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Art in the Garden Festival Artist Roberto Garcia |
Barbara Draper | 7/2/08
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Roberto Garcia, local artist/bronze sculptor, will be among the nine artists whose works will be featured at the first annual Art in the Garden Festival sponsored by Community United Methodist Church on Saturday, August 16.
 Although a native of Texas, Roberto has been a resident and active artist in Pagosa Springs for many years. He discovered Pagosa Springs while vacationing here, and found the cool dry climate to be ideal for a place to establish his foundry. Neither his native Texas nor his then residence in Santa Fe could match the conditions he found right here. He soon purchased property and built his home and foundry west of town.
A visit to his foundry is exciting, interesting, and a true learning experience. On a recent visit, I learned that Roberto is an accomplished painter as well as sculptor. But most of all I learned about the many painstaking steps that are involved in creating a finished sculpture. Roberto begins with a clay model, and from this he makes a liquid rubber mold. He then makes a wax copy in what is called the “lost wax” technique, and puts a ceramic shell mold over the wax. This mold is then dipped into a slurry ten times, with a drying process between each dipping. When this product is fired in a kiln, the wax melts (thus the term “lost wax”). At this point he is left with a hardened hollow cavity. He heats his bronze bars in a cistern to a melting point of 1800 degrees. After being cooled, the bronze statue is broken away from the shell. A lengthy finishing process now begins. Roberto uses a number of sizes of grinders to create the fine details in his sculptures, and finishes his pieces with a variety of glazes, stains and patinas.
Roberto will obviously not be firing any sculptures at the event, but attendees will have the opportunity to view a work in progress and to get a “feel” for the clay that is used in the initial part of his process. He will have finished pieces for sale, as will the other artists.
He views his participation in this event as a way to be more involved with the community and as a means of exposure for his work and the sculpting process. He has such a high regard for Jeanine Malaney, the art chairperson for the festival that he says, “I know anything she is working on must be a worthwhile project, so I was excited about having the opportunity to take part in the Festival.”
He has “larger than life” commissioned pieces throughout his native state of Texas. His sculpture of George Washington, for example, resides in the Laredo, Texas City Hall. A bust of the first President, made from the same mold, can be seen in the reference section of our own local Ruby M. Sisson Public Library.
Roberto’s family and his teachers recognized his artistic talent when he was just a young child, and always gave him full support. He began some sculpture work , along with painting in various mediums, in high school. He went on to graduate from the University of Texas Art School. He credits Dr. Charles Umlaugh, who is well known in the art field, as a true mentor who encouraged him and taught him well. He further honed his skills in bronze casting at an art foundry in New Jersey before returning to the Texas, then New Mexico, and finally Pagosa Springs.
When asked about the inspiration for his art and about how he begins a piece, he relates his work to that of a poet. He says, “just as a poet paints with words, he sketches his ideas. He designs with an open mind, is sometimes inspired by interactions with other artists. When he picks up a piece of clay to begin a piece of art, he has a detailed plan, both on paper and in his mind.
Many artists can point to one particular piece as a “favorite”, but not so Roberto. He says, “Everything I do as an artist is a growing experience. I have many ‘works from the heart’ favorites – works that I have accomplished for the sake of art.” Some of these pieces are in public locations, some in private collections, and some remain in his foundry.
He enjoys the personal freedom and independence he has found here as an artist. The price he pays for this, however, as has been voiced by other artists, is that exposure is limited. He welcomes opportunities to share his process and his foundry with anyone who is interested. He says that his is a “social” kind of art, and he welcomes more involvement with other local artists. He feels strongly about the continued growth of the art community here, and welcomes more marketing and exhibiting opportunities for all artists. He would enjoy the chance to teach some classes and to share more of his process with area residents.
While not spending time at his craft, he enjoys the time he can spend with his wife and their two college aged children. He loves to get away on his motorcycle, and likes to find the time to enjoy outdoor activities that abound here, like camping and fishing.
All proceeds from the Festival will be used to support the Community Assistance Fund. This is a fund that was started by Pastor Don Ford and the Community United Methodist Church to assist individuals in need of financial assistance. Most recipients of funds are local residents, but on rare occasions funds re-allocated for needs of those who are simply passing through Pagosa Springs and face an unforeseen emergency.
Items the Fund has provided assistance for in the past include, but are not limited to, meal and/or lodging vouchers at local establishments; emergency medical or prescription needs; eye glasses; gasoline vouchers for individuals needing transportation to work or medical appointments; baby items such as food or diapers,; co-pay for required drug or alcohol testing; miscellaneous emergency home repair needs, and to meet emergency food needs when the Crisis Box program temporarily deplete3d or unavailable.
Event tickets are $30 each, and may be purchased IN ADVANCE ONLY at Community United Methodist Church, the Chamber of Commerce, Higher Grounds Coffee Co., Moonlight Books and the Plaid Pony. A limited number of tickets are available for this first annual event, so please do not wait until the last minute to have a chance to be a part of this festive and worthwhile occasion.
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