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Southwest Art by Wendy Meg Siegel

Updated on August 1, 2016

Welcome to the Southwest Art Lens

I absolutely love the Southwest. It's one of my favorite places to visit and to photograph. Within this lens you'll find images of my Southwest artwork and products displaying these photo/mixed media paintings. In addition, you can choose to learn more about the Southwest through the links, books and music included on this page. I have also included places to visit, links to Southwest art museums and information on Southwestern petroglyphs (rock art).
Thanks for stopping by.

 
"Ancient Dwelling"
Photo Mixed Media Painting

Wendy's "Southwest Extensions"

A Series of Photo/Mixed Media Paintings

The series of paintings I call the Southwest Extensions, have provided me with the opportunity to play with color while focusing on the lines and light of the architecture of New Mexico. This is how I describe that magical location...

The Spirit of New Mexico is tangible, extending far beyond the boundaries of the land. It is a place where earth and sky meet to create a mystical energy field. It's very presence can be inhaled in the air we breathe and taken through the skin's pores into the bloodstream.

The luminous colors of the changing landscape and the soft edges of the architecture, leave a lasting impression. It is this very Spirit that remains with me. I carry it within my heart.

"Four Corners"
Photo/Mixed Media Painting

Paintings are Copyrighted

All images of Wendy's paintings are copyrighted by Wendy Meg Siegel. Images may not be used or copied without written permission from the artist. Thank You.

"Canyon Opening" - Photo/Mixed Media Painting

"Canyon Opening" - Photo/Mixed Media Painting
"Canyon Opening" - Photo/Mixed Media Painting

Favorite Places to Visit in New Mexico - Here's my top 10

One of my all time favorite places to travel is New Mexico. The colors of the landscape, along with the soft lines of the adobe architecture, the history and the lighting, all draw me back. The places I have listed below, are both favorite places to visit and favorite locations to photograph. The photos in my paintings have been taken at many of the following locations. Here's a list of my top 10 choices:

  1. Chaco Canyon is a fabulous journey into the historical lives of the Ancient Pueblo People. It is located in a remote setting, accessed by unpaved roads. It was a major cultural center from around the 9th century till the 12th century and then was abandoned. Visitors to Chaco Canyon will see the largest stone ruins in the United States, ancient roadways and stairways, petroglyphs and pictographs. One can learn about the complex seasonal calendar, created by the placement of slabs of rock and a spiral petroglyph. Pueblo Bonito is the largest of the pueblos found at Chaco Canyon, with somewhere around 650 rooms, built to be several stories high. A visit to Chaco Canyon is a fabulous trip to the past.

    The photograph within "Canyon Opening" (the painting shown above), was taken at Pueblo Bonito in Chaco Canyon.

  2. The Church in the Tiny Town of Las Trampas, New Mexico - The San José de Gracia Church is a national landmark. It can be found along the High Road to Taos, about half way up from Santa Fe. It was built around the 1760's and completed in 1776, in the adobe style of architecture. The church is filled with charm and a wonderful sense of history.
  3. Bandelier National Monument - I absolutely love Bandelier. There are ancient cave dwellings along the canyon wall and ruins of community housing that built on the floor of the canyon. You'll find a wonderful ceremonial cave and kiva that can be reached by way of ladders, petroglyphs and loads of great hiking trails.
  4. The Puye Cliff Dwellings - This cliff ridge was formed by the Jemez Caldera volcano. It was home to close to 1500 inhabitants from around the 1200's to the late 1500's. Over 700 rooms have been carved into the stone. The Santa Clara Pueblo oversees the Puye Cliff Dwellings. It's a National Landmark.
  5. The Town of Madrid - Madrid is located on the Turquoise Trail between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. It had been a coal mining town that became a ghost town after the mines were closed. Now it's an artist community with quaint little shops and galleries. As you walk or drive around this small town, it is easy to see Madrid's history through the remnants of it's past.
  6. Canyon Road in Santa Fe - It is a gallery goers dream location. Santa Fe is the second largest art market in the country and Canyon Road is it's primary gallery district. Along with the many galleries, there are artist studios, unique shops and restaurants along the road. There's no other city or town that I would rather go gallery hopping.
  7. Driving the Loop from Santa Fe down to Route 44, then up to Route 4, past Bandelier National Monument, and back to Santa Fe by way of 502 to 84. - This route takes you past the Jemez Pueblo, the Jemez National Monument, White Rock, and Bandelier National Monument.
  8. Enchanted Mesa - I love looking out at the view of Enchanted Mesa from any vantage point. The mesa stands over 400 feet high and is located about two and a half miles from the Acoma Pueblo.
  9. The Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Annual Arts and Crafts Show - it takes place in July and is held at one of the Pueblos. When I attended the show, there was a wonderful variety of works from excellent artisans. What a terrific event!!!!
  10. The Gila Cliff Dwellings - ancient ruins located in southern New Mexico in the Mogollon Mountains. A visit to the Gila Cliff Dwellings gives you the opportunity to explore the homes of the Mogollon people who lived there over 700 years ago.

