He twirls the rod like a drum major, and the glob takes shape. The laid-back atmosphere gives way to the exactness of an operating room as the procedure becomes more complicated. Two apprentices materialize to assist. Visitors are entranced as the molten blob metamorphoses into the finished product - a creation that looks like it has been buried for thousands of years. The nationally known woodcarver specializes in rough-hewn saints, animals and angels.
Angels cover the walls and the trees surrounding the patio and dangle from the gallery ceiling.
Ortega demonstrated his carving methods in Washington, D.C., during the bicentennial celebration, and samples of his carvings are part of the Smithsonian's collection. Three generations of woodcarvers are at work at El Dulce Hogar as Ben's children and grandchildren have followed the lead of their folk-artist patriarch.