Luis Ortega's Rawhide Artistry: Braiding in the California Tradition, Vol. 7 »

Chuck Stormes is an award-winning saddle maker who lives in Alberta, Canada. He is a founding member and past president of the Traditional Cowboy Arts Association. Don Reeves holds the McCasland Chair of Cowboy Culture at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City, and is a frequent contributor to the museum's quarterly magazine, Persimmon Hill. Mehl Lawson is a renowned champion horseman, rawhide braider, and award-winning sculptor of western and cowboy art who lives in Bonita, California.

"An acclaimed rawhide braider of horse gear, Luis Ortega elevated his craft to collectible art and influenced a generation of gear makers. This book is the most comprehensive overview of his life, art, and career and the first book-length work on rawhide braiding in North America, charting changes in horse gear over five decades." "Chuck Stormes and Don Reeves introduce readers to an itinerant cowboy who strove for a level of craftsmanship and artistry above what the market expected - and to be the best in his field. Although grounded in the Spanish vaquero tradition, Ortega's work was shaped by his quest for excellence and an intuitive sense of how to fashion humble items into objects of lasting beauty. Ever a private man, he viewed his craft as a calling yet rarely sought attention even after his reputation was established." "More than a biography, the book is a richly illustrated overview of this expert braider s art. Some 100 illustrations, 70 in color, offer close-ups of Ortega's work that depict the intricacy of his reins, quirts, and other pieces. From eight-strand reatas to figure-eight hobbles, the beauty, functionality, and painstaking care of his output shine through in every piece." Portraying the work of a man recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts as a Master Traditional Artist this volume allows readers to better understand the Hispanic Foundations of the American cowboy. It will stand as a definitive work on Ortega and a tribute to his craft.

Foreword Mehl Lawson Lawson, Mehl

Preface Charles P. Schroeder Schroeder, Charles P.

Ch. 1 The Ortega Heritage 3

Ch. 2 The Making of a Vaquero 19

Ch. 3 Buckaroo to Reatero 39

Ch. 4 A Career in Partnership 57

Ch. 5 Braiding for Connoisseurs 79

Ch. 6 The Rawhide Artist's Legacy 105

Appendix List of Western Horseman Magazine Articles by Luis Ortega 123

Glossary 125

Bibliographical Essay 129

Acknowledgments 133

Index 135