The career in Interior Design was a real love-hate relationship.  The creativity required for each design was exhilarating. The boundaries of budgets and non-creative individuals a frustration.  With his skill of painting architectural renderings, Dix Baines was able to keep his paintbrush wet and continue to improve his skill.  Whenever possible, he would use that skill outside of the office, as well as his own creativity.  In the first year at his job (1987), his Mother-in-law, ask him to create a sketch for a Sunday School class. 40 hours later, while listening to Handel’s Messiah for inspiration, the sketch turned into this creative masterpiece, “Lehi’s Dream”. The painting done in Gouache, an opaque watercolor, although very different from his later developed style, was none the less a statement of his total freedom to create. -KathlynGogarty-Baines

To celebrate Dix Baines’ 15 years in the Studio, we are offering 15% off “Lehi’s Dream,” as well as all of his current prints. Please contact the Dix Baines’ Studio @ 720.353.2670 to order.

"Lehi's Dream" giclee on paper edition of 100 $450

"SLOW RISES" 16x20 oil **SOLD**

The month of May is upon us and with it Dix Baines celebrates fifteen years of pursuing his passion for painting as a full-time artist. Often people ask me how in the world I was able to support his pursuit of a profession as an artist, but if truth be told, I was the one who pushed Dix Baines to jump ship as a project manager for an Interior Design firm and move into the art world.

Dix Baines began his career as an artist at an early age, as he was constantly drawing and sketching on any available paper…including his school books.  In fourth grade his Dad sat him down for a “chat” to discuss the drawings that were found on every page of  the textbooks and to encourage him to focus more on math and a whole lot less on a art.  The conversation didn’t take though, as a few years later Dix’s grandmother gave him his first set of oil paints and he was hooked.  In an interview with Sam Curtis for “Big Sky Journal”(http://dixbaines.com/big-sky-journal/) in 2002,  Dix said ”…He remembers painting with those oils and loving the smell of turpentine and linseed oil. Anybody who loves that smell, look out. It can reach up and bite you”.

That love of art and painting in particular simply would not go away and it was a passion that I was well aware of when we married almost thirty years ago in 1982. I thought that the pursuit of art was something one did later in life as a hobby, not as a career.  In my mind it was a retiree’s past time and one that Dix would explore later in life….much later….after working a “real job” and raising our family. I was to soon learn, however, that being an artist was as viable career as being a doctor, lawyer, or teacher and every bit as important…

Read the “rest of the story” in text and pictures as we celebrate Dix Baines’ 15 years in the Studio fulltime by visiting the Dix Baines blog regularly throughout the month of May.- Kathlyn Gogarty-Baines

"Autumn Leaves and Rolling Rocks" 5x7 oil **SOLD**

"First Snow, Autumn Glow" 8x10 oil $1200-Available through McLarry Gallery @ 505.988.1161

"Rolling Rocks" 16x20 oil $3000 -Available through Hayden Hays Gallery @ 719.577.5744

"Blowing Leaves" 24x36 oil $6400-Available through Hayden Hays Gallery @ 719.577.5744

In October last year, Dix and I made a trek through Wyoming to visit our daughter at college.  Of course the camera accompanied us, as it does on every trip, just in case an image presented itself that Dix would have to paint.  Artists are forever on the hunt for images.  As we flew down I-80, Dix informed me that he knew that just outside of Laramie, there was an area he thought would be good to photograph. As we came around the bend, neither of us was prepared with just how extraordinary the view would be!  The clouds had parted and allowed for the sunlight to stream downward and light up the golden aspen leaves.  Everything was lightly dusted with snow!  It couldn’t have been a more perfect view, as the fact that Dix spent two hours photographing it attested!  Here are just a few of the views that Dix Baines painted from those amazing views. –Kathlyn Gogarty-Baines

