This form of devotional work is set in the tradition of using natural materials that are indigenous to the area in New Mexico, though in colonial times many of the pigments were imported through the rail road and other sources. Many of the pigments woods and varnishes are made from natural materials. New Mexico at one point was an isolated land in which the settlers had to make due with their surroundings. Nicolas believes in the old methods of making retablos and seeks out traditional woods which are mostly pine and cottonwood root. Others before Otero have done many tests and experiments in order to understand the old methods. Charlie Carrillo and Alcario Otero (two of Nicolas’ mentors) have experimented and tested many methods and possible recipes involving the production of santos back in the day of the original santeros.Taken and adzed, carved, or thinned down, the wood is prepared by first sanding it down and then layering on top of the wood surface with animal hide glue. From this there are layers of Gesso that are applied (this includes the hide glue and Gypsum…a natural mineral that is white in substance and found in many mineral deposits in the New Mexico Landscape) after a day the piece dries and then is ready to be painted upon. Using natural pigments that are found and imported the santero then uses those colors to paint the image on the prepared flat panel. Today a binder of Gum-Arabic is most common in helping the pigments sustain on the gesso. It is believed that yucca fruit syrup was used traditionally by santeros (Baker and Luhan). Once the piece is finished the retablo is usually coated with a layer of pinon sap varnish. The sap is collected from pine trees then is placed in a container with a strong grain alcohol. This allows for the clumps of sap to be broken down into a liquid substance that is then drained of impurities then layered on to the retablo itself. Usually a natural bee’s wax is applied to bring down the luster and shine of the varnish. From this point on it takes the piece a couple of hours to dry. The retablos are then ready to be hung for display and devotional purposes. The best source for more information on these pigments and their origin is in Saints and Saint Makers of New Mexico by E. Boyd (reprint of 1998) in which Charlie Carrillo illustrates a detailed study of the use of pigments and their origin.