Santa Fe, NM, Spanish Market: Folk Artist Peter Ortega

Last weekend in Santa Fe was Spanish Market, a community and international event featuring Spanish Colonial Artforms: arts and crafts done in traditional style with painstaking detail. Actually, there are two Spanish Markets, the traditional one and its contemporary counterpart. Both are mind boggling, with over 350 artists along with music, food, dancing and hordes of local and international visitors.


One artist whose work blew me away was folk artist Peter Ortega who carves angels and saints, both large and small, out of wood.

Pete can make an Angel Gabriel from a dead tree branch.

I think this fisherman angel is San Pasqual, patron saint of cooks. 
(Edited 8/2 evening) Pete says this is Archangel Rafael, the healer. He adds, "San Pasqual also has fish but with bread and wine (for the cook):))"

 

I liked the little birds on this tree.

But my favorite was a St. Francis carving as tall as I. 

 

If our house were bigger, I'd buy St. Francis, for sure.

Looking at the ginormous volume of art at Spanish Market was like trying to drink from a fire hose. I couldn't take it all in properly, so you can bet I will be there next year.