In the Southwest, Pueblo Indian tribes generally experience limited rainfall year-round. Dramatic summer storms can be pretty intense. To take advantage of this, Pueblo people have often placed their cornfields near the mouths of the many arroyos that empty out of the mountains, capturing runoff for their crops.

Richard Martinez was one of the earliest painters from San Ildefonso Pueblo. He was born in 1904 and was painting by 1920. Today, most people think of San Ildefonso for the pottery that is created there, but the pueblo has produced many talented easel artists.