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Collectors Corner!

 Ed Sandoval Gallery's Newsletter


102-B Paseo Del Pueblo Norte, Taos, NM 87571
edsandovalart@gmail.com
(575) 770-6360
Kids - Don't Try This at Home!
Before I begin telling this story…of which I am a bit embarrassed…let me just say in my defense that I was very young – three or four years old. Kids often do ill-advised things and can get into all kinds of trouble, and, perhaps not surprisingly, that's an area where I tended to exceed expectations...

I used to play with a neighbor girl who was about the same age (her name was Ninfa). Our neighbors lived across a field from us, and they had this big wooden barn. The barn didn’t have any animals in it, but it did have hay and stray scattered about. One day, Ninfa and I got ahold of some matches. We knew we weren’t supposed to have them, but the temptation was too great. We snuck into her family’s barn to play with them. After collecting a pile of dry hay and straw, we lit a match and watched in fascination as the blaze grew taller and taller…

The flames got too tall. Ninfa got scared and ran home crying. I was scared too, but deep down I knew that I needed to put that fire out! I tried slapping at it, but that just scattered the burning bits onto unburned straw and made the blaze bigger. Finally, I gave up and ran out into the alfalfa field. I knew I was going to be in big, big trouble, so I found a remote area where the alfalfa was tall, and I got down and hid. I didn’t want to look at the barn, but I could smell the smoke and knew what was happening – it was burning down.
Representation of (not Actual) Barn. Photo Courtesy of https://www.pca.state.mn.us/featured/growing-problem-burning-demolished-farm-buildings
I stayed in that field for hours and hours…all afternoon and into the evening. I was so terrified that I was going to get a huge “whooping,” and I couldn’t face the thought of going home. It started to get darker and darker, and I was cold, tired, hungry and frightened, so I finally stood up and headed home. As I made my way through the field to our house, I noticed the house was lit up and there were all these cars around…tons of cars! I crept up to the house, looked through the windows and noticed people gathered in the room where my mom and dad had an alter.
My mom was a good Catholic woman, and her alter had pictures of the saints, Jesus on the cross, Mary and lots of candles that were now lit, which was unusual. I wondered what was going on… I softly entered the house, and I heard people saying things like “He was such a cute little boy” and also heard lots of sobbing and praying.

Suddenly, somebody saw me and shrieked! It became total chaos, with people chattering, shouting, rushing up to me and hugging me. Then my mom came up to me sobbing and gave me the biggest bear hug I’ve ever received in my life. It slowly dawned on me that they all thought I had died in the fire! You see, when Ninfa ran home, she told her parents that I was still in the barn. My parents had seen the fire and had come over to lend a hand, and when everyone heard I was still in there, they rushed to the barn. By that time, the barn was totally engulfed in flames and smoke – they couldn’t see inside. I was missing and didn’t come home, so everyone assumed I perished in the fire.

I can't remember what exactly happened the next day...I'm pretty sure I got some kind of firm reprimand from my dad. I think my mom was just so glad I was alive that she didn't give me a lecture. I do remember that our family had to help the neighbors rebuild their barn - the whole family had to go over there and work on it. We've had many tragedies befall our family, but I'm glad I didn't add to the list and got out of that barn.
Featured Paintings and Prints

To inquire or to request a high-resolution photo, please contact Ed at 575-770-6360 or by email at edsandovalart@gmail.com.
"San Rafael Church" (24 x 30 )
"Ranchos Winter" (39 x 63)
Framed, Signed Paper Prints of "Santa Fe Wine & Chile" (14 x 18) - Official image of the Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta in September 2018. $235.00 + Shipping.
"Sangre De Cristo" (24 x 30)
"After the Rain" (30 x 40)
"Kiva in Nambe" (36 x 48)
Las Fiestas De Taos
The Taos Chamber of Commerce honoring"Fiestas de Taos." Photo by Jim Cox Photography: ©CJCox 2017 
On July 20-22, Taos will be abuzz with activities to celebrate the Fiestas. A Queen and her court is selected, the plaza will feature all-day music and dance performances (which are fabulous), and a mass and procession from Our Lady of Guadalupe Church will occur. There will also be two highly anticipated parades (on Saturday and Sunday) and lots of delicious food, beverages and vendor booths to ensure there is something for everyone to enjoy.

Taos.org explains the Fiestas are: "a celebratory tradition passed from generation to generation, a way of preserving the rich tri-cultural way of life that has developed in Taos over the last four centuries. This culture is unique to Taos, encompassing pueblo and plains Indians, Spanish explorers, conquistadors, French fur trappers and American mountain men."

