Old Santa Fe 

Curator: Terri Kelly Moyers painted this piece entitled "Old Santa Fe," and though we don't have the exact date, its execution aligns with her representational, plein-air style and oil paint medium. What is your first reaction to it? Editor: Oh, I'm immediately drawn in by the warmth! The palette, especially the juxtaposition of that fiery red shawl with the muted earth tones and creamy white fabric, is so inviting, isn’t it? It feels like a captured moment, full of life and subtle drama. Curator: Absolutely, and it's interesting to note Moyers' background in illustration informs the detailed portrayal of the textures - from the woven shawl fringes to the glossiness of the ceramic pot holding the geraniums. The emphasis on surfaces points towards an interest in tactile realism, and the history embedded in artisanal objects, like the pot, evokes an intimate view of everyday life. Editor: I agree! And her impasto technique really enhances the textural feeling. I keep thinking about the story the light is telling – glancing off the woman's skin, those blooms...it's not just light, it feels like *feeling*. The artist wants you to connect with the *experience* of being in that sunlit space, almost dreamlike. Curator: Precisely! We should also address the social context. Moyers seems to be reflecting on tradition, costume, and how gender and labor converge in artistic representations. The female figure, perhaps a local artisan or worker, framed within her cultural context and attire, begs the viewer to question the layers of economic reality within the region. Editor: That’s a fascinating angle. For me, beyond the surface, it’s that downward gaze—so contemplative and intimate—that grabs me. What is she thinking about? Where will she go once she is ready? So much poetry in one image, that kind that sticks with you long after you turn away. Curator: Indeed. The power here lies in the artist’s masterful depiction and composition of the quotidian and her focus on representing regional artistic identities. Editor: I like how Moyers made us consider, for just a moment, not just looking at something beautiful, but what creates that beauty and the spirit contained within it.