Kitty Wallis “Pecos, New Mexico” 1988 Signed Pastel Landscape

Original pastel landscape titled “Pecos, New Mexico” by Kitty Wallis (American, b. 1938), signed and dated ’88 at lower left. Rendered in Wallis’s signature pastel technique, this striking vertical composition captures the vast mesa landscape of northern New Mexico beneath a luminous, expansive sky. The scene unfolds in layered hues of ochre, gold, and blue, with expressive foreground gestures suggesting scrub and desert earth. Above, ribbons of soft yellow and blue pastel create a glowing horizon that evokes the high desert’s atmospheric light.

Wallis’s use of color and gestural mark-making conveys both the physical structure of the land and the ethereal quality of Southwestern light. Her mastery of pastel texture—on the very medium she helped popularize through her Wallis Sanded Pastel Paper—imbues the work with depth and movement. Accompanied by a 1991 S & S Fine Art appraisal (Santa Fe, NM) valuing the piece at $1,200, this is an exemplary work by a noted American pastel innovator.

Medium: Pastel on paper
Signature: Signed and dated lower left: “’88 Wallis”
Frame: Oak frame, glazed behind glass

Dimensions:
Overall: 40.75" H x 27.25" W x 1.75" D
Visible image: 39.5" H x 26" W

Condition:
Good overall condition. Colors remain vivid and stable. Light dust visible on the interior surface of the glass, consistent with age. Oak frame shows minor surface wear but remains sturdy and presentable.

About the Artist:
Kitty Wallis (b. 1938) is an acclaimed American pastel artist and innovator, best known for developing Wallis Sanded Pastel Paper, a professional-grade surface used internationally by pastelists. Based in Oregon and New Mexico, she has devoted her career to exploring the luminous qualities of pastel through landscape, figure, and nature studies. Her works are recognized for their expressive color fields and sensitivity to light, particularly in Southwestern scenes such as “Pecos, New Mexico.”