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Paintings and Digital Media by Texas Artist Marc Sanchez

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LANDSCAPES    
  

         The Desert Southwest

   
Brushstrokes still have their own separate reality even while the painter uses them to represent rock, light, or atmosphere.
  
Eastern New Mexico Landscape 2   



            Mesas of Eastern New Mexico



The artist journeyed on the open road and through rugged terrain in the southwestern U.S.  Mesmerized by the broad, dramatic vistas that stretched before him, he visualized them as brushstrokes of paint applied to canvas.  Returning to his studio with preliminary sketchs and photos from his trip, he began these paintings of the vast desert wilderness which had inspired him.  Understanding paint's properties during curing and drying, and the techniques of scraping, reworking, and repainting, he built up paint layers to form a palpable texture. 		  
17 3/4"h x 20"w.   Oil on canvas.  
 
        
Laguna Mesa El Sendero Perdido PDF (variable size) created from the original oil on canvas.

When a History Can Give a Picture Plural Meanings

  





    El Sendero Perdido           (The Lost Path)

  
Like the other landscapes, this hybrid image began as a painting.  But the artist then photographed it, added several layers to the file in Photoshop, then had the new version printed.  A limited quantity of prints and notecards were produced from it.



One meaning of "lost path" comes from the similarities between the experience of having to wander out in this environment and of losing one's moral and spiritual compass.  This setting could be the backdrop for stories that are found throughout scripture - a wilderness for displaced souls, societal outcasts, and even entire nations of people in exile.

Another meaning comes to mind for a people who suffer loss on an epic scale - at the hands 		  of others.  When this occurs, it's because a more powerful people made a choice to take advantage of a weaker people - who then suffer from the effects of displacement on so many levels, and lasting for generations.  This scenario has always been a part of the human condition.  Considering that this is the region where the first Europeans (Spanish explorers) who, as a part of their legacy, introduced Christianity and holy scripture to the indigenous peoples, the title seems to apply.    Because ultimately, the indigenous were subjected to forced displacement by a more powerful " One nation under God."

Moreover, in light of the root causes of recent immigration patterns of countless people from Mexico and Latin America through this region, the meanings described above transfer and continue to apply. 		 
 
Laguna Arroyo   



            Laguna Arroyo



Awarded first place at the juried Laredo Art League's International IV Exhibition, Laredo TX.  It was among hundreds of works which were submitted from Canada, Japan, Mexico, and the U.S.

It was also accepted in the Richardson (TX) Civic Art Society's annual juried exhibition. 		  
20"h x 30"w.   Oil on canvas.         
  
High Rock Near Acoma 22"h x 28"w  Oil on Canvas ;  



High Rock Near Acoma  

   
   Awarded Honorable Mention at the Breckenridge Fine Arts Center's Annual Juried Show, Breckenridge, TX.