FOUNDER/ GLASS MOSAIC

I first learned to do mosaics at Ghost Ranch with Kathy Thaden more than 10 years ago. I love the meditative nature of the work, but also really enjoy it as a group activity, drinking wine and chatting with friends as we glue and learn together.

I have gravitated toward using stained glass in my work, and specialize in glass-on-glass mosaic pieces and tables. I collect beads, fused glass pieces, stones and other elements that I can build into my work. I also love mosaicking objects (like a deer skull and an old-fashioned porcelain cast-iron sink!) and building sculptures with glass and mosaic elements incorporated.

One of my favorite things about doing mosaic art is the ongoing learning – from my peers, books, master instructors and my mosaic students. There is so much lovely sharing of ideas and helpful tips among mosaic artists. I am learning to fuse glass and create innovative elements for my mosaics as well!

PET PORTRAITS, KNITTING, COLLAGE

Alison Robbenhaar is a colorist and landscape oil painter. She tries to capture the unique beauty of New Mexico. She specializes in plein air painting and leads painting excursions around Taos and across New Mexico.

She has lived here since 2004, and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

She will be teaching folks how to make a portrait of their pets at our “date night”events, for students of all ages and abilities.

EMBOSSED METAL ORNAMENTS, RECYCLED PAPER ART, RIBBON ORNAMENTS

High mountains and indigenous cultures surrounded my childhood; I was born in La Paz, Bolivia. I grew fond of the bright colors and textiles that have inspired my artwork for many years. My continued curiosity for new cultures, language and design led me to pursue a master’s degree in Architecture.

I’ve been promoting art education, incorporating architecture, design concepts and teaching Spanish and Creativity to kids and adults, yet I always find time to keep participating in yearly collectives, regularly donating a portion of my art sales to different charity events, and exhibiting internationally. I’m considered a self-taught artist and experimentation has been by path for learning. I’m a member of the Amapola Gallery in Old town New Mexico, since 2018. My abstract designs incorporate geometrical shapes and patterns based on nature and mathematical components. The beautiful sunsets and landscapes of my New Mexico querido keep inspiring and evolving my art. I use continuous color gradations and textures to help my art pieces move, sometimes creating little optical illusions, sometimes the composition changes according to the orientation of the piece.

I paint the edges of a canvas to extend the design and allow it to be appreciated from different angles. I paint squares and rectangles that resemble the weaving of a textile. If you zoom in on a textile it dissolves into those squares and rectangles, but as you move farther away the composition will tell a story.

PAINTING

Originally from the east coast, Rachel Popowcer is a mixed media oil painter who received her BFA from Carnegie-Mellon University and her MFA at UNM. She has exhibited her work extensively, and has participated in artist residencies such as the Vermont Studio Center.

Her recent paintings and photographic works focus on dealing with the chaos and boundaries inherent in everyday life. Rachel teaches Art Studio classes as part-time faculty at CNM, and other positions have included the UNM Art Department, UNM's Continuing Education Program, The New Mexico Cancer Center, The Harwood Art Center, The Albuquerque Museum, OASIS, and more.

RESIN POURING

Alison’s art style is a free flow of color in both her acrylics and resin paintings and in her fused glass. She uses a mix of acrylic pigments with resin to create abstract fluid flows either on canvas or wood panel.

Alison grew up in Florida but has lived in New Mexico with her husband Scott for over 15 years. She has been a member of The Gallery ABQ for four years. Her work is influenced by the blue-green waters and the beautiful white sand beaches along the Emerald Coast in Florida and by the turquoise and orange colors of New Mexico scenery. You can find her art work at alisonthomasartandglass.com and at thegalleryabq.com.