Elizabeth Sandia, originally from New York, has an extensive professional background in art - as an architectural designer, art director, illustrator, and graphic artist. In 1995 Sandia gave up her Key West architectural practice to move to Santa Fe and devote her time fully to painting. A seamless transition from designing buildings to painting them helped make Elizabeth's leap of faith a reality. She divides her time between painting captivating landscapes, curious livestock, and crumbling adobes in each of the beautiful seasons of the southwest. Sandia's award-winning paintings are highly sought after by corporate and private collectors. She shows in select galleries and regularly participates in invitationals. Elizabeth is a signature member of The Pastel Society of America. I am strongly drawn to the patterns and shapes and colors of the west, and how deep shadows come to life next to bright patches of sunlight. Each time I paint on location, my challenge if to capture certain fleeting effects, like the last rays of setting sun stretching across a ridge, the prink glow bathing a canyon, or violet shadows on an adobe wall. The best way for me to work is to return to favorite locations over and over. Painting a place many times allows me to focus on its subtle nuances I may have missed previously. I want each painting to be about the special quality that first grabs my attention. I want it to arouse emotions in viewers. I want you to feel the chill of an early morning, delight in a forgotten pleasure remembered, be enveloped by the sanctity of an old adobe chapel.