Stacked Sky from the Forest Floor Painting

I love art. My fascination with art started at an early age. I grew up in New Mexico, where the sky, the mountains, the food and the Art are all very distinctive. My parents and most of my relatives were art collectors. We would visit galleries throughout Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Taos on a regular basis. My mother smiled every time we added an addition to the house, because it meant more available wall space for art. After she discovered that the pediatric ward in the local hospital was not very visually stimulating to its patients, she painted and donated over 20 cartoon themed oil paintings to brighten up the space. My cousin Richard bought the famous Fenn Gallery in 1988 for his wife Nedra, who subsequently turned it into the world renowned Nedra Matteucci Galleries. Every time I visit Santa Fe, I stop by the gallery to admire an amazing art collection and an equally stunning outdoor sculpture garden. I attended the University of New Mexico where I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture. As part of my course of study I took many art classes, art history classes and design classes, where my love of art was further nurtured. Although I ended up leaving New Mexico to earn a graduate degree and work for several years in the corporate world, I could not stay away from the art community. I eventually befriended Chase Langford, a brilliant artist in Los Angeles, who I assisted in selling his art and offering opinions on the curating of his art shows. With this history behind me, I am a full time artist who loves to paint in oils. I live in beautiful La Quinta, California where the sky, the mountains and the food influence my art. I hope you enjoy my work. All the best, Derek