Every Tuesday, a group called the Southwest Art League meets in Cortez from 10 a.m. to noon.
“The group is about 50 years old,” said Frances Wisner, the League’s president. “We’re a diverse group of transplants.”
Paintings and drawings made by the group’s members decorate the senior center where they convene. Their art is also hung up at the Recreation Center in Cortez, and rotates monthly.
“I’m not sure who started it,” said Wisner. “We’ve lost a lot of members over the years, whether they move away or pass on, so that history is kind of lost. There’s no accurate history.”
An artist member named Joe Slaughenhoupt joined the group 20 years ago when it was called the Ute Mountain Artist League. He remembers upward of 35 members in the group at that time, and there’s 16 now.
In those days, the group met at the Cultural Center. A member named Saralynn Risenhoover who died this year had been part of it even before Slaughenhoupt joined, and recalled meeting in others’ homes.
“We bring our own art, work at our own pace, and ask for advice to get unstuck,” said Wisner. “There’s no politics here, we all like each other.”
A few of the 16 members were there the sunny Tuesday The Journal stopped by.
The artists’ styles and mediums were all unique, but a common thread a few members mentioned was how they had started creating art years prior, but life got in the way.
“I had to put my art on hold for the last 50 years,” said Theresa Goldstrand, a photographer, romance novelist and new artist in the group. “It’s so nice to sit and play with it.”
One of Goldstrand’s pieces is displayed in the senior center, and was inspired by M.C. Escher, a famous graphic artist known for his realistic, detailed pieces.
Goldstrand’s creation is called “Time’s Up,” with a small alarm clock beside a vase with dead flowers that her boyfriend at the time had gifted her.
“I kept them until they died and decided to make a still life,” said Goldstrand. “It’s a great opportunity here, joining a group with collective talent, getting back to my roots.”
MercyStar Cochran, a multimedia artist at the next table over, echoed that point.
“The group is a way for me to socialize. Otherwise, I’d be at home as a hermit,” Cochran said.
That day, Cochran was working on a card for the group’s treasurer who was out that day with a bad back.
“I guess the chiropractor cracked her wrong,” she said.
Cochran was painting a scene of a hummingbird suspended in the air, presumably enjoying nectar from a violet flower. She said she was starting with watercolor – a paint choice that dries substantially faster than oil – and would use acrylic next, and then outline it with gel pens and glitter to make it sparkle.
“I love glitter. I’ve got gypsy in me,” Cochran said.
When it comes to watercolor, a few artists in the group referred to Susan Gallagher a master.
“I learned to paint with watercolor when I was 12 years old,” Gallagher said.
She got her start in Washington, where her aunt and uncle owned a motel. One visit, she participated in a watercolor workshop, and the rest is history.
Gallagher moved to the Four Corners recently, which is home to a landscape she said she’s still trying to figure out how to capture.
“It’s hard. The colors here are completely different than Washington,” Gallagher said.
The Pacific Northwest requires greens, and dark colors that “don’t exist here,” she said.
“If you mix a lot of colors together, you’ll get mud. Which is good if you’re trying to paint mud, but not if you aren’t,” Gallagher laughed.
She said in Washington she had painted in a group, and found one in California, too, to paint with when she lived there.
“When I first moved here, I wasn’t painting with anyone. I’m grateful to have this group,” said Gallagher. “They’re friendly; it’s good to meet other people.”
She said it’s also fun to challenge herself and try to paint one photo per week.
“With a limited amount of time, you’re more likely to come out with something that looks fresh,” Gallagher said.
Other artist members use the time to fine tune existing skills.
“I’m a stickler for absolute accuracy,” said Ginny Getts as she drew.
Getts explained that she uses a technique called graphing to get the proportions right. She explained it as a ratio, and a sure way to get values right and to make sure the horse’s ears and eyes are all in the right place.
“Once that’s done, I transfer it to a canvas,” said Getts. “There’s more freedom there.”
Horses are Getts’ muse. She takes photos of them to then transform into artwork.
“It’s horse heaven around here,” she said.
“She’s a horse woman,” added her brother, Richard Valentine.
Jann Margeson, an artist member at another table, was painting a scene in Mesa Verde, where she recently went hiking.
“This is the boring part,” said Margeson. “I’m just blocking in the color, there’s no details yet.”
She said she had moved to the area during the pandemic, and started coming to the group then since it was one of the few groups still meeting.
“It keeps me painting and it keeps me social,” said Margeson. “When I first came, I hadn’t painted in 30 years, since college. I wondered if I could still do it; it was like riding a bike.”
Margeson may have seized the opportunity to brush up on some old skills; Jane Wheeler saw the group as an opportunity to learn a whole new skill.
“I started art when I came here back in 2019,” said Wheeler. “I encourage beginners to join.”
Wheeler said she appreciates how willing the members are to offer input and advice; she said she’s learned a lot.
If you’re interested in joining – it’s not just senior members – contact the League’s President Frances Wisner at fkwisner1@gmail.com or Susan Pernot, the treasurer, at pernotcorez@gmail.com.