"Runnin Calves" 12x12 oil $1700

"Classic New Mexico" 16x42 **SOLD**

Driving with an artist is always interesting and with Dix Baines, even more so as everything he sees is fair game to paint.  We might be riding down a highway and talking, when suddenly mid sentence and a slam of the brakes we are pulling over, making a u-turn and heading in the opposite direction towards a scene that has caught his eye.  This particular scene, “Classic New Mexico” brings back memories of just such an episode.  We had just delivered some new work to McLarry Fine Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico (www.mclarryfineart.com) and were heading back to Denver when  this scene came into view.  Dix expertly flipped the car around, we went driving down a dirt road and the scene was caught with a snap of the camera.  Dix could not wait to get back home and begin painting! – Kathlyn Gogarty-Baines

SHALLOW WATERS oil 24x36 SOLD

Dix Baines began painting on a regular basis in 1994 and by 1997 he was painting full time.  Over the years he has produced a lot of paintings.  In those early years, we were still having paintings photographed and put on slides. Then digital photography started gaining steam. Now all these years later we have a mess of images both in digital and slide form. If the Studio burns down, we are in trouble as a record of all those years of work would be lost.  The goal this year is to get all those images in digital format and uploaded into the “sky” of  internet storage.  In going through all these images, the stories that go along with the paintings are remembered. This particular painting, “Shallow Waters”, has such a memorable story behind it, that I snagged it for our permanent collection.

In 2001 we had the opportunity to take our children on a trip for two weeks to Hawaii. We spent a week in Kauai and enjoyed touring the island and exploring the beaches.  While spending the day at Tunnel beach, on the northern part of the island, our youngest daughter met the dog in this painting. This beautiful golden retriever had tags, but didn’t appear to have an owner close at hand. The pup attached itself  to our daughter and they became long lost friends.  They played  fetch all day and in fact, our daughter named the dog “Shallow”. When it came time to go home, she assumed that Shallow was going home with us.  Shallow did not come home with us, but did make it into this painting. I suspect that when we are long gone, this painting will find it’s way into our daughter’s home, just as Shallow found his way into our daughter’s heart.

–Kathlyn Gogarty-Baines

"River Light" 48x48 SOLD

More often than not, paintings involve stories.  As I was updating the Dix Baines’ website today, I came across this painting, “River Walk” a 48″x48″ commission, and remembered that Dix had to drive to Ft. Collins, Colorado from Denver, to pick up the frame from our framer.  Not a big deal, we did it all the time. The amusing part came when he found that the frame made the painting too big to fit in the Ford Expedition, which meant he had to tie the painting to the top of the car in order to transport it 15 miles away to the shipper, who was located in Loveland, Colorado. Keep in mind, this was a very expensive commission that took quite a bit of time to complete, not to mention an expensive frame.   One scratch, one bump and Dix might have found himself repainting the painting and paying for a new frame. Adding to an already difficult, all be it funny, situation was the fact that  it was a blustery day. With one hand out the window holding the painting, the other clutching the steering wheel, Dix inched his way south from Ft. Collins towards Loveland, at a speed demon’s pace of about 10 to 15 miles an hour, finally arriving at his destination well over an hour later.  The painting shipped, the client loved it and unless he is reading this blog, no more the wiser.  Ahhhhhhhhhhhh…..the life of an artist!

–Kathlyn Gogarty-Baines

"Broadmoor Blue, Colorado Gold" 8x10 $1200 available through The Hayden Hays Gallery @ 719.577.5744

"Cadmium Light" 8x10 $1200 available through The Hayden Hays Gallery @ 719.577.5744

