
Cemetery Cross
Karen Rivera 2012
Cripple Creek, Colorado
Scattered on a barren, windswept hilltop, outside of town and hidden from the casinos that have taken over the entire town, handmade crosses mark the graves of the miners who died far away from home.
November 4, 2012 | Categories: Artists, Cemetery Crosses, Christian Photography, Colorado, Cripple Creek, Cross of the Day, Crosses, CrossoftheDay, Inspirational Photography, Karen Rivera, Outdoor Photography, Photography, Vintage Crosses | Tags: christian photography, cripple creek cemetary, Cross of the Day, Crosses, CrossoftheDay, Graveyard Crosses, Hand Carved, inspirational photograhpy, Karen Rivera, Wayside Attraction | Leave a comment
Black Iron Cross Fence
Nambe, New Mexico Cemetery
Karen Rivera 2009
July 11, 2011 | Categories: Adobe Churches, Cemetery Crosses, Churches, Crosses, Folk Art, Mission Churches, Mountain Churches, New Mexico, Northern New Mexico, Rustic Crosses, Traditional Crosses | Tags: Abobe Churches, Black Iron Cross, Cemetery Crosses, Churches, Cross, Cross of the Day, Graveyard Crosses, kdsebastian, Mission Churches, Mountain Churches, Nambe, New Mexico, Old Churches, Village Churches | Leave a comment

Nambe Cemetery
Nambe Pueblo, New Mexico
Karen Rivera
January 2011
I shoot a lot of cemetaries. For heart-rending, technicolor boisterous displays, you just can’t beat a New Mexican cemetary on Easter, Day of the Dead or Christmas. I’ve made it to my favorite, the Nambe Church cemetary in Nambe, every Boxing Day for most of the last 20 years. I follow that up with New Year’s Day in Acoma. It seems to make the perfect emotional double-header.
I found this small, weathered cross tucked away in a far corner surrounded by tumbleweeds and scruffy dead plants. The new flowers shows that this lonely hidden grave hadn’t been forgotten.
July 4, 2011 | Categories: Adobe Churches, Art, Cemetery Crosses, Churches, Community, Crosses, CrossoftheDay, Folk Art, Historic Churches, Inspirational Photography, Mission Churches, Mountain Churches, Nambe, New Mexico, New Mexico Photography, Northern New Mexico, Religious Art, Shrine, Story Crosses, Traditional Crosses, Village Churches, Vintage Crosses | Tags: Adobe Church, Art, Carved Cross, Carved Wooden Crosses, Cemetery, Cross, Cross of the Day, Crosses, CrossoftheDay, Descansos, Folk Art, Graveyard Crosses, Graveyards, Hand Carved, Hand Painted, Karen Rivera, mission church, New Mexico, Northern New Mexico, Outdoor Photography by Karen Rivera, Photography, Road Trips, southwest, Southwest Crosses, Wayside Attraction | Leave a comment

Church Tower with Cross, Chimayo
Chimayo, New Mexico
Karen Rivera 2007
November 18, 2010 | Categories: Adobe Churches, Art, Cemetery Crosses, Chimayo, Churches, Cross of the Day, Crosses, CrossoftheDay, Graveyard Crosses, Hand Carved Crosses, Historic Churches, Karen Rivera, New Mexico, Northern New Mexico, Rustic Crosses, Saints and Martyers, Sanctuario, Santa Fe, Shrine, Traditional Crosses, Village Churches, Vintage Crosses | Tags: Abobe Churches, Cemetery Crosses, Chimayo, Church Tower, Cross, Cross of the Day, CrossoftheDay, Hand Carved, Karen Rivera, Mission Churches, Mountain Churches, New Mexico, New Mexico Photography, Northern New Mexico, Old Churches, Photography, Road Trip, Sanctuario, Village Churches | Leave a comment

San Franciso Church ~ 1976
Golden, New Mexico
Karen Rivera
Golden, New Mexico, on the Turquoise Trail, is having a bit of a renaissance these days. It’s still a ghost town but the few houses have been restored and the old Mercantile is open in the summer for the tourists. Built in 1830, he San Francisco Church off Highway 14, doesn’t look much different than when I was shooting black and whites in the mid-70’s. Restored in 1960 by Fray Angelico Chavez while he was the padre of St. Joseph’s Church in Los Cerrillos, the graveyard has mostly escaped the vandalism common to New Mexico’s abandoned mining towns.
November 17, 2010 | Categories: Adobe Churches, Architectural Crosses, Art, Black Iron Crosses, Cemetery Crosses, Churches, Cross of the Day, Crosses, CrossoftheDay, Graveyard Crosses, Historic Churches, Inspirational Photography, Iron Crosses, Karen Rivera, Mission Churches, New Mexico, Religious Art, Rustic Crosses, Saints, Saints and Martyers, San Francisco, Santa Fe, Village Churches, Vintage Crosses | Tags: 1830's Church, Adobe Church, Black and White Photography, Cross of the Day, Crosses, Fray Angelico Chavez, Ghost Town, Golden, Graveyard Crosses, Karen Rivera, New Mexico Photography, San Francisco Church, South Highway 14, Turquoise Trail, Village Church, Vintage Photographs | Leave a comment

