This massive adobe structure is located in the village of Las Trampas about 22 miles south of Taos, NM.  The construction of the church was done entirely by and paid for by the villagers and completed in 1760.  It is striking because of its thick wall and elegant and yet powerful twin towers.  I was fascinated by the details of the canales which drain the water from the roof so they are exaggerated to add interest to the stark side walls.

This private chapel was built on sacred earth believed to have miraculous healing powers by Bernardo Abeyta around 1814. He commissioned several santeros, including Molleno and Jose Aragon to paint altar screens. The healing earth is contained in a small pit in a side chapel dedicated to St. Raphael the Archangel. For over 150 years, pilgrims and locals have visited the chapel for the miraculous healing earth and often leave their crutches and braces to hang on the chapel walls along with written prayers of gratitude.

The Old-New Synagogue in Prague, also called Staronova Synagoga in Czech. It is Europe’s oldest active synagogue. Completed in 1270 in Gothic style, it was one of Prague's first Gothic buildings. It was originally called the New or Great Shul.

The towering height and beautiful pitch of the roof inspired this sculpture and it was a real joy to experience.

“The oldest place of religious worship still in use in North America” according to many experts. It was built some time after 1605 and destroyed by fire in the Pueblo Revolt of 1680.  Rebuild around 1710, it is located in Santa Fe on the old Santa Fe Trail in the historic area known at Barrio de Analco meaning “neighborhood on the other side of the water”-- the water being the Santa Fe River.  I’ve tried to capture the massive, rooted quality of this symbol of faith and history.

This sculpture has approximately 200 individually cut and carved pieces.  It is not to scale and no plans, patterns or measurements are used as I work by feel from my sketches and historic photos.  The wood is a New Mexican white pine from the Spotted Owl Saw Mill in Santa Fe. The “tin” roof on the small add-on room is hard cardboard, cut into small pieces, that is painted to look like weathered corrugated metal roofing.  The piece is first stained, thoroughly rubbed with paraffin and then painted with 3-4 colors of water-based latex paint.  When the paint is dry, the entire piece is carefully scraped, then different color details are added and these too are scraped and finally the church is rubbed and drawn on with graphite.  The doors are hinged on a small wood pivot and have forged iron handles. The piece is then signed and dated on the underside of the base.  This piece took between 60 and 70 actual work hours to make.

The sanctity and permanence of stone radiates from this full-sized Ethiopian Orthodox, cruciform church built between 1200 and 1300 AD.  The subterranean church, about 90’ high, is carved from volcanic rock and can only be entered by tunnel.  Legend has it that young Lalibela, hovering between life and death from being poisoned, had a heavenly vision in which he was given a design by God, and the assistance of Angels (and St. George) to build these carved churches as the new Jerusalem.

This structure was erected in 1885 in Las Vegas, NM at the corner of 9th and Douglas. The tower and the chimney were removed when it was moved around 1922 to the campus of New Mexico Highlands University where it still stands today. It has been changed considerably and has no tower and the large front window has been made into the main entry door. It is currently used as the Catholic Newman Center for the university students – an interesting twist of history.

My piece is inspired by historic photos and etchings of the building and, of course, my sketches of the current building. This sculpture of the Synagogue strives to capture the feeling and sense of history of a structure that is a physical manifestation of the beliefs and needs of a people very important to the history of the Southwest.