Summer Aspens
" Swirling Sunset ," oil on panel , 10 " x 8 "
Continued from page 15
Desert Plein-air
“ One day the clouds lifted and you could see the Himalayas ,” she said . A guide took her and a friend up to a temple , where they climbed the stairs onto the roof . “ There were converging valleys coming down in an amazing view , and then an enormous butterfly as wide as my hand flew inches in front of my face .”
Because her simple lifestyle has allowed her to travel extensively , Wiggin ’ s portfolio is a showcase of a rich variety of nature . Tropical forests , oceans , mountains , rivers and animals . She says that wildlife often visits her while she sits quietly at her work , and she has a rule about them . “ If a critter comes while I have the brush in hand , I have to put them in the painting ,” she said . She described the day a family of javelina came racing down the hill next to her campsite , but they were too fast for her to paint . She ’ s had deer , coyotes , lots of bears , rattlesnakes and her beloved Colorado mountain goats visit her , as well .
“ I feel the energy around me as I paint ,” she said . “ I have to be there : amid the sounds and smells of nature .”
When asked what some of her favorite Big Bend locations are , she had to consider a moment . “ I hesitate to say ,” she said . “ The Old Ore Road , Juniper Canyon Road , and the Glen Springs Road .” She added that she was bound for La Noria campsite on the Old Ore Road this March . “ It ’ s one of my favorite places to paint the Chisos .”
Wiggins primarily works in oils , but also loves watercolors . She said it takes her about three weeks to complete her larger oil paintings , working several hours each afternoon if the weather allows . She has had many solo shows in Santa Fe , including at Laurel Seth Gallery and the Eli Levin Studio . She is represented by Argos Studio-Gallery in Santa Fe . Locally , her work can currently be seen at the Old Spanish Trails Gallery outside Fort Davis and at Eve ’ s Garden in Marathon . Prints of her work are available at the Stillwell Store .
To view her work online , including the aspen trees she ’ s been painting since 1979 , go to http :// argos-gallery . com / Argos _ Site / Wiggins1 . htm . �
26 Cenizo Spring 2023