Blue Rain Gallery Podcast

In this episode of the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast, host Leroy Garcia speaks with renowned figurative painter Mark Pugh, whose surreal and psychological works explore the human condition through symbolism, storytelling, and emotional depth. From his background in psychology to his breakthrough moment of artistic authenticity, Pugh discusses how curiosity about the human mind drives his art, merging technical mastery with narrative imagination.

About Mark PughMark Pugh is an award-winning figurative painter from Utah whose works blend realism, surrealism, and psychological narrative. Known for their emotional resonance and dreamlike quality, his paintings invite reflection on identity, connection, and the unseen layers of human experience. Pugh’s art has received multiple awards from the Portrait Society of America and is represented by Blue Rain Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico.Find his available artwork here: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/surrealism-showSubscribe to the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast for more artist interviews, cultural insights, and contemporary art discussions.This episode was hosted by gallery owner and founder Leroy Garcia, produced and edited by Leah Garcia, with original music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.Discover curated home goods and fine art prints by Blue Rain Gallery artists — only at BlueRainPrintShop.com. Bring the art you love into your everyday life.

In this episode of the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast, host Leroy Garcia walks along with celebrated landscape painter Doug West during his latest exhibition to discuss his lifelong devotion to the New Mexico landscape, his transition from serigraphy to oil painting, and how art became a form of healing and renewal after a life-altering accident.Doug shares intimate insights into his creative process, the light and atmosphere of the Southwest, and the craftsmanship behind his luminous skies and mesas. Together, they explore his evolution as an artist, his reflections on detail and design, and the deeper symbolism woven into works.

View Doug's Available Artwork: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/doug-west

🔔 Subscribe to the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast for more artist interviews, cultural insights, and contemporary art discussions.This episode was hosted by gallery owner and founder Leroy Garcia, produced and edited by Leah Garcia, with original music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.Discover curated home goods and fine art prints by Blue Rain Gallery artists — only at BlueRainPrintShop.com. Bring the art you love into your everyday life.

Join Blue Rain Gallery owner Leroy Garcia as he sits down with acclaimed Hopi Katsina (Kachina) carvers Stetson Honyumptewa and his son Aaron Honyumptewa for an intimate conversation on tradition, innovation, and legacy in contemporary Katsina carving.In this special episode, the Honyumptewas share stories of their family lineage, the evolution of Katsina dolls from early materials to advanced woodburning techniques, and the influence of legendary carvers who paved the way for today’s artists. Together, they discuss the spiritual and cultural significance of Katsina figures, the role of cottonwood root in carving, and the delicate balance between honoring tradition and creating new expressions.
Whether you’re a collector, an art enthusiast, or new to Katsina culture, this conversation offers rare behind-the-scenes insight into one of the most respected Hopi art traditions, carried forward by two master carvers.

Explore Katsina Dolls at Blue Rain Gallery: https://blueraingallery.com/search?q=%2Fsearch&search=kachina🔔 Subscribe to the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast for more artist interviews, cultural insights, and contemporary art discussions.This episode was hosted by gallery owner and founder Leroy Garcia, produced and edited by Leah Garcia, with original music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.Discover curated home goods and fine art prints by Blue Rain Gallery artists — only at BlueRainPrintShop.com. Bring the art you love into your everyday life.

In this episode, we sit down with legendary Western Pop artist Billy Schenck to explore the stories, inspirations, and cinematic constructs behind his latest body of work. Known as one of the most influential painters of the Southwest, Schenck shares how he layers photography, memory, and imagination to create dynamic compositions that blur the line between realism and myth.From rodeo cowboys suspended mid-air to Navajo jewelers, Pueblo women with pottery, and sweeping Monument Valley horizons, Billy reveals how he constructs scenes using multiple photographic negatives, prehistoric pottery motifs, and a cinematic approach to light and shadow. His paintings capture the drama of Canyonlands, Cedar Mesa, and the San Juan River—infused with both historical reverence and contemporary vision.Hear about Schenck’s deep fascination with prehistoric Southwest pottery, his process of integrating cottonwood trees and mesas into iconic Western landscapes, and his perspective as a former rodeo champion and cultural historian. The episode highlights signature works like "Shortcut" and portraits inspired by friends, neighbors, and fellow artists, while unpacking the balance of design, narrative, and authenticity in his art.Whether you are an art collector, student of Southwestern history, or admirer of Western iconography, this conversation offers a rare glimpse into the mind of “the most interesting man in the West.”

