Artistic License Gallery

Have you ever dreamed of a place where artists and craftspeople can come together to showcase their work and inspire the local community? Well the Artistic License Gallery Artists Co-op is the manifestation of that dream. Founded by Kim Crickard, a passionate member of the Eldorado arts community, this co-op is a hub for creativity and collaboration.

When Kim moved to Eldorado from San Diego, she knew she wanted to create a year-round arts and crafts co-op in the community. In December of 2021, she got the opportunity to bring this dream to life with a one month pop-up show in an empty storefront in the Agora shopping center. With the help of fellow artists Nan Patmont and Evie Gauthier, the pop-up gallery opened its doors to the public on December 14, 2021, featuring the work of ten talented artists.

Nevertheless, Kim didn't want this to be just a temporary event. She and her management team worked tirelessly to turn the pop-up show into a permanent co-op. Thanks to the support of the Agora shopping center, Artistic License Gallery Artists Co-op became a reality, with the mission of providing a year-round retail venue for regional artists and craftspeople, as well as a high quality resource for arts and crafts for the Eldorado community.

The co-op operates on three primary principles: to support local artists, to provide a diverse selection of high-quality artwork and crafts, and to engae with the community through workshops, events and collaborations. By bringing together a variety of artistic style and mediums, Artistic License Gallery offers something for everyone, whether you are looking for a unique piece of art to decorate your home or a handmade gift for a loved one.

You may not think much about the impact of art and creativity in your community. However Artistic License Gallery Artists Co-op is proof that art has the power to bring people together, spark conversations, and inspire change. By supporting local artists and craftspeople, you are not only investing in the cultural vibrancy of the Eldorado but also contributing to the growth and sustainability of a thriving arts community.

So the next time you are looking for a special piece of art or one-of-a-kind gift, consider Artistic License Gallery Artists Co-op. You will not only be supporting local artists but also experiencing the magic of a dream come true. Together we can make art accessible and meaningful for everyone.

