Untitled New Mexico Landscape Painting by Betty Sabo [SOLD]

This untitled landscape painting was created by Albuquerque artist Betty Jean Sabo.  It is a classic Southwest scene, which is what Sabo was known and admired for creating.  The painting is signed “Angelos,” which informs us that it was completed early in the artist’s career.  The painting’s most notable characteristic is its elegant, balanced composition. In the foreground, on the right side of the painting, we see Aspen trees with bright yellow leaves.  On the left, a bit further away, we see a small body of water. Behind that, gently sloping hills are covered in thick patches of trees. In the background, steep purple mountains rise into a cloudy but bright sky.  The scene is arranged perfectly, and as per the artist’s usual, it is faithful to the actual appearance of the area in which she worked.

Sabo’s work here is gentle and beautiful.  Her color choices—most notably the bright yellow used for the aspen leaves and the plants on the ground near the water’s edge—are strong but do not extend beyond what is natural.  The brightly colored leaves and the forests in the background are composed in a manner which is a bit more loose than what we’d see in a late-career Sabo painting. This unrestrained style works very well here; the image has a dreamlike quality that is enormously appealing.  It feels as if the artist created the image with the perfect balance of passion and care. It is always a treat to view a piece like this and observe the creative evolution of a talented artist.

Betty Jean Beals, became Betty Jean Angelos when she first married, then Betty Jean Sabo when she married Dan Sabo who became her life partner.  Her earlier paintings were signed simply Angelos, and her later paintings were signed Sabo.  The painting is signed “Angelos” in its lower left corner.  It is framed in a carved, painted wood frame.

Betty Sabo (1928 - 2016) was a famous and successful artist who was born in Kansas City, Missouri.  Sabo rose to prominence as an artist while living and working in New Mexico. She majored in art at the University of New Mexico, and studied for five years under German-born painter Carl Von Hassler.  She is best known for her realistic oil paintings of New Mexico and Colorado landscapes, but she also found success and acclaim as a sculptor. Her works received many awards and are included in prominent public and private collections around the country.  Today, she is highly regarded by New Mexico collectors. In 2012, New Mexico governor Susana Martinez declared February 10th to be Betty Sabo Day, in honor of the artist’s considerable accomplishments. Sabo passed away in 2016.

Condition: this Untitled New Mexico Landscape Painting by Betty Sabo excellent condition

Provenance: from the estate of Joseph Becker, owner and operator of Anasazi Indian Arts in Espanola, N.M from 1978 until his death in 2013.

Recommended Reading: The Modern West—American Landscapes 1890-1950

Relative Links: Albuquerque, Carl Von Hassler, sculpture, bronze, Paintings