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suggested she use three frames that
were waiting for retablos to try a differ-
ent kind of painting. She pulled out her
oil pastels and some bright-red pastel
paper, excited about discovering how
the rich colors and buttery, crayon-like
application might express what she felt
about the world surrounding her. At an
art show not long afterward, all three
paintings sold right away. “The mark-
makings were more hesitant, and there
were different color combinations from
what I’m doing now,” she says of those
fi rst pieces, but she had found the sub-
ject matter that continues to be central
to her art.
As Cavan became more prolifi c and
began to paint on a larger scale, her
Angel Fire studio became too small.
In search of a suitable space—and
closer access to an airport for visits to
family—she and Lawrence moved to
Santa Fe in 2016. There her studio, which
has good north light and generous sky-lights, has room for each of the processes
and kinds of work she does, including
her own framing. In one space a large
table allows for prepping canvases and
panels with colored gesso, her favor-
ite colors including burgundy, red, and
indigo. As she works, the aspens and
piñon-covered hills outside her win-
dows inspire her. Cavan also works in oil
pastels on paper, panel in a birch cradle,
and framed board. Each surface offers
distinctive challenges and delights. Her