Leslie Broughton
https://bluemesa.artspan.com/
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 505-398-6504
Acrylics
Lake at Angel Fire
Framed acrylic on canvas 15" x 18"
Mountain lake at night in the vicinity of Angel Fire, New Mexico.
$600
Framed acrylic on canvas 15" x 18"
Mountain lake at night in the vicinity of Angel Fire, New Mexico.
$600
Artist’s Statement
Through my art, I strive to convey the wonder of the natural world. Art’s colors and forms can evoke visceral feelings such as the fragrance of lilacs at midday, the tingling ocean mist, and the warmth of the sun reflected in a sandstone cliff. Just as music can elicit colors and patterns in its listeners’ minds, the visual arts also possess powers of synesthesia. By tapping into this phenomenon, the artist may engage the viewer in subtle and very personal ways.
Art is a means of sharing and interacting with our fellow human beings, somewhat akin to how the aspen trees support and nourish their neighbors through their intertwining roots. Art is a beautiful way that humans connect and communicate with each other.
The act of painting for me often involves a thoughtful rediscovery of a previously visited locale or an exploration of a new one. My compositions are based on a selection of elements from multiple photographs. Because the creative process of “being in the painting” is immersion in a particular place, I generally work on one piece before beginning another. The real world is my foundation, but I find that its hidden magic can be revealed or magnified by the inclusion of fantastical imagery. While my chosen painting media are acrylics and occasionally watercolors, I also enjoy working in pastels. Which is not to mention photography, which happens every day for me. I am fortunate to live in the high desert region where amazing discoveries exist for anyone who is looking.
As a counterbalance to the mountainous and often arid landscapes that surround me, I enjoy travelling to settings with abundant water such as the rainforests of the Pacific northwest, the waterfalls and ocean waters of Hawaii, and the pine-covered beaches of the Great Lakes, each of which offers a different kind of energy for the mind and the heart. No matter where I am, nature inspires my imagination. In the words of artist Edvard Munch, “Nature is not only all that is visible to the eye...it also includes the inner pictures of the soul.”
Through my art, I strive to convey the wonder of the natural world. Art’s colors and forms can evoke visceral feelings such as the fragrance of lilacs at midday, the tingling ocean mist, and the warmth of the sun reflected in a sandstone cliff. Just as music can elicit colors and patterns in its listeners’ minds, the visual arts also possess powers of synesthesia. By tapping into this phenomenon, the artist may engage the viewer in subtle and very personal ways.
Art is a means of sharing and interacting with our fellow human beings, somewhat akin to how the aspen trees support and nourish their neighbors through their intertwining roots. Art is a beautiful way that humans connect and communicate with each other.
The act of painting for me often involves a thoughtful rediscovery of a previously visited locale or an exploration of a new one. My compositions are based on a selection of elements from multiple photographs. Because the creative process of “being in the painting” is immersion in a particular place, I generally work on one piece before beginning another. The real world is my foundation, but I find that its hidden magic can be revealed or magnified by the inclusion of fantastical imagery. While my chosen painting media are acrylics and occasionally watercolors, I also enjoy working in pastels. Which is not to mention photography, which happens every day for me. I am fortunate to live in the high desert region where amazing discoveries exist for anyone who is looking.
As a counterbalance to the mountainous and often arid landscapes that surround me, I enjoy travelling to settings with abundant water such as the rainforests of the Pacific northwest, the waterfalls and ocean waters of Hawaii, and the pine-covered beaches of the Great Lakes, each of which offers a different kind of energy for the mind and the heart. No matter where I am, nature inspires my imagination. In the words of artist Edvard Munch, “Nature is not only all that is visible to the eye...it also includes the inner pictures of the soul.”
Hidden Gem
Acrylic on canvas, 40" x 30"
Secluded southwestern mountain village in autumn.
$3,200
Acrylic on canvas, 40" x 30"
Secluded southwestern mountain village in autumn.
$3,200
Mountain Grandeur
Acrylic on canvas, 36" x 48"
A view of the Rocky Mountains in all their splendor.
$3,600
Acrylic on canvas, 36" x 48"
A view of the Rocky Mountains in all their splendor.
$3,600
Aurora Display
Pastel on paper, framed, 11" x 14"
Nature's fireworks, or the northern lights.
$250
Pastel on paper, framed, 11" x 14"
Nature's fireworks, or the northern lights.
$250
Spirit of the Sea
Framed acrylic on canvas 19" x 23"
Seascape with pensive mermaid overlooking her ocean realm.
$750
Framed acrylic on canvas 19" x 23"
Seascape with pensive mermaid overlooking her ocean realm.
$750
New Mexico Before Our Time
Framed acrylic on canvas, 24.25" x 31"
Fanciful imagining of the watery landscape and sea creatures during
the Pleistocene Era when New Mexico was a sea.
$1,500
Framed acrylic on canvas, 24.25" x 31"
Fanciful imagining of the watery landscape and sea creatures during
the Pleistocene Era when New Mexico was a sea.
$1,500
Oasis in the Sky
Acrylic painting on canvas, framed, 15.5" x 18.5"
"Surreal" southwestern landscape combining sky/ocean/desert.
