A
crowd watches while Roseta Santiago
paints a live model dressed in a hat
and coat. In the background, a Spanish
guitarist plays his instrument. He notices
Santiago’s muse, walks up to her and grabs her
by the hand. She throws off her coat, unveiling
a salsa dress, and the duo starts dancing in
perfect harmony around the crowd. This is just
one surprise that visitors can expect during
Santiago’s demo for her upcoming show at
Blue Rain Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
“That’s the kind of unexpected things that
happen in my world,” she says.
The show, which runs August 30 to
September 14, is titled Encantado, which
translates to “charmed” in Spanish. As the
title suggests, Santiago is enchanted with the
people, places and things she incorporates into
each work.
“It’s all about commitment, fearlessness
and lots of imagination,” she explains.
“I let my imagination lead me to wherever it’sgoing. I found that’s what I want to paint most
and I should stick with that. When you start
analyzing the market you might get really good
at figuring out what will sell, but then you’re no
longer painting from the heart.”
Since narratives play a central role in
Santiago’s work, its essential they are just
as important to the artist as they are to the
people she portrays. Her models are not just
models, but a part of the fantastic world she
is creating and Santiago likes to take the timeEye for enchantment
R S
UPCOMING SHOW
Up to 15 works
Aug. 30-Sept. 14
Blue Rain Gallery
544 S. Guadalupe Street , Santa Fe,
NM 87501, (505) 954-9902
http://www.blueraingallery.comSHOW LOCATION SANTA FE, NM
Journey of the Heart, oil on linen, 48 x 60”