Five New Mexico-based creative writers, each composed a short, image-rich story for this coloring book. These colorful stories use a variety of styles and cultural references, both local and universal. Jamie Figueroa and Lily Hoang bring us fantastical images of giants and monsters. Nasario Garcia pulls us into old-time small-town Norteño fiestas and dark back roads imbued with mystery and magic. Joe Hayes shoots us to the stars and back with a coyote tale, and Melody Sumner Carnahan spins us in circles (while reminding us to keep breathing) with a dizzying array of imagery. When the stories were complete, we invited artists, known to make coloring book style line drawing illustrations based on the stories. Artists who contributed their drawings to this book: Joshua Atlas, Jamison Chas Banks, Rita Bard, Jeff Benham, Crockett Bodelson, Victoria Carlson, Susan Case, Hye Coh, Matthew Chase-Daniel, Lisa de St. Croix, Erin Currier, Donelli J. DiMaria, Clare Dunne, Alexandra Eldridge, Joerael Julian Elliott, Betsy Emil, Andrew Fearnside, Brian Fleetwood, Lisa Flynn, Jason Garcia, Miranda Gray, Holly Grimm, Linda Guenste, Hans Harland-Hue, Nicola Heindl-Watson, Sienna Heinemann, Yubi Kim, Shakti Kroopkin, Celeste LaForme, Mary Lawler, Katherine Lee, David Leigh, Israel Haros Lopez, Nina Mastrangelo, Abby Mattison, Kathleen McCloud, Daniel McCoy, Mary Moegenburg, Sabra Moore, Eliza Naranjo Morse, Aidan Mott, Matthew Mullins, Joel Nakamura, Arlene Ory, Larry Bob Phillips, Mikey Rae, Janet Stein Romero, William Rotsaert, Iren Schio, Rose Simpson, Mark Spencer, Rick Stevens, Laurinda Stockwell, Dianne Stromberg, Linda Swanson, Tricia Tusa, Linda Vi Vona, Erika Wanenmacher, Tracy Cook Wein, Jerry Wellman, Raina Wellman, Gwen Wells, Anastasio Wrobel, Aaron Yazzie, Francesca Yorke, Debby Young, Bette Yozell. Feel free to grab your crayons or markers and color in-between the lines. Or just turn the pages and enjoy the stories and drawings all sprung forth from the imaginations of our colorful local artists.
About the Author: Axle Contemporary is a gallery of art housed in an antique delivery truck. Axle was founded by Jerry Wellman and Matthew Chase-Daniel in Santa Fe New Mexico in 2010. Axle exhibits contemporary works by New Mexico based artists, ranging from works on paper to new media arts, installation, social engagement, and performance art. Gallery locations change daily and include art districts, grocery store parking lots, farmers markets, schools, and city streets. Axle aims to present the rich diversity of local contemporary art to a wide and varied audience. Axle also supports and produces projects independent of the mobile gallery that engage innovative and alternative methods of creation and presentation of art.