* Catchup ...

Just a few photos to bring you up to date, and bring my on line 'journal' up to date.  That way when I'm old and grey I can remember what the heck I was doing in 2010.

Friday evening was the opening of Karen Wights "Sacred Water" sculpture.  Visit Karen's web site HERE.  She sculpted her in SMA, had her shipped to Santa Fe for pouring and finishing and then back here for the opening.  I guess there were shipping difficulties and "Sacred Water" arrived just in the nick of time.  She is indeed very beautiful.  I'm in awe of Karen's ability with form and the human body.  The sculpture is almost life size.  She looks fragile and alone.  I think that is how water is these days ... fragile.  On the brink of being a lost and rare commodity.  No one really gets that yet. Oh, we think we do.  We talk about it as if we do.  But at some core level, water has always been there for us and we somehow can't quite believe it could be any other way.  I also think water does feel alone and uncared for in these days of 'taking her for granted'.  The penny hasn't dropped completely with the human race.  It's time to take note ... more of us ... all of us.   I hope it's not too long before we all begin to understand.

After the opening I wandered the streets and decided to eat in Centro before going home.  While strolling past my favorite restaurant for breakfast on the Jardin I ran into Pat who was already sitting in the window.  We hadn't seen each other for some time, so we had a lovely meal together and got caught up.

Just when we finished our dinner, the music began at the Parroquia, so we ran over there to see the sound the light show.  I've been wanting to see it very badly and it was lovely to have company.  Technology has come such a long way since this all began.  Back in Europe in the 60's they lit up the old castles and palaces, using music and historical rhetoric to purvey the scenes and it was wonderful.  This however, was something else.  So much movement.  Movies being projected onto the spires and surfaces from many vantage points, allowing birds to fly, angels to rise to the heavens and flowers to appear, disappear and appear again.  The music was wonderfully historical of the past 200 years  and ended up with Mexican Mariachi music of today.  The photos I took cannot to it justice, of course, but it will give you a small idea. 

"Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world."
- Lucille Ball

* Friends and the Country Side

Met with Pat and Marijo to see the progress on Marijo's house.  WOW, it is speeding right along and will be ready in October.  After completion M has decided to take her time moving in, getting things just right - so probably a January posession.

The setting is so pristine.  Looking out over the pressa and beautiful surrounding hills.  Peace and tranquility.  More houses are going up in the development now.  It's going to be a nice community.

It was about 12:30 when we finished viewing the house.  We all came back here and spent the day on the outdoor terrace chatting, laughing, drinking champagne mixed with hibiscus tea (we are on to something here), eating fresh guacamole, and later in the day having a comida of home made chicken soup, cheese, and fresh boleos.  Good company, good food, a day in the country.  Life spills over.

 

The plan inside the house is simple, functional and quite exquisite.  I will photograph more as the inside progresses.

Today, I plan to have a very quiet day.  Today, I plan to stay off my leg.  Today, I plan to keep heat on my knee and keep it elevated.  Today, I plan to do something quietly creative.  Just haven't figured out what yet ....

"When a woman has finished building her house, she suddenly realizes that in the process she has learned something that she really needed to know in the worst way - before she began. "

* Caught between the Moon and New York City (view at your own risk publication)

Suddenly at one point during the week I new 'the lovers' are not directly over the high buildings on NY.  They are flying over the water and Manhattan sits behind them.  So I began to play.  In my mind, it is the New York of the sixties, the New York of low buildings along the waterfront.  The New York where the Empire State Building is still the tallest, biggest and best.  It's the New York I sailed from in 1967 to begin my adventures in Europe.  It is my magical New York.  It is the New York songs are made of.  "New York, New York" was one of my our songs when I was married.  A sequence of such serendipitous events occurred around this song for us, and it still brings laughter when I think of it.

So I played with the background for an hour or so before I went to class.  My pallet knife called to me.  The buildings began to appear from my knife.  I'm liking the look.

I really didn't know what I wanted to do with the lovers colour wise, so left that part for class with Nina.  She advised me to use shades of Naples yellow, mixed mauve and just get the shading right on their bodies.  Working on colour later.  That's what I did.  The lights and darks are there now.  What will come as far as colours?  I have a little bit of a clue, however, I will allow my hand and brush to decide.  Here is the latest bit of progress.

"The creative process is a cocktail of instinct, skill, culture and a highly creative feverishness.  It is not like a drug; it is a particular state when everything happens very quickly, a mixture of consciousness and unconsciousness, of fear and pleasure; it's a little like making love, the physical act of love."  ~ Francis Bacon 

PS:  Here's what I think I'm going to do with Ganesh.  I put the original art work back in.  I like the look better ... more balance of intensity.  Still has to be imbeded in wax.

 

* Second day of advanced Encaustics

Second day at encaustics.  Nice as I could just go to my table and 'dive in' so to speak.  Everyone was very prolific today.  I was not.  I did one piece with Genesh.  I like it, however, the transfer I did is not dark enough for my liking - so I think I'll probably put the original piece of art back in.  Then I can hang it.  Also began a larger piece.  A Mexican Sunset.  No where to being complete, however I think it will be fun doing it.  The colours will go with my living room so hopefully it will be nice in de Luz.  Lots of photos, so I'll just post them.

