Tony Abeyta (b. 1965) - Rain Over Town

58" x 88" framed. Ex Arizona collection. Signed lower right. This piece was created by layering oil paint, sand, and encaustic wax on canvas, giving it a unique, 3-dimensional texture. "This painting is an oil on canvas, depicting the New Mexican landscape, specifically a hillside village in Northern New Mexico. This village exists in many remote mountain communities, where families once lived close together, fostering a sense of familiarity and connection. Everything one needed was found within the area. As time has passed, people have moved away, leaving the elders to live in quiet solitude. The painting is deliberately without doors, symbolizing an invitation to step inside, to come home and return. The older voices have faded, and the village now stands as a symbol of simpler, humbler times. The road remains unpaved, and the ominous rain clouds linger in the distance. Time has changed everything, leaving behind only the memories of what once was in this earth-built place. Though the stories and celebrations live on in memory, those who left rarely return, and often forget where they came from. These memories are internalized within the image, and as an artist, I strive to connect the viewer with time, place, and story—so that the essence of this village may continue to live on." - Tony Abeyta