Life on the Mesa

2011-12-28T19:45:00.000-07:00

I continue to be inspired by the Land of Enchantment, and particularly by the the area closest to my heart: Medanales and Abiquiu. Truly, it's no wonder that Georgia O'Keeffe was continually drawn to return, and to eventually stay there until her final days.

Thanks so much for visiting this blog! For updates on current works and exhibits, be sure to visit my facebook page!

If you get to the Denver area, be sure to check out an the exhibit of my work in the new Brighton City Hall building. The exhibit runs through mid January, 2012.

Miss Robin's Art Class

2009-09-07T12:21:00.000-06:00

Hey, kids, if you've found your way here, congratulations!

If you're not one of my students, but want to see what we're up to, anyway, check out our virtual classroom:

Miss Robin's Art Class :)

SOLD!

2009-08-03T11:12:00.002-06:00

We recently sold our land in Medanales. The folks who bough it are from Australia, and the whole process went very quickly. A day or so after the sale was finalized, I watched the film, Australia. Seeing the gorgeous landscape and scenery there, it's no wonder they chose this particular spot in the U.S. to settle. I'm sure it seems a bit like home.

Wishing Gerald & Barbara Becker much happiness in their new little piece of Paradise.

New Blog!

2008-12-18T18:51:00.003-07:00

Hello, Friends! Since moving, I no longer update this blog. Instead, please check out my

Latest Artwork

See you there! Thanks!
Robin

Land for Sale!

2008-08-09T15:25:00.026-06:00

Tsankawi Ruins is about a 30 minute drive from our property. Here, you can visit the ancient cave dwellings, and hike the paths that have been worn into the rock.

Tsankawi is near Los Alamos and White Rock. It's definitely worth the drive, too, and offers a good half-day hike once you arrive. Be sure to pay close attention to the rocks, and you'll see an excellent assortment of petroglyphs.

And don't forget to look down, too, as you hike the ruins. Pottery shards are in abundance there.

Between Tsankawi and Medanales (where we have ~12 acres for sale!) is the Pojoaque pueblo. There are a number of things to see and do at Pojoaque, but my personal favorite is Roxanne Swentzell's Tower Gallery. She doesn't charge for admission, and the gallery was built by her and her family. It's absolutely gorgeous. Best, though, is a chance to see her artwork up close. She's my favorite living artist, so I often took advantage of the opportunity to stop in and see what's new.

Just north of our property, about a 5 minute drive away, are the Poshuouinge Ruins. This is another fun hike (take your hiking stick!), and very rewarding once you get to the end of the trail, which sits atop a mesa. From this point, you're able to look down and see the remnants of the pueblo walls from long ago.

Also at the top, is a place that Erica and I call "the quiet place." It's a circle, where the signs indicate that tools were probably made. But that's not the cool part. What's really amazing is that when you step inside the circle, it's completely quiet and still. The wind can be blowing and howling, and when you step inside the circle, there's complete silence--no wind whatsoever. This is a favorite place of mine.

And if you drive a little further north (approximately 10 minutes from our property), you'll come across Abiquiu Reservoir. It's spectacular, and has a number of places to stop for a picnic. Take your boat, too, if you have one; or a canoe. There are also designated swimming areas, and the water is crystal clear. Yes, that's Georgia O'Keeffe's beloved Pedernal rising up from behind Lake Abiquiu!

Snow was a rarity during the time we lived in northern NM. We did get one "good" snow, though, so it was worthy of a trip outside to take photos. Within a couple of days, it was history.

The most beautiful skies I've ever seen are in New Mexico. Every day, every evening, is like a Maxfield Parrish painting!

Nearby, in Abiquiu (which is about 10 miles from Medanales), is the Penitente Church. To get there, turn into Abiquiu (across from Bode's General Store), and take the first left up the hill. Go past Georgia O'Keeffe's old house (on your left) and continue around the corner. You can't miss it.

During the "rainy season," which is in the Spring, I took lots of photos. There's nothing more beautiful than a late afternoon rain in the high desert.

That beautiful landmark is Sierra Negra, which I like to think of as my own "Pedernal." I loved looking at it from my office window, or while I lounged on the front porch of our home. Incidentally, the land that's for sale is visible there to the left. Right where the driveway takes that strong turn to the right (behind the vehicle), is where you would put the driveway to the land. There's actually a drive there now, but it's not visible because we didn't use it.

If you drive over to Las Parras de Abiquiu, be sure to pick up some fresh horno-baked bread. Nothing tastes better! There's a lady who lives at Ohkay Owingeh (formerly known as the San Juan Pueblo) who gives horno cooking lessons. Her name is Norma Naranjo. She's the one who made these beautiful loaves below. She often bakes at Las Parras during the Abiquiu Farm Tour.

These hoodoos are nearby, too. From the property in Medanales, take 142 toward Abiquiu, cross over the "El Rito road" and continue on 142. These will be on your right, near the Abiquiu Mosque. They're even more amazing in person!

Most people are familiar with the celebrities who live in New Mexico, and there are a couple who are local to the Medanales & Abiquiu area. Shirley McLaine is just a short drive away (though I've never been to her house), and Marsha Mason lives even closer. Mason has a gorgeous, organic farm next to the Rio Chama. She makes all kinds of organic herbal products (her "Magical Soap" is my favorite!), and sells them online. She also opens up her home once a year during the Abiquiu Farm Tour. In addition to her beautiful gardens, she also keeps bees. Isn't that just the prettiest bee hive you've ever seen?

When my girls would visit, we enjoyed hiking the arroyos and land around our home, where we would pick up interesting looking rocks, and animal bones. What fun!

Another view of the area that's for sale. 12 acres of paradise!

From Highway 84, you must pass over the Rio Chama before arriving at the property. On this particular day, the water was low. We have some friends who live next to the river. They have all kinds of "wild" visitors at their home, and we would often drive down to see them and enjoy the wildlife.

Another mesa-top view. It's really hard to do the area justice in photos. There's just nothing like seeing it in person.

Aside from the junipers, cacti, and pinon, there's lots of beauty that grows up on the mesa . . .

But at the end of the day, there's nothing better than the Sunset. I used to make a special trip outside, every day, just to watch the Sun go down . . . .

Well, it's been a year since I last posted here. My, how time flies! We're living in Colorado now, after selling our gorgeous home here. There's still 12 acres of land for sale here, though, and it has a well (about 400 ft.), so if you're interested in building a vacation home, or retirement home atop a mesa--on horse property (!!) with breathtaking views, now's your chance!

Email my dear friend, Don Cavness (don@doncavness.com). Or visit his website at:
http://mls.gildedvillage.com/featured.htm

It's All About the Process

2007-08-06T11:00:00.000-06:00

Last month I got the opportunity to take a workshop with Clarence Cruz. He teaches at both UNM and at the Poeh Center (at the Pojoaque pueblo), though I took his Summer class at Ghost Ranch. It was great fun, because Clarence is a patient teacher and also a very nice person. And he has a great sense of humor. He kept us all in stitches the entire week.

Pinch pots from my July workshop at Ghost Ranch

During the workshop, every day brought a new set of challenges. Everyone's pots cracked, and continued to crack the entire week. I brought my pots home, wrapped them tightly, and let them dry very slowly. They were fine for a couple of weeks, but then they, too, developed large cracks. I decided that they weren't meant to be, so I'll crush them and add them to the outer layer of my horno. However, a handful of my tiny pinch pots survived (above), if only for now. I don't generally photograph a work until it's complete, and these little pots still need to be fired. But since I don't know whether or not they'll make it through the firing, I wanted to photograph them as a reminder of my workshop with Clarence.

Rocks and clay soaking in water

Occasionally, someone would lament the cracked pots or some other problem, and Clarence would reply, "Process. It's all about the process." And he's right. We can't get from here to there withouth the journey. And the journey is process.

I love the color of clay. And something that I've enjoyed working on the past month is turning dried clay, and other rocks & minerals into slip. I'll use this slip to decorate my pots.

After soaking the rocks for many days, I crushed them and added more water to make a paste. The paste was then soaked some more to make slip.

The orange rocks (above) came from Hayden Quarry. They were quite pretty, as is, with their little bits of quartz crystal. After a good soaking, and some brute force, I was able to break them up and then crush them. A little water added to the mix yielded a thick paste, which I then added to more water to make slip. This had to soak for a few days before I sieved it.

