Question 1

Nicole Merkens - July 2026

Accepted Answer

Where Spirit, Symbol, and Sculpture MeetThere is something unmistakably mystical about Nicole Merkens' work. Her sculptures seem less like objects and more like sacred relics—guardians from another realm carrying stories that have existed long before words. Rabbits, spirit animals, celestial symbols, and intricate patterns emerge from hand-built clay, inviting viewers into a world where intuition, transformation, and the unseen are just as tangible as the earth beneath our feet.Based in Santa Fe, Nicole is a figurative sculptor whose work explores the intersection of spirituality, mythology, and personal transformation. Since the late 1990s, rabbits have appeared again and again throughout her art—not simply as animals, but as ancient symbols of rebirth, intuition, and the mysterious spaces between worlds. Born on Easter, Nicole sees the rabbit as a messenger, a guide, and a guardian whose presence continues to shape her creative journey.Nicole's artistic path began in graphic design, where she spent more than two decades building a successful design and web business. That background is still evident today in the richly detailed surface patterns and symbolic motifs that cover her sculptures. Every mark feels intentional, blending ancient visual languages with contemporary craftsmanship to create pieces that are both timeless and deeply personal.After earning her BFA in Book Arts and Printmaking from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Nicole eventually discovered clay as the perfect medium for expressing the ideas that had long been taking shape within her. Today, she hand-builds each sculpture, often incorporating metals, found objects, and mixed-media elements to create work that feels equal parts archaeological artifact and spiritual talisman.Her artistic vision extends well beyond sculpture. Nicole is currently developing original Oracle and Tarot decks inspired by archetypal symbolism and metaphysical wisdom, while also licensing her imagery for prints and products that bring her artwork into everyday life. She also shares her knowledge through mixed-media workshops and exhibits nationally and internationally.Before relocating to New Mexico, Nicole co-founded Cowgirl Studios, a thriving gallery and creative community in Roswell, Georgia, where artists gathered for exhibitions, workshops, and educational programs. Today she continues that spirit of community as Chief Social Media Officer and Creator for the Eldorado Arts & Crafts Association, helping tell the stories of fellow artists while actively exhibiting her own work throughout New Mexico, Georgia, and Florida.At the heart of Nicole's work is a deeply personal belief that creativity is a conversation with something greater than ourselves. Her artist statement speaks of spiritual guardians, dreams, higher consciousness, and the invisible forces that shape our lives. Rather than illustrating those ideas directly, her sculptures become vessels for them—inviting viewers to pause, reflect, and perhaps recognize something of their own inner journey.Whether you're drawn to mythology, symbolism, ceramics, or simply beautifully crafted artwork, Nicole Merkens offers an unforgettable experience. Her work reminds us that art can be more than decoration—it can be a doorway to curiosity, wonder, and connection.Visit Nicole Merkens during the 34th Annual Eldorado Studio Tour and experience these captivating sculptures in person at Studio #36https://www.nicolemerkens.com/

Question 2

Brian Commerford - May 2026

Accepted Answer

Painting the Spirit Within

There is an unmistakable sense of presence in the work of Brian Commerford. His animals do not simply occupy the canvas—they seem to emerge from it, inviting viewers into a quiet moment of connection. Whether depicting a wolf emerging from swirling blue mist, a contemplative coyote beneath a luminous sky, or the dazzling energy of a hummingbird in flight, Commerford's paintings capture something beyond physical appearance. They reveal personality, emotion, and spirit.

Working with bold color, expressive brushwork, and intimate compositions, Commerford creates portraits that draw viewers into the inner world of his subjects. Many of his paintings focus tightly on the face or form of an animal, allowing subtle expressions and vibrant color relationships to become the center of attention. The result is an experience that feels both immediate and deeply personal. His work encourages us to slow down, look closer, and recognize the beauty and awareness present in the natural world.

