| |
|
 |
VIRGINIA MARIA ROMERO A VISIONARY SANTERA
|
| |
| |
| |
2011 - Volume 2 Issue 1
Casas Bonitas
Art & Accessories
|
| |
Article: Joe Burgess
Photos: Courtesy of Artist |
| |
|
|
| |
|
| |
| |
My work can fill a space in any home – it’s a matter of personal attraction,” states Las Cruces artist Virginia Maria Romero. “The architecture of my personal home was strongly influenced by New Mexico’s confluence of Spanish, Mexican and Native American cultures, but any wall, nicho, mantle or corner can be the perfect location for a retablo or tile. A large piece or perhaps a group of smaller works can enhance a wall, depending on available space and the homeowner’s preference.”
| |
|
Photo Captions
1a.) Lone Wolf X hangs in the Las Cruces home of Vic and Pam Crane.
1b.) Joyce Leverett added A Different Breed to the décor of her Las Cruces home.
2a.) Inspired by “living in New Mexico and my beliefs in miracles,” Romero created the Cristo & Guadalupe Door (right) using homemade pigments, piñon sap varnish, milagros, white thorn acacia, nails and hand punched tin. It is finished on both sides and was made to stand alone or be hung as a door. It is part of the Bob and Mary Talamini collection.
2b.) Virginia Maria Romero with a wall of her work. The cross is now in the Bay Area home of attorney William Murray.
3a.) Virginia’s tiles are fired in Taos and can be purchased at Lulu’s (shown in photo) and La Posta, both located in Mesilla.
3b.) The Rainmaker was purchased by Trudy Nowak for her home in Tubac, Arizona.
4a.) Romero’s crosses and retablos create a fitting display in this New Mexico style home.
4b.) This Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe altar is part of the William Murray collection in California.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
Resources
Virginia Maria Romero
575-644-0214
virginiamariaromero.com
Arte de Romero Tiles
575-532-5885
artederomero.com
Manitou Galleries
505-986-9833
manitougalleries.com
|
“I am staying busy with commissioned works and selling pieces out of my Las Cruces studio. My work has been featured in major solo exhibits to include the Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces and the Chamizal National Memorial in El Paso, which led to my work appearing on the National Park Service (NPS) home page in the fall of 2010. It was the first time the NPS had ever featured an artist’s work from the Chamizal galleries.”
Romero’s work decorates homes that have been featured in magazines including Tucson Lifestyle Home & Garden, New Mexico Magazine and, of course, Ventanas. Her artwork appears in collections throughout the United States and internationally, including that of Pope Benedict XVI in Vatican City. “I was very excited when my work was chosen for the first Conservation Wolf Stamp sold in the United States, sponsored by The New Mexico Wilderness Alliance. Two of my doors will be hung in St. Michaels in Santa Fe, the oldest church in the United States.”
Virginia’s visionary artwork is expressed in the form of retablos, bultos, crosses, altars, large acrylic pieces and tiles, consisting of contemporary reflections inspired by the culture of New Mexico and her own Polish/ Irish heritage. It is a blending of Christian, native, desert and archetypal animal imagery. “I was strongly influenced by the passing of my mother,” Virginia relates, “which led me to Our Lady of Guadalupe parish in Tortugas. There I was inspired to begin painting retablos.” Pulling from her experiences, Romero creates uniquely original works of art. “It’s personal, but appears to have a universal appeal.” /// |
|
|
|
|
|
| ADVERTISEMENT |
 |
| ADVERTISEMENT |
 |
| ADVERTISEMENT |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
| |
|
|
|
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
YOUTUBE
LINKEDIN