Wood Carved Nativities by Louise Ortega

Carving is something that comes naturally to Louisa Ortega. She is the youngest daughter of world renowned master woodcarver and Santero, Ben Ortega Sr. Santeros are artists who make Santos—images of saints, and are one of the oldest living traditions of religious devotion practiced by people in the Southwest. Ben Ortega Sr. began his career in 1961 when a figure of St. Francis de Assisi, that he had made for fun, became a collected item by dealers all around the world.Louisa began carving wooden animals at a young age, taught by her father, and now works behind her family home on the outskirts of Santa Fe. Her studio is surrounded by thousands of earth-colored pieces of driftwood she has collected from the winding arroyos and dry riverbeds of New Mexico.Louise was 8 years old when she started carving. She had always wanted to learn to carve. One day father found her working with his tools, and said it was time to learn carving because he didn’t want her to get hurt. That’s how it star