Marco A. Oviedo

Marco A. Oviedo is an eighth generation descendent of a family of woodworkers and woodcarvers who originated in Oviedo, the capital of the province of Asturias in Spain. Marco learned woodcarving from his grandfather. Since the early seventies he has interpreted New Mexico religious folk art styles and southwest designs in his creations.

Marco makes traditional wooden saints, but he goes beyond the boundaries of tradition by creating santos in bronze. Marco begins by carving a wooden statue. Then by following the lost wax technique he replicates the carving in bronze. A final patina is produced with special chemicals to simulate a color that is produced by the natural pigments used in traditional santos. This process preserves the essence of New Mexican polychrome saints and retains the wood grain of their original medium.

Inspired by the expression reflected in Native American prehistoric art which he admires and respects, Marco has extended his repertoire to bronze sculptures of animal fetishes or images derived from petroglyphs. These figures preserve the simple lines of the prehistoric art expression.

Marco is proud to have his family share in the production of his work. His wife, Patricia, paints the wooden saints he carves and his sister, Rosalina, produces the wonderful patinas in his bronze sculptures. His sons, Oliver, Tony and J.J. are responsible for the actual casting of the bronze at the family foundry in addition to making their own bronze sculptures of woodcarvings.

Awards
Marco was awarded first prize for pieces exhibited at the 1986 and 1988 Traditonal Spanish Market in Santa Fé, NM. He also received the Tillie Gabaldon-Stark Memorial Award in 1979, and the E. Boyd Memorial Award for a traditional piece in 1980, 1982 and 1984. His pieces are displayed in museums, galleries and homes of serious collectors across America. Articles on his work have appeared in Sunset Magazine, Bon Appetit, National Geographic, New Mexico Magazine, and various local publications. His life and work are subjects of chapters in books written about New Mexico folk art.

http://www.art-at-oviedo-ranch.com
http://www.collectorsguide.com

Olivia Medina

Olivia Medina is a New Mexico Santera known locally for her vision and natural style. She is a self-taught artist who's inspiration comes from New Mexico's land and its people. Her primary art passion is oil painting and portrait drawing, but also included are intaglio, printmaking, watercolor and charcoal drawing. Her works have been exhibited in galleries and regional invitational shows. Her paintings and etchings are presently displayed in private collections in many areas of the United States, Germany and India.

Medina say's "My art is an expression of my soul. I prefer realism in my work and let color and subject speak for itself. I try to convey the wisdom and joy of my heart. I am committed in preserving my spiritual and traditional way of life by being a New Mexico Santera. My art is a projection of an inner need for completeness and inner peace which I shall continue to create until I can do no more."

Olivia Medina lives in Las Cruces, NM., she is a Secretary in the Art Department at New Mexico State University. She can be reached at the following e-mail address. olmedina@nmsu.edu

Diego Leonardo Rivera Arredondo

Ex-Voto Painter
One of the few ex-voto painters that can be found in cental Mexico. He is very well know in the area. He can be commissioned to paint your story and or the miracle that you seek. He say's he is a distant relative of the famous Mexican painter, Diego Rivera.

He is a very nice man who was kind enough to allow us an entire afternoon to interview him, even though we had no appointment and had never spoke to him in person nor by telephone before tracking him down Guanajuato in August of 2000.

Telephone
011-52-2-40-90
011-52-3-9-96

Mailing Address
San Cayetano 26
Departemento-4
Guanajuato, Guanajuato

Charles M. Carrillo

Museum-quality tradional New Mexico santos made with hand-adzed ponderosa pine, homemade pigments, piñon sap varnish, and cottonwood root. Link on to http://www.nmsantos.com for more info on Charles M. Carrillo, the premier site for Hispanic Arts & Culture of the American Southwest. Great info on the following Artists/Santeros from the Southwest, galleries/museums History/research info Santos, Santos and more Museum of New Mexico/Museum of International Folk Art http://www.museumofnewmexico.org »

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