Sally Bartos
Sally Bartos prInts lovely and fanciful scenes of her rural surroundings. "My studio is located in the beautiful East Mountain area of New Mexico. My recent work is inspired by my joy in my family, my animals, and the wonderful area that I live in." Sally's paintings often include horses, goats, dogs, birds and chickens as well as quaint little houses or classic adobe architecture all under vibrantly-colored skies. Her work feels as if it has appeared straight out of a fairytale and the mood is always tranquil and happy. Sally's palette is based on the iconic warm color so typical of the Southwest.
https://sallybartos.com
Daniel Bethune
"I have been painting most of my adult life. Although primarily self-taught, I have sought refinement and expansion of my natural abilities through private and group art study under the direction of renowned artists. I begin with a basic theme, but instead of trying to overthink the process and merely replicate a landscape as I would in the past, I now consciously remove myself from the mechanics and let the brush strokes dictate."
https://danielbethunefineart.com
Susan Burden
Susan has been an artist for most of her life. After receiving a degree in Fine Art in Illinois, she worked in advertising as a graphic artist. She has also worked in galleries and founded her own business called Daystar Studio which features her paintings, drawings and commissioned pet portraits. Susan loves to vary her work, drawing her inspiration from the interconnectedness of life, interpreting those feelings through her pastels.
https://thedaystarstudio.com
Zana Burns
Zana Burns is a highly talented textile artist who has been weaving for about 37 years. She met a tapestry weaver in 1980 who inspired her to learn to weave. Six years later, Zana reconnected with the weaver in Taos and began her weaving adventures. Zana's weavings are unique, one-of-a-kind pieces, (except placemats), that demonstrate her creative use of color and design.
Kim Crickard
Kim is the general manager and founder of the Artist License gallery. Before relocating to New Mexico, Kim lived in San Diego and earned her living as an electrician. She had always been interest in art and she planned to take the time to explore her artistic talents upon retirement, but even before then, Kim tried her hand at painting and she loved it. In all her work Kim often uses animal and bird themes and her paintings are done on various surfaces—from canvas to denim jackets to buffalo gourds. She even paints and decoraes cow and animal skulls. Every piece that Kim creates in unique, which she states, is part of her challenge to herself. Kim's words, "Passion for art has me waking in the middle of the night with thoughts of my next art project."
Evie Gauthier
Evie has always been an admirer of hand-made, unique artisan jewelry. After retiring from her career as a psychologist, she took a class in wire-wrapping and created her first earrings. Designing jewelry has since become her passion. Using semi-precious stones and a variety of other elements, often collected on her travels, she crafts one-of-a-kind pieces to bring joy to the wearer.
https://www.etsy.com/Shop/MoonRabbitOriginals
Gina Hayes
Gina first began making decorative items by hand when she learned to create macrame wall hangings many years ago. She never really marketed the pieces, just shared them with family and friends. Recently, Gina learned that a leather bracelet which she had make almost 50 years ago for a family member, was still in the family and being worn by a young relative. That inspired gina to make more bracelet, but she soon realized that she actually needed to do something with them as opposed to simply accumulating them! Once she was discovered by the Artistic License Gallery her creative, skillfully crafted items have become best sellers.
Shyama Helin
Shyama has created art all of her life. She talks about her work: "I am a painter and a scratchboard artist. I use texturing techniques to create depth and layers in my work, employing all types of mediums and tools, from heavy gesso, crackle mediums, and pallet knives to steel wool, sharp needle tools and ink. My art blends figurative and abstract elements, and reflect our spiritual and emotional connection to the environment. Surface textures and cracking techniques help illustrate nature's fragility, and give each piece a unique, organic and contemporary style."
https://shyamahelin.com
Julie Hill
Garden Shed Girl, Julie Hill is an award winning graphic designer turned fine artist. With a passion for gardening and a love of all things in nature, she now uses her talent to create artwork that will surely add a little "happy" to your home with her birdhouse art poles, birdhouses and painted images on wood. Her love of flowers also inspired her to create artwork for a line of flour sack kitchen towels, each bursting with blossoms and packaged with a seed packet of the flowers shown on the towel.
https://gardenshedgirl.com
Jacinta Hart Kehoe
Essay writing has been my main means of expression through most of my life, with dabbling in the visual art world. In 2012, I began painting in watercolor, which allowed me to see life from a different perspective—as a creative interpretation of reality. In 2021, I began experimenting with linoleum cuts. I am mostly a self-trained artist. In my work, I attempt to capture an emotion. I strive to embrace my subject through use of position, consistent colors, and through the arrangement of sentient beings, or a landscape, or any image in nature. Watercolor gives me pleasure in knowing I am working with an earth element. Some say that it’s very difficult, but I feel that each brush stroke, each swirl or straight line breathes life into the spirit of my work. I love the paint flowing; the moments when I’m not sure if it’s going to go as I intended or when it takes its own course and gives me something even more striking than my preconceived idea. To me, the flow of watercolor is akin to the stream of life. To me, lino cuts employ physical communication with the brain, creating an architectural thought, whereas with watercolor it’s cognitive. Lino cuts are steadfast—once the cut is made there’s no turning back. Either way, art should tell a story. Ultimately, I hope viewers experience a particular moment in time through my work.
