Blue Rain Gallery Podcast: Recent Episodes
Blue Rain Gallery
A podcast dedicated to the art world based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Hosted by gallery owner and art dealer, Leroy Garcia.
The day before his exhibition 'Whispers of the Heartland' opened at Blue Rain Gallery, renowned oil painter Z. Z. Wei, with his wife and translator Lin, provided an insightful walkthrough of his collection. Z. Z. shared how his paintings, rich with themes of freedom and reverence for nature, serve as his sanctuary. His works, like the notable '55 MPH,' blend nostalgia with contemporary views, capturing the overlooked beauty of the rural West. Through his art, Z. Z. illustrates the interplay between humanity and nature, revealing the timeless charm of America's landscapes. The exhibition runs through June 14th, 2024.
View artwork by Z. Z. Wei here:
https://www.blueraingallery.com/artists/z-z-wei/view-all
The Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by Leroy Garcia, produced by Leah Garcia, edited by Brandon Nelson, and music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Z. Z. Wei, born in 1957 in Beijing, began painting during China’s Cultural Revolution, finding solace in art amid familial and academic turmoil. He graduated from the Central Institute of Arts and Design in Beijing in 1984 and moved to the United States in 1989. The American rural landscape profoundly influenced his art, blending his Chinese heritage with new experiences. Wei’s work, rich with Americana, abstracts his perspectives and balances humor, loneliness, peace, and pain, offering a unique and timeless view of life.
View artwork by Z. Z. Wei here:
https://www.blueraingallery.com/artists/z-z-wei/view-all
The Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by Leroy Garcia, produced by Leah Garcia, edited by Brandon Nelson, and music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Bronze sculptor Raymond Gibby grew up in Southern California in the foothills outside of Riverside. As a child, he developed a love of the outdoors and wildlife. His father taught him about craftsmanship through doing construction work during the summers and as a wood shop teacher. Gibby's grandfather was a prolific landscape and wildlife oil painter from Utah, and greatly added to his art understanding. After four years of high school art instruction, Gibby received further art training from professional artist Judy Eriksen. She, as well as his high school art teacher, encouraged him to make art his career.
Gibby began his sculpting career shortly after landing a job as a metal worker in a lost wax art foundry in Springville, UT. While there, Gibby was befriended and tutored by many prominent artists. A few became close mentors and friends. He created his first wildlife bronze with a small loan from his father-in-law. Gibby sold his first piece and created two more from that initial sale. Working 12-hour days for six years, for the foundry and on his own work, it wasn't long before he was selling and growing his works into a portfolio that was being noticed by galleries and notable clients. His works are now seen in private and corporate collections across the nation.
https://blueraingallery.com/artists/raymond-gibby/view-all
The Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by Leroy Garcia, produced by Leah Garcia, edited by Brandon Nelson, and music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Internationally known for his innovative approach that revolutionizes this traditional medium, Pappan’s artwork transcends limits as deftly as it highlights them. “As in historical examples of ledger art, the image takes precedence in my work, but I still attempt to preserve the essence of the ledger. The sections intended to separate and categorize information now work to distort my figures. I am appropriating the ledger’s grid pattern and using it to test the boundaries that define the genre.”View original artwork by Chris Pappan at Blue Rain Gallery: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/chris-pappan/view-allShop merchandise by Chris Pappan here: https://bluerainprintshop.com/collections/chris-pappanThe Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by Leroy Garcia, produced by Leah Garcia, edited by Brandon Nelson, and music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Explore Leroy Garcia's curation of Contemporary Native Art, on exhibition at Blue Rain Gallery March 15 – 29, 2024 — Santa FeView artwork from the show hereThe Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by Leroy Garcia, produced by Leah Garcia, edited by Brandon Nelson, and music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Introducing Jesse Littlebird. Jesse Littlebird’s paintings are a fusion of Indigenous heritage and contemporary expression. His artwork tells stories rich in symbolism and cultural depth. Drawing from Southwestern landscapes, Indigenous cosmologies, and historical perspectives, Littlebird’s work invites critical reflection by blending elements from Western and Indigenous thought.
View artwork by Jesse Littlebird here: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/jesse-littlebird/view-all
The Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by Leroy Garcia, produced by Leah Garcia, edited by Brandon Nelson, and music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Blue Rain Gallery is thrilled to announce an important new exhibition featuring five captivating paintings by acclaimed artist Brad Overton. Drawing inspiration from the golden era of pin-up pop art in the 1950s-60s, Overton presents a contemporary interpretation, skillfully blending high-art techniques with bold visual imagery. Channeling influences from iconic pin-up artists like Mel Ramos and Gil Elvgren, Overton elevates the legendary form with highly stylized, graphic elements, employing technical figure drawing and a carefully curated palette. Reminiscent of American cigarette advertisements and movie posters, these nostalgic yet fun works showcase Overton's tongue-in-cheek humor and straightforward visual approach. With themes of the Southwest and the open road, the paintings collectively offer a playful and erotic journey through quintessential American subject matter. The exhibition will be on display at Blue Rain Gallery Santa Fe from February 23rd to March 8th, with an opening reception on Friday, February the 23rd from 5-7pm.View artwork by Brad Overton: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/brad-overton/view-allThe Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by Leroy Garcia, produced by Leah Garcia, edited by Brandon Nelson, and music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Leroy takes us on a behind the scenes tour of Blue Rain Gallery at the LA Art Show 2024
Tony De Luz's paintings pay homage to road culture by seamlessly combining the radiance of neon signs with the nostalgic charm of old cars and the unrestrained energy of motorcycles. His meticulous strokes create a visual narrative that transcends the canvas, transporting viewers to a vintage Americana era where the open road symbolized freedom and adventure, making each piece a timeless testament to the enduring spirit of the American road.TONY DE LUZOld Signs, Rusty Cars, and Some New PaintingsFebruary 16 – March 1, 2024 — Santa FeOpening reception: Friday, February 16th, from 5-7pmView artwork by Tony De Luz: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/tony-de-luz/view-allThe Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by Leroy Garcia, produced by Leah Garcia, edited by Brandon Nelson, and music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Erin Currier, renowned for her luminous portrait paintings, presents a special Valentine’s Day Nude Drawing Show at Blue Rain Gallery in Santa Fe from February 14th to 29th, 2024. Currier’s departure from her usual portrait work showcases intimate nude drawings, providing a unique perspective into her lifelong fascination with drawing and her ability to portray profound essence.ERIN CURRIERSin Ropa, Valentine's Day Nude Drawing Show: A Guadalupe Street FeatureFebruary 14 – 29, 2024 — Santa FeOpening reception: Friday, February 16th, from 5 - 7pmBlue Rain Gallery544 South Guadalupe StreetSanta Fe, New Mexico 87501(505) 954-9902https://blueraingallery.com/artists/erin-currier/view-allThe Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by Leroy Garcia, produced by Leah Garcia, edited by Brandon Nelson, and music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Leroy recaps Blue Rain Gallery's 30th year anniversary and season III of the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast. Find episodes available at blueraingallery.com/PODCAST
Contemporary Native glass art is a dynamic and thriving field, with artists like Dan Friday, Raven Skyriver, and Preston Singletary playing significant roles in pushing the boundaries of traditional techniques and introducing cultural narratives into the world of glass sculpture.
...1. Dan Friday:Dan Friday's contemporary Native glass art is characterized by its simplicity and deep cultural roots. Drawing inspiration from his Lummi Nation heritage, Friday creates glass sculptures that pay homage to traditional themes such as bears, baskets, feathers, totems, and salmon. His choice of simple forms and subtle silhouettes allows the inherent qualities of the glass to shine through, creating pieces that are both elegant and deeply connected to his cultural background. The combination of furnace sculpting and glass blowing adds a dynamic dimension to his work, highlighting the versatility of the medium.Episode 30: Dan Friday
Dan Friday at Blue Rain Gallery2. Raven Skyriver:Raven Skyriver brings a remarkable level of realism to contemporary Native glass art. With Tlingit heritage as his foundation, Skyriver's hot-sculpted marine mammal sculptures are nothing short of astonishing. The meticulous attention to detail, color, and texture in his work adds a lifelike quality, blurring the lines between glass and nature. Some of his pieces are so realistic that it becomes a challenge to discern whether they are crafted from glass or are actual marine life. Skyriver's art not only showcases technical mastery but also serves as a testament to the symbiotic relationship between tradition and innovation.Episode 62: Raven Skyriver
Raven Skyriver at Blue Rain Gallery
- Preston Singletary:Preston Singletary's contemporary Native glass sculptures stand out for their incorporation of Tlingit imagery and iconography. His work, rooted in themes of transformation, animal spirits, and shamanism, uses hand-blown and sand-carved techniques to convey cultural stories on the glass surface. The use of sandblasting enhances the distinct and subtle qualities of the glass, and the meticulous formline design adds a layer of complexity to the narrative. Singletary's inclusion of totem forms, carved in wood and cast in lead crystal, further showcases his commitment to preserving and evolving traditional artistic practices.
Episode 28: Preston Singletary, Raven & the Box of Daylight Preston Singletary at Blue Rain Gallery
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Collectively, these artists contribute to the evolution of Native glass art by seamlessly blending traditional techniques with contemporary themes. Their work serves as a bridge between the past and the present, bringing indigenous narratives to a global audience while pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved with the medium of glass. In doing so, they not only celebrate their cultural heritage but also inspire a new generation of artists to explore the limitless possibilities of Native glass art in the modern world.Explore original artwork at blueraingallery.com...The Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by Leroy Garcia, produced by Leah Garcia, edited by Brandon Nelson, and music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Marigold Linton, a pioneering Native American psychologist, is renowned for her transformative contributions to cross-cultural psychology. As the first Native American woman to earn a Ph.D. in psychology from Stanford University, Linton has dedicated her career to advancing cultural diversity understanding.
Her research focuses on the interplay between culture, mental health, and well-being, challenging traditional Western psychological paradigms. Linton's advocacy for indigenous perspectives has left an indelible mark on the field, fostering inclusivity and diversity. As a mentor, she has inspired many aspiring psychologists, leaving a lasting legacy in academia.
The Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by Leroy Garcia, produced by Leah Garcia, edited by Brandon Nelson, and music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Blue Rain Gallery proudly presents “Arkteia,” an upcoming exhibition of new paintings by Robin Jones. This remarkable showcase will adorn our gallery walls from October 27 to November 11, 2023, with an in-person artist reception on the opening night, Friday, October 27, from 5-7 p.m.“Arkteia" invites viewers to embark on a journey where art blends with advocacy, where Jones’ deep-rooted philosophy about the interconnectedness of all living things is given vibrant expression.Paying homage to the series’ ancient namesake, Arkteia presents captivating portraits of modern-day arktoi, pre-adolescent girls coexisting alongside animals and serving as vital links between humanity and the natural world. Robin Jones says of her contemporary arktoi, “I depict girls from all over the world, focusing on representing indigenous cultures that are suffering disproportionately from the climate crisis.”Many of Jones’ subjects are from places like Myanmar and Kenya that are experiencing the harshest effects of ongoing climate chaos. As well, the animal companions in her pieces are poignant reminders of the countless beings imperiled by humanity’s shortsighted domination of nature.
Jones’ true-to-life figures are powerful, sometimes confrontational, evoking compassion, curiosity, and a desire for unity while challenging viewers to reflect on their own actions and responsibilities.View available work by Robin Jones: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/robin-jones/view-allBlue Rain Gallery Santa Fe544 South Guadalupe StreetSanta Fe, New Mexico 87501(505) 954-9902The Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by Leroy Garcia and produced by Leah Garcia. Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Part II of a two part episode that explores the places and stories behind Jim Vogel's latest series of works, titled FabulóricoWatch part I here...JIM VOGEL: FabulóricoSeptember 29 – October 14, 2023 — Santa FeArtist Reception: Friday, September 29th from 5 - 7pm ...Jim Vogel deftly weaves color and emotion, detail and shape into paintings that reflect life and land in New Mexico. Vogel hails from a family of storytellers, so each of his works tells its own tale of the land, the culture, and the common man's struggle. Vogel's storytelling continues including paintings which depict New Mexican folklore and myths that have crossed cultures and been told for generations. "I'm trying to put images to these stories I've heard over and over from my mother and father," says the artist. Vogel is also well known for his paintings featuring New Mexican landscapes and rural life, many of which feature beautiful hand-made tin frames....View all available work by Jim Vogel
Shop Jim Vogel at Blue Rain Print ShopView past episodes of the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast featuring Jim Vogel ...The Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by Leroy Garcia and produced by Leah Garcia. Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Join us for the first of a two part episode that explores the places and stories behind Jim Vogel's latest series of works, titled Fabulórico...JIM VOGEL: FabulóricoSeptember 29 – October 14, 2023 — Santa FeArtist Reception: Friday, September 29th from 5 - 7pm https://blueraingallery.com/event/new-paintings-28...Jim Vogel deftly weaves color and emotion, detail and shape into paintings that reflect life and land in New Mexico. Vogel hails from a family of storytellers, so each of his works tells its own tale of the land, the culture, and the common man's struggle. Vogel's storytelling continues including paintings which depict New Mexican folklore and myths that have crossed cultures and been told for generations. "I'm trying to put images to these stories I've heard over and over from my mother and father," says the artist. Vogel is also well known for his paintings featuring New Mexican landscapes and rural life, many of which feature beautiful hand-made tin frames....View all available work by Jim VogelShop Jim Vogel at Blue Rain Print ShopView past episodes of the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast featuring Jim Vogel: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/jim-vogel/podcasts
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The Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by Leroy Garcia and produced by Leah Garcia. Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Blue Rain Gallery is pleased to announce an upcoming show ofnew paintings by Kathryn Stedham titled “Spirit of the West.” This show of new works isscheduled for August 25 – September 9, 2023 with an opening night reception on Friday,August 25th from 5 – 7pm.In a series of landscape paintings contained only by the limits of the canvas, Stedham seeks toproject an image of the Southwest that is both enduring and true. She feels a strong desire tobe in the Southwest, absorbing all that the landscape has to offer. The vast, wide opentopography and rugged formations of New Mexico offer an endless opportunity for creativeexploration in her paintings. The artist shares her view of a quickly vanishing landscape. Sheseeks to capture the rugged escarpments, colorful mesas and hidden arroyos that make theWest wild and intriguing. Stedham starts her process in plein air, visiting these solitary places,getting a feeling for the light and how it changes throughout the day to reveal the best possibleframework for a painting. Here she creates small, quick plein air studies that she then takesback to her studio to use as information for larger scale paintings that will ultimately convey adistilled impression of the landscape she has so thoughtfully studied....View available artwork by Kathryn StedhamShop designs by Kathryn Stedham at Blue Rain Print Shop...The Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by Leroy Garcia and produced by Leah Garcia. Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Born in 1982, Raven Skyriver started blowing glass in high school at the age of sixteen. Raven’s mentor, Lark Dalton, taught him how to build glass blowing equipment and trained him in the traditional Venetian technique. In 2003 Raven was invited to join the William Morris team. He worked on the team until Morris' retirement in 2007. The experience of working with such a talented group of artists galvanized his decision to follow Glass Sculpture as a profession.Raven lives near the Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, Washington, and produces his work in the greater Seattle area. Raven shows his work nationally and has been featured in group shows internationally. His focus in the area of sculpture, and the depiction of marine life is inspired by his island upbringing, and informed by the creatures that inhabit this fragile ecosystem....View available artwork by Raven Skyriver...The Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by Leroy Garcia and produced by Leah Garcia. Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Leroy gives us a gallery tour during our 2023 Annual Celebration of Native American ArtLearn more at blueraingallery.com
The Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by Leroy Garcia and produced by Leah Garcia. Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Jody Naranjo’s pots are immediately recognizable – her hand-crafted vessels feature striking shapes and combine Native symbols with graphic simplicity. Her work is steeped in ancestry and legacy, and today she proudly carries on her heritage with a creative twist. Since the age of four, Naranjo has been working with clay at her ancestral homeland and birthplace, the Santa Clara Pueblo in New Mexico. It was here she learned the traditional methods of collecting and processing clay, hand-coiling forms, sgraffito carving, and firing pots under the mentorship of her mother Dolly Naranjo, grandmother Rose Naranjo, and aunts Nora Naranjo-Morse and Jody Folwell. Naranjo began attending the Santa Fe Indian Market with her family at the age of eight and has kept her same booth there ever since. Her signature cartoonish motifs were initially included in her work because of her three young daughters, but Naranjo soon discovered that the fun graphics appealed to more than just children. Naranjo and collectors alike appreciate these cheerful, artfully simple designs because they are worth smiling about. Her designs often include the animals, people, nature, and Pueblo scenes iconic to New Mexico. Her unique, upbeat and innovative art has earned her many first-prize ribbons and a loyal following of fans and collectors around the world.
View artwork by Jody Naranjo
by Jody Naranjo at Blue Rain Print Shop
GROUP EXHIBITION
Artist Reception: Thursday, August 17th from 5 - 8pm
Featuring artwork by Dan Friday, Chris Pappan, Jody Naranjo, Starr Hardridge, Lisa Holt & Harlan Reano, Helen K. Tindel, Raven Skyriver, Hyrum Joe, Ryan Singer, Thomas Breeze Marcus, Frank
JODY NARANJO POTTERY DEMO
August 19, 2023 — Santa Fe
11am - 3pm
544 South Guadalupe Street
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501
Call us for inquiries at 505.954.9902
Thomas "Breeze" Marcus takes us on a mural tour and talks about the Indigenous history of the Phoenix area. ... Thomas “Breeze” Marcus was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona on the Salt River Pima- Maricopa Reservation, just east of Scottsdale. At the tender age of 13, Breeze was introduced to graffiti and began painting graffiti in and around the city of Phoenix since 1993, which he has continued variously on and off for the next two decades. However, in that time, Breeze has also dedicated his artistic efforts to painting publicly sanctioned murals and creating innovative artworks. Of particular note, Breeze is especially dedicated to the youth of his community. Through after-school programs and grants, Breeze has regularly garnered the attention and the participation of elementary and high-school age students, in creating and collaborating on public and private mural projects. Breeze has maintained the same goal for three decades now, which is to transform the outdoor aesthetics of his own community and beyond.
In an overarching sense, Breeze’s designs are reminiscent of his Akimel and Tohono O’odham cultural heritage—these Native Southwestern tribes are historically known for creating beautifully coil-woven baskets that feature interlocking geometric designs. Stylistically, Breeze’s artwork is composed of free-hand, tight line work that is organic and intricately interwoven. This bold graphic layout is usually coupled with bright, deeply saturated colors; bright red, pink, blue, and yellow hues are the ground upon which black and white lines undulate and crisscross. Working primarily in aerosol, acrylic, and pen/ink, Breeze is equally adept at applying his design work to large, outdoor walls for murals, as well as, to small works on paper or 12” vinyl records. Regardless of placement or size, Breeze is a master at expanding and contracting his unique patterns to create unique and innovative artwork each time. Breeze blends historic traditions with updated, contemporary materials in order to create modern and “street-wise” aesthetics; he is capable of bridging “the old” with “the new” in synchronous fashion. But most importantly, with his artwork Breeze is able to clearly speak to the youth in his community, while also making connections to his elders. The metaphor of a basket serves Breeze well--in weaving, the beginning and the end merge into one complete and balanced whole. ... View available work by Thomas Breeze Marcus Shop Thomas Breeze Marcus at Blue Rain Print Shop ... The Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by Leroy Garcia and produced by Leah Garcia. Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Leroy visits with Russell Sanchez to talk about the history of San Ildefonso pottery, firing techniques, and influences. View new pottery by Russell Sanchez during Blue Rain Gallery's Annual Celebration of Native American Art August 17 - 20, 2023. ... Every piece of pottery by Russell Sanchez displays a distinctive flair. He learned the techniques of traditional San Idelfonso Pueblo pottery making from his aunt, renowned potter Rose Gonzales. San Idelfonso is known for it's black on black pottery, but Sanchez has created his own individual style by continually exploring new colors, shapes and designs. Often he embeds native materials such as strands of turquoise or Heishi Shell beads and larger turquoise stones in the clay, or created borders of copper, gold or silver leaf to outline medallions featuring carved figures. An avid outdoorsman and raftsman, he is inspired by scenes in nature. While hiking, he discovered the source for the unique green slips that have become a Sanchez color trademark. Lids shaped like bears and shells are signature motifs as well. His newest works include asymmetrical forms and large traditional water jar shapes. He has also begun building his popular bear forms in larger sizes, an exacting technical challenge.
