Roseta Santiago- The Spirit of a Studio

Roseta Santiago's paintings are evocative and alluring. A singular, ancient pot sitting  on a wooden shelf quietly tells the story of the long-ago hands that shaped it and the lives that it touched and served.  And her paintings dance and play with light.

Photography by C. Whitney-Ward

She is drawn to simple, seductive, beautiful vessels; her home/studio is filled with her vast collection of pots.

"Sometimes my paintings are called storytelling paintings," says Santiago. who sees a story in each pot or carefully-chosen object that she paints. "I see these storage vessels being filled and unfilled with ancient grains and spices and teas, and I feel the hands that made them and the lives they nourished. I get to paint what happened 'yesterday' and I get to play with and honor these magical artifacts."

And all of that takes place in her downtown studio/ home, tucked just behind the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. 

When you step through the front door, the foyer is filled with unique furniture and a floor to ceiling wall where Santiago can showcase a finished painting or hang an unfinished canvas waiting to be transformed. 

"I don't live in a house that has a separate studio space; my whole house is my studio," says Santiago, who can move her easel and paints from room to room,

 where ever her mood takes her. And there is beautiful light pouring

 through windows and skylights.

And she has filled her rooms with eclectic, textural treasures...

Even her brushes are tucked into charming vessels...

 

And paintings she admires from other artists pepper the walls...

How and when do you paint?

"I paint every day. I get up between 5:30 and 6:00, make coffee and then paint. But I do go out for 'oxygen' breaks. I'll go to a gallery, look around and then come back and paint.  I think it's important to stay in contact with the outside world. But, It's really all about permission. I give myself 100% permission to paint 14 hours a day or just a few hours a day."

And she never paints from a white canvas. "I always begin by putting layers of color onto the canvas. It adds a kind of rhythm to my work and it's more fun to paint on top of that. Sometimes I'll even scrape layers off, creating an interesting underlying pre-painting".

And she is very, very organized about her work.

"When I paint I like to paint with total freedom. That means that I have to be organized and well versed in my tools and techniques - knowing instinctively about dark and light, value and temperature, and how to manipulate the viewer's eye."

What do you love most about your studio?

"This space gives me peace and support. The garden outside is quiet and everything inside is in its place. Every comfort level is available and it's all supportive of what I'm doing."

Her latest...

ROSETA SANTIAGO
BLUE RAIN GALLERY
130 Lincoln Ave.
505.954.9902

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KAI SUSHI & DINING - A DELICIOUS NEWCOMER

Photos  by C. Whitney-Ward

Just opened two weeks, this crisp and inviting sushi dining spot is a delightful and delicious destination. Large paper lantern-lights hang from the ceiling, tall black banquettes give a wonderful sense of privacy, and the walls are painted a luscious and eye-popping shade of green. 

Owned by Sara Riveria and Hyon Pak (everyone calls him Pak) and named after their four-year old son, KAI will not only appeal to sushi aficionados who want everything intriguing and fresh, but to anyone with a keen sense of Japanese aesthetic. The food arrives at table artistically plated - a delight for the eye as well as the palate.  

Nari, the Sushi Chef lft. & Owner Pak rt.

Sara Roll - shrimp tempura, cucumber and avocado, topped with spicy crab & Masago caviar. Beautiful, beautiful presentation and lovely flavors.

KAI offers a varied menu - tempting starters, lunch and dinner entrées, and a nice selection of sushi & sushi rolls and bento boxes.  Lots of delicious temptation here.  I tried the Tempura Shrimp Bento and it was a feast, The tempura batter was  light and crisp on the outside, and the veggies - sweet potato, mushrooms, zucchini - were perfectly cooked on the inside. And it was my first taste of a Japanese Tootsie Roll  (upper rt. in photo below),  an intriguing taste mingling of salmon, tuna and scallions.

And there's a small Kids Menu that's priced just right.

KAI Sushi & Dining

720 St. Michael's Drive

Plaza del Sol

 (next to Kinkos) 

505.438.7221

WOMEN OF SANTA FE @ THE FLEA

I've been accused of taking very few photos of Santa Fe women. And, as I look at the  "Faces of Santa Fe" sidebar, I see the error of my ways.  So, here goes...

Photos by C. Whitney-Ward

And this is her truck...

The middle parts of the truck are swell too.

She didn't think she was photogenic...silly girl.

A Wonder Woman/Virgin of Guadalupe

And Georgia O'keeffe, of course.

No doubt on the gender here.

A feminine blast from the past - a charm bracelet.

 And I loved the jeweler's comment:

"Let's take all those sentiments/memories that we're putting on Facebook and twitter

 and put them back on our wrists." You've got my vote!

And this was the "smartest" woman I spotted today. She came prepared for the frigid winds that were a blowin'.

Photographed at The Flea - now open weekends at the Downs.