Grace Morales, 1893 ~ Graveyard Crosses
Illustration
Karen Rivera 2010
November 16, 2010 | Categories: Art, Cemetery Crosses, Churches, Cross of the Day, Crosses, CrossoftheDay, Descansos, Free Clipart Crosses, Graveyard Crosses, Karen Rivera, Religious Art, Rustic Crosses, Saints and Martyers, Story Crosses | Tags: Cemetary Crosses, Christian, Cross, Cross of the Day, Crosses, CrossoftheDay, Descansos, Free Cross Clipart, Graveyard Crosses, Illustrations, Karen Rivera, Religious Art, Southwest Crosses | Leave a comment

Manzano, Founded 1824
Manzano, New Mexico
Karen Rivera
Manzano is one of New Mexico’s small almost ghost towns tucked away in the Cibola National Forest. With an estimated population of 54, the main attractions are its photo opps and the legendary Manzano Mountain Retreat.
For 35 years, the working apple farm has produced 4,000 bushels of apples and 3,000 gallons of cider annually. A daily update on the web site lists which of the 34 types are currently available.
The aerial shot below, taken from the Manzano Mountain Retreat website shows the orchards cut out of the forest.

November 16, 2010 | Categories: Adobe Churches, Art, Cemetery Crosses, Churches, Community, Cross of the Day, Crosses, CrossoftheDay, Graveyard Crosses, Historic Churches, Inspirational Photography, Karen Rivera, Mission Churches, Mountain Churches, New Mexico, Northern New Mexico, Rustic Crosses, Saints and Martyers, Southern New Mexico, Spirituality, Stone Churches | Tags: Adobe Church, Apples, Cemetery, Cross of the Day, Ghost Town, Graveyard Crosses, Historic Churches, Inspirational Photography, Karen Rivera, Manzano, mission church, Mountain Churches, Mountains, New Mexico, Religious Art, Road Trips, Southern New Mexico, Stone Churches, Village Churches | Leave a comment

Church at Sanctuario, 1950’s
Chimayo, New Mexico
Scanned Vintage Postcard
Karen Rivera
This vintage postcard of Sanctuario left me stunned. I’ve shot hundreds of photographs of the church but I never saw it as a real small Northern New Mexican town chuch like those scattered all over the state until I found this postcard.
November 16, 2010 | Categories: Adobe Churches, Art, Cemetery Crosses, Chimayo, Churches, Community, Cross of the Day, Crosses, CrossoftheDay, Descansos, Folk Art, Graveyard Crosses, Hand Carved Crosses, Historic Churches, Inspirational Photography, Karen Rivera, Mountain Churches, New Mexico, Northern New Mexico, Patron Saints, Religious Art, Rustic Crosses, Saints, Saints and Martyers, Sanctuario, Santa Fe, Santos, Shrine, Spirituality, Stone Churches | Tags: Adobe Casas, Adobe Churches, Architectural Detail, Art, Artists, Black Iron, Blue Doors, Chimayo, Churches, Georgia okeefe country, Graveyards, Hand Carved, Hand Crafted, Hand Painted, High Road to Taos, Inspirational Photography, Karen Rivera, Mission Churches, New Mexico, New Mexico Photography, Northern New Mexico, Nuestra Senora, Patron Saints, Photography, Religious Art, Road Trips, Saints and Martyrs, Sanctuario, Santos, Scenic View, Shrine, St. Francis de Assisi, Stonework, Village Churches, Vintage Photographs, Wayside Attraction | Leave a comment

