Road to Bayard.
After spending almost nine years in Europe, it was time to come home to the United States.
And so, John, Lucy, and their five children arrived in Silver City, NM, just before Christmas in 1959. Their first accommodations were rooms at the downtown Murray Hotel. Almost immediately Lucy and John fell in love with the Southwest’s culture, people, and landscape. They knew they didn’t want to live anywhere else.
By 1961, John and Lucy had established themselves in the small town of Bayard. He was employed at the nearby Chino Mines of Kennecott Copper Corporation as a warehouse manager.
During this era, John’s focus was on being a steady provider and father and, within a year, their sixth and last child was born.
Building The Art Practice.
Even so, John’s creative energy simmered and came to light as sure as the New Mexican sun lit up the landscape. Painting never far from his mind, John converted their garage into a studio.
In addition to managing the Kennecott warehouse, John contributed artwork for various company projects, including newsletters, holiday cards, and signage.
On his own time, he painted portraits of their children and produced artwork for friends and neighbors.
The vastness of the Southwest must have come as a shock to an urban person like John. And, yet, the saturated colors and expansiveness of the Southwest captivated him.
His work increased in size and his focus turned to capturing a likeness of the area, including the mines, mesas, mountains, and skies. He also fell in love with cowboy culture!
His deft handling of the paintbrush and his innate sense of composition makes the work of this era a prelude to his later work.
As John’s talent became known in the area and his natural teaching ability surfaced, he began conducting art workshops in Bayard and he exhibiting around New Mexico and southwest Texas (El Paso).
The Bayard Era Comes to a Close.
After 11 years wonderful years in Bayard, John and Lucy moved to nearby Silver City in order to be closer to Western New Mexico University.
Even so, the people met in Bayard made a lasting impression on John Stermer and his family.
In the next installment, we will talk more about the final decades in Silver City.
Note: The thumbnail portrait at the top of the pages is of Dorothy, John Stermer’s youngest daughter.