Arthur Lopez is one of the leading santos carvers in New Mexico.  This piece is one of his more complex carvings, with multiple layers.  It is entitled “San Antonio”.   It has St. Anthony set on a podium.  He is set in a sculpted backdrop painted in a traditional New Mexico style.

Arthur said of this piece;

St. Anthony, is the patron saint of lost items he is the one you pray to if you’ve ever lost your keys, wallet or something important to you.  St. Anthony, was a Franciscan in early 13th century Italy (St. Francis was his superior!).  He earned his reputation as a heavenly finder based on a well-known story from his life.  St. Anthony took to fervent prayer asking for the return of a valuable book of psalms he thought he’d lost that had in fact been stolen by a novice. The novice then saw a frightening apparition of St. Anthony and hurried to return the book..

The process for Arthur’s work is bound in tradition.  After the piece is carved, is covered in gesso (a glue made from rabbit hide) which is allowed to dry and then sanded.  It is painted with both natural and watercolor pigment.  Natural colored pigments, such as brown, are derived from black walnut hulls.   These are the time involved and historic foundations for his work.  

We are pleased to present this amazing body of work from one of the leading Santos artists in the country.  Arthur’s artistic expression continues to break through the history of Traditional Spanish Colonial art in New Mexico. Each piece demonstrates his expressive ideas by utilizing and honoring traditional techniques to arrive at his uniquely contemporary one-of-a-kind creations. Consistently Arthur has pushed the boundaries of the New Mexico Santero tradition that has placed him a the forefront of his craft.

Arthur’s work is found in numerous museum and public collections, including Albuquerque Museum of Art & History,  Denver Art Museum,  Freedom Museum (911 Memorial at Ground Zero), Harwood Museum of Art, Museum of International Folk Art,  Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, and the State of New Mexico Permanent Art Collection.