S.F. artist made retablos, used animals images in furniture
David Ross, a Santa Fe artist known for his unique retablos and for incorporating animals into handcrafted furniture, seemed to infuse his lighthearted spirit into his work.
“My dad was a character,” Ross’ son, Julien Ross, said. “In addition to his art genius, he was kind of known for always trying to bring fun and laughter and joy. So, really, he’s known for being kind of a jokester and just bringing fun and light to people.”
David Ross died May 27 at age 86.
His playful pieces drew thousands of patrons to his studio at the intersection of Canyon Road and Palace Avenue between 1980 and 2004. He then transitioned to taking private commissions through his website until 2019, his son said.
Ross’ patrons often wanted him to integrate the images and personalities of their pets or other favorite animals into his work, said Laurie Wilson, owner of Teca Tu Pet Emporium, who sold some of Ross’ artwork and furniture pieces in the shop. He had a talent for capturing the dynamic nature of animals in functional furniture, such as step stools, benches, door stops and tables.
His “howling coyote” step stool was a fan favorite.
Born in Queens in 1936, Ross left New York to join the Army at 18 but later returned to work at a newspaper stand on 42nd Street, where he met his future wife, Carol, in 1970.
The passage of the GI Bill motivated Ross to attend the Pratt Institute and the Art Center School in New York, where he honed his skills. He later transferred to Santa Fe and completed his Bachelor of Arts at the now-shuttered College of Santa Fe, Julien Ross said.
He lived in Florence, Italy, from 1960-66, where he studied the Italian masters, and he sold his own work in front of the Uffizi Gallery, his son said. He was deeply influenced during this time by the work of Giotto, a pre-Renaissance artist famous for his religious themes painted on wooden panels.
Giotto instilled in Ross a passion for spiritual subjects, which he then depicted in his carvings and retablos.
David and Carol Ross were married at Bishop’s Lodge in 1970 by a close family friend, Fray Angélico Chávez. The couple moved to Santa Fe in 1973 and rented a small home on Canyon Road, where they raised their two sons, Dalton and Julien.
Before long, David Ross had transformed the living room and front porch of the home into what would become David Ross Studio.
Even as he began to build success in his work, Ross maintained a strong fidelity to his craft and his freedom as an artist. In the late 1980s, he turned down a lucrative contract with Niemann Marcus upon learning the company would be manufacturing his designs with a wood of a lesser quality than the staple high-end poplar and kiln-dried alder he used in his work, Julien Ross said.
David Ross, who became a proud resident of Santa Fe, used his platform as an artist to participate in local outreach. He donated countless pieces of furniture and retablos to charity auctions, assisted at hospice events and supported the Santa Fe Symphony and Chorus, where Carol Ross sang for over 40 years, his son said.
Friends described David Ross as a generous man and said he often gave gifts of his artwork.
“My whole family has retablos,” Wilson said. “His art style was really unique. And, definitely, you could tell when it was David doing it. It was just much different than anybody else’s and much better and beautiful work.”
His art still adorns the walls of local restaurants.
One of his favorite projects in Santa Fe was painting a mural of the Tuscany hills at the Italian restaurant Osteria D’Assisi.
Another one of his works, a San Pasqual from 1985 with a trademark red chile ristra, still sits on the wall in Tomasita’s main dining room.
“It was so nice to have David as a friend for many reasons,” said Paul Biderman, Ross’ friend of over 40 years, “but especially because he brought art into my life.”