"My work is always changing, but is rooted in our traditions. I never stray from traditional materials. I play with our time-honored techniques to see what else I can do. People have come to expect the unexpected from me, and many collectors say 'surprise me,' when they ask me to create something for them," says Sanchez. ... View available pottery by Russell Sanchez ... The Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by Leroy Garcia and produced by Leah Garcia. Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
In his first solo show at Blue Rain Gallery titled Twin Window, Richardson’s oil-on-panel paintings draw inspiration from a formative year-long experience he had working on a New Mexico ranch. In this body of work, he reflects on that cowboy year, gazing back at it through the window.
View all available work by GL Richardson View GL Richardson's Twin Window: Studio Preview View Episode 49: GL Richardson
The Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by Leroy Garcia and produced by Leah Garcia. Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Blue Rain Gallery Presents “TWIN WINDOW,” a solo feature of new works by GL Richardson
In his first show at Blue Rain Gallery, Richardson’s oil-on-panel paintings draw inspiration from a formative year-long experience he had working on a New Mexico ranch. In this body of work, he reflects on that cowboy year, gazing back at it through the window.
Join us for the opening reception of “Twin Window”, featuring new works by GL Richardson, June 14th at Blue Rain Gallery Santa Fe, from 5 – 7pm.
Call us for inquiries at 505.954.9902
Blue Rain Gallery Santa Fe
544 S Guadalupe Street, Santa Fe, NM
Blue Rain Gallery joins mixed-media artist Erin Currier in her studio as she prepares for her upcoming exhibition, "Troubadours: Musica y Mágica," opening at Blue Rain Gallery Santa Fe, Friday, June 30th.
Erin Currier’s newest solo exhibition honors modern-day Troubadours that inspire and entertain through lyrical music. This new series highlights notable and underacknowledged individuals such as Valerie June, Emahoy Teague Maryam Guebrou, and Lhasa de Sela. Currier’s interpretations are a celebration of each individual, packed with layers of meaning and nuance.
View available work by Erin Currier here
The art of jewelry making is a creative, meditative process for artist Belle Brooke. As a young teenager her passion for art started with photography, a skill that would later provide a framework for her career as a goldsmith. Belle was born and raised in Houston, TX, and eventually found herself studying photography at Pitzer College. Along the way she enjoyed making jewelry as a hobby, often vending on street corners and pop-up markets. After college, she attended the Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts in San Francisco.
When asked what her favorite part of jewelry making is, she is quick to say that she enjoys the entire process. From working with the raw materials and creating casts to setting stones and polishing the final product, each step of the way fulfills that creative spark. Belle enjoys making jewelry that she can wear, that is able to express her own style and creativity. Her work is a beautiful example of innovation as it strays from more modern, imitative jewelry on the market today.
View available jewelry by Belle Brooke: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/belle-brooke/view-all
View Belle Brooke's Studio Video: https://youtu.be/0KYLiSdTlko
... The Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by Leroy Garcia and produced by Leah Garcia. Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Blue Rain Gallery welcomes Belle Brooke to the stable of featured artists.
Belle Brooke Barer established Belle Brooke Designs in 2006 upon her return to Los Angeles. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Barer ventured westward in 1997 to attend Pitzer College in Claremont, California. Her studies at Pitzer concentrated in various mediums of studio art, focusing mainly on photography. After moving north to the San Francisco Bay area, she began her jewelry studies at The Crucible in Berkeley, California, and later attended the Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts in San Francisco, where she received her professional certification as a goldsmith. After completing her studies, she worked for Studio 311 as a bench jeweler. Belle has been the recipient of various awards most notably the AGTA Spectrum awards in 2012 and 2018, the Mort Abelson New Designer of the Year award in 2008, and the Halstead Grant in 2007. She currently makes her home in Santa Fe, New Mexico where she runs her flagship store Rock + Feather in the new Siler Industrial area. All her jewelry is made in her workshop adjacent to the gallery, where she also teaches workshops and classes.
View available jewelry at Blue Rain Gallery: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/belle-brooke/view-all
Leroy Garcia joins Voices of the West Podcast to talk about art and culture in the Southwest. Leroy touches on his own familial ties to New Mexico.Listen to more episodes of Voices of the West on their website voicesofthewest.netExplore episodes of the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast at blueraingallery.com/PODCASTTake fine art with you in your everyday life at bluerainprintshop.com...Voices of the West: LEROY GARCIA, 5/20/23Leroy Garcia, owner of the Blue Rain Gallery in New Mexico, is our guest. He talks about starting his art gallery and working with new artists. His website is Blue Rain Art Gallery....Learn more about Voices of the West here: https://voicesofthewest.net/about/
I paint every day that I can. And every day I have something new to say about art and why I am so consumed. Today I walked in my garden just after daybreak, looking at the iris flowering in colors and patterns I have never seen. It looked like rain today and I walked back toward my studio, toward the music of Van Morrison and Jeff Buckley, dark strains from David Darling and a Bach selection - more food for the heart. I would not leave the studio today. I am completely inspired and will celebrate my senses and my life by painting and storytelling because I cannot help myself. It is this gift to see and hear and paint my thoughts that inspires me to pick up my brushes again to embark on a journey of discovery...to dance between reality and imagery. It is very much like being five years old and seeing the world as new. It is mystery and magic that I am privileged to play with.That is why I paint.-Roseta Santiago...View available work by Roseta SantiagoShop Roseta Santiago at Blue Rain Print Shop...The Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by Leroy Garcia and produced by Leah Garcia. Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Blue Rain joins Bryce Pettit in his studio to talk about his upcoming exhibition "Signs of Spring", opening at Blue Rain Gallery Santa Fe on Friday, May 26th from 5 - 7pm.
View work by Bryce Pettit here
Watch episode 9 of the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast with Bryce Pettit here
Andrea Peterson talks about her upcoming show, "Epoch Floral" opening at Blue Rain Gallery Friday, May 12th 2023 from 5-7pm
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Episode 37: Andrea Peterson
View work by Andrea Peterson here
Shop Andrea Peterson at Blue Rain Print Shop
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The Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by Leroy Garcia and produced by Leah Garcia. Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Blue Rain Gallery presents "An Homage to W. Herbert Dunton," a show in which Blue Rain Gallery artists paint tribute to American painter and illustrator, W. Herbert Dunton. Dunton was a founding members of the Taos Society of Artists known for his paintings of cowboys, New Mexico and the Southwest. This show of new works is scheduled to take place April 28 – May 20, 2023 with an Artist Reception on Friday, April 28th from 5 - 7pm.This exhibition is the fourth in a series of six scheduled theme exhibitions that cast a spotlight on the pioneering members of the Taos Society of Artists. We present Taos Six Collection: An Homage to W. Herbert Dunton three years after the debut exhibition of An Homage to Oscar E. Berninghaus, two years after the exhibition of An Homage to Joseph Henry Sharp, and one year after An Homage to E. Irving Couse. We look forward to scheduled future exhibitions that continue the Taos Six Collection theme: An Homage to Ernest L. Blumenschein in 2024 and An Homage to Bert Geer Phillips in 2025. “This is an important annual series for Blue Rain Gallery, and we are grateful to our many talented and devoted artists that have taken the challenge yearly. Their commitment to this project has helped strengthen the enduring value and legacy of the series,” states Denise Phetteplace, Executive Director of Blue Rain Gallery. The Taos Society of Artists has captivated many art enthusiasts and collectors over the years. It created an allure that put Taos, New Mexico on the map, both nationally and internationally, as an important art destination. As gallerists that have enjoyed the vitality of the art market in Northern New Mexico for 30 years, we of course feel a certain reverence toward the legacy of the Taos founding painters.
The Taos Six Collection: An Homage to W. Herbert Dunton gives collectors and art enthusiasts alike an opportunity to simultaneously celebrate the past and present. Do not miss a chance to experience this exciting showing at Blue Rain Gallery!The Taos Six Collection: An Homage to W. Herbert DuntonApril 28 – May 20, 2023Artist Reception: Friday, April 28th from 5 - 7pmParticipating artists include Dennis Ziemienski, Kathryn Stedham, Jim Vogel, Roseta Santiago, Matthew Sievers, Nathan Bennett, Rimi Yang, Sean Diediker, Robin Jones, Bryce Pettit, Brad Overton, Hyrum Joe, Erin Currier, and GL Richardson....Episode 35: The Taos Six Collection https://youtu.be/EuqayUYrdo0Nathan Bennett: Homage to Dunton WIP https://youtu.be/cx6mZAlWK0k...
Episode artwork by Z.Z. Wei, "Once Upon a Time in Taos (after a photo of W. Herbert Dunton, "W. Herbert Dunton Painting Outdoors with Models)," Oil on canvas
...The Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by Leroy Garcia and produced by Leah Garcia. Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Leroy visits our new Durango, CO gallery and interviews artist Eunika Rogers. Eunika is the latest artist to join the Blue Rain Gallery stable. Find her work at Blue Rain Gallery, Durango.
934 Main Avenue, Unit BDurango, Colorado 81301(970) 232-2033
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Eunika collects clay and natural pigments that she dilutes in water and uses on both canvas and watercolor paper. She gets to name her paint; often the name carries a hint of a peak or a hike she did. She has an earthy palette; different shades of siennas, ochres and umbers from Tennessee, Mississippi, San Francisco, Italy, Slovakia as well as her current home in Colorado. Shades of Columbine and San Juan dusk both shades of umber were collected along St. Miguel River. Her collection of Colorado ochres; Sneezeweed Gold and Crimson Pass was collected from Red Mountain Pass. There is also White Yankee Girl, Black Bear Pass, Sky Over San Miguel that were collected from the San Juan Mountain.
Eunika’s work is a visual dialogue between landscape and the female body. She connects with her subject directly through her hikes and peak exploration. As an ultra distance runner and a former Orienteering Champion she feels very comfortable on or off a trail. Maps and contour lines are part of her backpack items as well as part of her painting process. Her hiking is not only limited to her now hometown of Telluride and the area. She is very familiar with Southeastern landscape where she used to live and of course Slovakia where she was born and raised. She is an experienced trekking guide in High Tatra Mountains.
