Earthy browns and yellows combined with bright blues and reds to form a collection of pastel landscapes. On one pastel board, a sign reading “Beware of rattlesnakes” was drawn against a background of rocky cliffs and blue sky.
“The light was unfiltered,” artist Anabel Hopkins said. “The sky was so bright and blue that it didn’t quite look real. Sometimes it would turn beautiful shades of purple.”
The landscape was one of many showcased by gallery406 in an exhibit titled “From Taos with Love” that will run until March 31.
The exhibit featured artwork inspired by Hopkins’ time studying under master pastelist Albert Handell in Taos, New Mexico.
Hopkins is an alumna of the University of New Mexico and juried member of the Indiana Artisans Project.
She said her artistic journey allowed her to reconnect with the state.
“I really missed New Mexico,” she said. “It was an opportunity to revisit memories of the landscape but also see a lot of new sites I never would have otherwise.”
This landscape was also unlike what she was used to while painting in Indiana.
“I really prefer landscapes with mountains and rocks,” she said. “The rocks are almost abstract in a sense. The individual rocks turn into something that doesn’t quite feel tangible and physically real.”
Stephanie Reeves, co-owner of gallery406, said this distinct terrain paired with Hopkins’ style gave her work an abstract quality that is uncommon in landscape work.
“I love the looseness of it and the colors,” Reeves said. “It also has this abstract feel that gives you the feeling of being transported to New Mexico.”
Hopkins said this feeling of being transported appeared when many people who had lived in or visited New Mexico came to the gallery opening.
Because of the pueblo buildings and scenery portrayed in the pieces, the art allowed viewers to connect with an area that was important to them, Hopkins said.
“It was nice to be able to bring a piece of a place they cared about into Indiana,” Hopkins said.
Reeves said she was also happy that people were able to connect with the artwork on such a personal level.
“It’s amazing the stories from the past and the family connections and everything that can come out of seeing work like this,” she said.
While she said she is happy with the outcome, Hopkins said she has faced challenges in her craft.
During her time in New Mexico, Hopkins, at 75-years-old, stood outside and painted en plein air for hours at a time.
As a result, she said she was often tired and had back pain that she received physical therapy for after returning to Indiana.
The high altitudes also caused the skin on her fingers to crack. This experience made it difficult to blend her pastels.
But Hopkins said the skills required of working en plein air were just as much as challenge as the physical trials.
“There’s so much to take in,” Hopkins said. “There’s a million things going on at once at 360 degrees. It’s hard to focus in on something and just work.”
Despite the difficulties involved, Hopkins said working in New Mexico was a breath of fresh air that rejuvenated her as an artist.
“It’s so easy to get in a rut when you’re in one place, painting the same things,” Hopkins said. “I needed change and to see new things to get inspired by. It was so refreshing, and the change helped me grow as an artist.”
