LEIGH GUSTERSON

Leigh Gusterson moved to New Mexico from New Jersey in 1990 to pursue a life-long ambition: to live in an environment where nature still prevailed, where there were less restrictions than the clogged Metro area of the east coast. Being surrounded by big skies, deserts, mountains, fields, aspen groves, grazing horses --- all seems to soothe and nurture the sparky, wild streak in Leigh.

Gusterson is a "plein-air" zealot. The French term "en plein air" literally means painting outdoors, within the scene itself, absorbing all of its sensual and visual information. "It's the best way to understand your subject. When I find a place to paint, I always spend time walking around it, getting a feel for the variety of views available for the buildings or animals that might become a part of the painting, " Leigh relates.

"If there are abandoned abodes, I'll wander through them, taking note of any evidence of humanity that might be there, like an iris blooming in the front yard or canned goods on a dusty shelf." But Gusterson is not constrained by these elements. "I edit, exaggerate and move things around," she says. "The painting is more interpretive than realistic."