"Broadmoor Lights" 6x8 SOLD through The Hayden Hays Gallery

"Colorado Broadmoor" 6x8 SOLD through The Hayden Hays Gallery

"Grand Entrance" 8x10 SOLD through The Hayden Hays Gallery

"Lakeview" 6x9 SOLD through The Hayden Hays Gallery

"Summer Lakeview" 8x10 SOLD through The Hayden Hays Gallery

"Summer Light" 6x8 SOLD through The Hayden Hays Gallery

"Broadmoor Lights" 6x8 SOLD through The Hayden Hays Gallery

"Magic Hour" 6x8 SOLD through The Hayden Hays Gallery

Prior to leaving his job as a Project Designer with a prominent Design Firm (who specialized in hospitality projects) to pursue a career as an artist, Dix Baines had the opportunity to work on the 5 star-5 diamond property The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Now as an artist, things have come full circle as his original art is shown at The Hayden Hays Gallery, which is located on the property of  The Broadmoor. Having worked in a field for ten years where his focus was architecture, architecture will always be a draw for Dix as an artist.  Over the past year of showing his work at the The Hayden Hays Gallery (http://www.haydenhaysgallery.com/), Dix has enjoyed exploring the architecture of The Broadmoor through paint.  The Broadmoor is not so much about a place to stay, but more about the experience of being there and the rich history behind the property. This Colorado Springs gem history is related in the following press release from their website at http://www.broadmoor.com

THE GRAND PLAN FOR THE GRANDE DAME

The History of The BRO^ADMOOR

For over a century, dreamers, farmers, investors, and even a Prussian Count have held a vision of the magnificence in store for the Colorado Springs area.  It took the foresight, dedication and incredible vision of one man, Spencer Penrose, to bring the dream to reality … and to make it wonderful enough to last 90 years.

Even before it was the Broadmoor Dairy Farm, the land at the base of Cheyenne Mountain was a ranch where corn was grown for making brooms.  Willie Wilcox, who came to the area seeking his fortune and hoping to find a cure for his tuberculosis, bought the land in 1880 and established a small dairy.  Unfortunately, Wilcox’s inexperience with animals soon became evident, and he realized that without significant investments the project would not be a success, so he began negotiations to sell the land.

Prussian Count James Pourtales had also come west to seek romance and fortune, and in 1885 he brought his knowledge of German scientific farming to Colorado Springs, and began a partnership with Wilcox to bring the dairy back to life.  Although the dairy was still doing well by 1888, Pourtales realized it would not turn a large enough profit or return on his investment to be of aid to his estates in Prussia.  He decided the only way to make a decent profit would be to create an upper-class suburb of Colorado Springs with numerous amenities to increase the value of the home sites.  So in 1890, Count Pourtales formed the Broadmoor Land and Investment Company and purchased the original 2,400-acre tract.

To entice people to buy lots, Pourtales built The Broadmoor Casino, which opened July 1, 1891.  A small hotel was constructed a few years later.  Continually beset by financial problems, Pourtales was unable to move forward with development of the site, and the property was forced into receivership.  In 1897, the casino and its small neighboring hotel were used for many local events, but was eventually converted into a boarding house and day school for girls.

On May 9, 1916, Spencer Penrose, a Philadelphia entrepreneur who had made his fortune in gold and copper mining, purchased The Broadmoor Casino and Hotel 40-acre site, and an adjoining 400 acres.  Penrose had come up with a new project to undertake … to turn the Pikes Peak region into the most interesting, multi-faceted resort area that could be conceived of in his imagination, and he had the money to do it.

Using the New York architectural and design firm Warren and Wetmore, Penrose began construction of the main complex on May 20, 1917.  With the objective of creating the most beautiful resort in the world, Spencer Penrose along with his wife, Julie, and his team of architects and designers, imported artisans from Italy and other European countries to create the ornate moldings and paintings which adorn the interior of The BRO^ADMOOR as well as the elaborate exterior detailing.  Italian Renaissance in style, the original BRO^ADMOOR resort was designed with four wings which were completed in June 1918.  An 18-hole golf course was concurrently designed by master golf-course architect, Donald Ross.

The resort officially opened on June 29, 1918, newly christened as The BRO^ADMOOR.  Architectural and design features of the “new” resort included a spectacular curved marble staircase, dramatic chandeliers, Della Robbia-style tile, hand-painted beams and ceilings, a carved marble fountain, and a striking pink stucco façade.

The genius of Spencer Penrose was not limited to the construction and operation of a world-class resort.  He was brilliant in the promotion and marketing of the resort, and the surrounding areas.  Penrose correctly assessed the tourist value of Pikes Peak for the growth of The BRO^ADMOOR. He built the Pikes Peak Road leading to the summit as an alternative to the Cog Railway and established the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, which is still considered one of the finest privately owned zoos in the United States.  In 1925, Penrose purchased and modernized the Pikes Peak Cog Railway, which became one of his most enduring legacies.

