Gayle Weisfield

Watercolor and the Western Spirit in Taos

Chimayo Trading Staff Report | September 2026

Gayle Weisfield is a watercolor artist whose work captures the light, landscape, and enduring spirit of the American West. Raised on a family ranch overlooking Mount Hood in the Columbia River Gorge, she grew up surrounded by livestock, horses, and the practical demands of ranch life. Those early years shaped both her subject matter and her approach: an appreciation for hard work, open space, and the quiet details of the land.

“Fresh Snow”
Watercolor
24″ x 30″
$3200

Formally trained in art and architecture, Weisfield earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Washington. She spent years traveling and teaching watercolor workshops across the Northwest, Asia, North Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and South America. Her style, which she describes as impressionistic realism, relies on bold, wet-into-wet transparent watercolor. The paintings balance observation with expressive color and loose, confident brushwork, translating the feeling of a place as much as its appearance.

“Riders In The Sky”
Watercolor
20″ x 30″
$3700

While highlighting some of his favorite pieces from the Adirondacks National Exhibition of American Watercolors show (ANEAW), renowned watercolor artist Dean Mitchell had this to say about “Riders In The Sky…

“It’s quite daring the way the artist is using the color, and I think the best way to learn how to use watercolor is to let it go and in this painting I think the artist has done exactly that, they let it go and it’s wonderful, it’s lyrical and it’s beautiful, there’s a lot of energy in it.“

In 2018 Weisfield followed a long-held artistic pull and settled in Taos, New Mexico. Utilizing her architectural traing, Gayle has fully renovated three historic 100 year old adobe buildings in New Mexico, including a historic Taos bookstore and the first gas station in Taos. Living and working in the high desert has deepened her connection to the Southwestern landscape with sage-scented air, dramatic skies, adobe forms, and the interplay of light and shadow that have drawn artists to the region for generations.

“Sacred Ground”
Watercolor
22″ x 29″
$3500

Weisfield’s paintings have earned recognition in national and regional exhibitions, including prestigious Award of Excellence in Watercolor Media from the Plein Air Painters of New Mexico, the Pike’s Peak Watercolor International, Masterworks of New Mexico, and the Eiteljorg Museum’s Quest for the West. She is a signature member of several watercolor societies including the Western Federation of Water Color Societies and continues to teach, share her process through tutorials, and welcome visitors to her studio.

“Hangin’ Around”
Watercolor, waxed
13.5″ x 17.75″
$1000

Weisfield sometimes applies a cold wax finish in thin layers to her watercolor paintings. This allows her to offer certain works framed either with or without glass. This approach fits with a growing interest among contemporary watercolor painters in making the medium more flexible for display while still protecting the delicate surface of the paint.

The technique reflects a broader shift among modern painters who want watercolor to feel less fragile and more adaptable to current display preferences, while still respecting the medium’s essential character. Waxing has become a viable option for artists seeking greater flexibility in presentation and modest surface protection.

“Place Of The Strong People”
Watercolor, waxed
16″ x 38″
$2500

Through her watercolors, Weisfield brings together ranching roots, formal training, and a life of travel and reinvention. The result is work that feels grounded in the West yet open to the unexpected beauty of everyday light and place.

Come to Chimayo Trading in Ranchos de Taos to see these wonderful watercolors from our newest addition to the Chimayo Trading family of artists, or visit Gayle’s work online at chimayotrading.com.

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Come to the gallery to see where History Meets Art in Taos..

#1 Saint Francis Church Plaza
Ranchos de Taos, NM 87557

575.758.0504

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