Prior to living in USA she spent her teenage years in Canada and growing up years in former Czechoslovakia, where she was born and visits often. She was 13 when her family escaped then Communist regime.
She came to USA - Mississippi on a full tennis scholarship and after completing her Fine Arts Master Degree she decided to stay in Mid-South. She is married to her husband Scott, an accomplished adventurer and outdoorsman.
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View available work by Eunika Rogers
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The Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by Leroy Garcia and produced by Leah Garcia. Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Blue Rain Gallery Sales Associate joins us on the podcast to talk about our upcoming show "Drawings from the Archive" featuring never before seen charcoal drawings by Alberto Valdés.
Email us at info@blueraingallery.com for a copy of the show brochure or view the digital copy here (Brochure foreword by Todd Scalise)
Join us for the show's opening reception Friday, March 31st from 5 - 7pm, 2023
Watch Episode 19: David and Alberto Valdés
View work by Alberto Valdés
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Alberto Valdés 1918-1998
It was the early 20th Century Modernists, among them Pablo Picasso, Paul Gauguin, Wassily Kandinsky, and most importantly, Mexican artist Rufino Tamayo, that particularly appealed to Valdés and, years later, he stated that “through the years of study, they have given me the necessary foundation that I needed.”
In addition, his own neighborhood of Boyle Heights had a profound influence on him: East L.A. was a hotbed for the Mexican-American, or Chicano, Civil Rights Movement (el Movimiento), which began in the 1940s and culminated in the 1970s. The ideology of the era celebrated a Pre-Columbian cultural origin and many artists embraced a hybridized heritage with indigenous iconography like ancient glyphs and figures.
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The Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by Leroy Garcia and produced by Leah Garcia. Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Starr Hardridge joins us for his second episode on the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast. He talks about new work for his show "Renewal," that opens at Blue Rain Gallery February 24th from 5 - 7pm. View work from the show here
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Starr Hardridge’s work uses an assemblage of pointillism and southeastern woodland bead work aesthetic. Schooled in traditional disciplines of classical painting, his style continues to evolve with an abstract symbolism influenced by a struggle for balance within the natural world. His bold use of color and geometry wield a modern twist inspired by Muscogee patterns and designs.
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Watch episode 14 with Starr Hardridge here
View all available work by Starr Hardridge
Shop the Starr Hardridge collection at Blue Rain Print Shop
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The Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by Leroy Garcia and produced by Leah Garcia. Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Straddling the line between abstract expressionism and western pop, GL Richardson’s work finds footing in a unique place between conceptualism and pure emotion. With identifying human truths as perhaps the only tenuous ligament connecting his past life in advertising and ranching, his work aims to distill life’s complexities into base analogies.
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View available work by GL Richardson
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The Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by Leroy Garcia and produced by Leah Garcia. Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Bonus segment from our studio visit with Roseta Santiago. View more artist videos on our YouTube channel
Apprenticed by master artists since the age of 16, Nicolas Otero's body of work has gained a significant reputation. Museums, churches and collectors include his work in their collections. The traditional methods including the production of natural pigments and hand carved panels are a constant in his studio. He has also created altar screens which are highly collectable. His work is shown in galleries and is featured in a variety of publications
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View available work by Nicolas Otero
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The Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by Leroy Garcia and produced by Leah Garcia. Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta
Leroy recaps last season and talks about things to come in season III of the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast.
Season II Episodes:
27 Kim Martindale
28 Preston Singletary – Raven & the Box of Daylight (exhibition at the Smithsonian’s Museum of the American Indian)
29 The Million Dollar Pot – Mike & Terry
30 Dan Friday
31 Marshall Hunt
32 Mozart Gabriel
33 Ryan Singer
34 Thomas Breeze Marcus
35 Taos Six Collection – Denise Phetteplace, Executive Director
36 Museum of New Mexico Foundation – Jamie Clements, President
37 Andrea Peterson
38 Chaco Canyon and Beyond – Doug West
39 Frank Buffalo Hyde
40 Spanish Devotional Art – Peter Stoessell, Acquisitions and Logistics & Gustavo Victor Goler
41 Art Dealer Diaries – Mark Sublette
42 100 Indian Markets – Jody Naranjo
43 MIAC – Lauren Paige, Director of Leadership Giving & Tony Chavarria, Curator of Ethnology
44 Happenstance with Jim Vogel
45 Sharon Meyer
46 The Contemporary Native Art Market with Vanessa Elmore
Podcast Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta
Announcements and Upcoming Events:
Blue Rain Celebrates 30 Years!
Durango Gallery now open (934 Main Avenue #B | Durango, CO 81301)
Blue Rain Exhibits at Intersect Palm Springs Feb 9-12
Blue Rain Exhibits at the LA Art Show Feb 15-19
Jody Naranjo & Preston Singletary: A Collaboration in Glass IV, Feb 24th from 5-7pm
Starr Hardridge: Renewal, Feb 24th from 5-7pm
View more on our events page
Join our email list
This episode was hosted by Gallery Owner and Artist Leroy Garcia. It was produced by Leah Garcia with music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Vanessa Elmore of Elmore Art Appraisals visits with Leroy to chat about trends in the Contemporary Native Art Market. Vanessa is a long time friend of the gallery and has a background in Native American Art. Today she offers art appraisal services & consulting for: individuals, museums, and corporations. Learn more here: http://www.elmoreartappraisals.com/home.html
Thumbnail art by Ryan Singer
Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by gallery owner and art dealer, Leroy Garcia. It is produced by Leah Garcia with music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta (https://mozartgabriel.com).
ROBIN JONES
You Were Born With Wings
October 28 – November 12, 2022
Artist Reception: Friday, October 28th from 5 - 7pm
https://blueraingallery.com/event/new-paintings-21
In this body of work, I’m continuing my focus on endangered species-with a specific focus on winged species- and climate change, as well as celebrating the beauty of the natural world. I also focus on indigenous populations- they tend to bear the brunt of climate change destruction and they also hold ancestral wisdom and practices used in caring for the land sustainably. In some of the work I’ve included flora and fauna native to both the human and non-human animals portrayed.
Climate change is the number one threat we face at the present time and thus I feel compelled to visually carry this message through my work. The current mass extinction event, a result of human-caused climate change, is something that I also feel compelled to document- my sincere hope is that I’m not painting species that will one day be gone from our world, but as a wake-up call to save them. We are all interconnected, we need each other- for healthy ecosystems and for survival. With awareness comes care, with care comes action.
“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” -Jane Goodall
View available work by Robin Jones: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/robin-jones
Jeweler Sharon Meyer makes a special appearance at the gallery.
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Sharon Meyer Jewelry is born from her passion for design and never-ending creativity and eye for beauty. Her unsurpassed ability to craft timeless jewelry that is both accessible and cutting edge is based in her mixture of color, form and materials. Always designed to be comfortable, Sharon’s work has a luxurious tactile feel and unsurpassed quality. Sharon’s work is hand-made in the USA and executed in precious and semi precious stones and unusual materials such as fossils and meteorite which she personally selects to meet her exacting standards for quality, design, color and value. Her couture line features 18k gold and platinum while her designer line is created using sterling silver.
View Sharon Meyer's available jewelry at Blue Rain Gallery: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/sharon-meyer
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Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by gallery owner and art dealer, Leroy Garcia. It is produced by Leah Garcia with music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta (https://mozartgabriel.com).
This new body of work seeks to encapsulate features of the Southwest that are both dramatic, and unique to the region in a series of large and medium format paintings. One can expect to see a suite of paintings that includes deep canyons, isolated buttes, winding rivers, desert cacti and archeological wonders. Admired for a distinct graphic style in which light renders the landscape and its formations majestic, Doug West has earned his reputation as one of the most distinguished painters of the Southwest landscape. West captures each masterfully constructed scene with crisp clarity, distilling it down to include only the most vital visual information. His original oil paintings retain the striking graphic quality inspired by his earlier experiences as a serigraph printmaker.
DOUG WEST: Chaco Canyon and Beyond
October 7 – 22, 2022
Artist Reception: Friday, October 7th from 5 - 7pm
Watch episode 38: Chaco Canyon and Beyond with Doug West
View all available work by Doug West: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/doug-west
Doug West at Blue Rain Print Shop: https://bluerainprintshop.com/collections/doug-west
Jim Vogel breaks down his upcoming show, HAPPENSTANCE, opening at Blue Rain Gallery September 30th, 2022 from 5-7pm
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Happenstance, noun : a circumstance especially that is due to chance
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A modern master of New Mexico Regionalism, Vogel has long been captivated by the state’s folklore, landscapes and people. He often paints in themes or series, having focused over the years on depicting flamenco dancers, railroad workers, ranchers and more. Storytelling is at the heart of each of his intricately composed paintings. He flushes out every character and detail across the canvas and even to the handcrafted frames, rarely allowing anything to be left untouched by his artistic vision.
View available work by Jim Vogel
Jim Vogel at Blue Rain Print Shop
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Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by gallery owner and art dealer, Leroy Garcia. It is produced by Leah Garcia with music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta (https://mozartgabriel.com).
Leroy talks with the Curator of Ethnology at the Museum of Indian Arts Culture, Tony Chavarria and the Director of Leadership Giving at the Museum of New Mexico Foundation, Lauren Paige.
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Here, Now and Always:
Join us for the reopening of the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture’s core exhibition, Here, Now and Always. When the original exhibition opened 25 years ago, it set a new a standard for collaborating and partnering with Indigenous communities, foregrounding the voices and narratives of Native people throughout the Southwest. In this spirit, the renewed and reimagined Here, Now and Always showcases never-before seen items, state of the art technology, and the next generation’s perspectives, illustrating the ways in which the past informs the future, and further positioning MIAC as a world-renowned resource for understanding Native lives, arts, and cultures today.
https://www.museumfoundation.org/hna/
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Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by gallery owner and art dealer, Leroy Garcia. It is produced by Leah Garcia with music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta (https://mozartgabriel.com).
Jody Naranjo joins Leroy Garcia to discuss the upcoming centennial of Indian Market.
