By Jonathan Louis Smith
Jonathan: You come from a family of artists. What would you like to say about them?
Andrea: I was born and raised in Santa Fe New Mexico. My father, the late Duane Lozano, was an established wood carver known for his detail and eccentric technique. My grandmother is a part of a long line of talented folk artists better known as the “Ortegas” from Tesuque, New Mexico. The original artist of the Ortega Family is the late Benjamin Ortega Senior, whose artwork can be seen in galleries and collections world-wide.
Before the age of six, I knew I wanted to continue the tradition my grandmother so generously passed on to me. I received my training and mentorship 19 years ago and in the year 2000, I made my debut at Santa Fe’s annual Colonial Arts Spanish Market. I was only seven years old. There, I attained recognition and grasped a gracious clientele.
Jonathan: What do you want to tell people about you and your art?
Andrea: Each carving begins with a piece of driftwood. I scan the piece for potential, and expression, then I mold a sculpture of my vision using a worn out whittling knife. Each bird goes through an extensive sanding process all done by hand, until it is absolutely perfect.
Satisfaction seeps in once the piece is complete, and admiration respectively concludes the process. I am passionate about top notch craftsmanship and I guarantee a strong, lasting product. I will continue to participate in the Colonial Spanish Market at the end of every July and I am very enthusiastic about continuing the distinct style of my mentors while exploring my own.
About my art, I want to tell people that basically I want to be an example. I want to be example for everybody that you just need to find your art outlet. And once you find it, then you can find a kind of freedom. In a way. I feel like my family has always done that. My family taught me that art is an outlet. This is an outlet for you to be stressed, for you to be confused, free to express yourself, for you to make money. I mean, it’s always been an outlet. So I think that I would want to tell people to follow your dreams. And when you buy my art, just look at it and know that you could do the same thing. You could do the same thing and live your dreams and make people happy with your art. Like if I did it, you can do it. Maybe like an example.
Jonathan: What’s it like being an artist in New Mexico?
Andrea: It’s interesting, because there are a lot of other artists, and you are kind of reflecting off of other New Mexican artists. So for instance, me being an Ortega we’ve definitely had people try to plagiarize our artwork. That’s definitely a thing that affects us because it’s such a small town, and we teach what we do. Is a blessing, it’s a curse. Because were influential I want to preserve my families legacy. And It’s granted it’s gonna happen, it’s gonna happen. That is probably the hardest thing to see is when you’re an artist and you have a certain style and you see people trying to imitate your certain style. You kind of expect the other artists to find their own. That’s a challenge.
Jonathan: You have worked as a cannabis professional for a few years. When did you get started with marijuana in general?
Andrea: I started serving marijuana four years ago, and it was at Fruit of the Earth Organics in Santa Fe. It was a wonderful job and a great experience. It definitely provoked my liking to helping people. I’ve seen people upset, people sad, people so happy, people so close to death. People just trying to fix themselves, as am I. But it’s been a spectrum. Cannabis patients are amazing because they deal with so many elements. And they come in every day pushing through and trying to make their day brighter. I now manage Best Daze on Airport Road in Santa Fe and I apply all that I have learned everyday. Those patients are my family and I believe that continuous love and care will help their situation.
Jonathan: What what have you seen marijuana accomplish?
Andrea: So much. So much as in cancer patients. I’ve seen so many patients and the level that they were at being restored significantly since they’ve taken cannabis. I’ve seen them be restored. And I’ve seen a lot of people addicted to harsher substances fight what they have been addicted to. I’ve seen them basically find a better out. And I’ve been happy. I’ve seen emotions change. I’ve seen tempers change. I’ve seen everything. I’ve literally seen almost, well I can’t say everything, but it was like, what else could happen?
Jonathan: What can the cannabis industry grow into? And what do we need to learn to grow into it?
Andrea: I feel like the cannabis industry needs to focus on more medical aspects of the plant. Recreational is wonderful. It’s awesome. But I feel like it pushes a certain place that basically takes out the medical spectrum of it all, which frustrates me, because we’re dealing with cancer patients, we’re dealing with people with PTSD. We’re dealing with so many people. I hope that budtenders get the immersive training that is available, so much so that these budtenders know everything about the terpenes. They know everything about the cannabinoids. Serving people completely like scientists able to help people with these elements.
Jonathan: How has cannabis helps you in your life personally, whether with heart, health, or socially?
Andrea: Personally, I started with Bulimia, which is really awful. I had it for three years and there was a moment where I could not digest anything. I couldn’t eat anything and it would stay in. And I was scared. And my doctor actually brought up cannabis, as eating Cannabis especially Sativa it’s gonna help stimulate that hunger to eat, the want to eat. I was honestly like, close to being really dangerous. And cannabis was brought me life. I took it and I was hungry. And I wanted more. And I just wanted the food. Cannabis brought the whole love of food back into my life. Honestly, it was like I am hungry. And I like food. And I will eat it. Cannabis saved my whole life honestly saved my entire life because I was on the precipice. Cannabis brought me back emotionally and physically, completely.
Jonathan: And what’s the future for Andrea?
Andrea: I want my art to expand more into the United States. I want to not just be New Mexico based. I want to go further I want to go to Colorado and Arizona. I want to go to Utah. And I definitely feel like I’ve explored my potential here and it’s great. It has been so exponential. Everyone has been so generous and kind to me and I just have hopes for the outside world of America that they will also treat me like that because Drea is gonna expand and we’re just going to push this positivity through the whole United States. I just want to make everyone smile with my birds.
