The Boot Lady of Santa Fe

by Scott Crumley

“What do you want to be in Life?” Sounds like a familiar question. Angela Rogers has taken to the notion of becoming The Boot Lady of Santa Fe. For the foreseeable future, she intends to continue her love in life of creating the most unique “boots” that her imagination can conjure.

Angela got her start in the creative ceramic art world through an introduction to the medium by way of a dear friend. From the beginning, back in the early 90s, she created imaginary art that caught the eye of her followers. The attitude then is the same as it is today, “I can make that”. Her drive to create is deep. From her self taught beginnings, she has grown to be a proficient artist of clay hand built forms. She apprenticed with no pay for years, in order to learn how to work clay and fire a kiln. Her lifelong love for visual art was the perfect background for ceramic decoration. Mesh it all together and you have what she is today.

Angela Rogers grew up on the road as a child. The oldest child in an Army family of 3 children, she had the great fortune of having been exposed to the wonders of Europe and the Southwest. That combination has given her an eye for the magnificent and the traditional. It is so interesting to think that artist and artisan can come together in the most synchronistic way. The humble beginnings of pen and ink and detail stemmed from her childhood doodling. Everything could become a canvas to her, as is evident by a decorated rock that still sits in her home. Pair that with the good chance of becoming a friend with a celebrated cowboy, and his custom boot shop in downtown Austin, Texas and there was the beginnings of becoming The Boot Lady of Santa Fe.

A new acquaintance from her early visits of Santa Fe, Donna Dodson, had the distinction of being known as the Mystery Lady of Santa Fe. Angela thought that she might be able to acquire the Boot Lady title with her artistic specialty. The notable artist, Bill Worrell, had recognized her work years ago and gave her a chance to provide work for the Worrell Gallery. Whimsically decorated ceramics were the original work sent. Cups and bowls were one thing, but Boots were her passion. She works from models of old worn boots and creates clay versions that are built, carved, fired and glazed to become an unique piece of Western art. Be aware that these boots are not made for walking. One patron once mistook a photo for the real thing and put in an order for a pair to be given to his significant love of his life. Angela politely explained, with a touch of gratitude, that they were not the wearable kind of boots. They were pretty and colorful, but not comfortable.

Angela’s studio is crowded with tools of her trade. Old boots, boot lasts, and pottery tools are here and there. “This is a working studio”, she reminds me as I look around at her eclectic assortment of “tools”. She makes her own clay and glazes. She has more kilns that you could imagine. Inspiration for her Sowthwest decoration is everywhere. Cactus and succulents grow in pots at the far end of her South Texas ceramic studio. Her constant companions are her six dogs who run and play at her feet all day. The vibe fits the creative spirit of work.

From start to finish, it might take as much as several months to finish a boot. Coil and slab building, carving, dry time, bisque firings, pre-glaze firings, final hand painted decoration and final firing all goes into the creative process. Perhaps a little extra china painting or gold application might find its way into the process. There are no helpers, just the artist. It is the love for the work that pushes her through the long process. The DAILY routine might last from the early hours of the morning, before sunrise and stretching through the night. Hot Summer days are great for throwing and building. Cool Winter days are fine for decoration in her paint studio. As you might suspect, every day is filled with ART. Coffee in the morning and a couple of hours drawing or painting in whatever medium is at hand. She is a remarkable oil and water color painter. She loves digital art, which she created daily on her iPad. She sews. She does printing. She experiments with color and form in many mediums ranging from paper to fabric materials. That was the reason Bill Worrell admired her and was amazed at her many talents. Creative for sure. She is grateful for all the elements of her career. That is a big part of her connection to the Southwest art world. Perhaps as Bill Worrell looks down on her current work, he might give his blessing to her desire to become The Boot Lady of Santa Fe.

Bill Worrell at his house in Santa Fe, Scott Crumley, my husband and my old dog Ray Duster. This was my first time ever to go to Santa Fe. Poor old Ray Duster was in her her final years, but she made the trip in style. Bill had a tradition that whoever he invited to stay at his house was offered the opportunity to put their hand print on his wall near the kitchen. The wall was painted white like a stretched adobe canvas and upon it was a rainbow of colored handprints and names, some famous names among them. I can say that it was a real joy to know that in her last years, Ray Duster was able to place her little paw print upon that wall.

About me......

I really love working with clay, drawing, painting and creating Art.  It is my consuming passion in life. Written years ago, this opening is pretty much the same for me today. I live in a small quiet Texas town in the middle of nowhere with my six dogs, Standard Rat Terriers, and one Jack Russel. These were all the dogs that it took to fill the hole in my heart after I lost my beloved Ray Duster.

In the early 1990’s I was introduced to clay on a whim and before I knew it I was hooked. I started with low fire slip cast ceramics and worked my way through all of the processes of making art in clay, colors and glazes. I was introduced to clay by a friend of mine in Mary Kay. If it had not been for Mary Kay, I don’t believe that I would have ever met Trudy and gone out to that Ceramic Shop to look at greenware with her. At the time she was on the hunt for a Turtle planter that wore shoes. Lord, when we got to that ceramic shot and I saw all of that poured slip cast greenware forms, I didn’t know what to think. At the time I was sure that I could not see myself doing ceramics. Ridiculed by oil painting friends who accused me of painting ceramic rabbits, and Santa Clauses, which I did paint, I persevered ahead and became obsessed with the process of all things clay. Every time I thought that I would give up the clay, I discovered something new and continued ahead.

Out of the long journey, through a past of learning from others and teaching myself and others new skills and techniques, has come what I do today.  I am eternally grateful to all of the many talented Artists, friends, and teachers who have helped me along the way.  Each and every time I use a special tool or technique, that I learned from someone else, I think of the people who passed their knowledge along to me and helped me more than they will ever know.

The pottery process comes out of my approach of "making the piece from start to finish". Using my own materials, some even mined from the very ground I walk on in Texas, my work comes to life.  I make my own clay from scratch, like a biscuit recipe made from fresh flour and eggs.  For the most part, I make all my own stains and glazes. I create the piece and decorate it over the course of many days and many firings.  Currently I am working with a high fire clay that matures at cone 10 (about 2300 degrees F). I fire my work in a workhorse of an electric kiln, manually, with a pyrometer.  My creative process is wheel thrown for some things and slab and coil built for others.  I also am working on clay sculpture forms and new designs, to bring to life the people that I draw and paint on the surfaces of my cups and in the movie drawings that I create on my iPad.

I continue to do what I have always done with my drawing and painting, in the traditional sense of art. I am always  learning and forever searching for that next teacher.  I collect and read volumes of books and articles and lists of ingredients and colors and technical data for my clay and glaze work.

I work out of my studio in Moulton, Texas. My husband and I have recently remodeled a small granite building and built a new pottery studio in Llano, Texas. The lights are always on late.  Some nights it is a slow firing that keeps me up much of the night and into the next day. Pottery, for me, is a hot sweaty afternoon in the Texas heat, working in my studio.  That is all a part of the creative process and that is what drives me to do what I love the most. 

 Thank You for your interest in my work and for visiting my web page.