Jody Naranjo's "100 Indian Markets" giclée prints will be available for purchase at bluerainprintshop.com on Tuesday, August 9th.
Products with that design will become available on Thursday, August 11th. ONLY AT BLUE RAIN PRINT SHOP 💙
https://bluerainprintshop.com/collections/jody-naranjo
Group Exhibition During Blue Rain Gallery's Annual Celebration of Native American Art
August 18 – 22, 2022
Artist Reception: Thursday, August 18th from 5 - 8pm
Featured artists include Jody Naranjo, Chris Pappan, Dan Friday, Helen Tindel, Starr Hardridge, Hyrum Joe, Lisa Holt and Harlan Reano, Ryan Singer, Frank Buffalo Hyde, Maria Samora, and Raven Skyriver.
https://blueraingallery.com/artists/jody-naranjo/view-all
Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by gallery owner and art dealer, Leroy Garcia. It is produced by Leah Garcia with music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Blue Rain Gallery Owner/President Leroy Garcia is featured on the Art Dealer Diaries Podcast with Dr. Mark Sublette
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" I've known Leroy Garcia of Blue Rain Gallery for 30+ years and his trajectory and my trajectory are very similar. He opened his gallery in Taos and then moved to Santa Fe, having had another location in Scottsdale at one point as well. My gallery is in Tucson and was also in Santa Fe for a time. We share some of the same artists in our stable, as well as the way we do business. Leroy and I are both pro-artist, pro-Native American, and pro-Hispanic art.
You see, Leroy is a mover and shaker in the field and I've always felt that he's one of the best marketers out there. He has a great sense of what needs to be explored as far as how you go about showing and selling art, as well as who you represent in your gallery and the ecosystem a varied array or artists can create. He also has his own podcast, the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast, which I listen to and is a very interesting, unique, artist-centric podcast.
I think if you want to learn about the art world from the viewpoint of the established art dealer, this is a really great podcast to listen to. It's different than most of the other podcasts I've recorded because we talk about what it is to be a gallerist, the things that have to, do and the problems that you encounter, especially in the modern day and age of social media and the rising frequency of direct artist to client relationships.
So I think you'll really enjoy this. I know I did. Leroy Garcia of Blue Rain Gallery."
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Find more episodes of the Art Dealer Diaries here:
YouTube
Leroy invites Peter Stoessell (Blue Rain Gallery Director of Acquisition) and Gustavo Voctor Goler (New Mexican Santero) on the podcast to talk about Spanish Devotional Art in the art market and in New Mexican culture.
Blue Rain Gallery's Spanish Market Show opens Friday, July 15th from 5-7pm
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Gustavo Victor Goler was raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico among a family of Latin American art conservators and restorers. Goler’s early years were spent apprenticing in his families conservation studios where he learned wood carving skills by restoring 18th, 19th and 20th century Saints from Latin America and New Mexico. Goler began carving original Santos in high school as a hobby, creating a few pieces a year that he would give to family and friends. In 1986, he opened up a small conservation studio in Santa Fe, NM where he specialized in the conservation of Santos. (https://victorgoler.com/biography/).
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Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by gallery owner and art dealer, Leroy Garcia. It is produced by Leah Garcia with music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta (https://mozartgabriel.com).
Introducing Contemporary Native Painter Frank Buffalo Hyde
When working on a piece, I tap into the universal mind. The collective unconsciousness of the 21st century. Drawing images from advertisement, movies, television, music and politics. Expressing observation, as well as knowledge through experience.
Overlapping imagery to mimic the way the mind holds information: non linear and without separation.
I don't need permission to make what I make. Never have...no artist should.
-Frank Buffalo Hyde
View Available Work by Frank Buffalo Hyde
NMPBS ¡Colores!: Santa Fe Artist Frank Buffalo Hyde
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Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by gallery owner and art dealer, Leroy Garcia. It is produced by Leah Garcia with music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta (https://mozartgabriel.com).
Doug West shares his new works for his upcoming show, "Chaco Canyon and Beyond", opening Friday October 7th from 5-7pm at Blue Rain Gallery
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"The Southwest is my rich pallet for creative inspiration. Time spent out on the land is where I feel most grounded. Watching the sky's changing light, with heroic cloud forms overhead ... these feed my artist's eye. I love that the land here is exposed and wide open to long distant horizons. New Mexico resonates deeply with my spirit as an artist. I am most interested in capturing what speaks of the expanse and the connection that ties us to this place in a timeless, memorable way." — Doug West
Doug West has been capturing the magical skies and environment of the great Southwest for over 30 years. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally with well over 50 one man shows, along with an extensive list of publications and thousands of serious art patrons who have collected his work.
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View Available Work by Doug West
Doug West at Blue Rain Print Shop
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Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by gallery owner and art dealer, Leroy Garcia. It is produced by Leah Garcia with music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta (https://mozartgabriel.com).
Andrea was a self-proclaimed artist by age three, and the passion for painting only grew from there! She paints a diverse range of subjects and different styles, and has an affinity for detail largely influenced by her background in illustration.
Born in Florida, raised in Baltimore, Maryland and Wilmington, North Carolina, Andrea attended East Carolina University studying Communication Arts with a B.A. in illustration. She continued to study fine art painting, largely self-taught. Her paintings have been featured in exhibitions throughout the U.S. and in London, UK. Andrea currently resides in Scottsdale, AZ where she continues to be inspired by the natural beauty of Arizona and traveling.
“I create imaginative figure and animal paintings inspired by narratives and nature. In particular, my prism paintings take everyday subject matter and scenes and applies a contemporary cubist-like style to them. The idea came about from seeing my own paintings leaning behind a large piece of stained glass (creating stained glass was a favorite hobby of my grandfather). Applying this prism-like style to my oil paintings in triangular patches of color creates a kaleidoscope-type image, where the viewer can feel like they are happening upon a special moment in time.” artistandrea.com
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The Taos Six Collection: An Homage to E. Irving Couse opens at Blue Rain Gallery April 29th, 2022 from 5-7pm
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View available works by Andrea at Blue Rain Gallery
Andrea Peterson at Blue Rain Print Shop
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Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by gallery owner and art dealer, Leroy Garcia. It is produced by Leah Garcia with music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
President of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation, Jamie Clements joins Leroy on the podcast to talk about upcoming museum exhibitions, openings, and historic sites.
Museum of Indian Arts & Culture
Museum of International Folk Art
New Mexico History Museum
New Mexico Museum of Art
Donate to the Museum of New Mexico Foundation
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Blue Rain Gallery
544 S Guadalupe St, Santa Fe NM
505-954-9902
Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by gallery owner and art dealer, Leroy Garcia. It is produced by Leah Garcia with music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta (https://mozartgabriel.com).
Blue Rain Gallery Executive Director Denise Phetteplace talks about the Taos Six Collection: A series of shows honoring Taos Founding Artists Oscar E. Berninghaus, Joseph Henry Sharp, E. Irving Couse, W. Herbert Dunton, Ernest L. Blumenschein, & Bert Geer Phillips.
An Homage to E. Irving Couse opens at Blue Rain Gallery April 29th, 2022 from 5-7pm
An Homage to Joseph Henry Sharp
An Homage to Oscar E. Berninghaus
Learn more about the Taos Society of Artists:
Couse-Sharp Historic Site
Taos Art Museum
100 Years of Art in Taos
Thomas “Breeze” Marcus was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona on the Salt River Pima- Maricopa Reservation, just east of Scottsdale. At the tender age of 13, Breeze was introduced to graffiti and began painting graffiti in and around the city of Phoenix since 1993, which he has continued variously on and off for the next two decades. However, in that time, Breeze has also dedicated his artistic efforts to painting publicly sanctioned murals and creating innovative artworks. Of particular note, Breeze is especially dedicated to the youth of his community. Through after-school programs and grants, Breeze has regularly garnered the attention and the participation of elementary and high-school age students, in creating and collaborating on public and private mural projects. Breeze has maintained the same goal for three decades now, which is to transform the outdoor aesthetics of his own community and beyond.
In an overarching sense, Breeze’s designs are reminiscent of his Akimel and Tohono O’odham cultural heritage—these Native Southwestern tribes are historically known for creating beautifully coil-woven baskets that feature interlocking geometric designs. Stylistically, Breeze’s artwork is composed of free-hand, tight line work that is organic and intricately interwoven. This bold graphic layout is usually coupled with bright, deeply saturated colors; bright red, pink, blue, and yellow hues are the ground upon which black and white lines undulate and crisscross. Working primarily in aerosol, acrylic, and pen/ink, Breeze is equally adept at applying his design work to large, outdoor walls for murals, as well as, to small works on paper or 12” vinyl records. Regardless of placement or size, Breeze is a master at expanding and contracting his unique patterns to create unique and innovative artwork each time. Breeze blends historic traditions with updated, contemporary materials in order to create modern and “street-wise” aesthetics; he is capable of bridging “the old” with “the new” in synchronous fashion. But most importantly, with his artwork Breeze is able to clearly speak to the youth in his community, while also making connections to his elders. The metaphor of a basket serves Breeze well--in weaving, the beginning and the end merge into one complete and balanced whole.
AVAILABLE WORKS
Thomas 'Breeze' Marcus at BLUE RAIN PRINT SHOP
Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by gallery owner and art dealer, Leroy Garcia and is produced by Leah Garcia with music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Ryan Singer is a Diné (Navajo) artist-painter based in Albuquerque, NM. Creating artwork based on his Navajo heritage and incorporating pop culture elements including science fiction imagery. He weaves stories of his childhood memories with nostalgic iconography. He has been included in the “Indigenous Futurism” movement but has been drawing Star Wars characters since 1977. Ryan also enjoys creating portrait realism of Native subjects with a contemporary appeal. His artwork is in collections of several museums and collectors worldwide. Ryan had garnered several awards including from the renowned SWAIA’s Santa Fe Indian Market. He is currently attending UNM to acquire a BFA in Art Studio, where he is in a collaborative lithography class with the Tamarind Institute. He plans on working towards his MFA right after UNM.
