John Meister

John Meister is best known for capturing light and color in his paintings while exploring the unique strength and beauty of nature. He currently lives in Albuquerque, NM, often traveling back-and-forth to Santa, with his wife, Meg.

Meister began his career as a commercial graphic artist and illustrator in Austin, Texas later moving to New Mexico in 1990, his parent’s home-state. After 23 years, he made the shift toward full-time painting. Primarily self-taught in oils, he often paints along-side artists whom he admires, dividing his production between his studio and painting en plein air (in open air). He considers the New Mexico outdoors the best “classroom” for the artist. “The term ‘magical realism’ had to be created for New Mexico. Living here, I appreciate the aesthetic of life, in all its forms, and I gravitate toward intimate views of nature and the structure of things. Life must do a little something extra to thrive here, and sometimes it displays great beauty in the process. I strive to capture that.”

In 2018, he served as President of Plein Air Painters of New Mexico, an organization of over 400 people nationwide dedicated to painting outside. John’s work has received multiple local and national awards and can be found in collections across the Southwest and abroad.