Under Penrose, The BRO^ADMOOR gained a reputation as one of the finest resorts of its time, attracting “captains of industry” and dignitaries from around the world.  The BRO^ADMOOR was known as the “European alternative,” and many visitors came for the clean, mountain air, said to relieve symptoms of tuberculosis and other bronchial maladies.

When The BRO^ADMOOR opened in 1918, Penrose charged each and every employee with providing a level of service and overall experience as yet unattainable in the United States, but expected throughout Europe.  He contracted Italian Executive Chef Louis Stratta and charged him with brining his inventive and international ideas to America’s west.  All BRO^ADMOOR employees – from resort executives to bellhops – received comprehensive training to enable them to provide meticulous service as well as sustain a high level of employee loyalty.  In the resort’s 89-year history, The BRO^ADMOOR has had only six Presidents and four Executive Chefs, a true distinction in the hospitality industry, and a testament to the “quality of life” at the resort.

The BRO^ADMOOR’s surge in fame led to an expansion of the resort’s facilities, all created against The BRO^ADMOOR’s “grand plan” of top-rated service and uncompromising excellence.  Addressing the popularity of golf as an American pastime, The BRO^ADMOOR hired famed golf-course architect Robert Trent Jones to design a second golf course; Jones’ nine-hole course was expanded to 18 holes in 1965.  A third golf course, designed by Ed Seay and Arnold Palmer was added in 1976.

With the growth of meeting and convention business in the country, additional facilities were needed.  In 1961, The BRO^ADMOOR constructed the International center, a dedicated meeting space, followed by a new building housing additional guest rooms, and The Penrose Room, a fine-dining restaurant.  In 1976, the West Complex was completed, adding another 154 guestrooms and a variety of meeting facilities.  Colorado Hall, a second conference facility was constructed in 1982 and the 12,000 square-foot Rocky Mountain Ballroom opened in 1994. In 1995, an additional 150 guestrooms with either lake or mountain views, were added.

Also in 1995, the hotel opened the new BRO^ADMOOR Spa, Golf and Tennis Club, that featured a full-service, world-class “amenity spa” and state-of-the-art fitness center with exercise room, aerobics studio, indoor swimming pool and outdoor heated lap pool and Jacuzzi, a golf clubhouse, three restaurants and lounges and both golf and tennis pro shops.

The summer of 2001 saw the completion of an 11,000 square-foot infinity edge swimming pool that was added to the north end of Cheyenne Lake, along with Slide Mountain waterslides, a children’s pool, two 14-person whirlpools, 13 cabanas and a new pool café. In October 2001, the venerable BRO^ADMOOR Main closed for the first time in the history of the resort to undergo a major renovation.  Each of the original 142 rooms, the lobby, lounges, restaurants, retail outlets and public spaces were redone. The renovation of guestrooms included high-speed Internet access, multiple phone lines and PC data ports, and enhancements like large five-fixture bath facilities with soaking tubs, separate showers and dual basins. The building was also rewired, central air and heating installed, as well as new plumbing, new sprinkler systems, and other high-tech safety features.

In May 2002, The BRO^ADMOOR unveiled the final completion of a $75 million renovation project.  The project began with the addition of the Lakeside Suites building, with 21 spacious rooms, most with fireplaces and either patios or balconies.

What guests once knew as the Terrace Lounge is now the Hotel Bar, featuring three large wall murals depicting the escapades of Spencer Penrose’s Hundred Million Dollar Club, a group of top East Coast hoteliers he brought to The BRO^ADMOOR shortly after its opening in order to promote the hotel. The bar incorporates rich wood paneling, booths, couches and tables. The popular outdoor fireplace uses the Nana Wall system and a wrought iron railing encompasses the fireplace seating area.

The entry to the hotel has been redone to include more garden space leading up to a remodeled porte-cochere, new doors and entryway. The floors are marbled, three new elevators have been added and paint and fabrics have been redone.

