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May 10, 2023

Scott Sutton is The Pigment Hunter

If you are a proponent of sustainable foods, support the local farmer's markets,

If you are a proponent of sustainable foods, support the local farmer's markets, participate in a farm share, do your best to buy local foods, or even grow your own vegetables, then you will relate to the artwork and passion of Scott Sutton. You will also likely be more than a little bit intrigued.

Just as a chef who uses locally-grown, sustainable foods to create healthy, wholesome meals, Sutton, a.k.a. The Pigment Hunter, does the same with paint. Sutton's artwork is a journey that starts with pigments he digs locally from the earth, tree leaves, and pine cones which he compounds to bring out their natural colors. From there, he creates inspirational art that resonates on a level as pure and deep as Mother Nature herself.

From May 13-21, Sutton's "Color of Earth – Art Installation" will be displayed at the Stables Gallery. Not only will his artwork be exhibited, but he will also offer workshops focusing on the art of pigment hunting. Sutton will talk about how to use the Earth's pigments from minerals and plants to make paints and inks for creating art. The gallery will highlight Sutton's work using locally-sourced Earth-based materials with colors in the local geological and ecological landscape.

"There is a lot of disconnect today, yet we have an opportunity to connect with the Earth and to celebrate place," explained Sutton, who sources his colors from the Upper Rio Grande Basin Watershed.

Sutton is more than a pigment hunter and artist, he also graduated from UNM with a master's degree in landscape architecture. Combining art and landscape architecture with his acumen of watersheds, Sutton has worked with Amigos Bravos, the environmental nonprofit dedicated to preserving and restoring the ecological and cultural integrity of New Mexico's waters, as well as other groups and organizations.

Sutton, who grew up in Oregon, has traveled back and forth from Oregon and New Mexico where he learned the art of pigment hunting. Now firmly planted in Taos, he is the newish owner of a 40-acre parcel of land near the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument which he plans to turn into a retreat for an artist-in-residence program.

"How many times do we hear an artist talk about wanting to capture the colors of the land? Why not use the colors that are already there rather than buying paints that are manufactured in a lab?" Sutton asked with rhetorical brilliance.

Using paint to create art is one thing, but pigment hunting? How accessible and feasible is that? According to Sutton, it's as accessible as learning about the land and watersheds that are part of our landscape. "You don't have to be from a place to feel a connection to the land," as he explained the connection to place and environment.

Sutton's workshops will provide the opportunity to learn the art of processing pigments. From noon to 6 p.m., May 15-19, the Colors of Culture Community Art Project will be available for everyone, including children, who would like to learn how to process pigments, make paints, silkscreen prints and help create a collaborative art project over the course of the week.

On May 19 from 6-7 p.m., Sutton will present Conversations about the Nature of Color. The Pigment Hunter will talk about using local sources of color from natural and cultural landscapes to create art that reflects a sense of place while honoring the Earth. He will also demonstrate how to process colors from the Earth and discuss the impacts of humanity on our local watersheds.

Sutton has a variety of talents, and is clearly a multi-talented artist who does a lot of things, except one. "I don't sell paints. I don't hunt for pigments with the purpose of making colors to sell. I use them for my art and for educational purposes and to connect with people and place," he explained.

"We aren't always connected to the systems that actually sustain us, and that's what I’m doing — creating a way to connect to place."

"Colors of Earth – Art Installation" runs from May 13-21 at the Stables Gallery, 133 Paseo del Pueblo Norte, Taos. For more information, visit pigmenthunter.com.

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