"The Gate" Painting

Inspired By My Visit to Chaco Canyon

The ruins at Chaco Canyon are quite spectacular. There are many Great Pueblo buildings to explore. The photo I used in "The Gate" was taken at Casa Rinconada, across the canyon from Pueblo Bonito. Although it is not as large as Pueblo Bonito, it houses the largest Kiva in Chaco Canyon. It's quite a spectacular structure.

A kiva is an underground room used for religious ceremonies and spiritual rituals, by the Pueblo People.


"The Gate"
Photo/Mixed Media Painting

The Desert Southwest

The Desert Southwest: Four Thousand Years of Life and Art
The Desert Southwest: Four Thousand Years of Life and Art
The Desert Southwest explores the history of the art and archaeology of the Southwest. The book is filled with historical archives, facts, documents, and photos.
 

"Enter Here" Painting

Inspired By My Visit to Bandelier

The photograph used in this painting was taken at Bandelier National Monument. It was taken at the entrance to one of the cave dwellings cut into the canyon wall. I spent an entire day at Bandelier, exploring the ruins, the trails and the kivas. It was a hard place to leave and the experience of that visit has not left me.


"Enter Here"
Photo/Mixed Media Painting

Ancient Ruins of the Southwest

Ancient Ruins of the Southwest: An Archaeological Guide
Ancient Ruins of the Southwest: An Archaeological Guide
David Grant Noble has compiled information on many of the archaeological ruins found throughout the Southwest. He includes a description of each site along with tips for traveler's and information on nearby towns.
 

"Mission Vision" Painting

Inspired By Visits To The Las Trampas Church

Whenever I travel to New Mexico, I make sure to take the high road to Taos so I can stop at the Church in Las Trampas. There is something about the place that draws people back. It feels warm and inviting, safe and peaceful. I love the feel of the worn floor on the soles of my shoes.


"Mission Vision"
Photo/Mixed Media Painting

Southwest Art Magazine - Get a one year subscription

Southwest Art
Southwest Art
If you have an interest in art of the Southwest, you might consider a subscription to receive monthly issues filled with articles and artwork.
 

"Duplex" - Photo/Mixed Media Painting

"Duplex" - Photo/Mixed Media Painting
"Duplex" - Photo/Mixed Media Painting

Southwest Coloring Book

Southwest Indian Designs Coloring Book (Dover Native American Coloring Books)
Southwest Indian Designs Coloring Book (Dover Native American Coloring Books)
This small small book has about 30 coloring pages of authentic Southwestern Native American designs from
 

Petroglyphs - Rock Art

An Ancient Art of the Southwest

Petroglyphs are symbols or pictures that have been carved into stone. The top surface is removed, revealing the lighter inner layer of rock. Ancient peoples throughout the world have left these beautiful visual gifts behind allowing us a glimpse of a time long past.

When you travel around the Southwestern United States it is not uncommon to catch a glimpse of either a couple of symbols on a rock or many, as in the case of Newspaper Rock in Southern Utah. I had seen many rock art sites but nothing has come close to the WOW of viewing Newspaper Rock. It is a huge rock wall totally filled with these stylized pictures.

The photographic images in this painting were taken at Newspaper Rock.

"Petroglyphs"
Photo/Mixed Media Painting

Images in Stone

Images in Stone
Images in Stone
Images in Stone is filled with images of petroglyphs and rock paintings found throughout the Western United States.
 

Rock Art at Newspaper Rock, Utah

Rock Art at Newspaper Rock, Utah
Rock Art at Newspaper Rock, Utah

Petroglyph Book for Children

Stories in Stone: Rock Art Pictures by Early Americans
Stories in Stone: Rock Art Pictures by Early Americans
This book provides children with a better understanding of petroglyphs and their symbolism.
 

Southwest Travel Poll

Have You Visited the Southwest?

See results

"Pueblo Top" - Photo/Mixed Media Painting

"Pueblo Top" - Photo/Mixed Media Painting
"Pueblo Top" - Photo/Mixed Media Painting
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