https://jacintaHartKehoe.org
Pi Luna
Pi has an MFA from Goddard College in Interdisciplinary Art, wher she studied the connection between math, art, and Jungian Psychology. From a distance, her artwork looks like a painting but get up close, and you'll start to see the shapes and textures. She cuts up tiny pieces of paper from recycled magazines. "Initially, the process looks like a chaotic mess, much like the number Pi—an endless irrational number going on forever. Each piece has a place, and each piece belongs. I transform the mess into cohesive visions of hope, healing and renewal."
https://pilunaart.com
Gail MacQuesten
Gail took up photography as a way to ease into retirement. Her photography centers on people and scenes of the Southwest. She has spent decades traveling to off-the-beaten path locations and unique events in the Four Corners states. While she seeks the beautiful landscapes for which the area is famous, she is also always on the lookout for the interesting and the quirky.
https://gailmacquestenphotography.zenfolio.com/
Linda McPherson
Linda designs and creates hand-knitted wraps and ponchos in soft, warm and beautiful yarns that create lovely blended hues often inspired by the colors of New Mexico and the Southwest. She first began to knit as a hobby when she was a young girl. Over the years she has made sweaters and other articles of clothing, but following a pattern eventually felt tedious, so Linda decided to design the ponchos and wraps that have become her signature pieces.
Karen Murry
Karen makes colorful and attractive high-quality textiles for the home and for personal use. Her skills as a seamstress are top-notch and the fabrics she cooses range from brightly-colored themed patterns to uniquely New Mexican and Southwestern designs. When closely examining her work, you'll quickly notice how well-made each piece is—from pot holders to totes, wine bags to kitchen boas. She even creates unique wall hangings and cross-body shoulder bags. Karen has pointed out that her totes and wine bags do double duty—they hold a gift and they are a gift themselves. Karen's skill and creative work takes functional textiles to another level.
https://karensfiberwhimsy.com
Debbie Parke
"Art has always been a part of my life. I took every art class in high school and won awards for paintings and weavings, and registered at Northern Illinois University as an Art Education major. Sadly, schools were cutting the arts due to funding issues and I changed my major to Computer Science to be able to have a job that would provide enough money to live on and afford to continue to make art. "Following careers in computer science, full-time mother of two and a teacher, I fell into art again in a new form when my Dad gave me his woodturning equipment. Now retired from teaching, I dedicate my time to my woodworking craft. "I find the wood fascinating and enjoy learning about exotic woods and the countries from which they come. Besides turning wood and resin, I also mek charcuterie boards, tables and more."
http://parkespensplus.square.site
Nan Patmont
"I consider myself a ceramic craftswoman. I accept the limitation that clay inherently presents and I happily strive for beauty and function with clay's limitations. I am continuously inspired to create with my hands functional objects that are used in daily living. I believe that unique and individualized pieces put us in touch with our personal relationships, enhance the experience of social gatherings and add the additional element of creativity to the living space."
https://npatmontpottery.com
Rob & Teresa Reese
Rob and Teresa create fascinating and very clever art pieces from salvaged recyclables that they gather from auctions, estate sales and garage sales. They disassemble, clean and re-imagine each part of their newly found treasures to create unique and sometimes functional items like clocks, lamps and assemblages that are absolutely one-of-a-kind and fantastic conversation pieces! "We naturally fell in love with the Steampunk alternate history of the 'past that never was'...Lampsntime was created to be an outlet for our quirky ideas."
https://www.instagram.com/lampsntime/
Roxanne Turner
Roxanne has called many places home and their natural beauty has enriched her art. She works in monotype printmaking, mixed media and collage. Her work is marked by experimentation and she periodically returns to approach previously explored media in new ways at later dates. Roxanne's work has been chosen for exhibition in Maryland, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Washington, Oregon, Alaska and Russia. Her art is in public collections in New Mexico and Alaska and in numerous private collections.
https://roxanneturner.com
Jessica Wesolek
Jessica is a long-time Santa Fe artist and gallery owner. She is now transitioning to a more peaceful life of "just making art". Some may call it retirement, but she doesn't understand that word, and is working more than ever. Currently she is showing her work exclusively at the Artistic License Gallery. "It's close to home, and I love the friendships I've made". She works in many mediums but her true loves are watercolor and kiln-fired glass.
http://jessicawesolek.com

The Artistic License Gallery is always seeking talented artists to join our vibrant co-op. If you're an artist interested in becoming a member, download our application packet to learn more about this exciting opportunity!

Artistic License Gallery Artist ApplicationPDF • 156KB

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