This painting by Roseta Santiago is entitled, “Earth Song Symphony“.  It is an oil on canvas. The painting is of classic San Ildefonso, Santa Clara, and Hopi-Tewa pottery.  Roseta said of this painting, “All the pottery is made from the earth, and when placed together there is a harmony. While different painting and firing techniques, there is a beauty in their utilitarian nature and the continuity of the art over centuries.  In my mind, the various styles, all together, create a ‘symphony’.”    

Roseta Santiago is known for her dynamic realistic paintings.  History reverberates in each of her paintings.  Roseta Says of her art:

“The things that inspire me are the historical artifacts, historical people.  My models are people with whom I spend time and who have something to reveal. It’s always about inner beauty. It’s mainly the interior of a person or thing. I can almost experience a pot being made when I paint it. I just see what the potter went through.” 

She is best known for her luminous still life and figurative paintings of Native peoples and artifacts portrayed with dramatic lighting, Santiago is a master at chiaroscuro.  She uses mostly living models, although a few historic people taken from photographs weave their way into her art.  She says one of her goals is to honor Native American culture through her portrayals in her art.