For Commerford, painting is more than a process of observation—it's a form of communication. He describes his work as an attempt to express the spiritual qualities of animals and birds through composition, color, and brushwork. As he paints, he seeks to create what he calls a "vibrational stamp," an energetic impression that reflects the essence of each subject. This intention is evident throughout his work, where every brushstroke seems to contribute to a feeling of gentleness, joy, wonder, or quiet strength.

His distinctive style combines realism with expressive color and movement. Fur, feathers, and flowing forms are rendered with rhythmic brushwork that gives each painting a sense of life and motion. Rich blues, radiant golds, vibrant reds, and luminous whites create emotional resonance while emphasizing the individuality of each creature. Rather than simply documenting wildlife, Commerford invites viewers to experience a relationship with it.

Commerford's artistic journey began in California, where he studied at the California College of Arts & Crafts and Sonoma State University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art. Those academic foundations helped shape a career devoted to exploring the emotional and spiritual connections between humans and animals. Over time, he has developed a visual language that is uniquely his own—one that balances technical skill with intuition, observation with feeling.

What makes Brian Commerford's work especially memorable is its ability to evoke empathy. His paintings remind us that animals are not merely subjects to be observed but fellow beings deserving of attention, respect, and connection. Through color, composition, and expressive brushwork, he transforms familiar creatures into powerful symbols of awareness, beauty, and grace.

In a world often filled with noise and distraction, Brian Commerford's paintings offer something increasingly rare: a moment of stillness, wonder, and genuine connection with the living world around us.

Learn more about Brian Commerford and view additional artwork at:
brian-commerford.artistwebsites.com

Question 3

Brigitte Brüggemann - April 2026

Accepted Answer

Brigitte Brüggemann
Painting Between Memory and Motion
There is a certain energy that lives inside a Brigitte Brüggemann painting—something untamed, immediate, and deeply intuitive. Her work doesn’t simply depict a scene; it becomes one. Layers of color collide and dissolve, gestures emerge and disappear, and what remains is a vivid impression of movement, memory, and place.

Brüggemann’s abstract paintings are rooted in a lifelong dialogue between observation and emotion. Drawing from landscapes, nature, and lived experience, she transforms fleeting impressions into bold, expressive compositions. Her process is physical and immersive—paint is scraped, poured, layered, and reworked until the surface carries both tension and harmony. Each piece feels like a moment captured mid-transformation.

Born and educated in Germany, Brüggemann brings a European sensibility to her work—one that values both structure and spontaneity. Over time, her artistic journey has evolved toward increasing freedom, allowing instinct to guide the brush as much as intention. This balance between control and release is where her work finds its voice.

Her palette shifts dramatically from piece to piece. In some works, electric greens and deep charcoals create a sense of raw, natural force—suggestive of growth, decay, and regeneration. In others, cool blues and layered whites evoke water, reflection, and quiet depth. Then there are the luminous fields of warm oranges and soft pinks, where light seems to radiate from within the canvas itself. Across all of it, texture plays a central role—scratches, drips, and marks that reveal the history of each painting’s making.

What makes Brüggemann’s work so compelling is its openness. These are not paintings that dictate meaning—they invite it. Viewers may find landscapes, weather patterns, or emotional states embedded within the abstraction, but the interpretation is always personal. Her work creates space for reflection, allowing each viewer to bring their own experience into the conversation.
Now working in the United States, Brüggemann continues to explore the expressive potential of abstraction, pushing her work toward greater immediacy and depth. Her paintings feel alive because they are—records of movement, intuition, and a constant search for balance between chaos and clarity.

In a world that often demands definition and certainty, Brigitte Brüggemann offers something far more compelling: a reminder that beauty can exist in flux, and that meaning is often found not in what is clearly seen, but in what is felt.

To learn more about Brigitte’s work, visit:
https://www.brigittebruggemann.com/

Question 4

Tom Leech - March 2026

Accepted Answer

🎨 FEATURED ARTIST (March 2026)

Tom Leech : Master of Paper, Ink, and Imagination

For nearly half a century, Tom Leech has explored the expressive possibilities of paper, ink, and the printed page. A master of book arts, marbled paper, and printmaking, Leech’s work bridges the worlds of fine art, literature, and craft. His richly layered papers—alive with swirling color and intricate patterns—transform a traditional decorative technique into a contemporary visual language.

