Santa Fe Hat Dance

BERNARD MARKS WROTE ABOUT HIS UNUSUAL AND BEAUTIFUL PANORAMA “SANTA FE HAT DANCE”:

“Santa Fe Hat Dance” came about because I was hanging out in downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico, watching the crowd, enjoying how people interacted with one another.

I spotted this group deep in conversation and was captivated by the rhythm of their hats. They almost seemed to dance as the talking went on. A few surreptitious photos later, back in my studio, I painted this acrylic interpretation of those dancing hats.

Cowboy-type hats have a long history, perhaps as far back as the 13th century. Such hats are useful, even when you’re not riding herd. Protection from the sun is one of their most important purposes, especially in the super-sunny Southwest. You see a lot of them in Santa Fe, and also quite a few scenes just like this one.


Excellent custom-made giclée prints on thick matte archival paper are available.

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This painting and all reproductions of it are © Bernard Marks Fine Art LLC. No unauthorized use is permitted. All rights reserved.