The first day we arrived in Santa Fe we drove by the Fenn gallery and saw a poster out front with a Leon Gaspard painting. They had a huge show of his work. I love the texture and shapiness of his work.
We stayed over night in the Sage Creek Apartment and the next morning we had breakfast in the little quaint bakery restaurant in the La Fonda Hotel building. After we ate we walked through the historical lobby of the hotel and saw lots of big sketchy paintings from Gerald Cassidy. Below is a photo of him standing next to one of his pieces. If you can see the painting below was done in 1922 so this photo of him must be from the 1940's or 1950's.
I was inspired to work on brown paper because of these, so I looked through the internet for large sheets of acid free brown paper.
We arrived on December 23rd and stayed our first night in the basement apartment at the Sage Creek Gallery on Canyon Road in Santa Fe.
Sande and Gary are the nicest gallery owners, we love visiting with them. We hear all the time that they have the best gallery in Santa Fe.
Dec 24th
We drove to Taos and arrived around 11 am, picked up groceries and settled in to the studio we are renting for two weeks. We had plans to visit with the Martinez family in the Pueblo. Joe Martinez was the older man who posed for our workshop in Taos a few months before. He was such a great model and his daughter and granddaughter offered to pose for us when we came back over the holidays. Joe grew up in the Pueblo and still owns the home right on the main square. We got to the Pueblo early just before 4 pm we were told all about how amazing this evenings festivities were going to be so got there early to get a good parking spot. Tourists were arriving and walking around the grounds when we got there. We ran into Sherrie McGraw and spent sometime talking with her. We only got to see Joe Mariniez and his family for a few minutes before the Bonfires started. There were about 12 wood stacks spaced around the big main open area of the Pueblo. Some were huge about 15 feet high and some were only 4 feet high. they would light them separately so it let some burn down, then they would start others so they were all burning down at different rates.
This is the view from the balcony of the church. The procession starts and ends at the church.
Dec 25th
Went to see the Matachines dance on Christmas day, it was a little hard to know what was going on and where the dances would be held in the Pueblo. There is a lot of tourists standing around and watching to see if anyone else knows anything, of course we are all doing the same, so it looks like a lot of people in limbo. The dances pop up in different areas of the Pueblo, you just have to watch where the locals are walking and follow them.
It is a colorful dance that is rooted in Cathalisism. We heard that we weren't supposed to take any photos so we didn't. I guess we could have taken photos because this particular dance was not rooted in the Indian religious traditions, but in Cathalisism.
The cemetery for the Taos Pueblo.
Dec 28th
We went to lunch at an Italian restaurant down the street from the Blumenchien Museum, while eating the only other people in the place were these two older charactors with awesome hats and jewelry named Toby and Pepe. I knew right away that I wanted to paint these guys, I was too nervous to go up right away but Scott didn't have a problem so he went up to them, we struck up a conversation and got an invitation to meet Toby's Indian friends and Pepe's Ranch.
That evening we went to an opening at Total Arts Gallery. The gallery had some beautiful work and it was nice to hang out with the gallery owners.
Dec 26th
George a guy who posed for us during our workshop in September came and posed for us in the afternoon. We listened to Blood and Thunder a book about Kit Carson and the western Indians.
Scott's painting
Dec 27th
I got two of those multi museum passes so we went to the Millicent Rogers Museum, The Fechin house and the Kit Carson home.
Fechin House and Museum
They had a few original paintings by Fechin hanging in one of the rooms.
In Fechin's studio in the back yard they have turned some of the space into a gift shop and a place for traveling shows. The show that was hanging had dozens of wonderful etchings, paintings and drawings from a women artists named Eugenie Fish Glaman. I loved her work.
It was hard to take good photos because of all the glare.
Inside Kit Carson's home
Dec 29th,
We woke up to really cold weather and falling snow. It had been warm so far, I didn't want to drive to Pepe's ranch in this weather, I had visions of taking photos of him with light hitting his property and it was so dark and cold out I just stayed in the studio. Scott went and spent all morning talking with Pepe and his girlfriend. He got some cool shots of him inside his home.
Below we are siting outside of Toby's home a few blocks from the Fechin Museum. He introduced us to an Indian family that lives with him when they are in Taos. The father grew up in the pueblo but married a Chictaw Indian women from Canada, so they live half the year up in Canada. They have four children, two boys and two girls. We knew we had to paint the boys and so we planned on a time for us to take photos of them in Toby's huge workshop.
Dec 30th
Painted Rhoda ( Rhoda is another model we met during the workshop) with Sherrie McGraw then went over to Toby's to take photo's of the children, we especially wanted to photograph the boys and Cruze was excited to wear the big headdress.
Scott's painting
George found us a great local guy to model for us, it was the first time he had every done this. His name is Pablo and he works in construction, his family has been in the area for generations.