Many look forward to the Fiestas all year long - the historic plaza and the streets will be blazing with color and hopping with music, food and fun! For more information, click HERE.
Art n' a Glass
Ed taught at another "Art n' a Glass" in June, which continues throughout the summer. If you've ever thought about trying your hand at painting, this is the event for you. Sponsored by Taos Art Supply and held at The KTAOS Solar Center , each Wednesday a local Taos artist teaches the class. For only $20, you get a canvas, paint, brushes and special Happy Hour pricing.

For more information on this and other events at KTAOS, click HERE .
Featured Fan: Donna Erickson
It’s Never Too Late to Pursue What You Love!

When collectors came into my gallery this past spring, Ed and Patti Bartos, they inspired me with their story of Donna Erickson. Donna had never painted in her life, but at the age of 70, she decided to take a painting class. When the instructor told them to pick something to act as a model for their own efforts, Donna selected one of my paintings! 

Ed and Patti showed me some pictures of Donna’s work on their phones, and I was amazed by her talent and flattered that she would choose my work to help start her artistic journey. They told me, “Donna is a really great lady. She comes from humble beginnings, overcame many obstacles in life and is now a retired ordained minister. She and her husband now live in Michigan, where we met them and have become friends.”

I reached out to Donna, who kindly shared her story and some of her paintings:

There it was, right before of my eyes! The painting I had been searching for (“Visit to Santuario ). Not only did the brilliant colors grab me, but also the awesome sense of mystery in the scene that spoke to my heart, captivating my spirit, drawing me in. There I stood alongside the man with his walking stick, listening to the bells ring out from the beautifully designed bell towers calling us to worship. In front of us, the gates of the chapel swung wide open as we walked in silence into this sacred and mysterious place. 
Ed's original painting "Visit to Sanctuario" that inspired Donna's art journey.
This is the first painting I ever did at age 70 for my first art class: “Visit to Sanctuario.” I signed it “Donna, after Ed Sandoval.”
Nearing my 70th birthday and anticipating chaplaincy retirement, I wondered what this next part of my life journey might be. Along with colleagues, we developed a “Spirituality and Creative Arts” program for nursing home residents. I was inspired by watching these elders express joy and a sense of accomplishment with the water colors they produced.

The ad read, “Beginner’s Painting Class” being offered in my community. Having always wished I could paint, I signed up. After the first few sessions teaching us the basics of acrylic painting, our instructor asked us to search through books of paintings by classic and modern artists and find a painting that spoke to us. Our assignment was, paint what you see.

With great appreciation for the world’s great artists and their paintings, I searched and searched, but nothing seemed to call my name. I closed the books and picked up a magazine from the pile. It was the July 2005 copy of The Artist’s Magazine . On page 24, I was immediately captivated by Ed Sandoval’s “Visit to Santuario and the article featuring his work. Sandoval spoke from his heart saying that he is “influenced by the blood and soul of Hispanic customs and the deep spirituality that flows within his veins throughout his life.” He also described the process by which he begins his paintings.
Above: Original "Big Cottonwood" by Ed Sandoval.
Below: “Big Cottonwood” – Donna, after Ed Sandoval
Above: Original "Moonlight" by Ed Sandoval.
Below: “The Red Scarf” – Donna, after Ed Sandoval
Back at home, I couldn’t wait to get started. I set up my brand-new easel with a 12X16 inch canvas and began mixing my paints. Following Sandoval’s suggestion, I painted the canvas with brilliant red acrylic underpainting and dried it with a hair drier. I proceeded to sketch out his “Visit to Santuario.” With the horizon set, I began to “paint what I see.” I finished in the wee hours of the morning still singing Amazing Grace.  When I got up in the morning and looked at my first attempt at painting, I couldn’t believe what I had done.

I couldn’t get enough of Ed Sandoval’s heartfelt paintings of everyday life in Taos, New Mexico. When my class was finished, I kept painting his other works featured in that magazine, “Big Cottonwood” and “The Red Scarf,” and signed them “Donna, after Ed Sandoval.”  That was 10 years ago – Now at 80 years old and many of my own paintings later, I still cherish those first blessed days with my omnipresent mentor Ed Sandoval. My hope is to come to Taos and meet my mentor in person.

Donna Erickson from Ada, Michigan 
“Going Home” – Donna Erickson
“Texas Blue Bonnets” – Donna Erickson
Would you like to be a featured collector? If so, please send your personal story and photo(s) to edsandovalart@gmail.com.
Contact
Ed Sandoval Gallery  
 102-B Paseo Del Pueblo, Taos, NM 87571
www.edsandovalgallery.com | (575) 770-6360 | edsandovalart@gmail.com