allow for a deeper perspective. According to Pippin, these paintings are about connecting with your inner self and looking past the obvious.

“Bloom Where You’re Planted is all about being present where you are in life,” explains Pippin. “People are always saying, when I do this or when I get that – then I’ll be happy. But all those things are outside of ourselves. All of us can make the best of where we are at any given moment.”

Garden’s Gate takes on a similar theme of looking beneath the obvious. It was inspired by the story of The Secret Garden, a book Pippin loved as a child and continues to read often as an adult.

Garden's Gate painting by Santa Fe artist, Aleta Pippin

Garden’s Gate, 40×40″ oil/canvas.

“I think the first time I read The Secret Garden may have been in the fourth grade. I loved it then. On the surface, it’s a “feel-good” story. However after reading it several times as an adult, I’ve discovered many nuggets that can be applied to real life challenges.”

Once Again by Aleta Pippin at Pippin Contemporary

Once Again, oil on canvas, 16″ x 16″

Pippin is constantly making new discoveries through her art that lead to exciting career opportunities as well as deeper self-exploration. With painting as her third career, the journey is never ending as new passions are pursued. Once Again is a small panel bursting with energy that speaks to this theme.

“You always have new opportunities to show yourself. For me, being an artist is a life journey as well as an interior journey.”

Join us Friday, September 25th from 5-7pm for Aleta Pippin’s opening reception for Back to the Future: The Art of Exploration.

Can’t make it to Santa Fe for the opening? View new paintings in the online show catalog.

September 22, 2015/by Aleta Pippin