Sophie N. Garcia, Traditional Spanish Colonial Retablos
Tour Stop Number: 152 or 3 days: 2
Type of Stop: Artist
Category: Painting and Woodworking
Email: sngarcia930@gmail.com
Traditional Spanish Colonial Retablos
I, Sophie Garcia was born and raised in Northern New Mexico. My parents were devout Catholics and we all attended mass regularly. As a small child, I was fascinated by the historic altar screen at the Santa Cruz Catholic Church. I asked my father who were the Saints that were portrayed on the altar screen of our beloved church. They looked friendly and humble, and I liked them! My father explained what he knew about them and that they were hundreds of years old. This was my first real encounter with art. Anytime we visited El Santuario de Chimayo or any other church or chapel, I admired the beautifully carved crosses, painted retablos, and bultos of Jesus Cristo and our beloved Saints. Our churches became our museums. I was fortunate to have Father Casimiro Roca as my Spanish teacher at Holy Cross Parochial School. He taught us that we had a beautiful heritage left to us by our forefathers who had preserved our Catholic faith, introduced the Saints and created visual images for prayer and devotion by painting them on wood sometimes animal hides. This became the Spanish Colonial Art that we all enjoy today. After my retirement from the Espanola Public Schools of 35 years, I knew what I wanted to do; I wanted to paint retablos. This was something I thought about doing for so long! I have enjoyed painting retablos because it is a spiritual time for me and I thank God for this privilege and honor.