In this episode of the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast, host Leroy Garcia sits down with three leading contemporary Native artists, Chris Pappan, Thomas “Breeze” Marcus, and Jesse Littlebird, for an in-depth panel discussion on tradition, innovation, and the creative journey. The conversation explores early influences, heritage, navigating cultural protocols, overcoming creative blocks, and the biggest artistic risks they’ve taken. From childhood memories and desert landscapes to graffiti walls and le...
Aug 15, 2025•33 min•Season 5Ep. 101
In this 100th episode of the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast, host Leroy Garcia welcomes acclaimed Santero Andrew Montoya, a master of devotional art rooted in New Mexico’s rich cultural traditions. Join us for an intimate conversation that explores Montoya’s deep familial ties to Santa Fe, his creative evolution from reluctant student to prolific carver and painter, and his unique blend of traditional Spanish Colonial imagery with contemporary technique. Montoya shares how a childhood spent painting ...
Jul 24, 2025•27 min•Season 5Ep. 100
In this episode of the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast, artist Eric Romero shares a deeply personal and thought-provoking look into his artistic journey. Raised on a farm in Albuquerque with comic books as his early education, Eric reflects on how questioning faith, exploring art history, and traveling through Europe ignited his passion for painting.He speaks candidly about weaving classical technique with Chicano identity, Catholic symbolism, and the matriarchal strength rooted in New Mexican culture...
May 16, 2025•24 min•Season 5Ep. 99
Join gallery owner Leroy Garcia as he takes you on an immersive ride-along with renowned artist Erin Currier through Santa Fe, New Mexico. This lively and heartfelt video explores three of Erin’s public art installations in beloved local restaurants: Escondido, Café Piazza, and Cafecito. Along the way, Erin shares the inspiring stories behind each piece—highlighting themes of redemption, cultural fusion, and community resilience.From a portrait honoring chef Fernando Ruiz, to a mid-century Itali...
May 14, 2025•38 min•Season 5Ep. 98
In this illuminating episode, Blue Rain Gallery founder Leroy Garcia engages in a thoughtful dialogue with esteemed artists Matthew Sievers and Bryce Pettit. Together, they delve into the inspirations, challenges, and techniques that define their celebrated practices—Sievers as a painter of expressive, light-drenched landscapes, and Pettit as a sculptor whose elegant bronze forms pay tribute to the natural world.Matthew Sievers discusses his pursuit of emotional resonance through bold, gestural ...
Apr 28, 2025•19 min•Season 5Ep. 97
In this insightful episode, Blue Rain Gallery founder Leroy Garcia walks the gallery floor with artist Eunika Rogers to explore her innovative process of painting with natural clays. Eunika shares how her large-scale works are created through an intricate blend of fine drawing, mindful layering, and the delicate balancing act of achieving the right clay consistency. The conversation highlights the labor-intensive nature of her work, the tactile quality of natural materials, and the meditative at...
Apr 28, 2025•19 min•Season 5Ep. 96
In this week’s episode of the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast, host Leroy Garcia explores the Contemporary Native Expressions exhibition “Voices of the Land” with multi-disciplinary artist Jesse Littlebird. Together, they discuss the inspirations behind Jesse’s work, his deep connection to the Northern New Mexico landscapes he paints, his meditations on fire, and even the influence of Bob Ross’s teachings on his techniques. Join Leroy for an insightful conversation and a closer look at the incredible ...
Mar 05, 2025•18 min•Season 5Ep. 94
In this episode of the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast, host Leroy Garcia welcomes glass artist Spooner Marcus to the studio. Spooner, a new addition to the Blue Rain Gallery artist roster, shares his journey as a glass artist, beginning with a serendipitous discovery of glassblowing after high school in his hometown of Española, New Mexico. He discusses his early experiences working in a makeshift hot shop and how his passion for the craft grew over the years. Spooner reflects on pivotal moments in h...
Dec 16, 2024•21 min•Season 4Ep. 93
In this very special episode of the Blue Rain Gallery podcast, host Leroy Garcia sits down with artists Ugly Pie, Helen K. Tindel, and Leah Garcia to discuss their extraordinary journeys into their art careers. As children of celebrated artistic visionaries, they share stories of growing up surrounded by creativity, Indian Market during their youth, and the lasting impact of their parents’ influence. They also reveal how they carved out their own distinctive styles and identities. Tune in for an...
Dec 11, 2024•27 min•Season 4Ep. 92
In today’s episode of the Blue Rain Gallery podcast, host Leroy Garcia discusses the inspiration behind climate activist and artist Robin Jones’ new solo exhibition The Mother Tree. Inspired by the writings of Dr. Suzanne Smart, Jones’ paintings dive headfirst into a celebration of interconnectedness with the natural world. Join us as we explore the stories behind her newest body of work. Learn more about Robin Jones and her artwork here: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/robin-jones/view-all ...
