Relics of Native Oil at Watts Fine Arts in Zionsville, IN

AOA NEWS
By Ernest Britton

INDIANA - Dressed entirely in black with heavy silver jewelry laced with red feathers and semi-precious stones, Roseta Santiago guides us through her new exhibition at Watts Fine Arts in Zionsville, IN. The Native American painter is best known for her oil paintings of ancient relics, but she also paints human figures, Indian clothing and horses all suffused in dramatic lighting. In fact, consider the image of an artist surrounded by the spirits of ancient artisans who inspire her creativity. That's the experience of this Native American high priestess of art. You feel it in her art, and in her presence. She describes the process as "magical, a religious experience" and to illustrate the spiritual nature of her dramatic works she pointed to the largest of the paintings on display, a horse in full gallop that leaps from a spiritual unknown entitled, "Leap of Faith." For those unable see her artwork in Indiana or the Blue Rain Gallery in Santa Fe or Rick Moore in Naples, Fl, you can still experience it by purchasing a new book on her work, Conversations in Paint Language: The Art of Roseta Santiago.