Blue Rain Gallery Podcast

Artist Sean Diediker joins gallery owner and founder Leroy Garcia for Episode 115 of the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast to discuss his evolving painting process, Western art, and the creative freedom of letting go.Known for Canvasing the World, Diediker shares how he combines traditional painting techniques with abstract marks, rich textures, and unexpected moments. From collaborating with his young son to finding inspiration in France and his grandfather’s trading post, he reveals the experiences shaping his recent work.Explore the stories behind Sanctuary, The Calling, and The Root and Flower, along with a conversation about perfectionism, palette knife techniques, and the human connections at the heart of his paintings.View available artwork by Sean Diediker: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/sean-diedikerExplore Canvasing the World: https://canvasingtheworld.tvRead the Southwest Art magazine feature: https://www.southwestart.com/featured/diediker-s-aug2026Subscribe to the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast for more artist interviews and conversations about art and the creative process.This episode was hosted by Leroy Garcia, produced and edited by Leah Garcia, with original music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.Discover curated home goods by Blue Rain Gallery artists — only at BlueRainPrintShop.com. Bring the art you love into your everyday life.

What does it mean to feel truly at home? In Episode 114 of the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast, host Leroy Garcia sits down with New Mexico painter Eric Romero to explore Querencia—a new body of work rooted in family, heritage, and the places where the soul rests.From long days on the tractor to the artistry of lowrider culture, Romero shares how his New Mexico upbringing shapes his paintings. Together, he and Leroy discuss Catholic imagery, the women who have influenced his life, and the inspiration he finds in his wife and daughter.Through stories behind the paintings, Romero reveals the personal meaning within everyday details: a weathered fence post, a beloved classic car, a rosary, or a length of baling twine. The conversation explores belonging, the discipline of making art, and what we leave behind for the next generation.Experience Querencia at Blue Rain Gallery in Santa Fe, September 25–October 8, 2026. Join us for the artist reception on Friday, September 25, from 5–7 PM.Explore artwork by Eric Romero: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/eric-romeroWatch more conversations with leading artists: https://blueraingallery.com/podcastSubscribe to the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast for stories about contemporary Native American art, Southwestern art, sculpture, creative process, and the artists shaping today’s fine art world.This episode was hosted by Leroy Garcia, produced and edited by Leah Garcia, with original music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.Discover curated home goods by Blue Rain Gallery artists — only at BlueRainPrintShop.com. Bring the art you love into your everyday life.

Award-winning sculptor Greyshoes (Upton Ethelbah Jr.) joins host and gallery owner Leroy Garcia on the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast for a conversation about art, identity, and the cultural experiences that inspire his celebrated stone and bronze sculptures.Drawing from his Santa Clara Pueblo and White Mountain Apache heritage, Greyshoes transforms the movement, color, rhythm, and spiritual character of Indigenous dances into contemporary sculpture. He shares memories of returning to Santa Clara Pueblo, learning traditional dances alongside his sons, and experiencing the powerful connection between the dancers, singers, drums, and community.Greyshoes also recounts his remarkable journey from directing student life at the Santa Fe Indian School to becoming a professional artist after retiring at age 55. He discusses studying sculpture at the Poeh Cultural Center, choosing the physically demanding art of stone carving, and translating select stone originals into limited-edition bronze sculptures with expressive, colorful patinas.The conversation explores the inspiration behind works such as “Santa Clara Pueblo Ram Dancers,” along with Greyshoes’ representations of Apache Crown Dancers, Pueblo Corn Dancers, deer, elk, buffalo dancers, and other figures rooted in Native American culture and ceremony.Explore artwork by Upton “Greyshoes” Ethelbah Jr.:https://blueraingallery.com/artists/greyshoesWatch more conversations with leading artists:https://blueraingallery.com/podcastSubscribe to the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast for stories about contemporary Native American art, Southwestern art, sculpture, creative process, and the artists shaping today’s fine art world.This episode was hosted by Laura Garcia, produced and edited by Leah Garcia, with original music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.Discover curated home goods by Blue Rain Gallery artists — only at BlueRainPrintShop.com. Bring the art you love into your everyday life.

