June 2015 - The Art World - Dee Sanchez: The Garden Show
Winter Elise
The Garden Show at Sumner and Dean, opening on June 5th, will showcase garden art as part of their 35th Anniversary celebration. Dee Sanchez, special invited guest and Albuquerque local artist, will be showing twenty-two palette knife garden themed pieces. It’s a new style for the established oil painter. Speaking with us candidly, she talks about life, death, and where to find inspiration during the darkest times.
Starting out painting in acrylics in 2002, Sanchez painted relentlessly in her home studio only to find her true passion was in Plein air works. With dry air and bright sunlight, the paintings were drying before she could even start, prompting a change over to oil. “My oil technique was well-accepted from the beginning and I loved taking my paints out on location, pulling up to a pretty scene, getting all my gear out, and painting until I lost that special "New Mexico" light.”
Two years ago in January, Sanchez lost her best friend and collector suddenly and expectantly, followed by her painting partner moving out of state. It was time for a change. “I felt really alone and lost all of my painting motivation,” shared Sanchez. “I had been with the same gallery for 14 years and that had been great. They gave me my first start and sold my work with enthusiasm. But something was missing.” After a thoughtful re-evaluation of her art career, Sanchez decided to try painting with palette knives. Some of her personal favorite artists were palette knife painters. It took her awhile to get the hang of it, making plenty mistakes along the way. She also decided to break ties with the gallery that had given her start. Grateful to them for everything, she felt she needed a big change to get her motivation back.
Gardens have a deep meaning for Sanchez. “Both of my grandmothers were avid country gardeners, and I have flowers and plants in my blood,” expressed Sanchez. “In a way, this is a tribute to all of the fantastic women nurturers in my life.” Come see how thirteen years of experience and flowers in the blood translate into sophisticated paintings.