Punta de Agua
Highway 55, Southern New Mexico
Karen Rivera
The small villages along Highway 55 have always held a special place in my hard-scrabble New Mexican heart. Using the few resources available in the barren, harsh acres early settlers recycled the ever-present rocks into homes, walls, and churches.
In Punta de Agua, the rough-cut stone San Antonio Church stands as a monument to an earlier example of sustainable and green building.
If you’d like to walk through Punta de Agua at street level, click here to go to Google Maps, then click satellite.
November 16, 2010 | Categories: Adobe Churches, Art, Cemetery Crosses, Churches, Community, Cross of the Day, Crosses, CrossoftheDay, Graveyard Crosses, Hand Carved Crosses, Historic Churches, Inspirational Photography, Karen Rivera, Mission Churches, Mountain Churches, New Mexico, Northern New Mexico, Patron Saints, Rustic Crosses, Saints and Martyers, Santos, Southern New Mexico, Spirituality, Stone Churches, Traditional Crosses | Tags: Architectural Detail, Blue Doors, Churches, Classic Churches, Classic Mountains, Classics, Cross of the Day, Crosses, Hand Carved, Inspirational Photography, Karen Rivera, Manzano, Mission Churches, Mountainair, New Mexico, New Mexico Photography, Outdoor Photography, Patron Saints, Photography, Religious Art, Road Signs, Road Trips, Saints and Martyrs, San Antonio, Santos, Scenic View, Stone Churches, Village Churches, Wayside Attraction | Leave a comment

Punta de Aqua
Highway 55, Southern New Mexico
Karen Rivera
The small villages along Highway 55 have always held a special place in my hard-scrabble New Mexican heart. Using the few resources available in the barren, harsh acres early settlers recycled the ever-present rocks into homes, walls, and churches.
In Punta de Aqua, the rough-cut stone San Antonio Church stands as a monument to an earlier example of sustainable and green building.
If you’d like to walk through Punta de Aqua at street level, click here to go to Google Maps, then click satellite.
March 5, 2010 | Categories: Adobe Churches, Art, Cemetery Crosses, Churches, Cross of the Day, Crosses, CrossoftheDay, Graveyard Crosses, Inspirational Photography, Karen Rivera, Mountain Churches, New Mexico, New Mexico Photography, Patron Saints, Saints and Martyers, Southern New Mexico, Stone Churches | Tags: Christian, Churches, Cross, Cross of the Day, CrossoftheDay, Free Cross Clipart, Inspirational Photography, Karen Rivera, Mountain Churches, Patron Saints, Punta de Aqua, Stone Churches, Village Churches | Leave a comment
Carlos Sena’s Carved Cross
Our Lady of Sorrows Cemetary
Bernalillo, New Mexico
kd sebastian 2010
This unusual obelisk style grave stone is beautifully carved by hand from rock brought down from Dixon, New Mexico. Lilies, matching flaming hearts and stylized swirls give a European feel to this stone. Truly the work of a craftsman, it stood out as one of the few stones not vandalized or tagged with gang signed graffiti.
February 25, 2010 | Categories: Art, Cemetery Crosses, Cross of the Day, Crosses, CrossoftheDay, Free Clipart Crosses, Graveyard Crosses, Hand Carved Crosses, Inspirational Photography, k.d. sebastian, Karen Rivera, Mountain Churches, New Mexico, New Mexico Photography, Patron Saints, Saints and Martyers, Sandoval County | Tags: Bernalillo, Carlos Sena, Cemetery Crosses, Cross, Cross of the Day, CrossoftheDay, flaming heart of god, Graveyard Crosses, Inspirational Photography, Karen Rivera, kdsebastian, Mission Churches, New Mexico, obelisk, Patron Saints, Sandoval County | Leave a comment
Andreita Avila’s Cross
Our Lady of Sorrows Cemetery
Bernalillo, New Mexico
kd sebastian 21010
There’s something so touching about handmade grave markers. Many of the cemeteries in New Mexico have suffered from vandalism and neglect. Families die out, move away or simply abandon the traditional New Mexican ways.
My favorite crosses are what I call the “hard times” crosses: handmade from whatever durable materials could be afforded. Rebar, cement, wood, rocks–everything is fair game and free. Oddly enough, the poorer the community, the better kept the graveyards are.
Andreita Avila’s Cross is on the left side of Our Lady of Sorrows Graveyard in Bernalillo, New Mexico. It’s proximity to the Placitas off-ramp has made it a vandal’s dream so it was heart-warming to find this small pocket size memorial exactly where it was placed years ago.
February 22, 2010 | Categories: Art, Cemetery Crosses, Cross of the Day, Crosses, CrossoftheDay, Free Clipart Crosses, Graveyard Crosses, Inspirational Photography, k.d. sebastian, Karen Rivera, Mountain Churches, New Mexico, New Mexico Photography, Northern New Mexico, Our Lady of Sorrows, Patron Saints, Rustic Crosses, Saints and Martyers, Sandoval County, Traditional Crosses | Tags: Andreita Avila's Cross, Cemetery Crosses, Cross, Cross of the Day, CrossoftheDay, Folk Art, Free Cross Clipart, Graveyard Crosses, Hard times Crosses, Inspirational Photography, Karen Rivera, kdsebastian, New Mexico, Our Lady of Sorrows, Patron Saints | Leave a comment
Izzie’s Easter Cross
Bernalillo, New Mexico
sebastian 2010
February 21, 2010 | Categories: Art, Cemetery Crosses, Cross of the Day, Crosses, CrossoftheDay, Easter Crosses, Floral Crosses, Graveyard Crosses, Inspirational Photography, k.d. sebastian, Karen Rivera, Mountain Churches, New Mexico, New Mexico Photography, Patron Saints, Rustic Crosses, Saints and Martyers, Spring Crosses, Traditional Crosses | Tags: Cemetery Crosses, Cross, Cross of the Day, CrossoftheDay, Easter, Easter Lily, Floral Cross, Graveyard Crosses, Inspirational Photography, Izzie's Cross, Karen Rivera, kdsebastian, Lily Cross, New Mexico, Patron Saints, Sebastian | Leave a comment

