Steeped in the history of the Los Alamos Ranch School and Taos Art Colony, Robyn Church Hatton's paintings capture timeless moments of the enchanted land of New Mexico. Her inspiration is derived from memories of her grandmother Peggy Pond Church, a prominent Southwestern writer and poet, as well as her father discussing his life at the Los Alamos Ranch School. Her observations of and interactions with Taos artists and their work including Victor Higgins, Gustave Baumann, Olive Rush, and Giselle Loeffler, became a form of osmosis in her early artistic development. Sketching trips and studio work with her mother, also a Taos artist, became a foundation for her artistic life.
The history of New Mexico is in her veins. Her paintings often depict the enchanted land as it once was, while gesturing symbolically towards the future. As a girl growing up she heard stories and conversations about life, how her great grandfather named the land "Los Alamos" and built a school on it. This land, once meant to nurture and enliven was taken away and put to different use. Distilling this rich history, Robyn's landscapes capture the vibrancy of the enchanted land and the need to protect it and its wild beauty.
Whether it be an illustration, landscape, portrait or still life, Robyn's paintings often exude a playful and whimsical quality that hints towards the imagination and wonder sparked by the land itself. Her paintings speak of conservation; not only of the land, but also of the history and memories surrounding and encapsulated by the Land of Enchantment.