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Thursday, May 12, 2005

Artists Joined in Love of Color

By Stacey Boyne
Mountain View Telegraph
    Playing with light and color is the common thread that ties two new artists at Sandia Man Gallery together.
    As of May 1, photographer Bob Campbell and stained glass artist Ron Bynum are the new featured artists at the cooperative gallery located at the junction of N.M. 14 and Frost Road in Cedar Crest.
    Campbell's love for the beauty of life is apparent in his timeless photos of old cars, children, monumental moments and natural landscapes. Campbell, a retired naval aviator living in the East Mountains area, discovered his love of photography at age 13 when his father gave him a World War II camera from Japan.
    "Everything is worth photographing— I live life through the lens of a camera," Campbell said in an interview.
    Sandia Man isn't the only one recognizing Campbell's talented eye and proficient skill. During the 1999-2000 New Year's Eve celebration in Washington, D.C., Campbell captured on film a monumental moment in time that won him the prestigious Nikon International Millennium Photo Contest grand prize award.
    "Over 30,000 international photographers entered that contest," Campbell said. "I couldn't believe it when I got the call that said I'd won."
    Campbell, who is self-taught, has been published in such media as The Saturday Evening Post, Today's Photographer, Petersen's PHOTOgraphic and American Photo Magazine. In the past, Campbell has designed, developed and taught travel photography workshops and his plans include offering these workshops in the East Mountains area.
    Adjacent to Campbell's display in the gallery is an exquisite demonstration of harnessing natural light to express a love of color intensity.
    Bynum, of Cedar Crest, began learning stained glass techniques last fall when he visited Sandia Man Gallery and the gallery's previous stained glass artist was conducting workshops.
    It was then that Bynum began his 10-month journey of taking daily classes to learn the art of stained glass.
    Bynum has been an artist all his life, originally painting mountain cabins on canvas using oils and acrylics.
    "I worked in the mental health industry for a long time, so painting was my escape— my stress relief," Bynum said.
    As he began getting serious about painting, however, Bynum found himself struggling with color intensity and light. It soon became apparent to Bynum that stained glass was the medium that would allow him to capture the inspirations that existed in his mind.
    "The same afternoon glow of the sun that lights up a meadow on canvas is the same light that bursts through a stained glass window," Bynum explained.
    Bynum specializes in upscale window panels that display rich, deep colors portrayed in subjects like chile ristras, butterflies and flowers. Kids and kids at heart will delight in his smaller collectibles of tooth-fairy boxes, kaleidoscopes and candle boxes.
    Bynum says he will never lose his passion for painting but will continue to enjoy different media of art.
    "It is an overwhelming joy to see the glory unfold," he said. "Art is a luxury— when people understand its power they tend to carry a little lighter load."
    Bynum has recently been invited to display his works of light and glass at the prestigious Santa Fe Cathedral Park Show on June 25, which features only 30 booths annually. The show is hosted by the New Mexico Fine Arts and Crafts Guild.
    The Sandia Man Gallery is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.