Charles Carrillo has taken on the New Mexican Hispanic folk tradition of santero as his life's work, mastering all aspects of this complex art form so that people can appreciate and understand it. He has blended craft, conservation, scholarship, teaching, and innovation throughout his career and is largely responsible for the resurgence of interest in Spanish Colonial folk art in New Mexico. "This is not just about art, it's about a people's philosophy. It's about a people's way of life; a people's outlook on life. We need our saints for the good things in life and the tragedies. And in New Mexico there's a saint for everything," Carrillo comments.

The tradition of the santero, a carver and painter of images of saints, is an old one. The depiction of saints for religious purposes dates to the 18th century in Hispanic New Mexican communities. Charles Carrillo started his creative journey in 1978 when he began researching the techniques, materials, and subject matter of the early santeros. Once he had mastered the skills of the santero, he began to teach others the lost art form, sharing his knowledge and techniques with all who were interested, including his wife and children, who have become noted artists in their own right. One award nominator noted that "Charlie has developed an eye for the personal styles of santeros from past periods who did not sign their names, insights into individual hallmarks that only another artist would recognize in a fellow craftman's work." Today he is recognized not only as the primary authority on this subject but also as the most accomplished artist practicing in this regional tradition.

His commitment to tradition has led him to work within the religious community of northern New Mexico as an artist and an advocate. Toward this end he has taken a leading role in the rebuilding of La Morada de Nuestra Señora de Dolores del Alto (chapter house of the Penitential Brotherhood) after it was damaged by a tragic fire and vandalism. One of his nominators said of Carrillo that he "has a splendid sense of tradition and a deep knowledge of its particulars, which he respects and adheres to and aids his friends to come to love; he has the knack - the genius - to make an old tradition new every day..."

Unlike many artists who are reluctant (or even refuse) to share their techniques with other artists, Charlie Carrillo is genuinely happy to explain or teach to others the processes and techniques he has learned through study and experiment. As he elaborates in his quiet and modest demeanor, "If I were to take it to the grave with me, it would die also." Charlie is especially thrilled when young artists approach him and request his assistance; he cheerfully and graciously helps them learn to create religious art of which their ancestors would be proud. He encourages his students to "see the santos with your hearts and feel them with your eyes."

"Our tradition is that santos are a part of our lives," says Carrillo. "We don't just live with our saints. They live with us. We invite them into our homes to live with us."

In keeping with the old traditions, Charlie Carrillo uses materials which are identical to or closely replicate those used by the early New Mexico santeros for their religious art:

Wood – For the bases of his works, Charlie uses carefully selected New Mexico ponderosa pine. And since the colonial artists would occasionally use a piece of New Mexico cedar, so does Charlie. He prepares the flat surfaces by expertly hand-adzing each. Tilt these, and you'll see the adze marks!

Gesso – To serve as a primer, and give each piece a near-white painting surface, Charlie makes his own gesso. He starts with chunks of gypsum, which he bakes to remove the moisture locked inside; he then grinds and pulverizes the gypsum until it is a superfine powder. This white powder is then stirred into liquefied animal hide glue. Charlie brushes this mixture onto the wood surface. When dry, it resembles a thin coating of plaster.

Pigments – The remarkably rich colors Charlie uses to bring his images to life - whether earthy or jewel tone - are hand-mixed, using natural pigments: animal (i.e. cochineal insects), vegetal, or mineral (i.e. clay, turquoise, azurite). Each substance is hand-ground to a very fine powder. To transform the powdered pigments into paints, Charlie mixes each with a liquid binder. He uses one of three different binders, depending on availability: yucca cactus syrup, which Charlie makes by boiling the seed pods; cherry tree sap, brought to him by a friend; or gum Arabic, made from acacia tree resin. These natural pigments produce paints of unparalleled, gloriously breath-taking colors.

Varnish – To preserve and protect his art, Charlie applies a varnish he makes by mixing piñon tree resin (sap) with grain alcohol. Although the varnish is crystal-clear when newly applied, it gradually mellows, and after many years attains a rich, pale amber patina.