$600
Acrylic painting on canvas, framed, 15.5" x 18.5"
"Surreal" southwestern landscape combining sky/ocean/desert.
$600
BIO
My B.F.A. with a concentration in painting from the University of New Mexico solidified my early interest in making art. My focus on landscapes began with plein-air watercolor painting in the mountains surrounding Albuquerque. The degree introduced me to printmaking as well. After an M.A. in Comparative Literature, I moved to Arizona, where I experienced the low desert—saguaro cactus, mesquite trees, and wild javelina. I continued painting with watercolors in the hills and washes of the Tucson area. Years later, I returned to New Mexico to live and work in the small town of Las Vegas, located between Santa Fe and Taos. Now in the high desert, the source of my inspiration is piñon pine, chamisa, and the occasional wolf or coyote.
I am the owner of Blue Mesa Gallery LLC; former member of the Las Vegas artist cooperative gallery; and belong to the Las Vegas Arts Council. Since 2017 I've exhibited in the annual New Mexico Painters’ Exhibition invitational on the campus of New Mexico Highlands University (NMHU). In 2019 I had a solo exhibit in the Ray Drew Gallery at NMHU. In July of 2025, I was an exhibitor in the Art Santa Fe 2025 show at the Santa Fe Convention Center. I am currently an exhibitor in several juried online exhibits.
My B.F.A. with a concentration in painting from the University of New Mexico solidified my early interest in making art. My focus on landscapes began with plein-air watercolor painting in the mountains surrounding Albuquerque. The degree introduced me to printmaking as well. After an M.A. in Comparative Literature, I moved to Arizona, where I experienced the low desert—saguaro cactus, mesquite trees, and wild javelina. I continued painting with watercolors in the hills and washes of the Tucson area. Years later, I returned to New Mexico to live and work in the small town of Las Vegas, located between Santa Fe and Taos. Now in the high desert, the source of my inspiration is piñon pine, chamisa, and the occasional wolf or coyote.
I am the owner of Blue Mesa Gallery LLC; former member of the Las Vegas artist cooperative gallery; and belong to the Las Vegas Arts Council. Since 2017 I've exhibited in the annual New Mexico Painters’ Exhibition invitational on the campus of New Mexico Highlands University (NMHU). In 2019 I had a solo exhibit in the Ray Drew Gallery at NMHU. In July of 2025, I was an exhibitor in the Art Santa Fe 2025 show at the Santa Fe Convention Center. I am currently an exhibitor in several juried online exhibits.
Luminous
Acrylic painting on canvas, framed, 19" x 25"
representing the reflected light from an impressive rock face at Lake Powell, Utah, with two hawks in flight;
colors are brilliant yellows and ochres set against deep blues.
$1,400
Acrylic painting on canvas, framed, 19" x 25"
representing the reflected light from an impressive rock face at Lake Powell, Utah, with two hawks in flight;
colors are brilliant yellows and ochres set against deep blues.
$1,400
Lone Pine
Acrylic on canvas, 13" x 16" framed
High-altitude scene of northern New Mexico with sunlit mesa and mountains in the background.
$350
Acrylic on canvas, 13" x 16" framed
High-altitude scene of northern New Mexico with sunlit mesa and mountains in the background.
$350
Time for a Ride
Framed acrylic painting on canvas, 22" x 18"
Of a joyful activity beneath a blooming lilac tree on Mackinac Island.
$600
Framed acrylic painting on canvas, 22" x 18"
Of a joyful activity beneath a blooming lilac tree on Mackinac Island.
$600
Photography - Southwest
Dream Tracks
Photograph of railroad tracks looking west alongside Route 66, Bernal, New Mexico.
matted, 16” x 20”
$125
Photograph of railroad tracks looking west alongside Route 66, Bernal, New Mexico.
matted, 16” x 20”
$125
Hermit's Peak
Landmark of San Miguel County, New Mexico--Hermit's Peak, rising 10,263 feet at the southern end of the Rockies,
"where the mountains meet the plains," and 4 miles from where the artist lives.
matted, 16” x 20”
$125
Landmark of San Miguel County, New Mexico--Hermit's Peak, rising 10,263 feet at the southern end of the Rockies,
"where the mountains meet the plains," and 4 miles from where the artist lives.
matted, 16” x 20”
$125
Winter Clouds Over the Mesa
Awesome cloud formations over a snow-dusted hill in northern New Mexico.
matted, 16” x 20”
$125
Awesome cloud formations over a snow-dusted hill in northern New Mexico.
matted, 16” x 20”
$125
Zion Ice
The winter's freeze upon a creek in Zion National Park.
matted, 16” x 20”
$125
The winter's freeze upon a creek in Zion National Park.
matted, 16” x 20”
$125
All Cloud
It's not a volcano. Just an unusual cloud formation over the mesa.
matted, 16” x 20”
$125
It's not a volcano. Just an unusual cloud formation over the mesa.
matted, 16” x 20”
$125
Cloudscape
Clouds shaped like whales in the southwestern sky.
matted, 16” x 20”
$125
Clouds shaped like whales in the southwestern sky.
matted, 16” x 20”
$125
Ride 'em
Young cowboy at the local county fair riding competition.
matted, 16” x 20”
$125
Young cowboy at the local county fair riding competition.
matted, 16” x 20”
$125