Chunks of clay from the Late Triassic Period await processing

I followed this procedure with some white and red clay that I picked up from the same quarry. These are the rocks and clay that surrounded the dinosaur bones we excavated back in June, so I like to imagine that I'm working with materials that were once touched by pre-human fauna.

White, tan, orange, and red slips are ready for use.

And finally, the finished product (above). Today I'm going to make some test tiles, paint them with my new slips, burnish them to a high gloss, and then put them into the next firing. I already know that they're going to be gorgeous.

One of the slips (above, second from left) was made from the clay that Clarence gave me. Whenever I use it, or any of the others that have kept me busy for the past month, I'll fondly remember my time with Clarence, and his reminder that it's all about the process.

During the process, a road runner visited my garden

Rest in Peace, Ingmar Bergman

2007-08-01T11:10:00.000-06:00

Ingmar Bergman
July 14, 1918 - July 30, 2007

Bonniers Hylen/Agence France-Presse -- Getty Images

Ingmar Bergman died yesterday at the age of 89. He was, easily, one of the greatest filmmakers in the history of cinema.

Bengt Ekerot, left, and Max von Sydow in the 1957 film "The Seventh Seal." (Everett Collection)

Goodbye, Mr. Bergman. You've left an incredible legacy. And you will be remembered.

Paleontology, Part II

2007-07-20T10:29:00.000-06:00

I've been absent for a while; traveling and preparing for the upcoming studio tour. Soon, I'll post some photos from the past month, but first I want to share some stuff with you about the recent Paleontology seminar at Ghost Ranch.

This week Science magazine published an article about the work we were doing there. Check out this cover art and the blurb that goes with it:

COVER Depiction of four dinosaurs and dinosaur precursors from fossils found at the Hayden Quarry of northern New Mexico. The dinosaur precursors Dromomeron romeri (lower left) and a Silesaurus-like animal (bottom center) coexisted during the Late Triassic with the dinosaurs Chindesaurus bryansmalli (top center, with crocodylomorph in its mouth) and a coelophysoid theropod (upper right), indicating that the initial rise of dinosaurs was prolonged rather than sudden. See page 358. Image: Donna Braginetz

The article from Science can be found at: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/317/5836/358

And there's also a nice article about this at the UC Berkeley website: http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2007/07/19_dinosaurs.shtml

Click on the video and you'll get to hear Randy Irmis talking about the finds there.

Congratulations, Randy!

Note to Shannon: It really WAS in incredible week! Let's do it again next year!!!

Paleontology at Ghost Ranch

2007-06-21T18:12:00.000-06:00

What do Indiana Jones, Canadian TV crews, dinosaurs, graduate students, geologists, paleontologists, documentary film makers, bug spray, rattlesnakes, and sunny days all have in common?

They all converge at Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, New Mexico. As we were arriving for our seminar, we learned that a film crew for the 4th Indiana Jones movie had just wrapped up. Darn! I would love to have seen Harrison Ford!

This week, Shannon (above) and I joined a small group of other like-minded individuals to experience Paleontology at Ghost Ranch, a week long seminar that involves excavating Triassic era dinosaur bones from the Chinle formation at Hayden Quarry.

And here's the rest of our group, carefully taking off thin layers of sediment to reveal black gold; which in this case would be bone, tooth, armor plate, or coprolite (petrified poo).

Nate (above) is one of the resident grad students. Here he sits above one of his finds, which he's just about to jacket before transporting it back to the lab. Next to Nate is Christy, who took a week off from her work at the Petrified Forest to assist in the dig.

At lunch time, Shannon and I took a hike to the stream to pick up one of the canopies. We brought it back and, with the help of fellow seminar attendee Barb, set it up for some much-needed shade.

When one of us finds something "good," we call the grad students over for a consultation. Randy (from UC Berkley) and Nate (from the Univ. of Chicago) explain to Anita (striped shirt) what she's found.

And in the midst of this, a film crew from Canada showed up to take some footage of our work, interview Alex (our fearless leader, and curator of the Paleontology Museum at Ghost Ranch), and talk with the grad students. Canadians are so cool. They have a DAILY science program on their public television network! I'm so envious.

Shortly after the Canadians left, my friends Pat and Melinda from Convivial Design Studio arrived to take some documentary footage of the site, and to interview everyone. Melinda warned us of a rattlesnake down by the stream, so we were hypervigilant on the way back to the lab. I don't have any photos of Pat & Melinda (a.k.a. the Design Divas), because I was too busy catching up with them to grab my camera.

Anita (above) sits proudly next to her jacketed dino bone. She's found some great stuff this week. Barb has also found several REALLY COOL pieces. I'll try to get some photos of her with her finds before the seminar ends . . .

And when we're not bent over the dig with our tails in the air, we can turn around to see this gorgeous view. If you were to put these three photos together, left to right, you'd see the panoramic view. It's absolutely breathtaking!

Each day, we work from about 8:30 a.m. to about 1:00 p.m. Then we take a lunch break (and rest break!) and meet back up in the evening. Once our bellies are full, and we're rested, we work in the lab until quite late--cleaning and cataloging everything that we found in the field earlier in the day.

Shannon (below) is cleaning the sediment away from some bones that she found. Once everything is cleaned (very time consuming), we often need to glue pieces back together. They're very fragile and break easily. Also, most of the bones are in pieces when we find them.

Below you can see some of what Shannon has ben working on . . .

And then some of the things that I uncovered out in the field: a scute, bone fragments, a vertebra, coprolite, tooth, and a partial metatarsal . . .

He's a close up of the scute I found. I'm not sure where the term "scute" comes from. It's not the official name of this fossil. Perhaps they call it a scute because it's scute :)

And finally, a photo of a couple of yet-unknown things--still in situ. Once I've had a chance to fully uncover them, take them back to the lab, clean them up, and identify them, I'll post more photos!

Calling All Visitors: Your Room is Ready!

2007-06-14T08:36:00.000-06:00

Well, I finally finished the guest room bed project, and following are some photos of the work in progress. With the help of my assistant, Miss Frida, I made a frame for the bed and built in a side table, which my assistant quickly checked for strength and level:

Once that was done, I gave it a couple of coats of glossy black paint before filling the underneath storage space with linens, sleeping bags, etc . . .

Two twin-sized platforms then sit one on top of the other, forming the base for the guest bed when it's not being used; or when it's being used as a daybed . . .

The addition of a mattress, pillows, and comforter turn the structure into a daybed. This is how we'll keep things when we don't have company. Since this is the smallest bedroom, we're lucky to have this recessed area. Keeping the guest bed in this compact arrangement will give the room more functionality when we don't have visitors . . .

However, Shannon arrives this Saturday (yippee!!!), so the frames need to be joined together, and legs attached . . .

And then made into a king size bed. We'll keep it in this configuration until mid-August, when the last of our Summer guests leave.

This project took only about a week, from start to finish (not counting long breaks). I used a combination of scrap and purchased lumber, and paint that I already had on hand. All that's left to do now is to add a reading light to the bedside table, and some mints on top of the pillows :)

Food, Friends, Fun, and conFabulation

2007-06-10T11:07:00.000-06:00

This is our last week of relative quiet before the Summer season officially begins. I don't think I'll be doing much art making this week, but that doesn't mean I won't be creative. There's still the matter of a bed for the guest room which needs to be built, so that's on the top of my agenda. It's been started, it just needs to be finished. I'll post photos of that later.

Dave gestures wildly while Janice (aka Janita) gazes at the cake

Last night we went over to Sue & Darwin's for "fat burgers" and fun. Sue & "D" whipped up the burgers and chips, Janice made her famous pasta salad, and I provided the cold cucumber soup. Brewskies & wine flowed, tea steeped, coffee brewed, and we had a roaring good time. Andres made a HUGE pistachio cake, and we celebrated Dave's birthday (somewhat belatedly, since he was in CA for the last gathering down at "Casa Jandres"). Dave expounded on the virtues of cake height & density, while we all looked on; our mouths watering in anticipation . . .

Andy, aka "The Cake Man" waits patiently for a taste of his new recipe, while Darwin and Sue appreciate Dave's cake-cutting expertise

Dave carefully measured the cake and began cutting identically-sized pieces, and still we all looked on in anticipation . . . and growing hunger . . .

Spirits lift as Dave finishes cutting his cake: Darwin smiles for the camera

After dessert, we sat around talking about tofu, tofurkey, the bubonic plague, the best museums in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, free museums in America v. free museums in developing countries, why the Smithsonian museums should be spread out across the U.S., building cabins in remote areas, possible dinosaur fossils in a nearby arroyo, paleontology, geology . . .

