THANE PADILLA 

Bio: I studied art in New Mexico, where I am from, and received my BFA at UNM in Albuquerque New Mexico. After living in Upper Peninsula, MI for a short time, my wife and I moved to Flagstaff in 2016 where we now live with our two boys.

Artist statement: I am a multi-disciplinary artist woking in oils, acrylic, steel, and mixed media. I enjoy creating landscape paintings which represent human experience and reflect emotional interaction between a person and land. I enjoy making works from imagination, and the love for painting itself. A landscape that is more than a scenic view is valued most. To me, the image of land and sky represents an internal personal mood. Sometimes my work reflects collective well being of society or a critique of how we are doing in relation to earth and each other. I have been close friends with another artist who lives with schizophrenia. He has been through difficult times and yet has found a balance in professional care and personal choices. I have also personally experienced a mental health event that seriously affected my life and required “a village” to help me become grounded again.