Oct 24, 2024•20 min•Season 4Ep. 91
In this episode of the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast, host Leroy Garcia introduces Karen Clarkson, a self-taught Choctaw artist known for her powerful portraits of Native women and newly represented by the gallery. After discovering her Native American heritage later in life, Clarkson has flourished as an artist, aiming to convey humanity and foster meaningful connections through her work. Join us as we explore her story and artistic influences. Learn more about Karen Clarkson and her artwork here: ...
Oct 24, 2024•17 min•Season 4Ep. 90
In this episode, host Leroy Garcia joins Blue Rain Gallery-represented painter Helen K. Tindel at the Wheelwright Museum in Santa Fe. Together they explore “Pablita’s Wardrobe”, an exhibition Tindel curated to celebrate three generations of remarkable artistry within her family, beginning with her great-grandmother, renowned artist Pablita Velarde (1918–2006). Tindel delves into the history and inspiration behind Velarde’s paintings and handmade dolls, before introducing the exhibition’s cente...
Oct 16, 2024•16 min•Season 4Ep. 89
Join the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast for this special show preview featuring Doug West's latest body of work. View part i here: https://youtu.be/hjDj_aqKhdE Please like, comment, and subscribe for more Blue Rain Gallery Podcast art insights and inspiring stories! The Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by Leroy Garcia and produced by Leah Garcia, with music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Oct 11, 2024•23 min•Season 4Ep. 88
Join Blue Rain Gallery owner and podcast host Leroy Garcia in the home of famed Western painter Billy Schenck as they delve into Schenck’s 400+ page book, Women Artists of the Ancient Southwest. As they tour Schenck’s extensive personal collection of prehistoric pottery, they share insights into the book’s contents, revealing the untold stories of the ancient women who created these magnificent works. Their engaging discussion reveals how Schenck identifies individual artists through their signa...
Oct 04, 2024•34 min•Season 4Ep. 87
In this special episode of the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast, host Leroy Garcia interviews renowned painter Doug West, who shares his remarkable story of surviving a life-threatening accident in 2022, his recovery, and the spiritual transformation that followed. West's upcoming exhibition, opening on October 11th, 2024, at Blue Rain Gallery in Santa Fe, showcases powerful new works, including Now and Forevermore, a painting of a white rose symbolizing his journey of healing and renewal. Learn more a...
Sep 17, 2024•17 min•Season 4Ep. 86
Join acclaimed artist Roseta Santiago and Blue Rain Gallery owner Leroy Garcia as they tour the Santa Fe gallery, exploring the stories and symbolism behind over a dozen new paintings in Santiago’s latest exhibition, TY. Together, they delve into her inspiring relationships and chance encounters with the subjects of her evocative portraits, the bold evolution of her artistic vision, and the rich emotional depth that defines her work. Among the paintings discussed are Process, Dreams and Destiny,...
Sep 16, 2024•19 min•Season 4Ep. 85
In this impromptu episode, artist Mozart Gabriel Abeyta, known as "Ugly Pie," delves into the personal origins of his unique name and artistic journey. He reveals how his work is deeply rooted in honesty, vulnerability, and the profound influence of his ancestry. Ugly Pie discusses his creative process, highlighting the raw, expressive, and intentionally surreal nature of his paintings, which draw inspiration from memories, cultural ceremonies, and the landscapes of New Mexico. View Ugly Pie’s l...
Sep 02, 2024•10 min•Season 4Ep. 84
In this episode of the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast, host Leroy Garcia visits the art-filled studio of Western oil painter GL Richardson to discuss GL’s upcoming exhibition, ‘ Ties that Bind ’, showing July 26 – August 10, 2024. They explore GL’s ranching background, the inspirational role of his photography, heartfelt tales behind each piece, and his visions for impact and interpretation. Don't miss this opportunity to discover the rich stories and profound sentiments behind GL Richardson’s captiv...
Jul 23, 2024•15 min•Season 4Ep. 83
Join Blue Rain Gallery owner and host Leroy Garcia as he visits acclaimed oil painter Kathryn Stedham in her hacienda studio outside Santa Fe. This episode delves into Stedham’s newest exhibition, ‘ West: Real, Imagined,’ showing from July 12-26, 2024, with an opening night reception from 5-7 pm. Together they explore Stedham’s fusion of realist, modernist, and abstract styles, her plein-air practice, her take on the incompatibility of AI and genuine art, and the limitless inspiration she draws ...