A gorgeous piece of curved juniper wood that Darwin found on one of his hikes. I'm coveting this!

. . . potty training dogs, dogs who like stinky stuff, knocking on the front door v. knocking on the back door, uses for gravel, sealing hornos, thieves with broken toes, the best Indian restaurants in Abluquerque/Santa Fe/Boulder/London/and various parts of Africa, cow skulls and bones: where they are and what to do with them, heart rate monitors, book recommendations, foriegn films, depressing films that are worth watching, bad films . . .

Frida and Romy say "good night"

. . . pregnant domestic rabbits who show up on your doorstep, jackrabbits as big as big dogs, hummingbirds, hummingbirds who get their beaks stuck in screen doors, how we get shorter as we get older, how womens' hair thins as they age, why young women don't have thin hair (their babies need something to hang onto), "Lucy's" remains in Africa, evolution, picking up hitchhikers, animal rescue, lights on timers, how dog pee kills grass, training dogs to pee on trees, turning a full deer skeleton into a coat rack, where to get 3 identical (and good looking) trellises, what's growing in everyone's garden, making masks, and the need for hybrid cars that are made for tall people.

A symmetrical cloud at sunset

We had a good time; arrived home feeling tired and "full as tics." I read that new (well, new to me) Amy Tan novel for a while before turning out the lights. It's really good!!! And one of the main characters, Kwan, reminds me so much of a woman, Julia Lo, that I used to work with (aside from seeing the "Yin people," that is). Julia, if you're out there, please know that I've been thinking about you! :)

Shannon arrives in just 7 days! Woo-hoo! She'll be here for 2 weeks. I can't wait! Guess I'd better go finish that bed so she'll have a place to sleep!

Out of the Mouths of Pots

2007-06-07T06:52:00.000-06:00

Once upon a time, when I was learning about ceramics and making vessels, I heard someone talk about the "mouth of the pot." Instantly, I had a mental image of a pot with a pair of lips. As is often the case, I wasn't able to banish that image from my mind until after I'd manifested it into real life. The result is the "mouth of the pot" series:

Talking Pot, 2002 ceramic and wax 6" x 6" x 6"

Talking Pot is one of the first pots I created for the "mouth of the pot" series. It wasn't until I finished the pot that I realized that it appeared to be talking, or at least frozen in mid-sentence. I burnished the surface of this pot with a smooth stone. It took many, many hours and left the pot with a smooth, glassy finish. Not wanting to hide the beautiful color of the clay, I applied wax to the surface once it had been fired. Clay comes in many colors. Humans come in many colors. Both are so beautiful in their natural state.

Pomegranate Pot, 2002 ceramic and wax 7" x 6" x 6"

Initially, this pot was going to be called Bette Davis Eyes, after the popular song. But as it evolved, it took on a mind of its own, and became the Pomegranate Pot, instead. That happens sometimes. Actually, that happens a lot. I'll start out with an idea of what something will look like, but art sometimes does what it wants to do, and there's no use arguing. It's best just to go along with it. This pot was burnished with a smooth stone (agate is my personal favorite), and then I finished it with a progression of waxes.

Say "Ah" Pot, 2002 ceramic and wax 3.5" x 5" x 5"

After my initial mouth pots, I started considering the different things we do--different expressions, etc--with our mouths. At least once in each of our lifetimes, we've gone to the doctor and he/she's told us to "say ah." So, I stood in front of the mirror, saying ah, while forming the mouth of this pot. As with the other pots in the series, Say "Ah" was burnished and then waxed, to allow the natural beauty of the clay to come through.

Kissing Pot, 2002 ceramic and wax 6" x 6" x 6"

Kissing Pot is purely sculptural, but I could hardly do a series of mouth pots without making at least one into a kissing pot. It was burnished, and then finished with wax.

Mona Lisa Pot, 2002 ceramic and wax 6" x 6" x 6"

Clearly, Leonardo da Vinci's La Gioconda (Mona Lisa) has one of the most famous smiles in Art History. This was another mouth expression that I couldn't ignore. Because she is slightly turning to the side in the original painting, I had to capture the mouth the way that I saw it, hence the slight asymmetry. Mona Lisa Pot was burnished prior to firing, and is finished with wax.

Whistling Pot, 2000 ceramic and wax 4.5" x 5" x 5"

The smallest of the mouth pots, Whistling Pot, is also my favorite. I wanted to show some diversity in the pots, so I used a wax that contained dark pigment. It doesn't completely hide the color of the clay, though, which is good.

Sometimes a tea pot will whistle, so that adds another meaning to this particular work.

A few of these pots, and others that are in the works, will be available during the Abiquiu Studio Tour. Mark your calendars for the first weekend in October!

The Kahlo Tree

2007-06-06T13:35:00.001-06:00

The Kahlo Tree, 2001 Monoprint & Linocut (limited edition) 12" x 12"

Like many artists, I will often revisit an idea. The Kahlo Tree (linocut) is a re-interpretation of a painting that I had done about 5 years prior, and is a tribute to one of my favorite artists, Frida Kahlo. By depicting Kahlo as a tree, I was illustrating my feelings of connection to her (she's the only person, other than myself, that I've depicted as a tree or flower). Her life was filled with pain and heartache, and yet she was a highly prolific artist.

Flora and Fauna

2007-06-04T09:43:00.001-06:00

While working out in the yard this past week, I couldn't help but snap some photos of the flowers that are in bloom right now. It seems that everything is blooming at the moment . . .

The red hot poker is one of my sister, Kim's, favorite flowers . . .

And Tarryn loves daisies, so she'd likely enjoy this photo . . .

This next one, aside from the white color, reminds me of the wallflowers that grow so prolifically back east . . .
The koi seemed especially happy . . .

And I think that this is the reason why . . .

When the Cat's Away, the Mice Will Work

2007-06-03T13:56:00.000-06:00

Dave just returned from sunny southern California--a vacation week of hanging out with the boys prior to starting Summer classes. While he was gone, I spent the week working on my art and catching up on some yard work.

And the occasional trek down to the Post Office/Recycling Center, where I found these books, some of which are books on tape. Yes, even though it's 2007, we do still have a tape deck! I'm going to thoroughly enjoy listening to these while working on my art this Summer. When I'm done, I'll pass them along. I was especially thrilled to find Amy Tan's The Hundred Secret Senses, which I haven't read yet. I love her work!

And, as proof that I really did work on my art, above are the moulds that I poured at the end of the week. Okay, for all you know those are just two boxes filled with plaster, but there really is some art underneath: four, original plasteline labyrinths. You'll see the fruits of my labor later on this Summer.

While working out in the yard, I got completely distracted by some of the skulls and bones that I've picked up during my hikes. I think it's actually illegal here in New Mexico NOT to display a cow skull somewhere on your property. Hey, I'm not one to take chances! I attached the above skull and jaw bones (which look either like wings or horns, depending on who you ask) to the gate that leads out to the driveway.

And the above set to the same gate, but on the other side. And then, finally, I attached the set (below) to the gate which leads out to the very back of the house. I have to tell you something about old, dried out bones. They have splinters! Later that evening, I spent the night with a magnifying glass and tweesers, pulling bone splinters out of my hands. Note to self: use gloves in the future!

And when I wasn't busy making art and "legalizing" our property with skulls and bones, I was removing cacti from the fenced in area of the yard. Poor Miss Frida often comes limping up to me, usually on 3 legs instead of 4, to have me remove cactus needles from her little paws. She was very happy to see me haul three wheelbarrel loads of cacti down to the arroyo.

A close-up shot of one of the cactus flowers. Gorgeous, huh? Don't worry--there are still plenty of these beautiful plants outside of the fence!

When I was done, as if a gift from above was being bestowed upon me, a flock of rare Northern New Mexico Desert Flamingos landed and set up house under some junipers. I hear that they have an aversion to cactus, so I'm glad that I did all of that work!
And, finally, in the spirit of my blogger friend, Mary Ann, I snapped this photo of my typical lunch: sliced tomatoes & mozarella with fresh herbs from our garden.
Yum, yum!!!

Purple Passion Flower

2007-06-02T09:03:00.001-06:00

Moroccan Passion Flower (self portrait), 2001
Gouache, cut & torn paper on bristol board

During the time that I created Moroccan Passion Flower, I was spending a lot of time reading about color; it's meaning and symbolism, how colors interact and relate to one another, and the affect of color on the human psyche. This was also a time of great personal introspection and meditation, and I was creating art with fervor.

