This Month’s Cover Artist:
Leigh Gusterson
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eigh Gusterson has made Taos her home for the last 18 years — a fabulous location for a “plein air” painter! An artist since kindergarten, Leigh’s start in plein air painting (painting landscapes outdoors on location)
happened at her New Jersey High School, and she’s been making her living as an artist ever since then.
Leigh discovered New Mexico in 1985 on a solo cross-country bike trip, painting
watercolors and camping out along the way. A few years later she settled in
Taos, where she observed that “her canvases were becoming more colorful and vibrant as the New Mexican
landscape seeped into her palette and soul.” Whether she’s aiming to a pre-chosen location to paint or just out scouting to see what she
can find on a “painting day,” she likes to do the painting in one sitting at the site. “I like the energy of being outdoors while working on a painting. I’ve learned to work quickly, capturing what I see all around me. The colors and
the gestures I use all come from the experience of working outdoors.” Nearly completed, Leigh’s painting comes back to her studio, where she sits with it for a few weeks
contemplating how she’ll complete it in the most minimal way possible in order “to keep it as an outdoor painting.”
Always an avid painter, teaching numerous workshops, entering art contests,
winning awards and having one-person gallery shows, this year Leigh is
listening to her intuition and pulling back from much of that. As a single mom
who raised two daughters on the income from her paintings and workshops, she’s now realizing just how much that pressure motivated her to paint and paint so
she could cover all of those costs. She’s still planning to continue painting this year but is letting go of her other
art activities for now.
With things shifting away from parenting responsibilities, Leigh is curious to
explore what’s next for her. “I’m sitting with the question of what’s my wildest dream — wondering what I want to do with my life now,” she reveals. What could be better than her choice to slow down, allow time to reflect, and
leave a big open space to see what comes forward.
Leigh has several paintings (including the one on the cover of this issue) in a
group show that opens at Manitou Galleries at 123 West Palace Avenue on Friday
March 7, from 5 to 7 p.m. Call 986-0440 for more information.
Leigh Gusterson’s paintings can be found at Santa Fe’s Manitou Galleries (www.manitougalleries.com), at the Terrie Bennett Gallerie
in Taos (www.terriebennetgallerie.com), and in Tucson, Arizona, at the Jane
Hamilton Fine Art Gallery (janehamiltonfineart.com).
Kendra Arnold is the marketing coordinator at Body. She received her masters from the
University of New Mexico in 2005 and has since been published multiple times on
subjects such as art, health and education. Body is located at 333 Cordova Road
in Santa Fe. For more information, call (505) 986-0362. “Embracing Dance as a Way of Life: Nrityagram Dance Ensemble Returns to Santa
Fe."
Shanti E. Bannwart is a licensed counselor and life coach, writer, spiritual seeker and wise
elder. She lives in Santa Fe and is devoted to “reflective activism” on the issues of war and peace, living with purpose and passion. Her essays
have been published in national and international magazines. E-mail:
Shanticoach@aol.com. “The Healing Power of Writing."
Louise Baum is a painter who lives in the Galisteo Basin. She shows prints at Works on Paper
gallery on Johnson Street in Santa Fe. She is appalled at the damage oil and
gas extraction has done throughout the West. “Part of the Solution."
Jennifer Esperanza lives and works in Santa Fe. She has photographed for groups like the Bioneers,
V-Day, FACT, the Heart Gallery and Thirsty Ear Festival, and her work has been
published in New Mexico Magazine, Light of Consciousness, Yogi Times, the Village Voice, Variety and many other publications. www.jenniferesperanza.com or
www.flickr.com/photos/jenniferesperanza. Her photograph of Pasha Hogan.
Kathy Juline is a writer living in San Clemente, California. A former editor of Science of Mind magazine and frequent contributor to that publication, she is the editor of 365 Science of Mind, published by Tarcher/Putnam. Her new book, It Is About You, will be released in the summer of 2008. “A Cow, Not a Cup: Heifer International’s Work to End Hunger and Poverty."
Until this past January, Gershon Siegel was copublishing and helping to edit Sun Monthly for the past 12+ years. Now he’s interested in interviewing people in Santa Fe you’ve always wanted to know more about. Please e-mail him at permpress@aol.com with
your suggestions and what you’ve always wanted to ask that person. “The Evolution of God: A Conversation with Chris Griscom."
You can now subscribe to Gail Snyder’s new every-other-monthly literary art book, Not Drowning, Waving, whose purpose is to not only seed the next revolution but spearhead it by
choosing evolution over the hopeless anger and cynicism engendered by
mainstream media these bad-boy days. www.notdrowningwaving-themag.com. “From Trash to Cash."
Carole Tashel, longtime plant lover, is author of Gardening the Southwest: How to care for your land while growing food, beauty
and medicine (Healing Earth Publications, 1999). One of her favorite activities is sharing
her knowledge of local medicinal plants with eager students. Contact her at
(505) 466-6153 or ctashel@cybermesa.com. “Six Ways to Make Your Garden Look Better."
Rosemary Zibart is a journalist and playwright. Her play Babe, Inc was performed in London at
the North American Actors Theater Festival in June 2007. She often writes
articles about individuals in the community who are doing inspirational things.
“Giving Voice to Our Stories: Tanya Taylor Rubenstein and Project Life Stories."
