New Mexico Stone Carvers

Limestone pickup rides the road in Algodones

By Joan Fenicle

Seen the over-sized 1951 Chevy pickup on the east frontage road in Algodones?

Pickup trucks commonly adorn the New Mexico landscape, but this truck is unique: it's carved from a huge piece of limestone. Ten feet long and five feet wide, it's complete with driver and passenger in the front and two passengers and a dog in the back.

Truck and passengers are the work of stone carver Mark Padilla, a self-taught artist known for his northern New Mexico folk style. He has carved for years, and his smaller sculptures have exhibited in private galleries in addition to Santa Fe's Contemporary Spanish market, the New Mexico State Fair, Los Golondrinas, and the National Hispanic Cultural Center.

The truck project in Algodones was started by Padilla and now involves two other stone carvers, Kevin Sears and Jon DeCelles, both well known Santa Fe artists. Sears' current creation is ten feet long and features two dolphins and a mermaid. And DeCelles has turned three tons of Kansas limestone into a ten foot tall Shawl Dancer.

Padilla hopes to have ten carvers working in Algodones by summer.

The public is invited to visit these award-winning artists and their work.

Please call in advance for an appointment.

Mark Padilla 505.795.4572
Padilla regularly participates in the Southwest Stone Carving Workshop in Jemez. His work may be seen at End of the Trail Gallery in Santa Fe and Abo Art Gallery in Belen.

Jon DeCelles 505.221.2864
DeCelles is known for his female figures in stone and bronze. He has exhibited at Santa Fe's Indian Market, the Heard Museum and shows at Traders Collection in Santa Fe.

Kevin Sears 505. 438.6283
Sears is also a painter and his work is exhibited around the country. He has participated in the international sculpture show in Loveland, Colorado and shows at Chumani Gallery in Madrid and End of the Trail Gallery in Santa Fe.

Seven well known sculptors from New Mexico will host a grand opening of their new Stone Sculpture Garden and Gallery on Mother's Day Weekend, May 8-10, 2009. The event features art, interactive stone carving demonstrations, a charity auction, live music and food. The new sculpture garden and gallery features stone carvings from monumemtal to miniatures by sculptors, Mark Padilla, Rollie Grandbois, Kat Watson, John Griffin, Mike Murphy,Kevin Sears and Jon DeCelles.

On Mothersday weekend Mark and many other stone carvers got together for a grand opening. They had more than 100 great stone sculptures. The studio will be open all summer long so feel free to stop by and get a great deal on sculpture's carved by local artists.