This painting resulted from many hours, standing before a mirror, sketching quick self-portraits in a linear style. I ended up with a stack of portraits--probably close to 50 of them--which I then dissected; taking the eye from one, the nose from another--piece by piece I worked. Eventually, I had a self portrait puzzle: me in different moods, me with different thoughts trailing through my mind, but all gathered together into one self portrait. That finished hodgepodge of paper became the basis for this painting.

Moroccan Passion Flower is about an artist (me) following her passion; thriving and growing like a wild vine as a result.

Handbuilding

2007-05-31T10:59:00.001-06:00

Handbuilding, 2002 ceramic and clear glaze 7" x 7" x 4"

Handbuilding refers to what I do as a ceramic artist. Generally speaking, ceramics is divided into two separate processes: Handbuilding, and wheel throwing. I prefer handbuilding for a couple of reasons. The first, and most important to me (at least initially) is that handbuilding allows me to spend time with my work. Using a combination of methods: pinch, coiling, slab work, carving, etc., I form the piece into the vision that occupies my mind. The idea that every nuance; every bulge, dent, line, crease, smooth and/or rough area are put there intentionally really appeals to me. I love the imperfection of it all. It implies that the work has resulted from a member of the human race--and not a machine. Handbuilding also makes each piece special, unique.

Another reason why handbuilding so appeals to me has to do with the role of women in ceramics, from an historical perspective. Historically, pottery made by women was done by hand and foot. We would gather the clay, clean and process it, and often mix it with our feet. Then, when it was "just right," it would be transformed--by hand--into something that was almost always functional, but often very sculptural and beautiful, as well. Men have, historically, also made ceramics; but their method of choice was the potter's wheel. Yes, this allowed for faster work--which, in turn, led to production pottery--but my aim, first and foremost, has been to create art. If I can make a functional ware beautiful and sculptural, so much the better. But I do not desire to create mass quantities of identical (or near identical) wares. Everything thing I make is an extension of myself; a piece of me.

In many parts of the world--Africa and Native America come to mind immediately--pottery made by women is considered sacred and mysterious. And it is hand built. When I work with clay, I feel that I'm part of a large, universal Sisterhood--a group that I'm both humbled, and honored, to be a part of.

Forging Ahead: Portraits

2007-05-30T10:33:00.001-06:00

Atchison Gothic, Acrylic on canvas

Doing portraits is a great exercise, good practice--an excellent way to stay artistically nimble. And copying a famous artist's work (or their style) is a great way to get inside the mind of that artist. Each brush stroke, each color choice, reveals something intimate and wonderful about the artist.

Buddha Babe, Watercolor and acrylic on paper

My personal opinion on copying another's work, though, is this: If I'm going to copy something, I want it to be an "obvious forgery." I don't want to want to pass the work off as completely my own. That wouldn't be fair or ethical.

Shannon With a Pearl Earring, Acrylic on paper

Hence, one of my favorite things to do--to stay in good practice and to learn about an artist I'm fond of--is to copy a painting (or heavily borrow from a particular style) and put someone I know into it as its main subject.

Multiple Self Portrait, Oil on board

These final three paintings are inspired by the work of Gustav Klimt. The thing that most appeals to me about his work is the way that he hides his subjects, surrounds them, in a blanket of strongly linear and colorful patterns. Often, only their faces and hands are obvious, and he makes the viewer work a little bit to find the outline of the subject's body.

Erica, Watercolor on paper

Art that requires some work--whether a bit of introspection, inquiry, or figuring out an optical illusion or hidden picture--really appeals to my senses. It engages the viewer; forces them to stay a little bit longer, and to become an extension of the art through their personal interaction.

Shannon, Watercolor on paper

Homage to Frida Kahlo

2007-05-29T05:49:00.001-06:00

The Kahlo Tree, 2001 Monoprint & Linocut (limited edition) 12" x 12"

Like many artists, I will often revisit an idea. The Kahlo Tree (linocut) is a re-interpretation of a painting that I had done about 5 years prior, and is a tribute to one of my favorite artists, Frida Kahlo. By depicting Kahlo as a tree, I was illustrating my feelings of connection to her (she's the only person, other than myself, that I've depicted as a tree or flower).

Her life was filled with pain and heartache, and yet she was a highly prolific artist.

603 Days Until the BIG PARTY!!!

Moroccan Passion Flower: The Sculpture

2007-05-28T08:59:00.001-06:00

Self Portrait (Moroccan Passion Flower)

I've been doing self portraits for as long as I can remember, and most of them are representations of myself as a flower or tree. I don't really know where this came from, because I started these when I was very young. It may have something to do with my profound love of, and connection to, the natural world around me. I've always felt that every living thing, no matter how inanimate in appearance, has feelings.

This self portrait is about my passion for art. The more I do and learn, the more I grow.

The seed packet contains lots of tiny seeds. On each one is the name of someone who has given me inspiration, or taught me something about myself that is so profound that it's affected my art. It's sealed up completely, and I'm the only one who knows the names on the seeds inside. The image on the packet is another self portrait.

With exception to the pail and bucket, the sculpture was created from found wire and screen. When the flower was complete, I put some paint into the pail, and poured it over the flower.

Art is the fuel that keeps me going.

Art from Rescued Materials

2007-05-27T17:46:00.000-06:00

Head, 1994 Wood and Acrylic

Head was created from scrap pieces of found wood--most of them from a construction project near my former home. I was driving along, passed by a home that was being remodeled, and noticed a large pile of wood overflowing in a trash can. I immediately stopped and asked if the wood was going to be thrown away. It was. The workers helped me to load quite a lot of scrap wood into my car, and I took it home--rescuing it from a terrible fate.

Let me say that it disturbs me to see so much stuff taken to landfills. Much of what ends up there is still useful; still has some life in it. To know that a large, majestic tree has given its life to become "lumber," and that a good portion of that lumber will end up in the waste bin almost brings tears to my eyes. So I took these beautiful bits of a former tree home and examined them. Soon, the shapes implied a presence. I combined them with other bits of "waste" wood that I'd gathered, and created this sculpture. I used each piece that I selected just as it was--not removing anything (not making waste), and not trying to make it too "perfect." It's not perfect. Some pieces are cracked, some are overly rough, and some lack symmetry. Not too different from many humans I know. There's something very wonderful and approachable about imperfection. It's a sign of humanity.

Much of my work with found and rescued objects is figurative. I like to draw parallels between people and objects. Turning objects into people, or figures, is a good way to achieve that goal. We are so caught up in buying, using, and tossing "things." We often feel defined by our possessions. We are also defined by what we abandon. Waste not, want not.

604 Days Until the BIG PARTY!!

Crime on the Mesa

2007-05-25T18:44:00.001-06:00

So often we believe that bad things only happen to other people, in other places. Living out in the country, we feel insulated from crime. But recently something very disturbing happened just down the road from us, at our good friends' (Sue and Darwin's) home.

They were gnomed. That's right. It happened right here in our little community.

Sue and Darwin came home to find this gnome sitting atop their horno; and the lack of surface dust, combined with fresh prints in the dirt indicated that the crime had recently occurred. Neighbors, when questioned, scratched their heads and all agreed that no "strange" visitors had been seen in the area. But, as is so often seen in the news lately, the "Deranged Gnomer," as the culprit has come to be known, had the unmitigated gall to document their handiwork.

Imagine our shock, dismay, and shame when we learned that it was our own little Frida. Where did we go wrong?

Sue and Darwin have always treated her like a daughter, so they were understandably hurt and upset when they learned of the Deranged Gnomer's identity.

We didn't see this coming. She's always been the perfect little dog. Why she would want to gnome such good and decent people is beyond us. We're looking into family counseling, and we're keeping her on a tight leash.

We'd like to use this public forum to offer our most sincere apologies to Darwin and Sue. I know that we can't take the gnome incident back, but I hope that we'll be able to find closure, and then move on.

606 Days Until the BIG PARTY!!!

Daydream

2007-05-24T16:44:00.001-06:00

Daydream, 2002 Acrylic on Canvas

We all daydream. The person in the lower right hand corner is the daydreamer--looking to the future, reminiscing about the past, so focused on these things that they are blinded to the present. Dreams and memories are so intertwined that they run together--barely decipherable as separate entities. The shape of one memory defines the context of the next. What that a memory, or a dream?

