The Eldorado Studio Tour Is Almost Here!
It’s almost that time again. The 34th Annual Eldorado Studio Tour is happening September 19–20, 2026, from 10 AM–5 PM, and we’re getting the studio ready to welcome everyone.
This year, you’ll find me at Studio #33—and there’s a bonus. My wife, Shyama Helin, will be sharing the studio with me, showing her incredible scratchboard art. So really, it’s a two-for-one studio stop!
If you’ve never done the Studio Tour before, it’s a pretty great way to spend a fall weekend in Santa Fe. Artists all over Eldorado open their doors, and you can wander from studio to studio, meet the people making the work, see where it all happens, and probably discover a few artists you didn’t know about before.
There’s a little bit of everything—painting, sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, photography, fiber arts, and plenty of things that don’t fit neatly into a category.
Start at Studio #33!
Here’s my completely unbiased Studio Tour advice: start with us.
Studio #33 is located toward the far end of Eldorado, which actually makes it a great place to begin your day. Come see us first, then work your way back through Eldorado, stopping at studios along the way. It makes for an easy route—and, of course, I’m not going to argue with being your first stop.
Plus, you get two artists in one studio. Efficiency!
I Need Your Opinions
Quite a bit has been happening in the studio this year. I’ve been making more of my pyrography and watercolor pieces on wood, including the Southwest animals that have become a big part of my work. But I’ve also been playing around with some new techniques, materials, and subject matter.
And that’s one of the reasons I love the Studio Tour.
It gives me a chance to try things out and hear directly from people about what’s working, what grabs their attention, and what they’d like to see more of. Sometimes the reaction to a new piece is completely different from what I expected—and that feedback really does influence where I take the work next.
So this year, I need your participation!
I’ll have some experiments and slightly unexpected pieces mixed in with my more familiar work, and I want to know what you think. Don’t worry about hurting my feelings. Tell me what catches your eye. Tell me what surprises you. Tell me which direction you think I should explore further.
Think of yourselves as my unofficial Studio Tour focus group—only with much better art and no conference room.
Two Artists, Two Very Different Techniques
One of the things I enjoy most about the Studio Tour is being able to show the work in the place where we actually make it.
You can get right up close to my pieces and see the burned lines, watercolor, wood grain, sanding, and all the little details that don’t always come across in photographs. If you’re curious about how something was made, just ask. I’m always happy to talk about the process.
And this year you’ll also get to see Shyama Helin’s scratchboard work up close. Her process and style are completely different from mine, which should make our studio an especially interesting stop. Two artists working in two very different mediums, all under the same roof.
Make a Day of It
After you’ve started your day at Studio #33 (see how subtly I keep mentioning that?), head back through Eldorado and see where the tour takes you. Pick a few artists you definitely want to visit, but leave some room for unexpected stops. Some of the best discoveries are usually the studios you hadn’t planned on visiting.
You can also use the Toureka! app to help you get around. Open the app, go to Arts & Culture, choose the Eldorado Studio Tour, and you can browse artists, build your own itinerary, and get maps and directions from one studio to the next.
And if you want a head start, come to the Preview Gallery Opening Reception on Friday, September 18, from 5–7 PM at the Eldorado Community Center. You’ll be able to see work from participating artists all in one place before heading out to the individual studios over the weekend.
Come See Us!
Whether you’ve been following my work for years or have never seen it before, we’d love for you to stop by.
Come see what we’ve been working on, poke around the studio, ask questions, talk art, give me your opinions on my latest experiments, and see two very different approaches to making art in one stop.
34th Annual Eldorado Studio Tour
September 19–20, 202610 AM–5 PM
Studio #33
Start with us at the far end of Eldorado, then work your way back through the tour.
Two artists. One studio. And I need your opinions.
We hope to see you here!
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