Churches and cemeteries hold a special fascination—and offer a special inspiration—for Walt Gonske, so much so that he has traveled to several states and foreign countries to capture their beauty and, in essence, to tell their stories. That fascination took hold almost immediately, when Gonske moved from New York City to Taos, New Mexico, 47 years ago.

Having spent the first 30 years of his life on the East Coast, he was so taken with New Mexico that, when he visited his sister there in 1971, he went home, saved his money for a year, and made a permanent move to Taos, where he continues to live and work.

“I fell in love with the area, during that first trip,” he says, adding making that move was “without a doubt the smartest decision I ever made.” Back in New York City, Gonske worked hard for the following year, saved $4,000, and headed back to Taos, where he rented a small adobe for $100 a month, and started to paint landscapes.

Walt Gonske (New Mexico)

San Juan de Los Lagos
Oil
28″x36″

“It snowed that night, while I was visiting Santa Fe. On the way back home to Taos, I photographed everything in sight; had me a great time. A couple of photos of the back of this little chapel were the reference material for this work. I was real glad that morning to be in a four-wheel-drive vehicle.”

Walt Gonske (New Mexico)

Campo Santo de San Antonio
Oil
12″x12″

“I grew up in New Jersey. Cemeteries back East tend to be very orderly. I was out here, living in Taos for a few years, when a friend, Rob Goebel, had just finished a painting of a local graveyard. I had not thought of that subject for my art. His painting opened my eyes to the interesting, varied shapes, colors, and endless compositions possible with this subject matter.”