Meanwhile, the wheels of life keep turning.

607 Days Until the BIG PARTY!!!
WOO-HOO!!!

Spring

2007-05-22T19:04:00.001-06:00

Spring, 1996, Acrylic on canvas

Spring was painted in the Springtime, and it's a celebration of the change in seasons. The leaves are beginning to bloom, and birds are returning en masse. The days of winter, with their dark moods, are underneath. The warmth of the sun, with it's glowing yellow, makes the memory of winter seem somehow different; as if it were more colorful and textured than the truth would reveal. Spring is an explosion of color. Bright, hopeful flowers break through the ground, and burst from the trees.

Memories of Winter linger like a band of dark, mottled color. Life emerges up through it, flies above it, and Springtime slowly, methodically, lays down new layers of life. Without the Winter, Spring wouldn't be as bright. They cannot exist without each other.

Sometimes feelings are best expressed with color.

609 Days Until the BIG PARTY!!!
WOO-HOO!!!

The Hand of Fate

2007-05-21T21:53:00.000-06:00

The Hand of Fate, 2003, Oil on Board

The Hand of Fate is an all-seeing, all-knowing entity. It's always on the periphery--waiting to swing into action. It might safely lift you away from danger, or reach out and slap you. It's part of life, part of living, and part of learning. The round surface for this painting is symbolic of the cyclical nature of life.

Eye Portraits

2007-05-20T10:23:00.000-06:00

Eye Portraits, 2002, Mixed Media on Canvas

Eye Portraits is exactly what the titles infers: portraits of eyes. There's a popular saying about how the eye is the window to a person's soul. If we take that literally, then that would imply that it is only necessary to capture a person's eye in order to capture the essence of the person. Why do a portrait of the entire person, when just an eye will do?

This painting is a large scale semi-reproduction of very small original studies--actual eye portraits. It is multi-layered, and appears to be strongly divided and organized. While it is organized, and sectioned, looking closely will reveal that each eye is somehow connected to the others around it. The grid gives each eye equal space. And while each eye has its own personality and is unique, it is also clearly part of a larger whole--very much like us humans, in general. We occupy the same space, we each have our own unique point of view, and we are all connected in ways that aren't completely obvious at the outset. Sometimes it takes a bit of exploration (or inner contemplation) to find the similarities between us--to find our connections to one another.

612 Days Until the BIG PARTY!!!

Pots: An explanation

2007-05-19T18:24:00.000-06:00

Every once in a while, I'll get an email from someone, inquiring about one of my works. Often, they'll want to use one of my images, or will ask for more information about the inspiration for a specific work.

With Summer ramping up--visitors coming soon, and prepartation for the Abiquiu Studio Tour well under way, I've decided to use this time to answer questions and/or reflect on the processes (both intellectual and physical) that have inspired some of my pieces.

As always, your comments and questions are warmly welcomed!

Pots, 2003, Oil on canvas

Pots is a still life--a collection of my handbuilt pots from the "Mouth of the Pot" series. Doing this painting was another means for me to explore my ideas about the mouth of a pot, and to take something traditional (a still life) and breathe new life into it. It almost becomes an "inside joke" for me, because one needs to know something about my art in order to understand this painting. At the same time, I'm inviting the viewer to seek more information: Why is the painting called Pots? Is it a painting of actual pots, or is it just something made up from the artists' imagination? I could have titled it The Mouths of Pots, and perhaps that would have been more appropriate, but it also would have been too easy. That would had led the viewer to say to him/herself, "Oh, okay. I get it," and then move on. For me, personally, this is what pots should look like--complete with mouths. Hence, the simpler (if more cryptic!) title.

When I first heard the phrase, "the mouth of the pot," this is the image that instantly popped into my mind. This happens me a lot, in fact. A phrase that is quite common and easily understood by many is metamorphosed in my mind into a very visual, graphic image. Often, the only way I can lose this image from my mind is to turn the image into a 2-D or 3-D representation.

Doing Pots, using only black & white, allowed me to explore the shapes with more intensity. Removing the color, and paring the painting down to its most basic, brought the sculptural qualities of the pots back to me. This method also put each of the pots on the same plane--none was more important than the other. They're merely a collection of pots, like the many faces in a crowd--each is unique in its own right, but also one of many. Each has its own expression--different, but equal.

Finally, to address Pots from the still life point of view: Every artist does, or has done still life paintings. With some artists, that's all they do, and they're very good at it. Though I wouldn't say this to those particular artists, I'll tell you that the typical still life usually puts me to sleep. I'd almost rather roll over and die than do a still life. But it also represents a very important aspect of art in general, and is prominent throughout Art History. And so this is my version of a still life--my contribution to that very important role of art in the history of humankind.

East Meets Southwest, Part II

2007-05-16T07:14:00.000-06:00

As I mentioned a couple of days ago, we've applied the principles of feng shui to the front yard. Because this is the north side, and the water sector, we painted the entrance black. According to feng shui expert, Katheryn Weber, this is "most auspicious." One final thing that we need to do is to move the bamboo chimes to the south side of the house.

Miss Frida is enjoying her new front yard.

The single turtle at the northernmost point is very lucky, as is the removal of most of the greenery.

We found an inexpensive reed fence at the local home center, which I cut and wrapped around the water catchments. Because reed grows in water, this turned out to be the perfect solution. Blue is a secondary color for the north sector, so it works out that the trim here is blue. Actually, the trim everywhere is blue, thanks to Erica who painted it for us last year. Local folklore dictates that windows and doors should be painted blue to keep away bad witches and/or other evil spirits. Thanks, Erica, for keeping us safe!

Following is the view from the guest bedroom patio.

Here, along the east wall of the front courtyard, the color should be brown or green, and is ruled by the number 3. This would be another good destination for those bamboo chimes.

And a view looking toward the southwest corner of the yard . . .

Finally, the guest bedroom patio is located in the southwest corner. This is the sector for "big earth; mountains; square shapes; beige, yellow, purple, red; stones, pairs, vases, crystals, gobes, urns; the number 2; and it is enhanced by fire: lamps, fire, candles, round stones or objects, clay pots, and ceramic vases."

The front yard has such a great vibe. I'm looking forward to the barn conversion (into a studio), so that I can use these same principles to create good chi, and hopefully great art!

615 Days Until George W. Bush Leaves Office!
616 Days Until the BIG PARTY!!!
WOO-HOO!!!

East Meets Southwest, Part I

2007-05-14T12:56:00.000-06:00

After several days working outside, we've finally finished the front yard. One happy resident has already moved in, and set up her new digs over top one of our water catchments. I take this as a good sign.

The pond is beginning to acquire its Summer dressing. The cattails have shot up to about 24" in the past week, and the lilies have surfaced. Very soon, the pond will be in full regalia.

The front yard didn't quite become the Zen Rock Garden that one expects, because we used gravel instead of sand. Hey, we have enough sand here. I wanted some gravel! But, in keeping with the original idea, we gave the Buddha his own personal Zen rock garden--complete with sparkling sand. He's very happy.

And so are the koi. They are swimming with a little more flourish these days.

Because this is the North sector, and wanting to create good Chi, we adopted this turtle. He's most auspicious, don't you think?

Finally, this is the pile of gravel that was delivered very early on Friday morning. It may not look like much from this distance, but that pile represents 10 tons of crushed and tumbled rock. By our own estimates, we moved half of that pile into the front yard.

These are just a few of the details of our recent project. For a look at the "big picture," come back tomorrow!

616 Days Until George W. Bush Leaves Office!!!
617 Days Until the BIG PARTY!!!!
WOO-HOO!!!!

Work in Progress

2007-05-11T20:08:00.000-06:00

Ever since we moved here, I've wanted to make the front yard ours. Yes, we own it (or at least we're renting it from Mother Nature while we're here on Earth), so I don't mean "ours" in that sense. I mean it in the sense that it refects our taste and philosophy. So, that's been the project for the past 2 weeks.

Having a yard with grass, in the middle of the desert, makes no sense to either of us. We love the landscape, and want to embrace what's here. We also don't wish to waste a valuable resource (water) on something that shouldn't be here (grass). So, step #1 was to remove the grass. Easier said than done. Even though we haven't watered it even one time, it's pretty darn invasive, and has thrived pretty well with existing rainfall.

