Art of a Studio - Leonel Capparelli

A R T I S T  .   D E S I G N E R  .   R E S T O R E R

Photos by C.  Whitney-Ward

LEONEL  CAPPARELLI  IS PASSIONATE ABOUT WOOD.

He gathers it, slices great chunks of it into beautifully-grained boards, and marries them with gathered Colonial architectural elements to make unique, one-of-a-kind furniture and accessories. A native of Uruguay -  born to Italian parents - Leonel moved to Santa Fe in 1986 and opened his  shop.  Over the years he has  honed his skills, stretched his design sensibilities and cultivated clients. He has done collections and commissioned pieces for Ralph Lauren, Bloomingdale's and the  Max Factor family. Here in Santa Fe you can see his work at the Inn of the Anasazi, Hotel Loretto and most recently,  the St. Francis Hotel.

Leonel collects New Mexican and Mexican antiques and his great barn-of-a-building, tucked just off E. Rodeo Road, is brimming with eclectic finds - many that he has painstakingly restored.

This beautiful religious statue was found in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico and is in the throes of being restored.

A soft brush begins the process of sweeping away layers of loose paint. Then the real work begins - filling  and repairing cracks, re-painting and restoring her to

her near-original self.

Usually clients will come in, Leonel explains, roam around and find an artifact they would like incorporated into a piece of furniture. Occasionally they will bring in a piece that they love and want re-cycled into something quite different - a  treasured headboard into a table, for example.  Leonel will do drawings...

And once approved, he and his staff create the piece in a huge workspace, filled with  electric saws, sanders and stacks of just-cut wood panels.

What emerges is a beautiful amalgam of woods and a unique

 hand-wrought treasure. Rescued from the Past - Preserved for the Future.

H A N D S   O F  A M E R I C A

401 E. Rodeo Road

505.983.5550

www.handsofamericainc.com

Santa Fe Snippets

An afternoon stroll in Santa Fe is a photographer's delight.

Here's what I snapped....

Photos by C. Whitney-Ward





And the cloudless sky...

Photos taken at the Railyard,  downtown Santa Fe and Canyon Road



The Thrill of the Hunt - Santa Fe Consignment Shops

D I S C O V E R E D -  T H E   B E A T   G O E S   O N

I love consignment shops, but they're not all created equal. The Beat Goes On, owned

by Suzie Kriger, is a cut above. I just discovered it about 6 months ago, probably

because it's tucked into a small off-the-street building on Guadalupe and you

have to know it's there. But there's free parking out front

which makes it a snap to run in and peruse.

Photos by C. Whitney-Ward

"This is a place to come and have fun - it's a community,"

says Kriger who's lived in Santa Fe for the past 16 years and been active

in retail for fifty years. She began when she was five, she assures me!

And Kriger's pal Beatrice, was born the day the store

opened 13 years ago and is always at her side.

If you live in Santa Fe The Beat is a great place to bring your stuff  to sell and re-cycle.

 And if you're just visiting, it's a great place to pick up

some Santa Fe duds to take home.

Men's clothes too.  And, lots of faux fur.

They stock some nifty couture clothes and I always make a bee-line to the New Arrivals section.

T H E   B E A T   G O E S   O N

33 Montezuma Ave - Corner of Guadalupe St.

505.982.7877