Santos of Spanish New Mexico, A Coloring Book - Paperback

by Al Chapman (Author)

The mystery. The rich heritage. The haunting sorrow and mesmerizing beauty captured in the solemn eyes of the saints. Explore the world of the Northern New Mexican Santo in this coloring book unlike any other. "Santos of Spanish New Mexico" is a perfect introduction for both young and old into the art of carving and painting images of saints that represent the care and love of the community that the Santero (maker of saint images) comes from. The Santero is a self-taught craftsman who utilizes handmade tools, pine, aspen, cedar or cottonwood root to fashion representations, figurines, and objects in honor of the patron deities brought to the New World by their ancestors during the late 16th century. Learn a little about the saints and the various depictions you can recognize anywhere throughout Northern New Mexico. A tradition handed down from generation to generation, the art of making Santos is still very much alive and thriving in this special region of the world. Care has been taken to be faithful to the artistic details of the original works. Like the folk art he has endeavored to reproduce, Al Chapman's drawings in this book are simple and sincere. This book is a good companion to "What is a New Mexico Santo?" by Eluid Levi Martinez and "Santos, A Coloring Book of New Mexico Saints" by Marie Romero Cash, both from Sunstone Press.

Back Jacket

Santos, the folk art of the Santero (maker of saint images), are depictions of religious figures in the form of bultos (carvings in the round) or retablos (paintings on wooden panels). The Santero is usually a self-taught craftsman who utilizes handmade tools to fashion representations of the saints dear to his family and community. These figures and objects are usually made from pine, aspen, cedar or cottonwood root. Yeso (gesso) is first applied and the paints made from vegetal and mineral products are used to finish the piece. This book makes a good companion to "What is a New Mexico Santo?" by Eluid Levi Martinez, also published by Sunstone Press.