Art show features self-taught local painter

Ten years ago, a nurse practitioner in Alamo sought to commission someone to paint an EMS badge. Ricky Padilla volunteered for the task without realizing how the experience would change his life. When he presented the painting to her, her heartfelt reaction inspired him to pursue a career in art.

“She was actually crying, and I didn’t know that it would make that huge of an impact,” Padilla said. “ I never really painted like that in my life; I drew in elementary and all that until 2015. That’s when I really started pursuing painting.”

Padilla immersed himself in painting, learning from watching his uncles and teaching himself everything he could. He laughed as he talked about all the hours he dedicated watching Bob Ross.

“When I was starting out, you know, asking for advice I never really got a good answer. All I kept hearing was, just make sure you have a regular job.” Padilla said.

He was inspired to paint his experiences growing up on the Alamo-Navajo reservation, often painting landscapes, grandmas in traditional dress, and teenagers.

“I used to watch my grandma weave; I asked her questions. You know, how come this? How come that.” Padilla said.

He wanted to know more about her color choices and asked her why their people dressed in colorful dresses and regalia.

“She said they used to only wear brown, green and anything that’s dark color so they could hide from soldiers. Then back in the 70s, she told me that that’s when they really started wearing bright colors again,” Padilla said, “That’s one thing that kind of stuck with me when I paint, is like, I look around and all you see is brown, yellow it gets depressing at times, and that’s partly the main reason I like incorporating all the colors.”

He said when he first started out his late wife, Evelyn Secatero, was his biggest fan and always encouraged him to keep painting.

“One of the paintings I did. I did back in 2018 I worked on for four days, and as soon as I finished putting my name on it, she grabbed the painting, and she told me it’s hers, and she hung it up in the living room,” He said.

Most of the time, after completing a piece, she would claim it for her own and affectionately call it the Evelyn Secatero private collection.

“People started noticing that I paint and, and I started selling it, and it started selling. And from there, it just grew,” Padilla said. “We were doing pretty good in 2019, and then COVID showed up, and we are still recovering from that.”

Over the last couple of years, he has been taking his work to the Free Indian Market in Santa Fe. The non-profit organization hosts an annual show to promote self-sufficiency and preserve traditional arts, cultures, and languages while documenting Native history and elders’ stories.

“I really like the idea behind it. That’s why I go. I like seeing the older generation because they were phased out back a while ago, and back when they turned the application online, all the older artists generation started losing out, and they didn’t know where else to go.” Padilla said of the Free Indian Market.

“It’s pretty fulfilling to make a lasting impact on somebody who will get joy from the painting.” Padilla said.

He hopes to inspire future generations of Alamo artists, often giving away his paintings to the youth.

“I talked to a lot of kids in school, and I was told it’s impossible to make a living selling. But I told them, if you keep at it and you’re passionate about something, you can do it.” Padilla said.

The Apache Ga’an Mask art reception featuring Ricky Padilla’s paintings at the CWB Gallery on Main Street in Magdalena kicked off last month and will remain until June. The art show also includes paintings by Eddie Tsosie, weavings by Virgil Sandoval and the late Frances Apachito.

For those interested in seeing Padilla’s work, the CWB Gallery will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 28.

Follow him on Facebook at Rez Style Artz or visit his website at rezstyleart.weebly.com