Mini canvasses

By day Beavers is a freelance illustrator and released a book, “The Zoo’s Annual Piggyback Race.” Yet between jobs, she finds time to do her tiny pieces with colored pencil.

	If you go WHAT: MasterWorks of New Mexico Fine Art Show WHEN: 8 p.m. Friday, April 5, opening reception; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays beginning Saturday, April 6 through April 27 WHERE: Expo New Mexico, Hispanic Arts Center, 301 San Pedro NE HOW MUCH: Free, but $5 parking fee by Expo New Mexico

She is one of dozens of New Mexico artists who will be featured in this year’s MasterWorks of New Mexico Fine Art Show.

The art show is celebrating a milestone this year as well. It has been around for 15 years.

“It’s an accomplishment to be proud of,” says founder Barbara Lohbeck. “The event has grown to be one of the most prestigious art shows in the state.”

Lohbeck says the event began with the New Mexico Watercolor Society, the Pastel Society of New Mexico and the Miniaturists through Bardean Gallery, which she used to own.

She says the Rio Grande Art Association came under the MasterWorks umbrella in 2000 to sponsor the oil/acrylic division.

“This event has been able to draw all of these artists together,” she explains. “In the past, none of these organizations would work together. We’ve built a place where all of the artists can be one.”

Beavers, who entered three pieces in the miniature division, says she was inspired by living in New Mexico and the beautiful sunsets.

“Driveby Sunset” by Melinda Beavers. 4.75” x 3” On Arches, 140lb. Hotpress.

“I was driving home from Santa Fe one night and I noticed the sky,” she explains. “On one side of the Sandia Mountains, there was a storm. On the other, it was completely sunny. This was my first point of inspiration into looking up at the sky.”

Her three pieces are called “Sunset Aflame,” “Ember Sky” and “Driveby Sunset.” All three pieces measure about 4 inches by 4 inches.

“I got an email saying that my work was accepted, I just didn’t know which pieces,” she explains. “I’m excited to see which made the cut.”

But getting into MasterWorks isn’t a new thing for Beavers. She has been participating for nearly five years, but also took last year off to be a juror.

“It was a really cool thing to see how the show comes together behind the scenes,” she says. “I got to witness the process that my work undergoes when it’s in this competition. It’s given me a new outlook on the entire process.”

During the MasterWorks show, there are six jurors and two judges who review all entries and then award ribbons in four divisions – miniature, watermedia, pastel and oil/acrylic.

One of those artists working in watermedia and acrylic will be Rex Barron. He, like Beavers, is no stranger to MasterWorks and also is an illustrator.

Odds are, if you grew up watching “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” or “The Pink Panther” cartoons in the 1980s, you saw some of his work.

“Sunset Aflame” by Melinda Beavers. 3.65” x 2.65” On Arches, 140lb. Hotpress.

“I worked doing cartoons as part of my first job,” he says. “It was a fun job for what it was and then I got bored. After that, I went into book illustration and now I’m slowly going into retirement.”

Barron says he’s often surprised that his work strikes a chord with many people. He often shows the serious side of himself by doing figurative compositions.

In this year’s show, Barron has three pieces – “Spin,” an oil on canvas, “Portrait of Betty Lehnus” and “Self Portrait No Face,” which are acrylic.

Barron says “Spin” came about as a result of the World Trade Center bombings on 9/11.

“This was always stuck in the back of my mind,” he says. “It also looks at the relationships between the sexes.”

At 30 inches by 47 inches, “Spin” is one of his largest pieces.

“When you look at it, you can see that it’s not photographic. It’s pretty much out of my head,” he explains. “It comes from many years of drawing the human figure. To this day, I still attend a class once a week on the human form.”

Barron says MasterWorks is one of the more interesting shows to be involved with. He says it’s one of the few shows that is only open to New Mexico residents.

“It helps you get a glimpse of what New Mexico artists are all doing,” he says. “It’s a great thing for us to have in this state. It’s a prestigious show and I think each year, the quality of work goes up.”