Collectors Corner! Ed Sandoval's Newsletter (Taos, NM)

Welcome to

Collectors Corner!

Ed Sandoval Gallery's Newsletter

119 Quesnel Street, Taos, NM 87571

www.edsandovalgallery.com

edsandovalart@gmail.com

(575) 770-6360

Tidbits and Snippets

I’ve been so busy this past month that I haven’t thought of a good story to share. AND, I'll get even busier for my show, which is why I'm sending this newsletter out early. Looking at old photos, I was reminded of people and events but didn't have enough details to create a full story. I also had photos of some recent "happenings," but they didn't warrant tons of text either. Eureka! Why let that stop me? What about a string of random yet entertaining tidbits and snippets? Sounds good to me, so here we go!

Where Everybody Knows Your Name – My Uncle’s Bar in Española

When I was little, dad used to take me and Danny (my twin) with him when he ran errands. I can’t remember if he had errands IN Española, if we had to drive THROUGH Española, or if he CHOSE to get to Espanola, but the truck always ended up parked at my uncle’s bar. Salomón Rivera (my mother’s brother) had a watering hole that was a frequent stopping place – after all, running errands is thirsty business! To this day, when I drive by, I look at the location where his bar used to be. It looks like a nondescript (possibly empty) store front now, but back then it was exciting.

Dad would belly up to the bar for a beer while Danny and I played on the floor. There was a juke box, and dad gave us Coca-Colas and coins to play some music. That was smart of him. As long as we were busy entertaining ourselves, he could relax, sip beers and talk to Salomon. I always thought Salomon was so handsome (sort of looked like Bob Hope). He had a light complexion and looked spiffy, so well dressed in his white apron and tie – and he seemed so important! I was impressed by all the gleaming bottles arranged neatly on the shelves. It was a magical place to me... Maybe that's why I love bars now! LOL.

Taos Plaza Live Kicks Off in a Big Way with Big Swing Theory

Finally, some live music! The monsoons arrived, and on June 23, the whole town was ready to celebrate. Every Thursday during the summer, people flock to the plaza to listen and dance to free music from 6 – 8 pm. Some dance better than others... but a good time is had by all. I think we desperately needed fun this year because the plaza was packed.

Big Swing Theory

My Backyard Nature Preserve (Wild Kingdom)

We are such softies – can’t stand the thought of little animals out there who have to work so hard to find a bit of food and water. It's hard to be a wild thing, especially this year with the droughts and fires. We have hummingbird feeders, and the little guys are so happy to live in the Piñon trees, fly through the sprinkler and grab a drink at the bird bar. There’s a big water tub for the elk, deer and other birds. And of course we are still feeding “Coyote,” a lone juvenile coyote who has been getting a dinner of scraps for about three years now.

We have a new addition this year – a baby bunny that showed up one day and made his home under the hot tub. In 2020, a rabbit (that I named “Spa”) started living there but died. NM Fish & Game said a Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus caused major rabbit deaths in the jackrabbit and cottontail populations all over the state. I believe it because we didn’t see any rabbits for about two years. That's why we were overjoyed to find and welcome this little fuzzy one.

Caring for all these woodland creatures is a lot of work! Every night we fill the water tub, figure out food for Coyote (we’ve even started buying dog food in case we don’t have any scraps... after all the packless loner depends on us!), and chop up a nice salad for bunny made of carrots, parsley, celery and spinach. We also wash out the hummingbird feeders and change their food every two days. Whew! But it’s worth it. At sunset, we watch all of our “family” members enjoying their dinners and drinks in their little oasis of safety. Having a bunny and a coyote in such close proximity is a wee bit tricky, but so far so good!

However, one creature I cannot abide is a cricket in the house! Breet! Breet! Breet! We had one earlier this year, and that thing was LOUD. I’d be on the phone and people would ask, “What’s that weird noise?” Oh yeah, they could hear it too. This went on for over a month, and I thought I would lose my mind. But have you ever tried to FIND a cricket? You listen… creep toward it… the sound seems louder… you're optimistic… but all of a sudden the sound is coming from somewhere else. You stop... listen… creep… and the sound bounces somewhere else again.

Ventriloquists! Breet! Breet! We were so annoyed that we Googled "life span of a cricket" hoping it would keel over (alas...90 days). I couldn’t take it anymore, so I climbed a ladder and sprayed the vigas with some kind of cleaner (I thought that was healthier than bug spray). It worked! He got woozy on that cleaner cocktail, and I found him wobbling on the floor two days later. Victory!

2022 Fiestas de Taos on the Historic Taos Plaza (July 22 – 24)

Held for centuries, Fiestas celebrates the multi-generational heritage and customs of Taoeneos who gather with family, eat delicious food, listen to traditional music, watch dancers and honor the cultural uniqueness of Taos. Pretty much every town and village in northern NM, including Nambe way back when, hold their own Fiestas, and mom (Lucinda Rivera Sandoval) just LOVED to attend and dance.

Oh it was a BIG deal to her. She and her sister even sewed their own outfits! In the picture (probably 1950's), that's mom on the left, her sister Aurora (right) and Aurora's husband.

Dad Mining Gold and Silver in the Mountains

In the 1920’s, my dad (Herminio Sandoval) worked in the silver and gold mines in Telluride. He rode the Chili Line to Antonito, where he was picked up by a bus and taken the rest of the way. Now the Chili Line (it should have been named the “Chile” Line but wasn’t) connected Antonito, CO, to Santa Fe, NM (125.6 miles), was the first north-south railway AND was also the first three-foot narrow track railroad in the country.

Dad (Middle) at Mines

"A Touch of Home" (20x32)

Dad Revisiting Years & Years Later

The journey was long and difficult, so he mined for months before returning home to visit his family. Then off he went again for another few months of work. This was before I was born, but I remember mom saying that she went with him on occasion so they could be together. Dad frequently got homesick, so he would take trinkets and reminders of home when he went up north. I love that idea, so I recently painted El Viejito taking chile ristras to his snowy mountain home in Colorado. It's titled "A Touch of Home." (20x32).

Chimaja (Chimaha)

In one of my paintings, El Viejito is holding a bucket. Oddly, nobody has asked me why. Why does he have a bucket at sundown in the mountains? Well, he was picking Chimaha!

Grandma and Mom always picked and dried Chimaha, which tastes a little like cilantro, cumin, celery and coriander combined. You sprinkle it on traditional Southwestern stews and bean recipes, and it is heavenly! A sturdy wild plant with large, tasty roots, it appears only in early spring (March to April...maybe May), so you have to harvest it quickly. It grows on sandy or gravelly mesas and at the base of foothills. I remember foraging as a boy. Hard work! You stoop and pick all day and only end up with a few ounces once it's dried. There are many varieties, so I included two photos below. Strong and savory!

El Viejito Carrying a Bucket of Chimaha in "Summer Moon"

Featured in Western Art Collector

My feature in WESTERN ART COLLECTOR just came out (July, pages 116-17). Hope you can read the text... Very nice article! A couple of typos but that often happens with Spanish words. It talks about my show in Santa Fe at Canyon Road Contemporary Art (July 22-23).