Nicolai Fechin - Taos, NM.

[Mike McCarty]

If I may get the bad news out first -- neither of my paintings placed in the money at the Taos SOPA annual portrait competition.

I must admit that I had no idea, beyond the fact that I liked his paintings very much, as to the full scope of this man prior to my visit.

I stayed at the Fechin Inn just behind the Fechin home, which is now a museum. In the six years that he lived in this home he not only produced many fine paintings but renovated and added onto the house. He designed and hand carved the furniture for the house, in addition to the the window treatments, pillars and doors. It is written that he was the Leonardo Da Vinci of his time.

This first set of photos are of the house / museum. The second photo shows the bedroom he created for his daughter Eya. The next is an example of the hand carved doors which are prevelant throughout the house.