Artist Sandra Kimzey Wimbish brings nature to life with pen and ink

There’s not a day that goes by that Sandra Kimzey Wimbish isn’t working on art – in some form.

It’s a practice she’s been doing since second or third grade.

“I had a very strong interest in art from early on,” she says. “In some decades of my life and when I was raising my kids, it’s been a part of what I’ve done. I was teaching a lot of students art. I just love having the chance to take someone who doesn’t like or know if they are good at art and give them some basic concepts or guidelines.”

Kimzey Wimbish is one of 18 artists to show in “On the Rise: Artists in Early and Mid-Career” at Gallery with A Cause, located inside the New Mexico Cancer Center, 4901 Lang Ave. NE. The exhibit will have a ArtsCrawl reception from 6-8:30 p.m. Friday, June 3. The exhibit runs through Aug. 19.

The pieces that Kimzey Wimbish has in the exhibit have already been hung on the walls.

Yet, she’s is working on replacement pieces in case one of them sells.

“You have to be ready,” she says.

While she works in various mediums, her favorite is pen and ink.

Sounds simple, right?

“There are so many layers to my pen and ink drawings,” she says. “To provide depth, I have to create the layers. It’s painstakingly time consuming.”

Kimzey Wimbish is also drawn to nature and animals.

“I grew up in wide-open spaces,” she says. “I’m drawn to hawks. I’ve done a lot of traveling and lived in a lot of different states. I’m a lover of nature and a cyclist and runner. I thrive being in nature and love the diversity both in the animal world and people.”

While Kimzey Wimbish is fairly new to Albuquerque, she’s found her place in the Albuquerque art community.

Being part of the show at the cancer center was also intriguing to her.

“I had two family members go through cancer treatments and the artwork in the hospital was drawing me in,” she says. “I knew how meaningful that could be to patients and their families. The art gives some beauty and light. It was a win for me to be involved.”

As Kimzey Wimbish continues to push herself in art, here are a few things you didn’t know about her:

1 “I enjoy teaching art, especially to those who think they aren’t artistic. And I love seeing their surprise or their family members’ shock when they are able to create something they are proud of.”

2 “I am fascinated by our world, from the unique patterning and design of animals to the traditional costuming, culture, and physical variability of peoples. I celebrate the diversity and the beauty of it all. These are some of my biggest inspirations for my art creations, and I love enticing viewers to see from a new vantage point or broaden their world view.”

3 “I love being outdoors – growing up it was riding my horse or my bike around the farm, and now it’s gardening, hiking, snowshoeing, running and cycling, or just sitting in nature and taking in the awesome views. An added perk of working at a local vineyard is outdoor time – among the vines, breathing deeply, getting lost in my thoughts as I prune, pull weeds, train vines.”

4 “I can be obsessive with my work: I forget to eat when I’m engrossed in an art project. Sometimes my fingers cramp from holding the crow quill pen for too many hours at a time.”

5 “I have been a small batch coffee roaster for more than 10 years, occasionally hosting coffee tasting parties to teach folks how to taste delicious and surprising nuances in coffees from various origins and different roast levels.”