Since meeting in Maui in 2014, artists Dave Santillanes and Heather Burton have been side by side in many ways: dating, marriage, parenting, and living as full-time artists in Colorado. Since September 2025, when they moved from Wellington, Colorado, to Colorado Springs, they have also been side by side when painting in their spacious studio on the main level of their home on the northern part of town near Black Forest.
The main-level studio is the first room a visitor sees, and once in the studio, the view is as inspirational as their art.
“We look right out at Pikes Peak,” says Santillanes, whose oil works are primarily landscapes. “I’m starting a series where I’m painting Pikes Peak once a week outdoors, just to see the changing moods of the mountain. The huge windows of the studio provide unfettered views of the mountains; we love it.”
Shortly after moving in, the couple converted the 15-by-25-foot dining area of the home into what is now their dream studio.
Read the full article in the May/June 2026 issue.
Fading to Gray, Dave Santillanes
oil
22″ by 46″
Belgian, Heather Burton
oil
32″ by 32″