Cornelio’s Cross
Northern New Mexico
sebastian 2010
February 21, 2010 | Categories: Art, Cemetery Crosses, Cross of the Day, Crosses, CrossoftheDay, Graveyard Crosses, Hand Carved Crosses, Inspirational Photography, k.d. sebastian, Karen Rivera, Mountain Churches, New Mexico, New Mexico Photography, Northern New Mexico, Ornate Crosses, Patron Saints, Rustic Crosses, Saints, Saints and Martyers | Tags: Cemetery Crosses, Christian, Cross, Cross of the Day, Crucifix, Free Cross Clipart, Graveyard Crosses, Inspirational Photography, Karen Rivera, kdsebastian, New Mexico, Patron Saints, Sebastian, Silver Cross | Leave a comment
Dinner for Two
acrylic on fir
sebastian 2005
The crosses in the painting on the wall keep the afterlife ever present no matter how festive the dinner.
February 21, 2010 | Categories: Art, Cemetery Crosses, Cross of the Day, Crosses, CrossoftheDay, Folk Art, Graveyard Crosses, Inspirational Photography, k.d. sebastian, Karen Rivera, Mountain Churches, New Mexico Photography, Patron Saints, Rustic Crosses, Saints and Martyers, Spirituality, Traditional Crosses | Tags: Cross, Cross of the Day, Folk Art, Inspirational Photography, Karen Rivera, kdsebastian, painting, Patron Saints, Prayer, Spirituality | Leave a comment
Rebar Cross
Bernalillo, New Mexico
sebastian 2010
All across New Mexico, small town cemetaries are filled with handmade shrines and gravestones. This simple welded cross sits at the top of an unmarked grave tucked into the corner of the Our Lady of Sorrows graveyard in Old Bernalillo.
February 21, 2010 | Categories: Art, Cemetery Crosses, Cross of the Day, Crosses, CrossoftheDay, Graveyard Crosses, Inspirational Photography, Iron Crosses, k.d. sebastian, Karen Rivera, Mountain Churches, New Mexico, New Mexico Photography, Northern New Mexico, Patron Saints, Rustic Crosses, Saints and Martyers, Vintage Crosses | Tags: Cemetery Crosses, Christian, Cross, Cross of the Day, Folk Art, Graveyard Crosses, Inspirational Photography, Iron Cross, Karen Rivera, New Mexico, Patron Saints, rebar cross, Village Churches, Vintage, welded cross | Leave a comment
Pressed Tinwork Mexican Cross
Bernalillo, New Mexico
sebastian 2010
February 20, 2010 | Categories: Architectural Crosses, Cemetery Crosses, Cross of the Day, Crosses, CrossoftheDay, Free Clipart Crosses, Graveyard Crosses, k.d. sebastian, New Mexico, Ornate Crosses, Tinwork, Vintage Crosses | Tags: Bernalillo, Cemetery Crosses, Cross, CrossoftheDay, Free Cross Clipart, Graveyard Crosses, kdsebastian, New Mexico, Tinwork, Village Churches | Leave a comment
Nambe Cemetery, Nambe New Mexico
sebastian 2005
Tucked away in a far corner, this small, weathered cross with new flowers shows that the hidden grave hasn’t been forgotten.
February 12, 2010 | Categories: Cemetery Crosses, Crosses, Folk Art, Graveyard Crosses, Hand Carved Crosses, Mountain Churches, New Mexico, Northern New Mexico, Rustic Crosses | Tags: Cemetery Crosses, Churches, Cross, Cross of the Day, Folk Art, God, Graveyard Crosses, kdsebastian, Memorial Cross, Mountain Churches, New Mexico, Prayer, Village Churches | Leave a comment