March Visual Artists
35th Anniversary Season 2021—2022
The Placitas Artists Series is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
This project is made possible in part by New Mexico Arts, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs,
Visual Artists Reception
March 13, 2022 at 2 p.m.
All artist images are copyright protected and may not be duplicated or shared
without the express consent of the artist. Click on any image to enlarge view.
Image Used with Permission
© Karl Hofmann- All Rights Reserved
Lee Small - Art Pillows
No Online Presence
Elizabeth Potter has always looked for ways to express her
creativity by producing art in various forms. Now living in
Placitas, she continues to express her creative energy by
exploring new artistic opportunities. Exploring a variety of
mediums and observing other artists help to inspire her
work. Elizabeth’s most recent works are “paper quilling:”
the art of rolling, pinching, and twisting long thin strips of
paper into different shapes, and gluing the shapes
together. For a background to her quilling, Elizabeth uses
original abstract watercolors she paints herself. Elizabeth
calls her untraditional style of quilling “Twisted
Traditional.”
Elizabeth says: “My most recent works are paper quilling
on original abstract watercolors. Not one to follow
traditional methods or rules, I call my style ‘traditionally
twisted’.”
Elżbieta Kaleta was born and educated (Ph.D. in biology) in Cracow,
Poland. In 1984 she settled in Albuquerque, NM after completing
postdoctoral research at Harvard Medical School. Her Polish roots,
love of nature, and multicultural environment of New Mexico
encouraged her to embrace art full time. She is known for creating
unique paper cutouts in brilliant colors called in Polish "WYCINANKI".
She has executed several public art projects, received awards and
grants, and has exhibited nationwide and abroad, including Japan
and China. Her art has appeared in countless publications and
remains in numerous collections throughout the world.
Elżbieta says: “I create in a spontaneous way using scissors for
cutting shapes out of paper in many colors and often placing them in
collage compositions. “
Harriet has been a serious photographer for 10 years and her
photography has been shown in numerous exhibitions in
Arizona and New Mexico, including Shades of Gray (an
ANMPAS show), the New Mexico State Fair, and she is a six-
year participant in the Placitas Studio Tour. She also had a
solo exhibit at Loma Colorado Library in 2018 and at
Hellafresh Salon in 2021. She lives and works out of her own
studio and shares her life with geologist husband Jim and
their two dogs. Being an art museum docent for more than
twenty years has enriched her photography.
Harriet says: “I see a spiritual dimension in my work and
believe we begin to understand our own place in the universe
through connection with our environment.”
A New Mexican since 1967, I find inspiration in the high desert
landscape, flora, and fauna and am saddened that this is rapidly
being altered by climate change. Working on silk with dyes resisted
by molten wax, I continue a 2500-year-old global tradition. Since
1998 I have studied the Japanese form of wax resist: Rozome. Many
recent pieces are presented unframed, displayed on hand-carved
juniper from the land around my studio. A few sculptures have
evolved from unusual pieces of juniper marked with beetle galleries.
Lately I have reconnected with my roots as an oil painter and am
exploring cold wax and oil.
Small is a multi-disciplinarian. Gallerist, interior designer,
crafter, and PAS board member in charge of the visual arts are
the odd range of tasks completed in the last 50 years. In the
last 4 years Small exhibited in gallery shows of her pillows.
Lee says: “I descend from a long line of sewers. Growing up I
watched my great grandmother crochet throws, my aunt sew
my school clothes, my grandmother sew quilts, and my mother
do all of the above! I began sewing for my three girls in my
twenties, and now in my seventies, sew unusual pillows for fun
and profit.”