Explore Billy Schenck at Blue Rain Gallery: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/billy-schenckThis episode was hosted by gallery owner and founder Leroy Garcia, produced and edited by Leah Garcia, with original music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.Discover curated home goods and fine art prints by Blue Rain Gallery artists — only at BlueRainPrintShop.com. Bring the art you love into your everyday life.

Join us for an intimate episode of the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast featuring acclaimed painter Sean Diediker in conversation with gallery owner Leroy Garcia. Together, they walk through Diediker’s exhibition New Directions, offering a rare glimpse into the artist’s evolving process, his ties to the Southwest, and his search for emotional depth in contemporary painting .Diediker shares how his roots in the Salt Lake Valley and his family’s connection to Southwestern trading posts shaped his artistic vision, while also reflecting on how memory, heritage, and personal relationships continue to inspire his work. In this new body of paintings, he embraces a radical shift in technique—trading controlled brushwork for experimental underpaintings, palette knives, bold mark-making, and spontaneous gestures that bring his canvases to life. Drawing inspiration from artists such as Andrew Wyeth, Maynard Dixon, and Jeremy Mann, Diediker explores the tension between abstraction and representation, creating work that feels both raw and refined.Throughout the conversation, Diediker discusses themes of sacred spaces, intimacy, and contentment, alongside landscapes that capture the quiet beauty of the natural world. His New Directions exhibition represents a turning point in his career, balancing technical mastery with intuitive expression and offering collectors striking works of emotional resonance.Explore Sean Diediker’s New Directions exhibition and discover more artists from Blue Rain Gallery at https://blueraingallery.com/artists/sean-diedikerThis episode was hosted by gallery owner and founder Leroy Garcia, produced and edited by Leah Garcia, with original music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.Discover curated home goods and fine art prints by Blue Rain Gallery artists — only at BlueRainPrintShop.com. Bring the art you love into your everyday life.

In this episode of the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast, host Leroy Garcia sits down with three leading contemporary Native artists, Chris Pappan, Thomas “Breeze” Marcus, and Jesse Littlebird, for an in-depth panel discussion on tradition, innovation, and the creative journey. The conversation explores early influences, heritage, navigating cultural protocols, overcoming creative blocks, and the biggest artistic risks they’ve taken. From childhood memories and desert landscapes to graffiti walls and ledger art, each artist reveals how their personal history and community ties shape their work. This candid exchange offers insight into the evolving landscape of Indigenous art today.Part of Blue Rain Gallery's Annual Celebration of Native American ArtChris Pappan: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/chris-pappanThomas Breeze Marcus: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/thomas-breeze-marcusJesse Littlebird: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/jesse-littlebirdDiscover curated home goods and fine art prints by Blue Rain Gallery artists — only at BlueRainPrintShop.com. Bring the art you love into your everyday life.This episode was hosted by gallery owner and founder Leroy Garcia, produced and edited by Leah Garcia, with original music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.

In this 100th episode of the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast, host Leroy Garcia welcomes acclaimed Santero Andrew Montoya, a master of devotional art rooted in New Mexico’s rich cultural traditions. Join us for an intimate conversation that explores Montoya’s deep familial ties to Santa Fe, his creative evolution from reluctant student to prolific carver and painter, and his unique blend of traditional Spanish Colonial imagery with contemporary technique.

Montoya shares how a childhood spent painting under the guidance of his aunt blossomed into a lifelong devotion to sacred art—especially the three-dimensional form of the bulto. He discusses his inspirations, from Baroque sculptor Bernini to Native American design motifs, and gives insight into the process behind his vibrant, gravity-defying sculptures of saints, archangels, and biblical figures.

Listeners will hear stories behind specific works, including a shadowbox Noah’s Ark, a radiant San Rafael honoring healthcare workers, and a colorful interpretation of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha. Montoya also reflects on his dual calling as a full-time nurse and artist, and his commitment to nurturing the next generation of santeros through youth mentorship.

Whether you’re an art collector, culture enthusiast, or simply inspired by the enduring spirit of devotional art, this episode celebrates the passion, precision, and heritage that define Andrew Montoya’s growing legacy.

