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Collectors Corner!
Ed Sandoval Gallery's Newsletter
119 Quesnel Street, Taos, NM 87571
edsandovalart@gmail.com
(575) 770-6360
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Grandma Goes to Santa Fe (in a Horse-Drawn Wagon by Way of Camel Rock) |
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I haven’t written about my grandma, Luisita Rivera, for quite a while, and often find myself wondering what she would think of this pandemic. If you recall, she was a curandera, a sought-after healer who welcomed people from all over the region into her home and treated them with secret remedies. Her small, fragrant kitchen was bursting with dried herbs hanging from the ceiling, ointments and jars of liquids for illnesses and ailments. (read HERE - scroll down ).
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She and grandpa lived a simple, rustic, work-filled life, but she never complained. She thought she had an “easy” life because HER grandfather, a sheepherder, had to WALK his herd each summer to the pasturing grasslands 80 miles away, camp in a tent while they grazed and got fat, and walk back to Nambe in the fall (read HERE).
My favorite story is her encounter with the Gypsies (read HERE). Grandma swore that when she invited a fortune-teller into their house, the woman put a spell on her… She lost track of time, answered questions while in a trance, and “came to” only to discover the rusty tin where she hid the household money had been opened and emptied.
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I loved grandma’s stories. Sitting at the kitchen table, I was so happy and content to draw pictures and listen while she cooked, made medicines and recounted her life’s adventures to me in Spanish. She always stood at the wood-fired stove, stirring simmering pots and stoking the fire as she talked. Her real memories seemed like fictional adventure stories to me, the family scratching out a meager living during wild frontier times full of horses, cowboy types and danger. |
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Remember that she was born on August 22, 1871, in Nambé, which was part of New Mexico Territory (NM wasn’t a state yet). That means she was a young girl in the 1870’s – 1880’s!
As a child, the family would have to go to Santa Fe maybe once a year. Normally, they rarely traveled anywhere and made do with what they had or could find in their village community. Basically, they had to plant it, grow it, make it, trade for it, save it, repair it or do without. However, sometimes there was no other option than undertaking the grueling journey to Santa Fe. I imagine the need for any kind of specialized product or legal paperwork forced the trip.
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They had to load the wagon, which was hitched to two scruffy horses, with enough provisions to last at least five days: two days there, one day in Santa Fe and two days back. That included enough food and water for not just the family, but also the horses. The mid-point where they camped for the night was Camel Rock, about 9 miles away. From there, it was another 11 miles or so to Santa Fe.
Camel Rock (a huge sandstone formation that used to look exactly like a camel) is just outside of Tesuque Pueblo, and back then the Pueblo allowed travelers to camp at this landmark. Sadly, in 2017, part of the rock that formed the mouth of the camel fell off due to natural erosion. It doesn’t look so much like a camel anymore…
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Camel Rock after Its Mouth Fell Off (Source)
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Today, I think the entire attraction is fenced off to preserve it from damage caused by visitors. Back in 2000, when I painted it, the fence wasn’t there. I walked around to the back, set up my easel and canvas, and was able to really study it while I painted. |
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My 30x40 Painting: "Camel Rock" (2000) |
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But I digress. Grandma was excited to take these trips because she loved looking at the landscape and seeing the wonder of Santa Fe, which to her was a HUGE city. As a young girl, the hardships of the journey probably didn’t register in her mind – dust, the uncomfortable, rattling wagon jolted by uneven dirt roads and pathways, the heat, etc.
She had happy childhood memories of what had to be an awful, exhausting trip. I can't imagine going anywhere in a wagon, let alone a 20+ mile trip.
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Favorite Places: Rio Grande Gorge |
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Speaking of horse-drawn wagons, if you drive to Taos from the south, you'll go around and up the "horseshoe" bend. Reaching the top, I dare you not to catch your breath as you first view the spectacular Rio Grande gorge.
On the right is "The Overlook," a rest area where you can pull in and take photos. It's incredible to see this huge gash running through the landscape. I imagine wagons of weary travelers who reached the edge, looked down and across, and thought "Oops!"
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The Rio Grande Gorge Runs ~50 Miles (Source)
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Bridge over the 650 Feet Deep Gorge (Source)
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The best place to view the chasm as the Rio Grande carves its way through the land is the Gorge Bridge, which is northwest of Taos about 15 minutes. It is one of THE highest bridges in the U.S. There's another rest area, so do yourself a a favor and walk across the 1,280 feet expanse.
Next, take the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge Trail, which runs for miles along the ridge line. Hikers often see shaggy bighorn sheep perched on the rocks and along the steep trails that wind down to the river.
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When I was watching the movie Terminator Salvation, there's a particularly exciting chase scene that was filmed on this bridge! Oh it was the perfect location - futuristic looking with danger and drama as the ships flew over the bridge and up the gorge. Other movies that feature the Gorge Bridge are Easy Rider, Natural Born Killers, Wild Hogs, No Country for Old Men, Twins and probably a host of others I don't know about.
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Me & Jim Cox Fishing in a Part of the Gorge called Wild Rivers |
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Getting back to the frontier days and wagon trains, as you can imagine, there was NO WAY to cross the gorge except for an old wooden bridge. Now I don't know when the bridge was built, but around 1893 John Dunn bought it and started charging money for people and animals to cross.
John Dunn had a monopoly on all foot, wagon and animal traffic for YEARS. He was certainly an entrepreneur but also an infamous and shameless scoundrel. Maybe I'll write about him in another newsletter....
Have no fear because today you can cross the bridge for free, fish and hike. The whitewater rafting is excellent too (but you have to pay for that - ha ha). Hope you get to see (or revisit) this incredible landmark!
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My 2015 Painting: "The Distant Gorge" (36x36) |
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Progression of a Painting |
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Step 1: Priming / Painting the Canvas Red |
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Many of you have said you enjoy seeing photos of a painting in progress. Some artists do NOT want people viewing their works before they are complete, but I don't mind. I think it's interesting how - in the middle of the process - a painting can change direction or take on a new feel.
I've started summer scenes only to turn them into fall scenes, removed mountains, modified elements of the landscape and sky, and added all kinds of details after the painting "speaks to me" and tells me where it wants to go. There are times when I seriously don't know where a painting is going. I just listen and follow along, often feeling more like a passive conduit for the painting's energy rather than an active artist!
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Sketching with White Pencil |
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Layering Paint & Adding Detail |
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Final Painting: "Storm Cloud over Nambe" (48 x 60) |
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Featured Paintings
To inquire or request a high-resolution photo, contact 575-770-6360 or edsandovalart@gmail.com. For all available paintings, click HERE
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"Afternoon Siesta" (24x30) |
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March Issue of New Mexico Magazine |
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Hey everybody - I'm going to be featured in the March issue of New Mexico Magazine! They sent two wonderful people to my gallery: Molly the interviewer and Minesh the photographer. It was so fun to chat with them.
I haven't seen the article yet and don't have a clue what they wrote or which pictures they used, but we talked a lot about how my art is heavily influenced by my rural boyhood. I don't try to copy the landscapes in front of me - I paint the peaceful and rustic way of life I experienced as a boy. Hope you get to see a copy!
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Photo Credit: Minesh Bacrania Photography for New Mexico Magazine
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DID YOU MISS A NEWSLETTER? PAST NEWSLETTERS HERE.
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Would you like to be a featured collector?
If so, please send your personal story and photo(s) to edsandovalart@gmail.com.
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Contact
Ed Sandoval Gallery
119 Quesnel Street, Taos, NM 87571
www.edsandovalgallery.com | (575) 770-6360 | edsandovalart@gmail.com
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