Santa Fe and New Mexico paintings by Topher Straus
Santa Fe and New Mexico
For collectors in Santa Fe and across New Mexico, national park artist Topher Straus paints the state’s two national parks: the white gypsum dunes of White Sands and the vast caverns of Carlsbad.
“White Sands felt like walking on moonlight. I painted this to capture its glowing stillness and the surreal softness of sun on gypsum.”
TOPHER STRAUS, ON WHITE SANDS NATIONAL PARK
The New Mexico paintings
Two paintings of New Mexico’s national parks.
White Sands National Parkfrom $5,500White gypsum dunes glowing in the sun near Alamogordo30 × 60 in to 45 × 90 inThe 45 × 90 in edition of 1 has sold.
Carlsbad Caverns National Parkfrom $2,700Sculpted rock deep inside the caverns at Carlsbad18 × 36 in to 42 × 84 in
Petrified Forest National Parkfrom $2,700Across the line in Arizona: Petrified Forest18 × 36 in to 42 × 84 in
Where each painting stands
Every painting begins with a real place.
White Sands
The gypsum dunes near Alamogordo in White Sands National Park.
Carlsbad Caverns
The caverns and their formations beneath the Chihuahuan Desert in Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
About White Sands and Carlsbad Caverns
White Sands holds the largest gypsum dunefield on Earth, about 275 square miles of dunes so white they stay cool underfoot in summer; it became a national park in 2019. Carlsbad Caverns, in the Guadalupe Mountains to the east, is known for the Big Room, one of the largest cave chambers in North America, and for the bats that spiral out of its mouth on summer evenings.
See the work
A private viewing
Topher arranges private viewings for collectors, at his studio in Golden, Colorado or by appointment.
Arrange a private viewingSizes, editions and how each painting is made: collecting a Topher Straus painting.
Questions collectors ask
Which painting feels most like New Mexico?
White Sands National Park for the light on the dunes; Carlsbad Caverns National Park for the world underground.
Can I see the work in Santa Fe?
Topher arranges private viewings by appointment and can send a scaled preview for a wall in Santa Fe or anywhere in New Mexico.
How much does a New Mexico painting by Topher Straus cost?
New Mexico paintings start at $2,700 for an 18 × 36 in edition and run to $22,900 for a 42 × 84 in edition of 3. The most chosen size, 30 × 60 in, is $5,500. Each painting’s page shows which editions remain.
Which size suits a New Mexico home?
For a great room or a double-height wall, 42 × 84 in or 36 × 72 in holds the space; above a fireplace or a sofa, 30 × 60 in usually fits. Send a photograph of the wall and Topher will tell you which size works.
Do you work with interior designers and architects?
Yes. Designers and architects can send plans or wall photos for sizing and placement, arrange a private viewing, and get help with installation.
Can I see a New Mexico painting in person?
Yes. Topher arranges private viewings at his studio in Golden, Colorado, and can tell you which of his galleries has the painting on its walls.
Commission your New Mexico
Your view of the Sangre de Cristos, your adobe courtyard, the desert you return to.
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