On the Cover December 2023

John Nieto’s Rancho de Taos Church sold for $34,650 at Hindman’s Western & Contemporary Native American Art auction on Nov. 1, 2023, in Denver. Nieto, who died in 2018, was from a family of 14 children raised by their Mescalero Apache/Hispanic mother and Methodist Minister father. His paintings often reflected his Hispanic and American Indian ancestry, with his New Mexican roots tracing back to over 300 years. 

The bold strokes of intense orange, red and purple, as seen in our cover image, represent Nieto’s signature style of creating dimension and character on his canvases. His use of vibrant, electric hues, an homage to the French Fauvist movement, combined with his inspiration from Picasso’s Cubism, is often applied to his portrayals of peoples and animals native to North America—subjects near and dear to his heart. 

We too, as practitioners, are called on to make sure that subjects near and dear to our clients’ hearts are taken care of. For example, as one author describes in his article “Pre-Mortem Will Validation,” we can help a client “road test” their estate plan while they’re alive, giving them peace of mind that their intended loved ones will be provided for after the client is gone. 

Some of our other favorites, from Hindman’s Western & Contemporary Native American Art auction on Nov. 1, 2023 in Denver, appear throughout the issue.