Award-winning Native American artist Sheridan MacKnight joins Blue Rain Gallery founder and podcast host Leroy Garcia for a powerful conversation about Indigenous lineage, ledger art, matriarchy, and cultural storytelling.A Hunkpapa Lakota and White Earth Chippewa painter and jeweler, MacKnight creates contemporary Indigenous art rooted in family history, spirituality, resilience, and the strength of Native women. She reflects on her connection to Little Crow, her grandmother’s experience at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, and the generations of women who shaped her life and artistic voice.MacKnight also discusses her education at El Camino College and ArtCenter College of Design, her journey into ledger art, and the influence of artists such as Pablita Velarde, Helen Hardin, Fritz Scholder, and Dorothy Dunn. She takes us inside the stories behind “HeSapa / Sacred Black Hills” and “Our Lineage Remains,” exploring the Black Hills, Wounded Knee, Native boarding schools, music, memory, healing, and hope.Explore Sheridan MacKnight’s artwork:https://blueraingallery.com/artists/sheridan-macknightDiscover exhibitions, artists, and podcasts from Blue Rain Gallery:https://blueraingallery.com/Subscribe for more conversations with leading Native American, contemporary Southwestern, and fine art artists.This episode was hosted by Laura Garcia, produced and edited by Leah Garcia, with original music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta. Discover curated home goods by Blue Rain Gallery artists — only at BlueRainPrintShop.com. Bring the art you love into your everyday life.

Presented in partnership with Glass Alliance–New Mexico, this special bonus episode is part of Blue Rain Gallery’s ongoing lecture series in Santa Fe, celebrating the voices, stories, and creative practices of leading contemporary glass artists.In this engaging presentation, acclaimed glass artist Spooner Marcus (Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo) reflects on his artistic journey, tracing the influences of family, culture, history, and community that have shaped his work. Through personal stories, archival photographs, and insights into his creative process, Marcus explores the legacy of his great-grandmother Regina Nakai Alvarado, the traditions of Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, and his path from a young apprentice glassblower in Northern New Mexico to one of the most innovative Indigenous artists working in glass today.Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of Marcus’ distinctive approach to glassmaking, his ongoing dialogue with Pueblo pottery traditions, and the ways cultural heritage continues to inform and inspire his evolving artistic practice.Recorded live at Blue Rain Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico. View artwork by Spooner Marcus: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/spooner-marcus/view-all

Episode 111 of the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast welcomes acclaimed Caddo and Winnebago painter Dolores Purdy for an inspiring conversation about ledger art, Indigenous storytelling, identity, and the evolution of contemporary Native art. In this episode, Dolores shares her journey growing up in a military family, discovering her cultural roots, and developing her signature style that blends traditional ledger art influences with richly detailed contemporary compositions.  Hosted at Blue Rain Gallery, this in-depth artist interview explores the history of ledger art — from its origins among Plains warriors documenting personal and tribal histories on buffalo hides and paper, to Dolores Purdy’s modern interpretation using colored pencil, watercolor, and layered visual storytelling. Dolores discusses how women’s perspectives influence her work, the symbolism behind her female figures, textiles, and imagery, and how her art bridges historical traditions with contemporary Native expression.  Dolores also reflects on her 25-year career exhibiting at Santa Fe Indian Market, her work in museum and Smithsonian collections, and the importance of creating art that resonates beyond labels — art collected for its emotional depth, craftsmanship, and universal human connection.  If you’re passionate about Native American art, contemporary Indigenous artists, Southwest art, ledger art history, Santa Fe Indian Market, or collecting museum-quality contemporary Native artwork, this episode offers valuable insight into one of today’s respected Native painters.View available artwork by Dolores Purdy: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/dolores-purdySubscribe to the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast for more artist interviews, cultural insights, and contemporary art conversations.This episode was hosted by Laura Garcia, produced and edited by Leah Garcia, with original music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.Discover curated home goods 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 welcomes painter Paige Pierson for a conversation exploring the journey behind her work and the influences that continue to shape her artistic voice. From her early beginnings in Oklahoma City and formative training in Texas to New Mexico, Pierson reflects on how place, memory, and experience have guided her path as an artist.The discussion highlights Pierson’s distinctive approach to painting, particularly her soft, atmospheric depictions of Northern New Mexico landscapes, adobe architecture, and culturally significant sites like La Plaza del Cerro. Alongside her landscape work, she shares insight into her figurative paintings and the role of observation, family history, and emotional nuance in her process. Together, Garcia and Pierson explore themes of artistic discipline, creative growth, and the importance of daily practice in building a meaningful life in art.Find original artwork by Paige Pierson available at Blue Rain Gallery: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/paige-piersonSubscribe to the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast for more artist interviews, cultural insights, and contemporary art conversations.This episode was hosted by Laura Garcia, produced and edited by Leah Garcia, with original music by Mozart Gabriel Abeyta.Discover curated home goods by Blue Rain Gallery artists — only at BlueRainPrintShop.com. Bring the art you love into your everyday life.