Jul 10, 2024•22 min•Season 4Ep. 82
In this episode of the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast, owner Leroy Garcia takes viewers into the home studio of celebrated painter Erin Currier. Together they examine finished and in-process artworks as Currier shares how her work is intricately intertwined with her life experiences and deep-seated beliefs about what it means to be human. They explore the vast world of Currier’s inspirations, including her passions for dance and poetry, and her adventures in India, Brazil, Argentina, and beyond. In t...
Jun 26, 2024•31 min•Season 4Ep. 81
In this episode of the Blue Rain Gallery podcast, we delve into the fascinating world of renowned bronze sculptor Hib Sabin. Born in 1935, Sabin's artistic journey began with painting and evolved into a passion for wood carving and bronze sculpting. A Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts graduate, Sabin's early career included teaching tenures and involvement with the peace movement during the Cold War. During a sabbatical, a deep, personal need to create led him back to pursuing art as a full-time...
Jun 24, 2024•22 min•Season 4Ep. 80
The day before his exhibition 'Whispers of the Heartland' opened at Blue Rain Gallery, renowned oil painter Z. Z. Wei, with his wife and translator Lin, provided an insightful walkthrough of his collection. Z. Z. shared how his paintings, rich with themes of freedom and reverence for nature, serve as his sanctuary. His works, like the notable '55 MPH,' blend nostalgia with contemporary views, capturing the overlooked beauty of the rural West. Through his art, Z. Z. illustrates the interplay betw...
Jun 05, 2024•34 min•Season 4Ep. 79
Z. Z. Wei, born in 1957 in Beijing, began painting during China’s Cultural Revolution, finding solace in art amid familial and academic turmoil. He graduated from the Central Institute of Arts and Design in Beijing in 1984 and moved to the United States in 1989. The American rural landscape profoundly influenced his art, blending his Chinese heritage with new experiences. Wei’s work, rich with Americana, abstracts his perspectives and balances humor, loneliness, peace, and pain, offering a uniqu...
Jun 05, 2024•16 min•Season 4Ep. 78
Bronze sculptor Raymond Gibby grew up in Southern California in the foothills outside of Riverside. As a child, he developed a love of the outdoors and wildlife. His father taught him about craftsmanship through doing construction work during the summers and as a wood shop teacher. Gibby's grandfather was a prolific landscape and wildlife oil painter from Utah, and greatly added to his art understanding. After four years of high school art instruction, Gibby received further art training from pr...
May 20, 2024•18 min•Season 4Ep. 77
Internationally known for his innovative approach that revolutionizes this traditional medium, Pappan’s artwork transcends limits as deftly as it highlights them. “As in historical examples of ledger art, the image takes precedence in my work, but I still attempt to preserve the essence of the ledger. The sections intended to separate and categorize information now work to distort my figures. I am appropriating the ledger’s grid pattern and using it to test the boundaries that define the genre.”...
Apr 08, 2024•18 min•Season 4Ep. 76
Explore Leroy Garcia's curation of Contemporary Native Art, on exhibition at Blue Rain Gallery March 15 – 29, 2024 — Santa Fe View artwork from the show here The Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by Leroy Garcia, produced by Leah Garcia, edited by Brandon Nelson, and music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.
Mar 29, 2024•48 min•Season 4Ep. 75
Introducing Jesse Littlebird. Jesse Littlebird’s paintings are a fusion of Indigenous heritage and contemporary expression. His artwork tells stories rich in symbolism and cultural depth. Drawing from Southwestern landscapes, Indigenous cosmologies, and historical perspectives, Littlebird’s work invites critical reflection by blending elements from Western and Indigenous thought. View artwork by Jesse Littlebird here: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/jesse-littlebird/view-all The Blue Rain Ga...
Mar 14, 2024•27 min•Season 4Ep. 74
Blue Rain Gallery is thrilled to announce an important new exhibition featuring five captivating paintings by acclaimed artist Brad Overton. Drawing inspiration from the golden era of pin-up pop art in the 1950s-60s, Overton presents a contemporary interpretation, skillfully blending high-art techniques with bold visual imagery. Channeling influences from iconic pin-up artists like Mel Ramos and Gil Elvgren, Overton elevates the legendary form with highly stylized, graphic elements, employing te...
Mar 06, 2024•24 min•Season 4Ep. 73
Leroy takes us on a behind the scenes tour of Blue Rain Gallery at the LA Art Show 2024
Feb 26, 2024•10 min•Season 4Ep. 72
Tony De Luz's paintings pay homage to road culture by seamlessly combining the radiance of neon signs with the nostalgic charm of old cars and the unrestrained energy of motorcycles. His meticulous strokes create a visual narrative that transcends the canvas, transporting viewers to a vintage Americana era where the open road symbolized freedom and adventure, making each piece a timeless testament to the enduring spirit of the American road. TONY DE LUZ Old Signs, Rusty Cars, and Some New Painti...
Feb 15, 2024•24 min•Season 4Ep. 71
