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Harold Hurd Jr. (who later changed his name to Peter)circa 1905
Traits from his mother: manual dexterity, horsemanship, and
"a certain zest for
outrageous hats." |
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Michael says, "Yep, there was nothing average about Pop." | |
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Peter with Peter Wyeth Hurd in Chadds Ford, PA |
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All three of the Hurd children developed a strong foundation in music, with two of the three playing professionally. Michael (seen here with his father) spent a year touring with the New Kingston Trio. |
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Peter Hurd: A Man of Many Faces |
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"Oh no, not another critic!" | |
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Peter guides the next generation of artists to see the world from a unique vantage point. | |
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In every parent/child relationship, there is eventually a role-reversal! | |
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See Past Newsletters
You can now view
all of our newsletters on
our Archives page.
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If you visit the greeting card aisle at this time of year, you'll notice that most Father's Day cards reminisce about memories of "dear ol' Dad." Often these memories include playing catch, camping trips, playing golf, or maybe Dad's tendency to maintain dominance over the remote control.
It would have been hard for the three Hurd children to select a Father's Day card from today's selections. It was obvious to almost everyone that Peter Hurd was no ordinary Father. Instead of teaching his son, Peter, baseball, he taught him fencing. Instead of camping trips, they ventured into the hills for painting excursions in Peter's beat-up RV (these trips often ended in various rescue missions when the truck would inevitably get stuck in the rugged landscape.) Instead of a round of golf, Peter would ask his son, Michael, to join him in a raucous game of polo. And Peter Hurd certainly never dominated the remote control...he refused to even let the family own a T.V.
Peter Hurd was a true Renaissance man of the 20th century. Artist, musician, American patriot, horticulturist, linguist, soil conservationist, athlete, poet, architect and environmentalist, Peter Hurd seemed to exist in a world where the day's were longer than they are for the rest of us. The accomplishments of this one man are hard to imagine. Amazing as his life was, his most important achievement may be his role as father to an ongoing dynasty of artists.
With awe and sincerity, this month's newsletter is dedicated to Peter Hurd.
~Michael, Tiffanie & Judy |
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Childhood Ambition 
This sketch of Sylvan Castle from 1919, is the earliest known drawing by Peter Hurd. Peter was an avid collector of prints by his idols, Maxfield Parrish, Howard Pyle and Pyle's student, N.C. Wyeth. Later, when Peter became a pupil of N.C. and started taking assignments for advertisements and illustrations, the influence of his childhood idols was vividly apparent.
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A Man in His Land 
Perhaps it was the proximity of the sleeping porch to the family's windmill that first impressed the haunting beauty of this uniquely Southwestern structure on young Peter.
"I can think of no sound that has persisted through my life as has that of a pumping windmill. The sudden wail of a becalmed windmill as when a breeze catches its rudder and swings the wheel into action. The response to the breeze may be a hoarse shriek as iron grates on iron, or a prolonged groan to be followed, if the wind continues, by the rhythmic clanking of the sucker rods as they rise and fall, bringing up the cool water of the well." ~Peter Hurd |
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The House that Peter Built  
In May of 1934, Peter purchchased an 1850's Mexican homestead built in the traditional style of L-shaped adobe. For $2,600, he acquired the main house, which consisted of 4 rooms (one of which was full of apples from nearby orchards,) and a small barn. As commissions and art sales allowed, Peter built a studio for himself and one for Henriette, as well as additional rooms for their growing family. Over the next 40 years, the Hurds added to the compound creating an enchanting example of uniquely Southwest architecture with an aesthetic sense consistent with their artistic nature. | |
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The Hurd Shot Round the World
Peter Hurd's travels as a Life magazine war correspondent took him from the U.S. to England with the 8th Air Force where he recorded the air war against Germany. He traveled by air to numerous outposts including places such as Ascension Island in the South Atlantic, Yemen in the Middle East, the Sudan in North Africa and British Guinea in Latin America. He also spent time in the Carribean, Brazil, Ireland, Saudi Arabia, India and Pakistan. Peter Hurd went up in bombers with the air crews and participated in numerous missions in order to record sights and colors accurately. |
The Southwest was His Landscape
"What motivates me is constant wonder. My wonder never ceases about the miracle of life on this planet and here where I was born is one of the earth's most dramatic presentations in enormous contrasts of color, light, weather, geology, plant life and animal life. It is hard to tell anyone just how painting can be a religious experience, but it is with me."
~Peter Hurd
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Contact Us:
Hurd-La Rinconada Gallery & Guest Homes
Hwy 70, Mile Marker 281 (Approx. 20 Miles East of Ruidoso, 50 Miles West of Roswell)
PO Box 100
San Patricio, NM 88348
1-575-653-4331
1-800-658-6912
Michael Hurd, Owner
Tiffanie Owen, Director
Judy Petersen, Gallery Assistant
Albert Chavez, Ranch Foreman
Gerardo Medina & Julian Marquez, Hard-Workin' Ranch Dudes
Maria Guillen, Head Housekeeper
Content and images on this site are the property of Michael Hurd, Tiffanie Owen and the Hurd-La Rinconada Gallery/Sentinel Ranch. Reproduction of the content on this site is prohibited without express written consent of the owner. All rights reserved. |
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