‘Apodaca de Canada Crossroads’ created by former LAMS art teacher Karen Trythall. Courtesy photo

ART News:

The September featured artists at Taos Artist Collective are Karen Trythall of Alcalde – a former Los Alamos Middle School (LAMS) art teacher, Joey Weider of Taos and Mary Jo Kelly of Questa.

Everyone is invited to attend the opening of this show 5-8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 1 as part of Taos First Friday Gallery Walks on the northwest corner of Kit Carson and Paseo del Pueblo Sur.

Trythall earned an MFA at West Virginia University and an MFA at University of Minnesota. She retired from teaching art at Los Alamos Middle School in 2015 and has been a fulltime artist since that time. Trythall creates stylized landscapes in acrylics and oils beginning often in plein air from area inspiration. She also creates many surrealistic pen and ink drawings. Recently she has scanned her doodles as illustrations for impromptu blurb books.

‘Blossom’ created by Joey Weider. Courtesy photo

Weider formerly worked as an illustrator/product designer after graduating from Ringling College of Art and Design. His clients included: Target, Michaels, American Greetings and Rae Dunn. Currently he’s exploring creative theme’s near to his heart, such as fantastical adobe architecture in the style of Northern Renaissance etchings. Also, he’s been creating oversized New Mexican florals with brushwork and glazing inspired by cosmic phenomenon.

‘Taos Ski Valley’ created by Mary Jo Kelly. Courtesy photo

Kelly earned her Bachelor’s in art with studies at the University of Toledo (Ohio) and Bowling Green State University. Years later at New Mexico Highlands University, she earned a Master’s Degree in Education, which she put toward working as a Special Education Teacher in Questa for a decade. As a Cerro and Elizabeth Town resident, Kelly saved her money for art supplies and launched into a career as a landscape painter after her retirement in 2021. Her paintings are rich with stunningly original colors and interesting compositions. As an energetic outdoors person, she captures the essence of New Mexico with its unique culture and amazing wilderness/mountainous areas. Her diverse subjects expand from landscape to animals, wildlife and architecture, using a bold impressionistic sensitivity.