Join Blue Rain Gallery for the opening of "CROSSROADS" featuring new works from Ryan Singer. Opening Reception Friday, February 25th, 2022 from 5-7pm
AVAILABLE WORKS
Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by gallery owner and art dealer, Leroy Garcia and is produced by Leah Garcia with music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta
Mozart Gabriel arose from the waters of Taos Pueblo & Red Rocks of the Navajo Tohjiilee. From a village of powerful traditional singers, the red willow tribe gave him his name Mozart at Birth. His travels brought him later to Nashville TN where he made a career in music videos for the local independent artists. It soon brought him to Barcelona to craft his sounds, with many musicians and many projects featuring Liam Cloud. Soon after The Vicious Strikes were formed to rock the underground scene!
https://mozartgabriel.com
TikTok: @mozartgabrielofficial
Instagram: @mozartgabrielmusic
Spotify
Apple Music
Youtube
Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by gallery owner and art dealer, Leroy Garcia and is produced by Leah Garcia with music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Art collector Marshall Hunt is featured on the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast.
You can find his songs here: https://scottvanzenofficial.com/
Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by gallery owner and art dealer, Leroy Garcia. It is produced by Leah Garcia with music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta (https://mozartgabriel.com).
Dan Friday has lived in the Northwest his whole life, a shining product of the studio glass movement. Friday has cultivated his artistic vision with strong influence from his indigenous roots in the Pacific Northwest. Craft, form and idea drive Dan's work from conception to object. The past two decades working with artists such as Dale Chihuly and Paul Marioni have given Dan tools and inspiration to develop craft and produce his art. He feels fortunate to have experienced the rich diversity of Seattle for his skill development. Currently Dan's work is in collections around the world.
Episode recorded at Blue Rain Gallery August 2021
Join us this year for Dan Friday exhibition during our Annual Celebration of Native American Art in August 2022. Dan will also have live glass blowing demos at Blue Rain Gallery the weekend of the show. Stay tuned for more info, or head to our website blueraingallery.com
Available works by Dan Friday: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/dan-friday/view-all
Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by gallery owner and art dealer, Leroy Garcia. It is produced by Leah Garcia with music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta (https://mozartgabriel.com).
Leroy interviews two collectors and close friends, Mike Eagle and Terry Raider. This episode is in honor of Mike Eagle who passed away shortly after the episode was recorded. He was passionate about art and Native American culture. You can view his and Terry's art collection at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art in Indianapolis, IN.
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Learn more about collecting art in episode 15 of the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast (The Passion to Create is No Different Than the Passion to Collect)
View episode videos on our YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtdLbtOjOfGpCEJuLvZRGXKFj1XNmimCj
This episode was produced by Leah Garcia and hosted by Leroy Garcia. Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Leroy Garcia talks with Preston Singletary about his upcoming exhibition at the Museum of the American Indian opening January 28, 2022
“Preston Singletary: Raven and the Box of Daylight features works from internationally acclaimed artist Preston Singletary (Tlingit American, b. 1963), and tells the story of Raven, the creator of the world and giver of the stars, moon, and sun.
Through an immersive, multisensory experience, Raven takes visitors on a journey of the transformation of darkness into light. In addition to Singletary's striking glass pieces, the exhibition features storytelling paired with original music, coastal Pacific Northwest soundscapes, and projected images.” (https://americanindian.si.edu/explore/exhibitions/item?id=976&utm_source=si.edu&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=exhibitions).
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Blue Rain Gallery Pops-Up in Alexandria, VA during Preston Singletary’s Exhibition Opening of “Raven and the Box of Daylight” at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian
January 28 – February 1, 2022
The Alexandrian Hotel, Old Town Alexandria
480 King Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
Hours: 10am - 6pm each day
Blue Rain Gallery will feature a collection of Preston Singletary’s glass sculpture in a special pop-up exhibition at the Alexandrian Hotel to compliment Preston Singletary’s exhibition opening.
Call the gallery at 505.954.9902 to find out about special receptions and discounted rates on lodging.
https://blueraingallery.com/events
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Available works by Preston Singletary: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/preston-singletary/view-all
Preston Singletary at Blue Rain Print Shop: https://bluerainprintshop.com/collections/preston-singletary
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Leroy on Artist with Brian Podcast
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1L3Mm4wZ3UT1ppcQUvgIKQ?si=c77815b964cc42f8
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/artist-with-brian/id1478451890?i=1000543400421
Follow Artist with Brian Podcast on Instagram @artistwithbrian
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Blue Rain Gallery Podcast
Hosted by Leroy Garcia
Produced by Leah Garcia
Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta
For four decades, Kim Martindale has been producing many of the countries most prestigious and successful art shows. Closely involved in the art world from an early age, Mr. Martindale has brought his professionalism and enthusiasm to all areas of his work.
(Courtesy of http://www.krmartindale.com)
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Blue Rain Print Shop https://bluerainprintshop.com
Blue Rain Gallery https://blueraingallery.com
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Hosted by Leroy Garcia
Produced by Leah Garcia
Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta
Podcast host and gallery owner, Leroy Garcia talks about season one of the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast.
Blue Rain Gallery
https://blueraingallery.com
Blue Rain Print Shop
https://bluerainprintshop.com
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Produced by Leah Garcia
Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta
Meet Robin Jones in this week's episode of the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast. Her show "One Thread" opens at Blue Rain Gallery October 29th with an Artist Reception from 5-7pm.
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Robin Jones left her career in the theater to paint. It came as a pivot in her life when she was trapped at home for two weeks during Hurricane Ike when she was living in Houston. This forced time at home inspired her to paint large abstract and figurative paintings, and she has focused on painting ever since.
Jones’s paintings are realistic portraits, both of young people and endangered animals, and sometime historical figures too. Young people, Jones feels “will inherit the planet that we leave them—and they are also among the strongest and most influential voices in the climate change and animal liberation movements.” She paints on aluminum rather than canvas, and often incorporates gold leaf into the overall composition. Jones says “I love using metal leaf in my paintings for multiple reasons. These metals are of the earth, they are considered ‘precious’, and therefore I feel they give a reverential quality to the subject matter (similar to the Madonna and Child paintings of the Gothic/Proto-Renaissance). I also love, aesthetically, the way the light reflects off of the metal, changing as the light in the space shifts.”
Her new series, One Thread, continues to honor the above key elements. The paintings are at once fresh and vibrant, yet profound and poetic. Robin Jones is an artist on the rise, and her work carries a message deserving of an audience. Do not miss an opportunity to see her new series of paintings at Blue Rain Gallery in October.
Available Works
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Hosted by Leroy Garcia
Produced by Leah Garcia
Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta
An introduction to the art of patina with artist Nathan Bennett and Leroy Garcia.
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Nathan Bennett describes the method as “using different metals and applying them through the use of fire and various chemicals to create colors on bronze.” The technique is just as complicated and as messy as it sounds, and it requires a great deal of time and patience to master. Bennett’s interest in art stemmed from a young age, receiving 2 university scholarships right out of high school to pursue his dreams. However, during a period of pain and confusion at the age of 18, Bennett was told, “take time to find yourself” and it was then that he found patina and his gift in mastering the art.
While discussing the process with the artist, one could hardly believe that Bennett doesn’t have a solid background in science and alchemy, considering the immense technical terminology and understanding that patina requires, but trial and error led him to create the most vibrant colors and beautiful images.
Even for those who are not aware of the complex patina process, Nathan Bennett’s art proves to be nothing short of compelling.
Available works by Nathan Bennett
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Hosted by Leroy Garcia
Produced by Leah Garcia
Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta
Rik Allen and Shelley Muzylowski Allen talk about their history and introduction to glass art on Zoom with Leroy Garcia
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While many of my pieces have reference to my curiosity of science, it is also important for me to convey humor and the lighthearted fun that rockets and fiction embody. Presently, I am working toward exploring simple forms that lend a sculptural venue and provide a theater of the human condition, while also making work related to natural science and its parallels in our culture and the human condition, all wrapped up in the form of a rocket. How funny is that?
-Rik Allen
Available works by Rik Allen
Animals such as horses and elephants occupy the artist's mind, surfacing in the work of Shelly Muzylowski Allen. With a fine art degree in painting, Allen never considered glass until a co-worker remarked that her paintings would translate well to the translucent and moldable medium. This inspired her to apply to the Pilchuck School of glass, where it quickly became evident that her co-worker was right. Her glass sculptures and paintings are adorned with rusted metals and hair, focusing on the strength as well as the stillness of animals. Muzylowski Allen's goal is to work flawlessly between the two mediums, mixing both painting and glass often in the same piece of artwork.
Available works by Shelley Muzylowski Allen
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Hosted by Leroy Garcia
Produced by Leah Garcia
Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta
Leroy introduces artist Erin Currier and learns about her upcoming show Passion, Pathos, and the Human Potential, opening at Blue Rain Gallery September 10th, 2021 from 5-7pm
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My artistic practice has taken me on a lifelong “shoestring” adventure—packed with action and magic—that has variously found me training in Beijing with Kung Fu masters; tango dancing in Buenos Aires; in riots in Chile; eating dinner on dirt floors with Tibetan exiles in Nepal and at the dinner tables of famed filmmakers in Italy; on the couches of Panthers and Weather Underground; in medicinal ceremonies in the Amazonian jungle; at Tahrir Square with a million Egyptians... I am a humanist artist: unapologetically narrative, and for whom art and the social world are inseparable. I use the proceeds of the sales of my art to witness the world firsthand—i.e.-when I sell a painting, I buy a plane ticket and go!
It all began with a natural integration of my sociopolitical beliefs with a sheer joy of art-making, and has since developed into an artistic praxis by which I integrate the human realm- its individuals, cultures, and struggles- with its refuse, in order to address the issues I feel most passionate about. I have been to more than 50 countries, immersing myself, to the best of my abilities, in the daily life of countries like Nepal and Nicaragua, cities such as Istanbul and Caracas, studying languages, getting around on foot or by bus, sketching, making friends, and collecting disinherited commercial “waste”. Inevitably I return to my studio in Santa Fe, NM, to create series of works that are exhibited and collected internationally.
-Erin Currier
Available works
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Visit Blue Rain Print Shop to bring fine art to every day life www.bluerainprintshop.com
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Hosted by Leroy Garcia
Produced by Leah Garcia
Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta
Leroy and Stetson ride down memory lane and talk about the meaning and process of making kachina dolls.
