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	A Spirit portal is a symbol representing the many spirits that embrace each of us in our daily lives. From the spirit of laughter to the spirit of dance, from hope to love, we are all made up of spiritual beings and sometimes need reminding of this blessing as we go thru our temporal lives.
	While we are all our own gatekeepers, my intent is to provide a tool of affirmation to the goodness in each of us. It is, I believe, this intrinsic value in all of us that can make this a better life, not only for ourselves but also for those around us.

A couple came in and ordered a pair of cabinets with full extension drawers for the storage of their very large CD collection. They liked the look of rustic Alder with a natural finish and my suggestion of putting the twin cabinets on hidden wheels for mobility. Then they threw out the wild card: They asked that the cabinets have doors made from salt cedar and willow whip, all dyed and colored in a South West motif.

I explained that I didn't do that but that we could have it subbed out. Much to my anguish, but later a blessing, they insisted I do it. I did my R&D talking to old timers in the North Valley of Albuquerque about dyes and paints and quick wipe downs to keep the look of wood while adding color. During that week of learning and implementing a new art form in wood, I was touched by something. There was a hand on my shoulder…

and I work alone.

This design was something that I tried early on in my adventure with spirit portals. I soon realized that it was a challenging design to produce. It is not something that I currently do, but if you are interested let me know!

They all start out with an array of natural colors ranging from dark browns to reds, then I like to weave in a color to personalize the Portals; Cobalt Blue and Fuchsia seam to be the most popular with Hunter Green and Teal also being used, the later two sometimes together. The magic of this art form is there are no mistakes or wrong way...

Even mixing several colors together can create a wild carnival experience. I’m using a knotty Alder or rustic Cherry for the frame stock with a clear coat of finish to help hold the beauty and color of the spirit portal through time, for inside or outside!

Made from solid North American Cherry wood from this bench features the Salt Cedar and Willow whip harvested from the Rio Grande valley. Some of the sticks are dyed and colored in a South West motif, while the majority are left in their natural colors. All of the wood has a clear coat of finish to protect and hold the natural beauty through time.

These Twin Towers are southwestern styled curio cabinets with southwest trim over the windows with sombraje styled doors on the bottom. These curio cabinets are made from solid oak with 1/4" glass doors and shelves for the light to shine through.

This home office is made out of solid cherry. This customer choose to combine Sombraje styled skirt, tri fold panel, and bi-fold doors on the credenza to compliment a tradional look.

The blue glass top on this table echoes the faint blue wash, done on Oak, creates a cool, tranquilizing centerpiece to this Southwest living room.

The "Zia" designed trim on the four sides of the under skirt (and even under the glass!) are duplicated on the side banco made to display the customer's personal collection of art.

Done in the same southwest style, this end table was done in a beige wash to match the customer’s leather recliner. Of note, I often use glass tops with coffee and end tables. The glass is always encased in wood to protect the edge of the glass from chipping. A glass top table in a high-traffic area is sensible, easy to wipe clean, and is fairly inexpensive. Available in many tints, glass can be used to complement the tone of the wood.

This king-size waterbed, done in Wormy Maple, also reflects a southwest style. Complementary night stands and entertainment center at the foot of the bed have a natural finish which keeps the beauty of the wood alive.

Spirit Portal Art and Southwest Furniture