ARTIST RECEPTION FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2026 | 5-7 PM | EXHIBITION IS ON VIEW THROUGH SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2026
AT HSFF’S EL ZAGUÁN, 545 CANYON ROAD, SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO

Desert Drift explores ephemerality, the subtle thresholds between states of being, and the experience of being held in liminality. The work centers on three elemental subjects—clouds, the moon, and the horizon—that embody both continuity and flux.

"In New Mexico, the horizon is a constant presence," says Ritchel. "I find it fascinating that although we can always see it, we can never reach it. But in that endless quest, that perpetual drift, we are always accompanied by the sky above and the ground below."

This body of work emerged from a deeply personal period of transition for the artist. Through soft layering and loose rendering, Ritchel captures a sense of "shimmering ether" and shifting light, allowing her painted clouds to undulate, breathe, and dissipate. The result is a series of images that feel soft, ethereal, and alive, inviting viewers to feel immersed and held by the presence of the desert sky.