October 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
October 17, 2021 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
John DeSpain - Pastel
No Online Presence
Growing up in Montana, John started drawing at an early age,
focusing primarily on wildlife. After graduating from Montana State
University with a degree in film and making a life-altering move to
Los Angeles, John embarked on a career that included animation
(Count Chocula and Frankenberry anyone?), technical illustration,
project management, and creative directing. After retiring and
moving with his wife Barbara to a small cabin in the Mojave Desert
for three years, John and Barb relocated to New Mexico. Always
drawn to artistic communities, he started the next phase of his life
here in Placitas.
John says: “I love the intensity of color and subtlety that pastels
allow. I try to capture the light and interplay of highlights and
shadows in my work.”
A BFA in Art History and Northern Arizona shaped her appreciation
for art and influenced her style. She tries to have a canvas on an
easel now after retiring from other careers of real estate and
financial planning.
Cynthia says, “The best thing about painting is the places it
transports me. The series I am working on now, ‘Women Who Have
Guided Us On Our Path’, is a tribute to some of these women.”
The son of a lifetime Eastman Kodak employee, Dennis had
his first medium format camera (a “hand me down” from
his father) when he was seven. Still, photography was just
a mild interest of his for the next 43 years until
photography evolved into the digital age, allowing his
imagination to be expressed in his photography.
Dennis was the Professional Photographers of America’s
New Mexico Photographer of the Year for 2011 and 2018.
He sells his work at Weems Gallery in Albuquerque, the
Range in Bernalillo, Belle of the West in Madrid, and the
Corrales Bosque Gallery. His website is
www.dcphotoartistry.com
Dennis Says: “My artistic goal is to convey the thrill I feel in
witnessing the wonderful architecture of the Southwest,
using all the photographic tools available.”
Carolyn Berry has been passionate about teaching and making art
for over 25 years. As a public school teacher, she has been named
Kansas Art Education Association Outstanding Art Educator of the
Year and has taught workshops for the Kansas City Art Institute
Continuing Education, the Nelson Atkins Museum, Arrowmont
School of Arts & Crafts and various art centers. She maintains a
studio and exhibits in the Albuquerque, NM area. Her art can be
seen at the Encaustic Art Institute in Santa Fe, NM, the New Mexico
Art League, on Instagram at #carolynberryart and at
www.carolynberryart.com.
Carolyn says: “My artistic practice centers on capturing the passage
of time through the cycles of life dealing with growth, decay, death
and the quest for immortality.”
Denise started on her path to becoming an artist as a quilter. When
she discovered glass, she found she could combine her love of color
and pattern with a process similar to quilting – by cutting things up
and putting them back together in new and interesting ways. She is a
self-taught artist, learning by experimentation and practice. Using
the science education she received at New Mexico Tech she
produces one-of-a-kind pieces of fused glass art in her studio in
Placitas. She has been a fused glass artist for about 15 years.
Denise says: “I am inspired by the desert skies and landscape. Using
a wide variety of techniques, I create unique sculptural, decorative
and wearable fused glass art.”