Available works by Stetson: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/stetson-honyumptewa
Produced by Leah Garcia
Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta
Dennis shares his experiences creating event posters.
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A native San Franciscan, Dennis graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the California College of the Arts. His knack for composition paired with his eye for color gave him a distinctive look and he was able to establish himself as an illustrator in San Francisco. Wanting to explore more opportunities as an illustrator, he moved to New York in 1980. While there, he flourished as an artist, which eventually led him to a successful career as one of the nation’s top illustrators. His compelling poster images include the NFL Super Bowl XXIX and the 2006 Kentucky Derby. His paintings were featured on many well-known book covers including, the Tales of the City series by Armisted Maupin, and several covers for authors Elmore Leonard and James Lee Burke. Dennis was the featured cover artist for Hemispheres, United Airlines in-flight magazine, the National Lampoon and, more recently, Western Art Collector, American Art Collector, Southwest Art, and the Jackson Hole Traveler.
Dennis’ strong and richly colored images borrow much of their inspiration from early 20th century paintings and posters. His early influences, J.C. Leyendecker, N.C. Wyeth, Ludwig Hohlwein and Tom Purvis, were all master designers in composition. The demands of illustration and poster design, with its simplified, sculpturally rendered images gave Dennis the discipline and draftsmanship that gives strength to his paintings today. Dennis is not only an artist, but has taught at the California College of the Arts, the Academy of Art in San Francisco, as well as Syracuse University in New York.
In 1986 he returned to his roots in California, bought property, and settled in the Sonoma wine country. About this time, Dennis turned his attention to fine art, when continuous requests of his original images were made and private paintings were commissioned. For the last 30 years, Dennis has been painting in oils for his galleries and private clients.
Dennis’ work is in the permanent collections of the Tucson Museum of Art, Bakersfield Museum of Art, the Booth Western Art Museum, Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West, and the Whitney Western Art Museum at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. Dennis is an Artist member of the California Art Club.
AVAILABLE WORKS
DENNIS ZIEMIENSKI AT BLUE RAIN PRINT SHOP
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Produced by Leah Garcia
Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta
Leroy introduces his good friend David Valdes on this week's episode of the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast
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While some artists naturally embrace the attention their fame brings them, there are other artists that shy away from the spotlight, and at the extreme, choose privacy and solitude in the studio. Without the constant examination of the public eye, the recluse artist is left to his own devices. Ironically, this insular environment only encourages speculation about their inspirations, reasoning, and artistic choices. Alberto Valdés (1918-1998) is such an artist and we have no choice but to conjecture about his artwork as it is now slowly emerging into the light of the public sphere.
Blue Rain Gallery is proud to continue to shed light and attention on Alberto Valdés, as the vibrancy of his paintings stand the test of time. At the very least, we propose that his artwork is certainly worthy of in-depth aesthetic examination, and in following suit, the artwork should elicit and demand further appreciation.
Available works
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Produced by Leah Garcia
Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta
Leroy Garcia and Susan Taylor Glasgow chat about the process behind making glass art...
Born in Superior, Wisconsin, Susan Taylor Glasgow grew up just across the tip of Lake Superior, in Duluth, Minnesota. She migrated south with the geese to the University of Iowa, graduating with a BFA in Design in 1983. After working in graphic design for a short period, Susan returned to the sewing skills passed on to her by her mother. Opening a dressmaking shop, Susan owned and operated “On Pins & Needles” from 1984 to1997 in both Iowa City, Iowa, and Columbia, Missouri. In 1997 Susan sold her dressmaking shop to pursue her original interest in art, focusing on glass. Utilizing her skills as a seamstress, Susan developed a unique approach to glass, stitching glass components together. Redefining "woman's work" in non-traditional mediums, Susan creates complex forms and imagery while exploring the dichotomy of women and societal expectations.
Susan Taylor Glasgow has work in the permanent collections of several national and international museums, including the Chrysler Museum, Carnegie, Imagine, and Berstrom-Mahler of the United States, and the Alexander Tutsek-Stiftung, Germany.
Available Works
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Produced by Leah Garcia
Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta
Leroy talks to Sean Diediker about the genesis of his career.
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Sean Diediker is a painter's painter. His sweeping, faceted brushstrokes and painterly surfaces generate works that reveal the artist's sensitivity to his medium and attention to the act of painting itself. Diediker assembles bold colors, chiaroscuro and a cutting-edge sense of design to create a highly original body of work that separates him from his contemporaries.
His imagery captures biblical allegories, narratives and concepts and renders them contemporary. Classical iconography, in Diediker's hands, becomes a thoroughly modern symbolic language that is fresh, visually striking, and germane to our times. "To me," states Diediker, "they seem to represent timeless ideas and situations. I have made an attempt to take these biblical concepts and, through contemporary subject matter, bring them closer to the viewer."
What the viewer is brought closer to are portraits, still-lives, landscapes and combinations of these forms that are balanced and timeless. All of Diediker's works are tied together by their solid sense of form and compositional structure. Whatever he paints, the same expressive vision and reaction to subject and medium are present. "I enjoy the whole creative process, taking an idea and constructing a painting around it," states Diediker, whose father is a general contractor, "I feel I paint much in the same way that my father would erect a building. Much thought in planning, careful design, step by step and layer upon layer, until the work is done and standing on its own."
The eldest of four brothers, Diediker is originally from Newbury Park, California. After his formal training in Fine Arts, he has lived and worked in the Rocky Mountains of Utah and has just recently returned from a year-long trek around the world. Travel and environment are important to the artist. "I enjoy using subjects that are tangible to me," states Diediker, "You might say that my work is directly affected by where I'm living, the people, city, landscape; the things I see every day. I enjoy observing the stimulus and reaction of different human situations. Environment should affect and artist's work; If it doesn't, you're painting decorations."
Available works
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CANVASING THE WORLD
A unique human-interest, half-hour television series told from the perspective of a painter. “I enjoy merging the techniques of old-world masters with modern-day media to create and share unique windows into humanity.” Sean Diediker – Host/Filmmaker/Artist.
A modern-day marriage of Jack Kerouac’s “On The Road” and Humans of New York, Canvasing The World details host Sean Diediker’s quest to explore the interplay between art and the human condition. The series takes viewers on adventures to exotic locations to explore creativity, absorb cultural diversity, and reveal the places that spark the inspiration for Sean’s original paintings.
Canvasing Santa Fe, New Mexico Episode
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Produced by Leah Garcia
Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta
Leroy Garcia and Matthew Sievers discuss works in Matthew's current show "Seeing Through a Painted Veil" at Blue Rain Gallery. The show will be up through June 19th, 2021.
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Matthew Sievers steps up to his easel with passion and energy, qualities that stream from his palette knife and brush in great sweeps of vibrant color and emotion. Sievers came to art at an early age, studying with his father, Gregory Sievers, an accomplished professional artist. They explored an array of mediums and styles together, and his father’s encouragement and guidance laid a solid foundation upon which Matthew’s talent could thrive and expand. “Our home was filled with art,” he says. “Outside my bedroom door hung an ink drawing of Charlie Chaplin, a cubist painting of a royal king and queen, and a diverse range of other artworks.” Within such a rich environment it is no surprise that Matthew felt free to experiment widely to find his own artistic voice.
When the time came, Sievers studied art formally at Brigham Young University-Idaho and Utah State University where he delved into a variety of mediums and subject matter. Traveling in Africa and Europe broadened his understanding of art as expressed in other cultures, but he still considers his father to be his greatest inspiration.
Sievers’ signature style is uniquely recognizable. Applying paint liberally and laying in his brush and palette knife work side by side allows the artist to sharply contrast soft passages with bold, expressive impasto textures. He is fascinated with how light on these different surfaces creates interest and varies the viewer’s experience from day to night. Combined with his preference for glowing color, these are works with an underlying sense of joyousness that increasingly draw collectors’ appreciation.
Sievers’s newest work explores abstraction in the individual elements and beauty of the human form: “My figurative series is an expression of the beauty I see in people doing everyday things,” he says. “I’m trying to convey a scene without getting distracted by the details or over-rendering the likeness, to move instead toward capturing the essence of my subjects.”
Available works:
https://blueraingallery.com/artists/matthew-sievers/view-all
Produced by Leah Garcia
Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta
Everything you need to know about collecting art from acquisitions to deaccession.
https://blueraingallery.com/collections
Produced by Leah Garcia
Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta
Starr Hardridge is an enrolled member of the Muscogee Creek Nation and was raised throughout central Oklahoma. His work uses an assemblage of pointillism and southeastern woodland bead work aesthetic. Schooled in traditional disciplines of classical painting, his style continues to evolve with an abstract symbolism influenced by a struggle for balance within the natural world. His bold use of color and geometry wield a modern twist inspired by Muscogee patterns and designs.
Hardridge's work is featured in the nationally touring group exhibition of South Eastern artists in Return From Exile. A show focusing on resilience and resistance of the Southeastern Native American tribes removed to the Oklahoma territories. His work was selected by the Pendelton Woolen Mills as their 2015 Legendary Blanket Artist. He was also awarded 1st place in the division of painting from the prestigious Southwestern Association on Indian Artists (SWAIA) in 2012. In 2012 Starr was also invited to attend the American Indian Watercolor Salon Exhibit in Paris France. In 1998 he Co founded Architecture Studios Inc., a Decorative finish and design firm.
Starr Hardridge's work can be found in the Five Civilized Tribes Museum Permanent Collection, Dr. Jace Weaver Private Collection, as well as other private collections throughout the country.
Available Works
Starr Hardridge at Blue Rain Print Shop
Produced by Leah Garcia
Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta
PRESTON SINGLETARY AND JODY NARANJO: A Collaboration in Glass III opens Friday March 26th from 5 to 7pm at Blue Rain Gallery
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"Being surrounded by a distinguished family of accomplished artists and educators is both inspiring as well as challenging. Jody Naranjos grandmother, mother, and aunts are world-renowned potters from a pueblo known for its potters. They certainly motivate her, but to stand out, one must constantly challenge ones own ideas and "strive to do ones very very best," Naranjo says. "I change the traditional colors of black and red in the firing. I prefer brown and the mid-range colors. I also play with shapes-squares and asymmetrical forms. One of my distinctive traits is sgraffito [etching] over the entire pot. And I try not to take myself too seriously...I use a lot more humor than most potters."