Scott's painting
We told Sherrie about him and we were happily surprised to see a drawing that she did of him for the Prix de West show in Oklahoma City. I had to do a double take because he wore the same hat in her drawing.
Dec 31st
Went over to Toby's again today around noon to take photo's of the girls Lucy and Chas ( the two sisters ), spent about 3 hours there.
Picked up a pizza and went over to Laura Robb's house for New Years Eve. We didn't stay late, got home around 9pm.
I thought it was so cute, Laura Robb's cat lives in her bathroom on an old chair. She loves animals and has about 5 rescue pets.
New Years Day 2014
We woke early as usual, got to the car at 7, the clouds were cotton candy pink over the mountain. There were only a handful of cars at the pueblo so early to see the first dance. We both were so excited about all the interesting faces and colorful blankets, it was a good day to reign in our enthusiasm because it was forbidden to take photos. We all too often look at our trips through our camera lenses. A line of men, about 40 in all ranging in age from 60 to 10 years old came walking through the center of the main opening of the Pueblo to stop and dance in front of the church. They stand in line facing towards the middle with no shirts on and just a skirt and moccasins. A lone drummer sits behind them, they sing and shake rattles made of animal skins. The dance lasts for about 20 minutes then they walk to 4 corners of the opening, facing each direction. They take a break and repeat about 5 times through out the day, for the last dance of the day around 4:30 pm they add fancy colorful skirts, ribbons more feathers and jewelry. People come and go and the biggest crowed is in the middle of the day, but the most enchanting times are the first dance and the last dance.
Toby would give us all the history behind some of the outfits and ways of the Pueblo people. He took us over to the house in the Pueblo of the Grandmother of the family that lives with him. She was gracious and feed us some of the feast that was to celebrate her son and grandson participating in the dance.
Saim our friend from Kauai, Hawaii came to town at lunch time, we met him at a restaurant then took him over to the Pueblo, we got there for the last two dances.
Watched BBC's BleakHouse on Netflix then went to bed.
January 2nd
We had a delicious dinner at Sherry McGraw and David Leffel's home. Sherry is an amazing cook and their house is as beautiful as a museum.
January 3rd
Joe Martinez's daughter posed with her two month old daughter on her lap.
Scott's painting
Saim and George painting with us.
I loved her new born's expression and wanted to do a drawing of her.
Eating breakfast at the famous Michael's diner with Saim, Toby, Michelle Dunaway and Scott.
James ( a friend of Saim's that came to town) is taking the photo.
Michelle and me at the Martinez Hacienda. This is an old building that has been restored, you can see old bedrooms and lots of artifacts.
Saim and Michelle playing around.
I asked Michelle to pose for me outside near a big door.
Saim, Michelle and James an old friend of Saim's
I couldn't enlarge the photos below. Here is Saim and me and then me taking photos of Saim posing like a bandit. I love playing dress up and playing make believe.
Me taking photos of Saim playing dress up. It was way too much fun to play around, the place was deserted and it was super cold outside.
Rhoda posed for us twice the second time she wore a white scarf on her head.
Scott's painting
Susan's painting
We left Taos on January 7th, Saim and James came to Santa Fe with us. Michelle went home because she had some deadlines. Kyoko a friend of Saim's from Hawaii arrived in Santa fe.
Gary and Sande ( owners of SageCreek Gallery )
She came in full regalia and I couldn't stop bouncing around with excitement. We took Janira down to the adorable apartment that Gary and Sande have for visiting artists. We set her up by windows and under the strong spot lights int he ceiling.
After taking photos we all painted her in the gallery above. She was amazing and didn't move a muscle.
Kyoko joining us for the fun.
Scott's painting ( it was hard to get a good photo because we just took it on the spot and left it at the gallery )
We left Santa Fe to spend some time with Michelle in Albuquerque.
Saim met some artists that live in the Laguna Pueblo about 45 minutes west of Albuquerque in Hawaii and contacted them about us visiting them. Scott wasn't feeling well so he stayed at Michelle's place.
Michelle and me walking around the little town before we knew where the gang was
Saim met some artists that live in the Laguna Pueblo about 45 minutes west of Albuquerque in Hawaii and contacted them about us visiting them. Scott wasn't feeling well so he stayed at Michelle's place.
Michelle and me walking around the little town before we knew where the gang was
We met this beautiful couple who have modernized one of the homes in the pueblo. He is a famous jewelry artist and his wife does beautiful paintings. Sandie Rosifer joined us to paint
Michelle loves doing these panoramic view shots. Very cool :-)
My tiny little painting
Scott also did a little painting of Janira 12 by 10 inches
Scott's painting of the two Indian boys from Taos, 60 by 30 inches
Susan's drawing of Janira
Susan's Pastel drawing of Cruze
