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::DEPARTMENTS:: Market Makers
“The work is time consuming,” says Sandoval, referring to the fabrication of traditional candelabras, candle holders, frames, and Christmas ornaments in his Albuquerque shop. “I use punches and stamp designs made by my uncle and those I’ve made myself. I memorized my uncle’s designs and still incorporate them into my work while also creating my own traditional designs.” Power tools are absent in the tinworking process. Hand
tools cut, shape, and stamp the elegant and refined pieces. Handling
all those sharp edges might seem risky work, but Sandoval says he
works in harmony with his metal and never cuts himself. He especially
enjoys creating custom candelabras and candlestick holders. These
items, and light fixtures, are usually the most labor intensive. Sandoval has won many awards and honors, including an exhibition and demonstration of his work at the Smithsonian Institution, a 1993 Governor’s Award for Excellence and Achievement in the Traditional Arts, and the 1999 Spanish Market Master’s Award for Lifetime Achievement. Bonifacio F. Sandoval & Family, Albuquerque, N.M. By appointment, (505) 821-4476 Painter Leo Neufeld never knows exactly where his work is going when he first applies brush to canvas. Every stroke takes him to a new and exciting place that pushes his artistic limits. Even though it’s been close to 30 years since he received his bachelor of fine arts from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, Neufeld continues to learn from each portrait and landscape painting he creates. “Art is an expression of humankind and creating it feels like a primal connection with our civilization and earlier civilizations,” he explains. “I am always reaching for my goal, which is a very high level of artistic accomplishment.” Many patrons would already agree that Neufeld’s work is quite extraordinary. While working in the early 1990s in Lafayette, Indiana, he was regarded as one of the state’s premier portrait painters. Since moving to Albuquerque in 1994 he has continued to create dynamic portraits and captivating landscapes of New Mexico while sharing his talents as an art instructor at the Harwood Art Center. Oil is the medium of choice. “I like all mediums, but there’s something
special about the richness, weight, and depth of oils,” he says.
“Portraits are especially effective when created with oils.” “People are usually overwhelmed with joy when they see the finished paintings of themselves or their loved ones,” he says. “Knowing that the painting will be enjoyed daily gives me great pleasure.” Leo Neufeld, Albuquerque, N.M., (505) 265-3088, www.leoneufeld.com When it comes to art glass, Denise Taylor does it all.
She creates exquisite sculptures and leaded, foiled, fused, etched,
slab, and beveled glass. Her custom stained glass is in high demand.
Clients appreciate the sense of adventure she generates with each
commission. One of Taylor’s recent commissions involved creating
two huge, multicolored stained glass windows filled with irises. Her
extensive knowledge of engineering helped make this job “I like to push the limits,” she explains. “It’s all about challenging myself and growing. I’m a problem solver. My windows may look like solid units, but in fact be many individual windows strategically put together so they will be structurally sound when installed.” Taylor’s stained glass windows have been part of award-winning homes in the Homes of Enchantment Parade in central New Mexico since 1998. While clients have been requesting stained glass work for their bathrooms and for kitchen windows and cabinets, Taylor finds one of the most elegant placements for stained glass is the front entryway. “This is the first impression of the house, and stained glass creates a beautiful initial impression,” she says. Rather than earn a degree in fine arts and then join the work world, Taylor did her training in reverse. She apprenticed with both commercial and fine arts glass studios before studying fine arts at the University of New Mexico. She spent 13 years as a stained glass instructor in UNM’s Continuing Education program, where she appreciated her students’ diverse approaches to their pieces. Taylor Made Glass, Denise Taylor, 135 Jackson NE,
George Sandoval makes magnificent trasteros, chairs, tables, and doors with Ponderosa pine and authentic 17th-century Spanish designs. Sandoval’s grandfather shared these designs with Sandoval when he apprenticed at age 10 in his grandfather’s Taos woodworking shop. He discovered other traditional designs in books he brought back from several trips to Spain. “I’m always asked to do custom designs, but they’re usually Southwestern or traditional Spanish designs that might be simpler or more complex than usual,” he explains. “If someone has a particularly small or large space in which a desk or hutch can be placed, I’ll work with the client to make just the right piece.” Although he uses some power tools, Sandoval applies considerable elbow grease to carve, sand, and finish his furniture pieces. He often hovers over a hutch for 12 hours a day, smoothing and properly finishing every surface. Custom-made front doors are popular, as are intricately carved bedroom doors. The average door sells for $650 to $750, but expect to pay more than $2,200 for a massive trastero. Sandoval, who works with one assistant, knows he could hire a number of employees and expand his shop, but he prefers to keep things simple and do most of the work himself. Now 68 years old, he plans on making traditional Spanish furniture and doors until he physically can’t handle the work. “I try to keep my grandfather’s tradition alive,” he says. “Usually I’m hard at work and don’t have the time to think about my woodworking roots. But when I remember apprenticing in my grandfather’s woodworking shop, I think about the special times we had together and how I am continuing that tradition.” Spanish Furniture & Doors, George Sandoval, 3718 Second St. NW, Albuquerque, N.M., (505) 345-9442 Like what you see? Subscribe here. |
Tin mirror by Bonifacio Sandoval. |
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