So after many, many hours on my hands and knees, removing the dreaded grass, I finally got to the point where I could spend many, many more hours on my hands and knees, securing empty wood pellet bags to the ground, to prevent any stray grasses from coming back. Of course, I couldn't do this over the entire yard, because we have a few trees, which we want to keep, and their roots will need some air and water. So, I finished it off with landscape fabric.

And just to add one more bit of security, I stretched some more plastic over the pellet bags. The yard is now ready for gravel! Stay tuned!

619 Days Until George W. Bush Leaves Office!
620 Days Until the BIG PARTY!!!!!
WOO-HOO!!!!

Nicho Complete-O! :)

2007-05-06T18:29:00.000-06:00

A while back, I mentioned that I was working on the living room nicho. This is my round about way of dealing with the wall color--which I detest--but can't do anything about for the time being. Get me on a ladder, more than about 5 feet off the floor, and I start crying like a baby (on the inside, anyway). So, until I can get someone to paint the upper part of the living room walls, I'm stuck with this gawd-awful color, which I unaffectionately refer to as "pastey pink."

So I decided to exercise my powers of semi-control by decorating the nicho. It's been in this "before" state (above) for quite some time. The bright yellow was a way of defining it, if only temporarily, until I could get around to my real plan: creating a mosaic.

Above is the work in progress. I used mirrors, cut glass, and glass beads. These are (mostly) left-over materials from Madam Chair : http://www.robinhernandez.com/chair.html

I wanted to use a combination of precisely cut pieces, and random shapes. The entire project took longer than I anticipated. I figured, "small space, done in a short time." Actually, I learned that working in such a cramped space actually takes more time, because I had to piece things together, without having them stick out into space. The nicho measures 19" H x 10" W x 8" D.

Once I got the inside fully covered, I deciced to frame it with a combination of glass beads and small round mirrors. I think this last, finishing touch was the culmination of a couple of influences--a book on feng shui (mirrors reflect back the good luck), and a book called The Caliph's House, by Tahir Shah, where he talks about (among other things) the renovations of his home in Casablanca. That's a great book, by the way! Thanks, Mom, for sending it to me! :)

624 Days Until George W. Bush Leaves Office!
625 Days Until the BIG PARTY!!!!
Woo-hoo!!!!

Sunrise, Sunset

2007-04-25T17:42:00.000-06:00

Two more weeks of school. Actually, one more week after tomorrow's class; and then finals. Yippee. My typical day recently: get up, go to school, come home, do homework, go to sleep.

Yesterday morning I took the time to capture a typical, gorgeous sunrise. This is the view I see every morning from the kitchen window. You just gotta love this place.

Sprintime means rain and wind. It was particularly overcast yesterday when I got out of classes, so as soon as I got home, I grabbed the camera (again) and took a couple of shots of the clouds. The air smelled wonderful--too bad there's no way to capture that!

The last few rays of Sunshine were straining to seep through the clouds.

And as the Sun quickly set, the colors of the sky changed dramatically . . .

Going from pale blue to hot pink . . . To electric orange and gold . . . Maxfield Parrish woulda killed to be here and witness this splendor!

Where did the day go? Lately I ask myself that question a lot. No time for playing in clay, altering books, decorating nichos, or hand painting cards.

Soon, I tell myself . . .

Soon, the day will be filled with so much more than Sunrise, Sunset

635 Days Until George W. Bush Leaves Office!
636 Days Until the BIG PARTY!!!!
WOO-HOO!!!

R.I.P., Sylvia Plath

2007-04-17T20:56:00.000-06:00

About Miss Plath,
What can be said?
She was alive,
And now she's dead.

Rest In Peace, Sylvia Plath.

643 Days Unti George W. Bush Leaves Office!
644 Days until the BIG PARTY!!!!

Weekend in Cali

2007-04-17T20:14:00.000-06:00

This is Hermosa Beach--Dave's old stomping ground. As soon as we got into town, we found a parking space, and then had lunch.

Wait that's not true. Let's start over.

This is Hermosa Beach. As soon as we got to town, we drove around for a good hour looking for a parking space. Once we secured one, we hiked over to the Hermosa Beach boardwalk, and had a delicious lunch at Scotties. Or was it Scotty's? I do know that it was pronounced "skot-eez."

Afterward, we zipped over to Manhattan Beach, checked into our hotel, lugged all of our stuff up to our room, and then hurried downstairs to the rehearsal. Fast forward: rehearsal dinner, tux fitting (Dave, not me), making merry with the kids, back to the hotel, pass out in exhaustion, wake up, go to the mall to exchange tux pants, quick lunch, back to the hotel, get ready, and then attend the wedding.

The wedding on Saturday was very nice--small, outdoors, mild temperatures, cute couple--followed by a fun and memorable reception, which lasted into the wee hours of the night.

It all went by too quickly, and Sunday morning we found ourselves back on the road. Dave put the pedal to the metal, and I went back to photographing signs as we zipped past them.

Bye-bye California.

And congratulations to Erik & Christine!

643 Days Unti George W. Bush Leaves Office!
644 Days until the BIG PARTY!!!!

Racing Trains in Arizona

2007-04-16T07:41:00.000-06:00

It would have been nice to spend a little more time in Arizona, rather than speeding through (hey, Dave was driving). It's so gorgeous there--particularly up north in the Grand Canyon area, and Sedona. Being in Arizona always brings back fond memories. When we lived there, back in the late 60s-early 70s, Mom and Dad took us all over that state. We camped, hiked, sight-saw, backpacked, drove, you name it. A typical weekend would see us loading up the camper (tent, cooking gear, sleeping bags, food, sterno, and each of us had our own camp chair and water canteen!), driving out to no-man's land, and setting up camp for the weekend. Dad played his harmonica. Mom looked for evidence of ancient people. Us kids--6 of us--would look for treasure (rocks, rusted metal, scorpions, lizzards), and our dog, Snoopy, would shoot out of the camper like a rocket--only to come back later covered with "jumping cactus."

Nice memories. It's funny--people often think of the desert as some desolate, barren, bleached-out-bones kind of place. And it can be that. But it's also full of life. And being in the desert makes me feel innately happy. There's just something very cool about being surrounded by sand, gorgeous rocks, lightening-fast lizzards, mammals and birds that "blend" with the landscape, and the burst of color that comes from cactus flowers, and from the mountains at sunset. There's nothing more alive than that!

You know, when you're on the road; and especially when you're on the road for long periods of time, oftentimes you make your own entertainment. Dave enjoyed "racing the train," while I looked for odd road signs to photograph. Don't worry--we didn't actually race the trains to any particular destination (like, tracks crossing the road, for instance!). We just zoomed alongside each other. I'm telling ya--there are some seriously long trains criss-crossing northern Arizona!

This photo was less than crystal clear (it's hard to take good photos when you're the passenger, and the driver rivals Mario Andretti), so I decided to really distort it in photoshop.

And tomorrow, it's "Cal-i-for-nia Here I Come!" (Just imagine the tune in your head)

644 Days Unti George W. Bush Leaves Office!
645 Days until the BIG PARTY!!!!

Road Trip!

2007-04-15T10:53:00.000-06:00

Okay, we took way too many pictures on our road trip, so I've had to whittle it down to just a handful, which I'll post over the next few days. I felt very sad about leaving Jack and Frida behind, and even took one last photo of them before we walked out the door, but it was too blurry to keep. Not sure if the camera was somehow affected by my mood (teary) or what, but that's that.

Well, poor Jack doesn't have many toys. This is partially because he's so picky about what he'll play with, and also because all of his "rejects" quickly get taken over by Frida. So, while Jack sat there with his rattle mouse and feather on a stick; and Frida was lost in a mountain of stuffed toys, tug-of-war contraptions, teething rings, binkies, and chews, I quickly grabbed her "twin sister, separated at birth and recently reunited (with the help of her Grandma)." This is her much smaller twin, which just goes to show you that the nature v. nurture debate has some significance. You should see the two together. It's pretty sad. So, anyway, I grabbed the twin, to keep us company until we returned home.

On the way out of town, we saw a smattering of Santuario walkers, participating in the annual pilgrimage to the Santuario de Chimayo. Which reminds me: if you want to see a really cool photo of the inside of the Santuario, check out Kim Williford's work on the Yellow House site:

http://www.yellowhouseassociates.com/kim.html

And scroll down to Wall of the Healed: Chimayo, New Mexico

Near the border of New Mexico and Arizona, we passed by this cool little tourist trap. Don't you just love these kind of places? Filled with all kinds of cheap goodies. If we hadn't been in such a hurry to get to California, we most definitely would have killed a good half an hour here.

