Artist

Carla Romero – Bio

Artist

Carla Romero, a self-taught artist has been drawing since she was a young child and painting for over 25 years.  We are so proud that she now makes her home in Huerfano County.

Born in Colorado, Romero feels a strong connection to mountains, nature and wildlife; but also a bond with the Native Americans and the southwest. In 1987 she visited the Taos Pueblo for the first time, which was an awakening of her art and vision and launched her pursuit of a professional career. She got her start in a Taos gallery while still working for a large retail chain. Within a year she was able to quit her retail job and paint full time. Since then, Romero has achieved much acclaim as a painter of the southwest.

by Carla Romero

She paints mainly in watercolor, but also works with acrylics on canvas. Romero’s extraordinary and bold usage of color is clearly only one of the defining elements that one might use in describing the feeling and emotion that her work evokes. Her paintings are exhibited in fine art galleries throughout Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and California.

She was selected as the featured artist for Legacy Art Albuquerque in 2006, succeeding Amado Pena, Dave McGary, JD Challenger and Tom Wheeler. Her paintings and limited edition prints are highly collectable and are part of commercial and private collections throughout the United States and abroad.

An important facet of Romero’s work is her strong belief that her ideas and creativity are gifts from God. She starts each painting with a prayer and ends with an expression of thanks, therefore there is a deep spiritual awareness that one discovers in her work.

Arthur Short Bull – Bio

Artist

Arthur Short Bull is a brilliant watercolorist whose vision strives to capture the spirit of his Oglala heritage. What I hope to achieve through my work is to help others see and experience the spirit that exists in all things, states Short Bull.

White Buffalo Calf Woman

Being raised in a traditional family on the Pine Ridge reservation gives Short Bull special insight into the history, culture and spirituality of the Lakotas. Arthur’s great-grandfather was Grant Short Bull, uncle to famed artist and historian, Amos Bad Heart Bull and younger brother of He Dog. In 1930, the last of the old men who rode with Crazy Horse, He Dog and Grant Short Bull were two of Mari Sandozs sources for her book, Crazy Horse … Strange Man of the Oglalas.

A recipient of the 2006 First Peoples Fund Cultural Capital Program Fellowship, Arthur’s project involved utilizing his Wounded Knee series of paintings and poems as a vehicle to promote Lakota culture and history. He continues to develop this series as an educational tool to reach out to the Native community, primarily the youth, to increase their knowledge of Native history, especially in regards to Wounded Knee. He also was a 2009 First Peoples Fund Business in Leadership Fellowship recipient. 

Lone Scout

Arthur was commissioned to paint one of the official White House ornaments for the 2007 Christmas tree used in the Blue Room. He also painted three ornaments for the 2007 Nebraska State Capitol Christmas Tree. In keeping with the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, artists from around the country were commissioned to paint specific scenes on the softball-sized ornaments sent to them. Short Bulls challenge: Agate Fossil Beds National Monument in Harrison, Nebraska. He is a frequent artist-in-residence at Agate Fossil Beds Monument.

Long recognized for an ongoing series on Wounded Knee and images of the Ghost Dance, Arthur presents new work on this theme as well as images inspired by the Siouan mystery clan societies and shamans. New work appears in another ongoing theme, Wind Women. Short Bulls recent projects include Lakota Dreams — Black Elks Vision as well as an ongoing series honoring Tasunka Witko (Crazy Horse).

Wounded Knee

Long recognized for an ongoing series on Wounded Knee and images of the Ghost Dance, Arthur presents new work on this theme as well as images inspired by the Siouan mystery clan societies and shamans. New work appears in another ongoing theme, Wind Women. Short Bulls recent projects include Lakota Dreams — Black Elks Vision as well as an ongoing series honoring Tasunka Witko (Crazy Horse).

David Behrens – Bio

Artist

David Behrens is a nationally acclaimed artist whose sensitivity and insight into Native American culture and history have placed him in the forefront of this growing art movement. His unique approach of blending iconic Native American images and moving, provocative themes cut to the heart and have made him one of the most sought after and collectible artists in the nation and abroad.


Five Cent Peace

The art of David Behrens is distinct, heartfelt and instantly recognizable. His style of painting blends realism, concept and imagination all built around provocative portions of Native American history and culture. “Art has always been a natural extension of who I am, a flow that has coursed through me as far back as I can remember”. Seeing his talent for art as a gift, and a gift by definition is something that cannot be earned but only received, David feels that being an artist is both a privilege and an immense responsibility. Bearing this truth within himself David shares “I believe the goal of every one of my paintings is to let the story, the emotion, the mystic fire move through me and into the painting.” Elaborating further David adds “The concepts and statements I weave into my paintings are so much bigger than I am. The feelings I give voice to are not just my own but in a sense my paintings echo a collective consciousness, articulate a deeper truth and emotes for the hearts of many. I am always humbled when I am aware this is happening. There is a certain healing energy that flows through art, as if God was whispering his kindness to a weary soul.”