About Our Artists
Sabinita Lopez Ortiz
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Sabinita Lopez Ortiz is a Living Treasure, a New Mexico Spanish carver from the northern village of Cordova on the High Road to Taos. She is now 85 years old and still producing her distinctive carvings. Her work is in the Smithsonian. She was taught to carve by her uncle, George Lopez when she was a little girl. This nativity by Sabinita has the famous arch with leaves. Little carved birds rest on the leaves. The light wood is aspen. The darker wood is red cedar. The piece is seventeen and a half inches tall.
Sylvia Begaye
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Sylvia Begaye is a Navajo artist who lives in Fort Defiance, Arizona. Susans Christmas Shop has sold Sylvia’s work for many years. Her work includes Navajo nativities, mother and grandmother angel ornaments and Navajo Christmas wreaths. She makes soft fabric sculptured figures that look like Navajo people using stockings, soft velvets and various other plush fabrics to create her Navajo dolls. Each doll has a hand-painted face and other culture specific details.
Carlton Gallegos
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Carlton Gallegos is a Pueblo Indian from Santa Ana Pueblo, close to Bernalillo, New Mexico.Wheat straw appliqué is usually considered a colonial technique from the Spanish. It is often seen at Spanish Market on the plaza in Santa Fe in July. It is sometimes called “Poor Man’s Gold” because it reflects the light. When he realized that there were two elderly men in his pueblo who made wheat straw appliqué crosses, Carlton taught himself how to do it so that the art would not be lost when they died. Carlton is now the only Pueblo Indian who makes them. He flattens the wheat straw, cuts it with precision, and glues the bits of wheat straw to a wooden cross he has painted black. He paints most of the crosses with a touch of turquoise pain and glues a bit of turquoise in the center. The Corn, Sun, Clouds and Rain design seems to be a prayer to grow corn. Carlton grows corn.
Bobby Garcia
​Rustic tin crosses accented with genuine turquoise stones are made by Bobby Garcia of Chimayo. In the traditional style of northern New Mexico, Bobby's tin is from one of New Mexico's oldest santuarios, Santuario de Chimayo, a sacred pilgrimage site for hundreds of years. These crosses are very popular and a sought souvenir of Santa Fe. Each cross is seven inches tall and four inches wide.
James & Elyse Simpson
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Alvin and Adrian Leon
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Adrian and Alvin Leon are brothers from Acoma Pueblo who make detailed miniature Hopi kachinas. As a guide to the details, both brothers use the book Hopi Kachinas The Complete Guide to Collecting Kachina Dolls by Barton Wright. Each miniature kachina by Adrian or Alvin is authentic. The name ion each kachina is on the bottom of the base
Nicholas Madrid
Nicholas Madrid is a northern New Mexican Santero, specializing in traditional punched tin work. Historically, this new metal form on the frontier was seen as valuable. His nativities include ornamental punched tin and prints of his mother's artwork. Nicholas can be found at Santa Fe's renowned Spanish Market.
Louise Ortega Alvarez
Louise's nativities and angels are made rom driftwood she finds along the lakesides of New Mexico's great outdoors. She is the youngest child of the late, famed Ben Ortega of Santa Fe, renowned for hand carved wooden figures of St. Francis. Louise signs her work with her maiden name, Louise Ortega. Each nativity and angel are one-of-a-kind masterpieces
Angelo Le Rouge
Also a descendant of the late Ben Ortega, Angelo Le Rouge is nephew to Louise Ortega. As he has begun to develop his own carving style, his work has grown in popularity at Susan's Christmas Shop. These carvings are timeless and collectable.
Maxine Toya
Maxine is the talented daughter of Marie Romero. She began her journey by helping her family with pottery chores. This ia a familiar pattern among Pueblo families. She made her own pottery beginning in 1974. Maxine's work is similar to her mother's pottery and like her mother, she is also a prize winning potter at Santa fe's annual Indian Market held each August. Maxine's nativities are considered museum quality.