In Episode 109 of the Blue Rain Gallery Podcast, host Leroy Garcia welcomes painter Tony De Luz for an intimate studio conversation exploring the creative journey behind his upcoming show "66 and Beyond," an inspired body of work, and his evolving relationship with Blue Rain Gallery.De Luz reflects on the cultural power of America’s historic highway, sharing how its vintage signage, neon-lit motels, and small-town storefronts have become central motifs in his paintings. From Flagstaff to Albuquerque and Durango, the landscapes and communities of the Southwest provide both visual language and emotional grounding for his art, celebrating nostalgia while reimagining it through a contemporary lens.The episode also traces Tony’s path from commercial illustration to fine art, highlighting the persistence required to build a meaningful career in today’s creative economy. In a candid moment, he discusses his participation in the docuseries Glitter & Greed: The Lisa Frank Story, speaking openly about workplace culture, artistic integrity, and the importance of advocating for fair treatment in creative industries.Throughout the conversation, Garcia and De Luz explore themes of mentorship, artistic growth, and the quiet power of community, whether found in a small gallery town, along a winding railroad track, or through the enduring stories embedded in America’s roadsides.This episode offers listeners a thoughtful look at how place, memory, and perseverance shape an artist’s voice, and why Tony De Luz’s work continues to resonate with collectors and audiences across the Southwest.Find original artwork by Tony De Luz available at Blue Rain Gallery: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/tony-de-luzSubscribe 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 Episode 108, host Leroy Garcia sits down with Australian artist Lew Brennan, a self-taught master of oil and charcoal whose work bridges the ranching worlds of Australia and the American Southwest. Brennan—who traveled across the globe to join us in the studio—shares his personal story, his lifelong connection to horses, and how ranch life shaped both his eye and his artistic language.Together, Leroy and Lew discuss hyper-realism, the power of monumental scale, and the technical precision behind charcoal and oil. From the life and spirit inside the veins of a horse, to the challenge of painting “white on black,” to the hidden self-portrait within a chrome-finished Harley-Davidson, Brennan’s storytelling is as rich as his paintings. The episode also explores the cultural kinship between Australia and the Southwest, the role of tradition, and how music and lived experience influence the names behind his work.If you collect Western art, equine art, or hyper-realism, this is a must-listen introduction to an exciting new voice at Blue Rain Gallery.View Lew Brennan's work here: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/lew-brennanSubscribe 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 speaks with painter Robin Jones about her newest exhibition, Nos Galan Gaeaf—a series inspired by Celtic ancestry, animism, and the thin veil between the spiritual and physical worlds. Jones discusses how researching her Welsh, Irish, and Scottish roots shaped this collection, and how her portraits of adolescent girls exist at a powerful threshold—between childhood and adulthood, the modern world and the ancestral, the living world and spirit. Nature becomes an active presence in the work: dragonflies, birds, stone cathedrals, ocean winds, and crumbling architecture all carry energy and symbolism. Throughout the conversation, Robin explains her animistic worldview, her process of creating environments alive with “personhood,” and why she uses architecture and sacred sites from Celtic lands to deepen the storytelling in her paintings. Leroy and Robin also explore themes of environmental stewardship, cultural inheritance, and how young people—especially young women—embody the future. View available work by Robin Jones: https://blueraingallery.com/artists/robin-jones/view-allSubscribe 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.