Courtesy Michelle Chrisman
Somewhere Out There
Plein air painter Michelle Chrisman isn’t wasting any time
“My first passion was the way turpentine and oil paint smelled,” says Taos-based painter Michelle Chrisman.
Growing up with a sculptor father in Santa Fe, visits to his art friends’ studio spaces were commonplace for her, and before Chrisman even realized painting was a viable career path, she was already obsessed. Eventually, she’d travel to New York City for art school at FIT and the School of Visual Arts, but her stint working roughly nine years as an art director for Macy’s made things even more magical. By the time she was nearing her 30s, she says, “I realized I’d always felt this calling and always knew someday I’d paint.”
Chrisman came home and opened a graphic design business, but, she says, it still wasn’t her passion. By the time she hit her early 40s, however, a plein air workshop in Taos sealed the deal—she finally phased to painting full time, kicking off a burgeoning figurative and plein air landscape practice and showing in galleries like the sadly defunct Joe Wade in Santa Fe and Wilder Nightingale in Taos. This week, Chrisman shows off her new stuff during a solo show at The Signature Gallery, where she has been represented for years.
A stunning array of landscapes, Colors of Autumn both shows off Chrisman’s dedication to bold and unexpected color study, but also in what she calls “skating on the edge of disaster.”
“I have a belief system, and it’s in the aspect of putting a time frame on how much time you’re going to spend on a painting,” she explains. “I use speed to my benefit. I like that in painting. I don’t want my paintings to be overly-wrought, overly thought-out. I finish them on location. If I take them back to my studio, I’ll drain it of my visceral reaction.”
Chrisman works most often with a palate knife, creating thick compositions that remind the viewer that there’s technique to painting rather than simple representation.
“I’m more interested in that feeling of place,” Chrisman concludes. (Alex De Vore)
Michelle Chrisman: Colors of Autumn: 5-7 pm Friday, Sept. 24. Free. The Signature Gallery, 102 E Water St., (505) 983-1050
William Melhado
Flingin’ to the Max
Those waning days of summer stand before us like a quickly dissipating mist, and before you know it, you’ll basically have to strap skis or a board to your feet to get the most of the great outdoors. Before then, might we recommend taking on a little disc golf? This week, find a free game with a free lesson and free loaner discs, plus a nine hole popup course at Ashbaugh Park—all of which is suitable for any burgeoning discers free of charge. It’s fun, it’s outside, it’s safe. Just email robinmcis@yahoo.com to start on your journey and make the most of whatever time we have left. (ADV)
Santa Free Disc Golf: 5:30 pm Thursday, Sept. 23. Free. Ashbaugh Park, 1731 Cerrillos Road
Courtesy wisefoolnewmexico.org
Hot, Hot Fire
If the impending fall sounds glorious to you, but more in that sweaters-cocoa-and-a-fire kind of way, the fine, fun circus weirdos of Wise Fool New Mexico are out to celebrate such autumnal realities alongside a healthy dose of storytelling and community. At the upcoming Fall Cabaret: Fireside Tales, a cadre of performers tell tales by the fire in attempts to solidify closeness and communal bonds while also making us laugh, cry, ponder and all points between. As one of Santa Fe’s most effective performance ensembles, activist cells and safe spaces for queer folks and PoC, Wise Fool provides invaluable services—and you can attend virtually, too. (ADV)
Fall Cabaret: Fireside Tales: 2 pm and 6 pm Saturday, Sept. 25. $5-$20. Wise Fool New Mexico, 1131 Siler Road B. wisefoolnewmexico.org
D Regan
Whole Lotta Shakin’
It’s always cool to see more hip-hop coming to Santa Fe, particularly in the case of 070 Shake. Ummm, she’s on Def Jam, y’all, but before you assume you know what it is, maybe look it up and take a listen? You’ll find elements of R&B, pop, electro-pop and even doo-woppy melodies within Danielle Balbuena’s jamz. Might we recommend straight up emotional banger “Guilty Conscience” from last year or “I Laugh When I’m With Friends But Sad When I’m Alone?” from 2018? 070 Shake has lots to discover, but through those two you’ll find both vocal excellence and a straight-up fire flow and an intense vulnerability doled out through storytelling. You’ll bop your head, you’ll feel the feels, you’ll remember why hip-hop might be the most vital music of our time. You must be vaxx’d to attend. (ADV)
070 Shake: 7 pm Tuesday, Sept. 28. $21.50-$128.50. Meow Wolf, 1352 Rufina Circle, (505) 395-6369
