Guest Artist: Sibylle Szaggars Redford
Santa Fe, October Rain #2
23 x 19 in. framed
(on loan from Gail and William Sturm)
In July 2010, after spending time at our home in Northern New Mexico, located in the high desert overlooking Native American land and a national forest, I learned that New Mexico is blessed with
yearly monsoon rains that supply water for the entire coming year.
To see these rain showers come alive in the high desert is one of the most incredible visual events I have ever experienced. It was then that my idea to combine these heavenly showers with my art
was born. For years, I have worked with watercolor. Deciding to reverse the usual “wet into wet” approach, I applied pigment directly to dry paper, then invited the rain showers to become collaborators of these Rain Paintings.
Throughout my years in the high desert, I have come to realize that the yearly pattern of monsoon rains has changed, making these rains a shy visitor. With the slowing of the monsoon rains I began to think of its impact; if this trend continues, the high plateaus of New Mexico might become desert. A desert has distinctively different qualities and textures. My travels in the Moroccan desert brought forth a much different artistic response than that of rain. I associated the desert with silk- cool and refreshing to the touch, luxurious and precious, just as rain is to the desert – and the Desert Silks were born: “color falling like rain.”
My instincts told me to create an artistic statement in honor of the rain-to raise awareness of nature’s changing rhythms and patterns through these paintings. The Rain Paintings continue to
evolve, expanding to experiments in other mediums, but always remain focused on the intense, radiant colors and patterns created when the first raindrops kiss the paper.
I welcome you to the eternal world of color, space, light, and texture.
– Sibylle Szaggars Redford
© Sibylle Szaggars Redford