Leech served for two decades as curator and director of the Press at the Palace of the Governors, where he helped shape one of Santa Fe’s most beloved cultural institutions. During his tenure at the New Mexico History Museum from 2001 to 2021, he curated numerous celebrated exhibitions including Album Amicorum: Gems of Friendship in a Frightened World, The Saint John’s Bible, Jack Kerouac and the Writer’s Life, and Gustave Baumann and Friends: Artist Cards from Holidays Past. Most recently, he completed work curating the Gustave Baumann exhibition at the New Mexico Museum of Art, continuing his longstanding role as a steward of New Mexico’s artistic heritage.

Throughout his career, Leech has printed and published an impressive range of fine press books and broadsides. His projects include Doctor Franklin & Spain, Jack Thorp’s Songs of the Cowboys, O’Keeffe Stories, and the Word Art Poetry Portfolio. He has also produced limited editions for each of Santa Fe’s Poets Laureate—bringing together poetry, typography, and handcrafted materials in elegant printed works.

Beyond the pressroom, Leech’s personal artwork reveals a deeply imaginative visual voice. His drawings combine elements of storytelling, symbolism, and gentle satire, often populated with dreamlike characters and subtle social commentary. These works echo the spirit of the printed page—inviting viewers to read images the way one reads a poem.

Leech’s contributions to the arts extend far beyond Santa Fe. In 1994 he co-founded the Paper Road/Tibet Project, teaching traditional papermaking to disabled and orphaned children in Lhasa and rural Tibet. He also participated in the 1990 and 1992 Everest Environmental Expeditions. Closer to home, since 2010 he has facilitated events for the Alzheimer’s Poetry Project at the New Mexico History Museum, using art and language to foster connection and memory.

His achievements have earned wide recognition, including the Santa Fe Mayor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts (2013), the Carl Hertzog Award for Excellence in Book Design (2014), and the Edgar Lee Hewett Award (2015). Today, several of his marbled and handmade papers are held in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Through decades of dedication to craft, creativity, and community, Tom Leech continues to demonstrate the enduring power of the handmade page—where art, history, and storytelling meet.

Question 5

Marilynn Jennings - January 2025

Accepted Answer

🎨 FEATURED ARTIST (January 2025)

Marilynn Jennings: Dreams, Myth, and Material

"I paint my own day. Events are my palette. My soul is my brush.”

Marilynn Jennings is a multimedia artist working in printmaking, painting, and fused glass, guided by a lifelong exploration of dreams, myth, and the inner landscape. Her abstract work translates fluidly across all three mediums, using color, pattern, and layered surfaces to suggest emotion, memory, and archetypal presence rather than literal narrative.

Her paintings and prints often evoke figures, symbols, and textured fields that feel both personal and universal. Influenced by Jungian psychology and dream imagery, Jennings’ work explores the mysterious terrain of the personal and collective unconscious, inviting viewers to slow down and engage with their own internal responses.

In fused glass, translucency and light become essential elements. Jennings pushes the medium beyond the purely functional, creating wall works and sculptural pieces that often incorporate wood or metal. Printmaking and glass frequently appear in dialogue, reinforcing themes of layering, transparency, and transformation.

Jennings grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona, earned her undergraduate degree at Arizona State University, and later completed a master’s degree in counseling psychology at California State University, Chico. Alongside a decades-long career as a licensed psychotherapist, she has maintained a professional art practice for more than 30 years. Her work has been exhibited nationally in galleries and juried exhibitions across the Southwest and beyond, and she has collaborated with architects and interior designers on both public and private projects.

Now based in Santa Fe, Jennings draws inspiration from the high desert’s open skies and expansive landscape. Active in the local arts community, she is a member of New Mexico Women in the Arts and is New Mexico True Certified. As she writes, “I paint my own day. Events are my palette. My soul is my brush.” Her work invites viewers into a contemplative space—one where personal meaning quietly unfolds.

