Anna Jewel Gove

I moved to Santa Fe just over a year ago, and the landscape, colors and sky captivated me instantly - truly the “Land of Enchantment.” Everywhere I look, I see inspiration: handcrafted goods in local shops, expansive vistas, and even giant metal animals lining the main commercial strip. I wanted one but couldn’t afford it, so I decided to make my own. Starting with a kitchen chair and chicken wire left behind in my old garage, I created the Big Blue Dog, soon followed by his sweetheart kitty, a golden-feathered raven, and the Pepsi bottle dog. I even repurposed cones from my past life as a California performance artist, integrating them into my sculptures. Beyond being a great art town, Santa Fe is also a haven for books. Independent bookstores, neighborhood mini-libraries, and thrift shops offer an astonishing variety - far beyond the outdated computer manuals and paperbacks I used to find in New Jersey. This abundance inspired my “Book Series.” Using hardcover books as a canvas, I glue the pages together, gesso the front and leave the spine and back cover exposed. Each book becomes a painting surface, its title becoming the title of the artwork. To date, I’ve created 60 book paintings, 20 featuring animals, 20 focused on plants and landscapes, and 20 exploring human faces. My work is rooted in storytelling. Using representational images - animals, plants, people - I aim to evoke a feeling, much like a scene from a movie. While my paintings appear straightforward, layered meanings emerge through design elements and color. Each piece tells a story, one that is shaped by the viewer’s own experiences and imagination.