One final shot of the Land of Enchantment, in the Gallup area. It's so gorgeous! Can you make out the cave-like holes in the side of that mesa? Doesn't it just make you want to grap all of your camping gear and go hang out there for a while? For me, it brings back childhood fantasies of living in the wild; communing with animals and nature, getting by with the aid my higher intelligence and excellent survival skills. What a fun dream!

Anyway, I just love things like that. It reminds me of a monumental nicho. And speaking of nichos, I've been working on the one in our living room. I took a "before" picture. Now I need to take a "during" photo, and then an "after" one when I'm finished. I'll post those sometime in the near future, so stay tuned! :)

645 Days Unti George W. Bush Leaves Office!
646 Days until the BIG PARTY!!!!

Altered Plans

2007-04-04T13:04:00.000-06:00

Initially, I'd planned to spend all of today preparing for our trip. But my altered book was calling me, so I had to alter my plans. It was time well spent, too, because I finished three more spreads: pages 9 through 14:

9 and 10: Masked over images, then spray painted primer over both pages,
followed by matte black spray paint. For the page numbers, I outlined the stencils.

To add a little interest, I turned the "zero" on it's side.

11 and 12: Once again, I masked over the images, threw down the alphabet stencil,
then lightly sprayed both pages with black matte spray paint.
I followed this with a heavy spraying down the spine, and a curly-cue on page 11.
Once this dried, I went over the curly-cue with a blue metallic marker,
and outlined the bird on page 12 with the same marker.
It's hard to see, but he light blue metallic plays nicely against the black and white background. This time around, I scribbled inside the "11" sentcil,
and drew vertical lines inside "12" (to repeat the verticality of the alphabet stencil).

13 and 14: This time, I place a large alphabet stencil across both pages,
then did a heavy spraying with orange, glossy spray paint.
The translucency of the paint really appeals to me--I like the way the birds
(on page 14, especially) show through.
Because the letters of the alphabet are so large on this particular spread,
I decided to spell out the page number with a much smaller stencil. I did this with a gold metallic marker. I also used the same marker to outline "HI" on page 14.

657 Days Until George W. Bush Leaves Office!
658 Days Until the BIG PARTY!!!!

Goodnight, Moon

2007-04-02T20:59:00.000-06:00

It's been a crazy & hectic past few days, and it's getting rather late, but I promised Shannon that I'd post something today. Hi, Shannon!! :)

You see, first we came to realize that Erik's wedding is THIS weekend, rather than NEXT weekend, so there was the mad rush to reserve a room at the hotel, secure a house-sitter (Thanks, Emma Anne! You're the best!), and just generally ready ourselves for a major roadtrip.

Then, we had our most delicious and magnificient Indian pot luck dinner at Sue & Darwins. Oh, it was sooooo wonderful. I contributed shahi paneer and curried eggs (Tarryn's recipe--yum!), and some basmati rice. We also had yellow dal, saag paneer (or palak, depending on who you ask!), stuffed cabage leaves, naan, and apple crisp. Sue looked very gorgeous and proper with her red bindi and Indian scarf . . . it made me think that I should have worn my sari. Next time!

After dinner, things really picked up. There wasn't any chandelier swinging going on, but at one point we smelled a strange odor . . . something burning . . . not just anything, either, it smelled like burned hair! "Oh, the dog's tail was on fire," Ben said in a very deadpan tone, "so I put it out." Not Frida. It was poor little Romey. Actually, it was BIG Romey. He wagged his tail just a *little* too close to a candle. He's fine, though, so no worries.

Sunday is a blur.

Tonight I attended my first meeting for the 2007 Abiquiu Studio Tour. Saw some familiar faces, and met some new ones. Everyone is required to have a "job" for the tour, so I signed up to be the website liason. I'm really looking forward to getting involved, and the ladies that I'm liasoning for (is that even a word???) are really great.

No art making this weekend! Ack! When we get back from California, though, I'll be back at it full time. There's a few hundred pounds of clay calling my name, and I have lots of basket making materials, too, just waiting to be soaked and transformed into something wonderful. I'll be sure to post photos as things evolve.

But FIRST, here's an announcement for my latest solo exhibition:
Ha! Just kidding! It's from a website called "Church Sign Generator." How cool is that? Check out the link over there to the left!

That's it! I'm pooped! It's time to say "Goodnight, Moon."

659 Days Until George W. Bush Leaves Office!
660 Days Until the BIG PARTY!!!!

Frida's New Frock!

2007-03-30T16:52:00.000-06:00

Oh Joy! The United States Postal Service finally delivered Frida's package from Grandma!The first thing that Frida did, after ditching her little look-alike toy (far left) was to inspect the pacakge to be sure it was from Grandma. Yup! It's from Grandma, alright!

And what's this? A new frock AND a new toy!

First things first . . . gotta break in that new toy . . .

And then try on that pretty new dress! What a lucky little girl. Thanks, Grandma!!!

Troving With Macy Gray

2007-03-30T10:15:00.000-06:00

A couple of days ago I went troving with Macy Gray. Yes, THE Macy Gray--the one with the really groovy voice and great lyrics. Okay, she wasn't actually with me in body, but she was with me in spirit and song. We were on a mission: The Orange Twine Mission. She sang; and I drove, stopped, got out, photographed twine evidence, picked it up, threw it into the back seat, got back behind the wheel, and continued on. I followed these steps for two full hours. And Macy, bless her heart, just kept on a singin' the whole time. What a trooper.

All of this time out on the highway gave me time for pondering, which is actually one of the things I do best, because I have so much experience. I've come up with a theory about not only the twine, but about all of the other trashy treasure that is so commonly seen in our landscape here. Here's my theory:

Our state, and especially this area up here in the north, is absolutely gorgeous. SUBLIME. Now, all of this beauty could cause a person to go crazy, and run amok*, and chaos would soon ensue. To PROTECT THE CITIZENS of New Mexico, the good citizens of New Mexico are only doing their part by throwing trash out of their windows as they cruise along the highway. This trash has the effect of diluting the sublime--thus bringing it down to tolerable levels.

Don't you just love hand painted signs? They Rock!

*From Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology: Amok is described as "A disorder characterized by sudden, wild outbursts of violent aggression or homicidal behavior in which an afflicted person may kill or injure others."

Okay, now. We can't have any of that, can we?

So, anyway, getting back to The Orange Twine Mission . . . Macy and I cruised the highway for two hours, and the trove of twine slowly and slowly grew. We even found a couple of other really cool things: a piece of corrugated metal with spray painted words on it; and a colorful, plasticy thing (I think it's a mouse pad, but I can't be sure) covered with blocks of color. Who needs shoes and jewelry when you can go out along the highway and find cool stuff like this? Huh? Huh???? Point made!

Northern New Mexico Rest Stop

I even got the added bonus of having guys in trucks honk, wave, and wolf whistle at me while I was out there photographing evidence. Twenty years ago I hated that (animals! morons!), but let me tell you--when you're nearing the big 5-0, it feels pretty darn good! You just gotta love the people here--doing their part for humanity by diluting the sublime; and men going out of their way to nurture the egos of middle-aged women. Life is Good. You couldn't PAY me to live anywhere else!

And, so, I came back home--back seat filled with bright orange treasure, ego inflated, and feeling good about my fellow citizens. I even have a really groovy idea for a large art piece--one involving those little tiny liquor bottles that you get on airplanes and hotel mini-bars. But I'll save that for another day.

662 Days Until George W. Bush Leaves Office!
663 Days Until the BIG PARTY!!!!
WOO-HOO!!!!

Stop! Thief!

2007-03-28T10:03:00.000-06:00

Some of my pictures have disappeared. I looked at the Blogger "help" section--nothing there about images disappearing. Then found a Google group full of angry bloggers whose photos have evaporated from their blogs. Woe is me. I'm one of them.

So, I'm going to reupload (that sounds like a type of antidepressant, doesn't it? "Yeah, I'm taking those new 'reupload inhibitors', and I FEEL GREAT!).

If you missed the missing pictures than you've really missed something. Sincerely, Miss Robin (wanted to see how many times I could use the word, "miss," in one phrase).

P.S.: I'm not putting any photos in this post, because they might just go *poof*, and I don't think I can handle that right now, becasue my new reupload inhibitors haven't kicked in yet.

P.P.S: I emailed Blogger yesterday about the missing images, but have yet to hear back.