In October of 2005, The BRO^ADMOOR added 60,000 square feet of additional meeting space with the completion of BRO^ADMOOR Hall. Located next to the International Center and Colorado Hall, BROADMOOR Hall brings the total available conference and meeting space on the property up to 185,000 square feet. Summit, an Adam D. Tihany – designed restaurant located adjacent to the Hall, opened to rave reviews in December of 2005.  The Carriage Museum relocated from the south side of the property and expanded to 8,000 square feet. The museum features historic memorabilia and vintage automobiles and carriages from the Penrose private collection.  Seven new retail shops grace the area between BRO^ADMOOR Main and South Tower, and single-family brownstones and condominiums opened, bordering the resort and creating a decidedly European village feel to the surrounding area. South Tower has been renovated to include all new guest rooms with luxurious five-fixture baths, fireplaces, balconies and Juliet’s, flat screen TV’s in living area and bathrooms and the latest in technological upgrades.  In July of 2006, the Mountain Course opened as 18-holes, designed by Nicklaus Design, bringing The BRO^ADMOOR up to 54 holes of championship golf.

Since its opening, this grand resort has been the destination of presidents, statesmen, foreign dignataries and celebrities. United States Presidents Hoover, Roosevelt (Franklin D.), Eisenhower, Kennedy, Nixon, Ford, Reagan and George H.W.  and George W. Bush have all stayed at The BRO^ADMOOR. Dignataries include King Hussein of Jordan, Princess Anne, Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu of Japan, the King of Siam, Margaret Thatcher, Donald Rumsfeld and the NATO Ministerial Alliance.  The hotel has also attracted many entertainment and sports celebrities throughout its long history including John Wayne, Maurice Chevalier, Bing Crosby, Walt Disney, Charles Lindbergh, Clark Gable, Bob Hope, Jimmy Stewart, Jack Benny, Jackie Gleason, Sir Elton John, Ted Turner, Jane Fonda, Terry Bradshaw, Dorothy Hamill, Peggy Fleming, Michelle Kwan, Joe DiMaggio, Stan Musial, Sugar Ray Leonard, Stephen Tyler and Aerosmith, Michael Douglas, Bob Costas, Cher, Dana Carvey, Bobby Knight, Lance Armstrong,  Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and the Travel Channel’s Samantha Brown.

The BRO^ADMOOR is the longest-running consecutive winner of both the AAA Five-Diamond and the Mobil Travel Guide Five-Star awards. For more information on The BRO^ADMOOR please call 800.634.7711 or visit www.broadmoor.com.

For More Information:

The BRO^ADMOOR

Allison Scott, Director of Communications

719.577.5718

ascott@broadmoor.com

"THE SCRIPTURE OF NATURE" 18x22 $3600

“Painting is pondering. As I have practiced painting, I have had so much time to be with my thoughts, to breath in the scenery, to read and study other kindred spirits in the writings and paintings of artists I admire. Each was utterly connected to the views that they depicted. Each also depicted a quality of the life force, an artistic acknowledgement of God as the originator and central point of all life, and that everything in creation could be taken as evidence of the divine order of the universe. This scripture of nature, also profoundly influenced another painter, George Inness, who said that ‘the artist’s calling was to reflect the omnipresence of divine influx in nature.’ A definition of the term influx to which he was speaking is the continual in flowing of God’s divine love and wisdom-of life-from Him through the spiritual world, the world of causes, included that everything and every quality from the natural world first possesses a spiritual soul’.”    –DIX BAINES

Dix Baines’ painting, The Scripture of Nature, has been selected as one of the paintings for the upcoming  Off the Wall Auction, which will be held in conjunction with the 2012 Western Masters Art Show March 14-17th at the Best Western Heritage Inn located in Great Falls, Montana. Learn more about the show by visiting their website at www.westernmastersartshow.com

"SUNSET SNOW" 24x48 $7900

“As a former Project Designer, with an Interior Design Firm for 10 years, architecture will always draw me in as an artist.  The churches of the Southwest are particularly intriguing,however,  as the architecture not only connects with me, but the thoughts of the commitment and hands of faith that built these buildings inspire me. These churches dot the Southwest and over the years I have had the opportunity to paint a number of them”. -DIX BAINES