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I am a realist painter of American Indians, their culture, traditions and their heritage. My home is in Santa Fe, New Mexico; with its galleries, artists, and natural light and beautiful surroundings which I consider the best place to create and live. Growing up here among the Northern Pueblo Indians has become my life, my passion and the subject of my paintings. For me it’s all about the figure, whether it’s a life size painting of an Apache Gann or a portrait of a Tribal Governor, the design, composition and execution of the work with the correct anatomy of the figure, the color and texture of the paint, all must come together for the painting to really work. My paintings are created by first attending native gatherings and powwows, where I make quick gesture sketches and take reference photos to create my final drawings. I work primarily on Russian or Belgian linen, unless the piece is very large, in which case, I use cotton canvas. After the drawing is complete, I begin the piece by working under color corrected lighting, filling in the dark areas first and working towards the light areas. I am constantly striving to treat the painting as a whole rather than concentrate on a small area, so that eventually, everything comes together. Currently I am working on 3 different series of paintings; the first is the Matachines of San Juan Pueblo in northern New Mexico. The Matachines perform a sacred dance that has been done consecutively on December 24, 25 since 1580 AD. The Second is the Apache Gaan from the Mescalero Apache of southern New Mexico and the Chiracaua Apache from the San Carlos reservation in Arizona. The Gaan are spirits that live inside mountains and caves in Apache territory and manifest themselves as humans. The third and last are Monumental portraits of American Indians from across the United States in a very large 4’x 6’ format. The purpose of my painting is to bring out the spiritual and overwhelming essence that I have been privileged to witness every time I attend these American Indian gatherings.
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