At 15, Naranjo was under the portal at the Palace of the Governors on the Plaza in Santa Fe selling her own pots. After everyone else had given up, she would endure bitter snow and cold as passersby marveled that such a young girl could produce such beautiful pieces. By 19, she was selling directly to gallery owners who recognized her outstanding talent. Two years later she won an award with her first entry in the Santa Fe Indian Market competition with a pot called "My brother deer-danced, so I gave feast."
Though her techniques are traditional, Naranjos designs, shapes, and colors are modern. Many of her pots tell stories, many are decorated with children. Her two young daughters are already picking up and playing with clay much to Naranjos pleasure. Even in their pre-teens she sees the familiar trait of carrying on the legacy of a great pottery family. Her grandmother is in her eighties and still making pottery, and Naranjo hopes to be like her."
Available Works:
https://blueraingallery.com/artists/jody-naranjo
Jody Naranjo at Blue Rain Print Shop:
https://bluerainprintshop.com/collections/jody-naranjo
Produced by Leah Garcia
Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta
Blue Rain Gallery Owner, Leroy Garcia and Tlingit Artist, Preston Singletary sit down with Museum of New Mexico Foundation for a conversation on Native Glass Art.
Recorded October 2020
Produced by Leah Garcia
Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta
Chris Pappan is a Chicago-based artist of Kaw, Osage, and Cheyenne River Sioux heritage. His artwork is based on American Indian ledger drawings of the mid to late 19th Century, and through use of evocative imagery and mixed media, his work has an undeniable 21st Century twist.
https://www.blueraingallery.com/artists/chris-pappan/view-all
Produced by Leah Garcia
Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta
Moving to the West in 2005 was a life-changing event that brought Kathryn Stedham face-to-face with a true calling: painting the infinite spaces of the American Southwest. Little did she realize at the time, that this would combine two personal rudiments: painting and contemplation. Forever fascinated with stories about the West and Westward Expansion she explains, “I would happily board a time machine, if there were such a thing, to experience first-hand this important period in American history and our connection to the land.”
Feeling an urgency to portray this space, rooting out the mystic snippets of a quickly vanishing landscape, Stedham seeks to capture its raw elegance in the rapidly changing light, vast distances, rugged escarpments, colorful mesas and hidden arroyos—to excavate the bones of existence in this terrain where the West is still wild and free and to be an explorer of this ineffable mystery.
Trained as an Academic Realist, Stedham began her career as a figurative painter. But her interest evolved, through a period of pure abstraction, into the gestural Alla Prima painting style for which she is known today. This approach combines representational landscape forms with an expressionistic modernist sensibility.
Stedham has exhibited as an artist for over 35 years and her paintings have been featured in public and private collections throughout the United States, Europe, Japan, and Canada. She is a long-time student in the Sanbo lineage of Zen Buddhism. In addition to her studio practice, Stedham travels internationally, rides horses and teaches oil painting workshops. Stedham currently lives and works in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
https://blueraingallery.com/artists/kathryn-stedham/view-all
Produced by Leah Garcia
Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta
Bryce Pettit grew up surrounded by nature. His deep love for the world around him and his desire to create art has always been closely linked. Upon entering college, he studied biology and the natural sciences followed by graduate studies in ecology. Eventually his passion for art became undeniable and he focused full-time on an art career.
At first Bryce took any sculpting job that he could find, including sculpting for a variety of architectural and hardware companies. Following his innate curiosity, Bryce learned the science and industrial mechanics of bronze casting and metallurgy. He immersed himself in understanding the foundry process and, in turn, mastered each step.
These early years of intensive learning gave him the skills to unleash his creativity. Bryce traveled the country attending shows and exhibiting his sculptures anywhere there was a willing audience. Eventually his work began to be widely recognized and appreciated. Bryce has now been a professional sculptor for nearly 20 years. He created several large public works including pieces for the Tulsa International Airport, the Maritime Museum in Ludington Michigan, the Na ‘Aina Kai Botanical Gardens in Kawai, Hawaii as well a collection of libraries and schools. Bryce currently lives in Durango, Colorado surrounded by the mountains and rivers he loves.
Produced by Leah Garcia
Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta
Larry D Blissett's show "Can You Dig My Vibrations" opens Friday January 29th at 5pm. Group Howl at 6pm. Masks required.
"'Art brut,' 'outsider art,' 'abstract,' 'expressionist'- these are all labels for a newer, different way of putting ideas out there to share with others. I was born in Texas and the Southwest has a large influence on my subjects and palette. Most times they are not delicate... I like a wild and free aspect in my work and I hope you do as well. My paintings I would describe as "loner art." It just comes forth from my hand. I don't really have too much of a say in it on most occasions. Replications of any particular piece will rarely, if ever, come out looking the same. None of my art can be accused of looking like a photograph. I'm into the colors, the textures and the brush marks."
-Larry D Blissett
Produced by Leah Garcia
Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta
Leroy Garcia talks about his new business endeavor, Blue Rain Print Shop.
You can visit the print shop at www.bluerainprintshop.com
Produced by Leah Garcia
Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta
A dedicated chronicler of the daily life of the Navajo, Hyrum Joe evinces a keen eye and a deft hand as he lovingly depicts quotidian scenes that convey the quiet dignity and humanity of his people. Joe eschews the abstract symbolism that characterizes much Native art, preferring instead to marry impressionism with realism. “Although I love the images from the rock art and other sources that inspire a lot of contemporary Native work, I’m personally attracted to the classical European style of figurative drawing and painting,” he says. Whereas his previous work has delved into historical events and scenes to tell the story of a shifting Native American identity in the face of cultural and economic challenges, his latest body of work focuses on the more recent past, from around 1950 to the present. “I’m particularly fascinated by the trading post culture, for example,” he explains, “which is a more modern development. I enjoy exploring the relationship between the Navajo and the white man, and how they’ve grown together through the experience of becoming trading partners. I like seeing people from different cultures working together, rather than against one another.” Although he works primarily in oils these days, Joe still likes to draw in pencil and charcoal as well. Whatever the medium, his highly detailed representations of the Navajo lifestyle offer evocative glimpses of an enduring culture. The result is a sense of intimacy that transcends cultural barriers and brings viewers of his art new insights into the Native American experience.
https://blueraingallery.com/artists/hyrum-joe
Produced by Leah Garcia
Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta
Jim Vogel deftly weaves color and emotion, detail and shape into paintings that reflect life and land in New Mexico. Vogel hails from a family of storytellers, so each of his works tells its own tale of the land, the culture, and the common man's struggle. Vogel's storytelling continues including paintings which depict New Mexican folklore and myths that have crossed cultures and been told for generations. "I'm trying to put images to these stories I've heard over and over from my mother and father," says the artist. Vogel is also well known for his paintings featuring New Mexican landscapes and rural life, many of which feature beautiful hand-made tin, and antique, frames.
https://blueraingallery.com/artists/jim-vogel
Produced by Leah Garcia
Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta
"My work explores the relationship between nature and emotion. There is often an emphasis on movement, composition and visual texture. I am inspired by modern culture, nature, meditation and microeconomics. Someone once told me I was spoon-fed art as a child, this is true. I’m the fourth generation of the only female painting dynasty on my maternal side, and the daughter of a fine art custom picture framer and artist on my paternal side. In my creative process, I often start with what I have, finding inspiration in the challenge of best using what is in front of me. Once I begin a piece, it tends to evolve into an intentional meditation. I hope my work evokes any type of an emotional response in the viewer and starts a dialogue. I aspire to leave an impression." -Helen K. Tindel
https://blueraingallery.com/artists/helen-k-tindel
Produced by Leah Garcia
Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta
"The Southwest is my rich pallet for creative inspiration. Time spent out on the land is where I feel most grounded. Watching the sky's changing light, with heroic cloud forms overhead ... these feed my artist's eye. I love that the land here is exposed and wide open to long distant horizons. New Mexico resonates deeply with my spirit as an artist. I am most interested in capturing what speaks of the expanse and the connection that ties us to this place in a timeless, memorable way." — Doug West
Doug West has been capturing the magical skies and environment of the great Southwest for over 30 years. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally with well over 50 one man shows, along with an extensive list of publications and thousands of serious art patrons who have collected his work.
https://blueraingallery.com/artists/doug-west
Produced by Leah Garcia
Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta
One of the originators of the Western Pop Art movement, Billy Schenck incorporates techniques from Photorealism with a Pop Art sensibility to both exalt and poke fun at images of the West. Schenck is known for utilizing cinematic imagery reproduced in a flattened, reductivist style, where colors are displayed side-by-side rather than blended or shadowed. In the August 2014 issue of SouthwestArt magazine, his work was described as “a stance … a pendulum between the romantic and the irreverent.”
Schenck’s artwork is now in 48 museum collections, including Smithsonian Institution, Denver Art Museum, The Autry Museum of Western Heritage, Booth Western Art Museum, Tucson Museum of Art, Phoenix Art Museum, the Mesa Southwest Museum, Museum of the Southwest, Midland TX, Albuquerque Fine Arts Museum and the New Mexico Museum of Art. Private collections include the estate of Malcolm Forbes, Laurance Rockefeller, the estate of Fritz Scholder, and Sylvester Stallone. Corporate collections include American Airlines, IBM, Sony, and Saatchi & Saatchi.
With over 100 solo shows in the U.S. and Europe, career highlights include the Denver Art Museum’s 2011 Western Horizons, the 2013 Utah Museum of Fine Art’s exhibit Bierstadt to Warhol: American Indians in the West, and Masters of the American West Fine Art Exhibition, at the Autry National Center in Los Angeles.
A genuine cowboy himself, Schenck is a ranch-sorting world champion and the proprietor of the Double Standard Ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico, his home for the past two decades.
https://blueraingallery.com/artists/billy-schenck
Produced by Leah Garcia
Music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta
In the first episode of the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast, gallery owner and host Leroy Garcia introduces himself and offers a glimpse into his journey through the art world.
Music by: Mozart Gabriel Abeyta