​​To explore more of her work, visit Marilynn Jennings' website at https://www.jenningsfineart.com/

Question 6

Sam Elkind - December 2025

Accepted Answer

🎨 FEATURED ARTIST (January 2025)

Reframing the Southwest Through Collage, Light, and Time

Sam Elkind’s photography invites viewers into a world where the familiar landscapes of the Southwest are reimagined through a uniquely constructed lens. Working exclusively in black-and-white, Sam blends his lifelong mastery of photographic technique with an inventive approach to composition—assembling multiple frames into expressive, collage-like panoramas that reshape our sense of space, history, and perception.
 
Whether capturing the sculptural cliffs of northern New Mexico, the weathered stonework of ancient ruins, or the delicate winter shadows cast across adobe walls, Sam’s images reflect a deep attentiveness to form. His work often bends or fragments the frame, transforming traditional landscapes into abstract meditations. These assembled images—sometimes sweeping, sometimes intimate—echo the tactile experience of darkroom craft while pushing photography into a realm that feels sculptural and hand-built.

Sam’s creative roots stretch back to the 1970s, when he learned darkroom processes while working at a photo studio in Illinois. Although his professional path later led to a long career in transportation, the discipline and curiosity of those early years remained constant. Over decades of exploring the world through his lens, Sam developed a visual language marked by clarity, restraint, and a literary sense of atmosphere—no surprise given his academic background, holding degrees in English from Lawrence University and the University of Virginia.

Today, in retirement, Sam has returned fully to his art. His recent works—several of which are shown here—demonstrate a striking blend of documentary precision and imaginative reconstruction:
Stark mesas layered into rhythmic, shifting horizons
Ruins reconstructed from multiple vantages, forming new architectural forms
Doorways, shadows, and tree limbs woven into intimate spatial puzzles
Skyward views of ancient stone walls warped and curved into sculptural voids

These images are not merely photographs; they are re-envisioned spaces, shaped by memory, movement, and the subtle distortions of time. Each piece invites viewers to linger, explore, and reconsider what a landscape—natural or human-built—can reveal when seen from more than one moment at once.

To explore more of his work, visit Sam Elkind’s website at www.samelkind.com.

Question 7

Mary Ellen Matthews - November 2025

Accepted Answer

🎨 FEATURED ARTIST (November 2025)

Whimsy in Paper and Play: The Art of Mary Ellen Matthews

“A touch of humor can make people more lighthearted.” — Mary Ellen Matthews

When artist Mary Ellen Matthews decided to learn something new during the pandemic, she didn’t expect it would lead to a menagerie of mischievous papier-mâché animals that radiate joy and humor. Splitting her time between Santa Fe and San Antonio, Mary Ellen turned to YouTube tutorials and a healthy dose of curiosity to teach herself sculpture—an artistic leap that quickly became her passion.

Each sculpture invites the viewer to smile, to pause, and to find joy in the small absurdities of the world — a reminder that art can be both beautifully made and wonderfully mischievous.

Her creations, from comic-strip-covered jackrabbits to striped dogs and expressive crows, are as much about spirit as they are about form. Each piece brims with personality—tongues out, whiskers wild, and poses that seem ready to spring into life. Using papier-mâché, handmade papers, and fragments of printmaking and assemblage, she builds characters that bridge fine art and storytelling. “I wanted to make them whimsical,” she explains. “A touch of humor can make people more lighthearted.” That sentiment infuses every sculpture—turning recycled materials into moments of delight.

In her studio, surrounded by brushes, fabric scraps, and vibrant papers, Mary Ellen shapes each animal by hand, layer by layer. The result is an evolving world of color and texture—a testament to reinvention, imagination, and the belief that art can lift the spirit one smile at a time.
​
Mary Ellen Matthews was a featured participant in the 2025 Eldorado Studio Tour™, welcoming visitors to Studio #2.

Featured EACA Member Artists