First coat of wax on, scraping down my board.

Judith.  Dinner Party at her Casa Wednesday evening.  Looking forward to it.

 The lovely Jenny, also preparing her board.

Cate, in the zone with her transfer piece.

Judson (nice to have some male energy around), pondering the next step.

  Isabella was not in class with us, however she popped in just as we were finishing up to see all our work.  Also drove me home.  People are lovely!

One of Judsons' pieces.

I love this piece Judson created.  It's a collage piece.  I'll do a closeup below.

Transfer work by Judson.

Kates' stencil work.  All the black markings are transfers off photocopies.

Collage on a napkin for Cates' Mom.

A beautiful little collaged night sky by Cate.

Cate.  Such an elegant Lady.  Jenny Wren ... Cate was a model for Maggi T. in Australia.

Jennifer reworked her red piece.  Close up below.

Judith with two finished pieces.  One on the right, her grandchildren's heads bobbing around the canvas.  Cute.

Judiths "Work in Progress".  We will both be going back to the studio for a day to complete out pieces.

Mexican Sunset.  Work in progress.  I'll have fun finishing it!

 Ganesh transfer and encaustic.  Mine.  I think a 'work in progress'.  We will see.

After class chats.  Always great.

Another wonder day.  There was a gallery opening tonight at Belles Artes which I went to.  I'll show you a photo tomorrow.  After that bumped into a friend I hadn't seen for awhile and we had dinner and a great evening.  Then off to the sound and light show at the Parroquia.  Incredible.  More about all this tomorrow.

"Art comes to you proposing frankly to give nothing but the highest quality to your moments as they pass."

Walter Pater (1839 - 1894)

* Ssshhhhh. Artists at work

 A wonderful day in Ezshwans' studio.  Advanced class this time.  More hot wax, blow torches, hot pens, transfers, oil paints and sticks, new techniques and materials to experiment with.  All the people in class were the same except one.  Isabella chose to spend her class money on supplies for her studio.  Cate's husband, Judson joined us.

I am very pleased to say I am no longer "Ms. Flambe".  I literally passed the torch on to Judith who promptly started a first class fire at her table which required lots of commotion and water to put out.  I love it!  I missed the entire event with my camera due to being involved with throwing water on the flames while trying to keep it out of the pots of wax.  The fire was a 'traveler' and just when we thought we had it out we would discover flames coming from another area of the table.  Quite exciting really.

After class, everyone came over here, to Quinta de Luz, for bubbly and fresh guacamole.  Isabella from the last class joined us and we had a lovely time, lingering and laughing and enjoying each others company.

Tomorrow we will be back at it .... trying to keep the flames under control.  I didn't get photos of everyones' work today - but here's a few.  Mine is quite funny.  It began as a stamp on to cheese cloth of Our Lady of Guadalaupe.  When that didn't work, I attempted a transfer of some imagery from the 'Illuminated Rumi' book.  Lost that as well - so I ended up 'playing'.  I don't even know what this is, however I did experiment with some different techniques.  We all chalked the day up to Mercury being in retrograde!

If any of you have a clue what this could be - let me know!  too funny ....   Whatever it is, obviously "I will meet you there"!  ; o )

Just a little smoke left - it's out!

Fire?  What fire?  I'm busy here ... don't bug me.  Judson at work.

"Share your dreams with people who will help you make them happen."
David DeNotaris

* Two Day Class

Off to a two day advanced encaustic class today, with Ezshwan.  Before I pop out the door, here's a couple of photos of the dining area in the kitchen.  The table came back all painted yesterday.  I had wanted to keep the legs natural.  They were a dark charcoal colour like the black in the chair upholstery.  Ah well, as I say, in Mexico there is always a 'sorpresa'.  I will get used to it.  I can seat four very comfortably.  Should I have a larger get together, the round terrace table could come in which would be fun.

Hope you will all have a great day.

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. "  ~ Melody Beattie

* El Sol, La Luna y Estrella

El Sol.  I'm happy with this one.

Which one do you like now?  The one on the right is more grounded to me.  Don't forget, the stones will be level with the brick when complete.  They will not look 'sunken'.  I'm going to leave this for a day and look at it again.  I have ruled the star on the left out completely.

I'm not very pleased with La Luna either.  Going to try another lay out.  Perhaps black around the outside to ground her.  It is sooo hard to tell.  Putting the stones in mortar makes such a difference to the look.  Whatever it is I will be happy.  I have had so much fun creating them, and that's what it's all about.  The Joy of Living.

I don't think I've posted my little kitchen before.  It's coming along as well.  Here are a couple of views.

I'll post the other side where the table is located  when it's finished.

"My house, my home, though thou art small, thou art to me the Escurial." ~ George Herbert

Escurial:  a village in central Spain, northwest of Madrid: site of an architectural complex containing a monastery, palace, and college, built by Philip II between 1563 and 1584.  (I agree with this thought.  My Quinta de Luz is becoming a little 'everything' place.  A place of comfort which contains a village ... symbolic of all I require.)