View Andrew's work at Blue Rain Gallery: https://blueraingallery.com/ar...

This episode was hosted by gallery owner and founder Leroy Garcia, produced and edited by Leah Garcia, with original music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.

Discover curated home goods and fine art prints by Blue Rain Gallery artists — only at BlueRainPrintShop.com. Bring the art you love into your everyday life.

In this episode of the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast, artist Eric Romero shares a deeply personal and thought-provoking look into his artistic journey. Raised on a farm in Albuquerque with comic books as his early education, Eric reflects on how questioning faith, exploring art history, and traveling through Europe ignited his passion for painting.He speaks candidly about weaving classical technique with Chicano identity, Catholic symbolism, and the matriarchal strength rooted in New Mexican culture. From his modern interpretations of iconic figures like Our Lady of Guadalupe and Lilith, to intimate portraits of friends, family, and his own daughter, Romero explores what it means to honor legacy, challenge dogma, and tell stories through the lens of resilience.With touches of humor, memory, and cultural homage—including classic cars, Route 66, and rosaries passed down through generations—this episode paints a vivid picture of the man behind the canvas.Learn More: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/eric-romeroERIC ROMERO¿Yo Soy!, New Oil PaintingsMay 30 – June 13, 2025 — Santa FeArtist Reception: Friday, May 30th from 5 - 7pm544 South Guadalupe StreetSanta Fe, New Mexico 87501(505) 954-9902This episode was hosted by gallery owner and founder Leroy Garcia, produced and edited by Leah Garcia, with original music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.

Join gallery owner Leroy Garcia as he takes you on an immersive ride-along with renowned artist Erin Currier through Santa Fe, New Mexico. This lively and heartfelt video explores three of Erin’s public art installations in beloved local restaurants: Escondido, Café Piazza, and Cafecito.

Along the way, Erin shares the inspiring stories behind each piece—highlighting themes of redemption, cultural fusion, and community resilience.From a portrait honoring chef Fernando Ruiz, to a mid-century Italian-inspired mural, and a spiritual collage of tango legend Carlos Gardel, each stop reveals Erin’s deep passion for art, activism, and human connection.

The journey is also a celebration of Santa Fe’s rich intersection of art, food, music, and dance, featuring guest appearances by restaurant owners, chefs, and even a visiting Italian culinary expert.Whether you’re a local, a collector, or a first-time visitor to Santa Fe, this behind-the-scenes look at Erin Currier’s public art offers a unique and uplifting perspective on the power of creativity in everyday spaces.

Join us for Erin Currier's upcoming exhibition at Blue Rain Gallery opening June 27th from 5 - 7pm

ERIN CURRIER

From Santa Fe to São Paulo to Sicily ~ The SublimeNew mixed media paintingsJune 27 – July 8, 2025 — Santa Fe

Artist Reception: Friday, June 27th from 5 - 7pmView original artwork by Erin Currier: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/erin-currier

This episode was hosted by gallery owner and founder Leroy Garcia, produced and edited by Leah Garcia, with original music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.

In this illuminating episode, Blue Rain Gallery founder Leroy Garcia engages in a thoughtful dialogue with esteemed artists Matthew Sievers and Bryce Pettit. Together, they delve into the inspirations, challenges, and techniques that define their celebrated practices—Sievers as a painter of expressive, light-drenched landscapes, and Pettit as a sculptor whose elegant bronze forms pay tribute to the natural world.Matthew Sievers discusses his pursuit of emotional resonance through bold, gestural brushwork and layered tonalities, revealing how his compositions aim to capture the fleeting interplay of light and landscape. Bryce Pettit offers a glimpse into the sculptural process, reflecting on the patience, precision, and deep observation of wildlife that inform his meticulously crafted bronzes.Throughout the conversation, Leroy guides listeners through an exploration of artistic intention, material mastery, and the ways in which personal vision evolves over time. This episode offers a rare and inspiring look at two accomplished artists whose work embodies the spirit of contemporary Western art and the commitment to excellence that defines Blue Rain Gallery.Matthew Sievers: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/matthew-sieversBryce Pettit: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/bryce-pettitThe Blue Rain Gallery Podcast is hosted by Leroy Garcia, produced by Leah Garcia, with music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.