Catch ya later! I've got work to do!

664 Days Until George W. Bush Leaves Office!
665 Days Until the BIG PARTY!!!!
WOO-HOO!!!!

The Very Full Life of an Empty Nester

2007-03-27T20:53:00.000-06:00

Ever wonder what the average, normal person does when they become an "empty nester"? Well, I don't know any of those people, but I can tell you how I'm dealing with it. Picture: deep depression . . . [fast forward] . . . swinging from the chandeliers . . . [fast forward some more] . . . and then we got Miss Frida, who is like a daughter to me. The 3rd daughter that I never had. You know: the one lacking opposable thumbs, and--thanks to modern medicine--won't ever be interested in dating. Well, one of the things I love most about having this little girl in my life is dressing her up.

And then she runs off to show Daddy how pretty she looks . . .
Wanna know what else us we do? Well, some of us, anyway? We scour the Earth for treasure. Why, just today on my way home, I spotted blobs of bright orange scattered throughout the land. Having recently stripped & unwound many yards of electrical wiring (to weave a basket from the copper wire within), I was JUST SURE that some electrical contractor's truck had accidentally dropped little piles of wire along the road--perhaps from some gaping hole somewhere in the back of the truck. And this electrician was either too rich & successful to fix that hole in his truck (wire for the needy!), or too focused on his driving to notice that his inventory was being scattered all over northern New Mexico. So I stopped, jumped out, and scooped up that precious plastic twine.

Okay now, the average, normal person (who also doesn't care about the environment) might just throw that plastic twine back where they found it. But since I'm not that person, and since I love our Earth, and because I see potential in even the lowliest form of twine, I shook the sand out of it and tossed it into the back seat. The truth is, this bright orange plastic twine is JUST THE THING I've been looking for. Alright, I probably would have been happier with piles and piles of electrician's wire--laden with copper--but I assure you that this twine is going to serve a greater and higher purpose (to be revealed at a later date).

Twine . . . . . . . . . . I . . . Need . . . More . . . Twine . . . . . . . . . . . . .

665 Days until George W. Bush Leaves Office!
666 Days until the BIG PARTY!!!!
WOO-HOO!!!!

Altering & Gardening

2007-03-26T14:44:00.001-06:00

Well, I finally finished the pages that I started in the altered book, and even managed to start & finish a few more. I thought that I'd concentrate on trying some different techniques, hence the page numbers (for keeping track). I used stencils for the page numbers. All of the photos in the original book are black & white images. If you'd like to experiment with some of the same methods, I'll list them below each photo.1: watercolor & acrylic, with a coffee filter and stenciling.
2: watercolor over black & white printed image.

3: watercolor & acrylic, with stenciling.
4: watercolor over black & white printed image, acrylic dragged
over surface with a wooden skewer, and joss paper.

5 & 6: watercolor & acrylic (with stenciling on 6).*
Incidentally, I really love that Sun stencil, so you'll likely see a lot more of it in the future.

7: acrylic, painted around a black & white image, glue stick cap used to stamp the circles.
8: coffee filter over: acrylic paint, dot stickers, and cut out; and
glue stick cap used to stamp the circles.

I really like the coffee filter effect. It resembles velum, but with texture.

* The bubbling that you see on pages 5 and 6 is due to, I think, having painted the pages prior to gluing them together with Mod Podge. I started atering the pages, and then decided that they needed to be thicker than just one page, so I fused the pages together with Mod Podge. Each page is now 2 pages thick. Unfortunately, that bubbling occurred, but only on the pages that had paint on them prior to the fusing. Live and learn, right? That's why this is a book for experimenting different techniques :)

I'm almost embarrassed to admit that that was a full day's work; or very nearly. I also took some time out to finish reading the cards from Wide Open "creativity notebook and card set" (see earlier post) by Randi Feuerhelm-Watts. I'm telling ya--that's just about the coolest book/card set I've ever encountered.

So, today I decided that I needed to get outside. It's a gorgeous day for it, too! Sunny. Cool. Just the slightest breeze. Miss Frida and I worked out in the garden--turning over the soil, then raking everything smooth in preparation for this year's crop. I need to get some snow pea seeds and get them into the ground before it gets too warm. Then I can relax for a little while and figure out exactly which varieties of tomatoes and peppers I'll plant this year. Gonna need some of those little jewels (sweet 100s) for salad, but also some biggies for salsa. Yum! My mouth is watering in anticipation!

666 Days until George W. Bush Leaves Office!
667 Days until the BIG PARTY!!!

I'm Not a Doctor, But I Play One on TV

2007-03-25T10:28:00.000-06:00

You know, unless you're a frog--or some other kind of swamp creature--rainy, foggy days almost dictate staying indoors. So, it was kismet that we'd signed up to take a CPR and First Aid class yesterday.

Dave and I got up at the crack of dawn. Actually, I got up before dawn cracked, and Dave slept in until a half hour before we had to leave. But I digress . . .

Eventually, we both rolled out of bed, got showered & dressed, caffeined-up, and out the door--still feeling kind of sleepy and looking bleary eyed (especially Dave, because we haven't quite nailed that whole pollen thing yet), and headed south (not in a bad way; we really did drive south, to Espanola . . . although sometimes heading south kind of feels like we're "going south," like when we have to make a trip to the dreaded Walmart store. But I digress again . . .)

So, it was particularly overcast yesterday. And rainy. And drizzley. And the clouds were just as tired as we were. I know this for a fact, because they were listlessly resting on top of Black Mesa, instead of hovering overhead. So it was that Dave and I headed south--in a good way--tying to be as quiet as one can be while driving a diesel, (which isn't as easy as it may sound--it's impossible to sneak up on someone when you're driving a diesel), so as not to wake the clouds.

And we arrived at the campus with time to spare.
Now, in case you're wondering, I'm posting this today, instead of yesterday, because SAVING LIVES is REALLY HARD WORK, and leaves a person feeling REALLY EXHAUSTED.

Alright. We didn't actually save any lives yesterday. But, let me tell you: LEARNING how to SAVE LIVES is REALLY HARD WORK and leaves a person feeling REALLY EXHAUSTED.

Don't believe me? Well, then, you should have been here yesterday after class. We'd made plans to have dinner with friends (Groucho Marx and
the Missus), and it was time to go. Dave was stretched out on the couch, eyes closed, very quiet.

"Dave, it's time to go."

Nothing. No response.

"Dave, we need to leave now."

Still no response.

"DAVE! LET'S GO!"

Omygod. Not only was he STILL not responding, he kind of looked like that guy to the lower left, except with a complete body & arms. Plus, he doesn't have that hinge like thing in his neck. And he was wearing clothes. And his hair isn't the same color as his skin. BUT STILL, I was beginning to feel alarmed, and I was FULLY PREPARED to administer two "rescue breaths," and then start CPR. If we'd had an AED (defribrillator), I would have gotten it out of it's case and turned it on so that it could start charging!

And then, suddenly, my training seriously kicked in! I stood over Dave, grabbed his shoulder--skaking him violently--and yelled REALLY LOUDLY, "Are you okay???", because that's what you're supposed to do when you come upon someone who is unconscious (or, in this case, someone who is fast asleep), before you begin to administer LIFE SAVING PROCEDURES.

And then he woke up.

So, that just illustrates my point about these CPR and First Aid classes. They can really wear a person out. But, it's most definitley worth all of the getting up early, heading south, and spending the day saving the lives of dummies (I'm not being mean--that's what they're called). Seriously. It takes a dedicated person--someone who is prepared to roll up their sleeves and take charge in an emergency situation--to spend a full day (and a Saturday, at that!), learning this stuff!

And I'm telling you this because, if we're ever in an emergency situation, or if you just happen to fall asleep because you're suffering from complete and total exhaustion, I have the skill and training (certification to arrive in the mail shortly), to either save your life, or wake you up.

Now, doesn't that make you feel a whole lot better?

667 Days until George W. Bush Leaves Office!
668 Days until the BIG PARTY!!!

Northern Exposure. Northern NM, That is . . .

2007-03-23T17:49:00.001-06:00

Do you remember that TV series, Northern Exposure, that was popular back in the 1990s? I think it was set somewhere in Alaska, but it could have been some other place in the Pacific Northwest. Anyway, in Northern Exposure, the episodes revolved around a small town where everybody knew everybody, and because it was such a small town, any little incident that occurred was overly dramatized within the minds of the residents. If you've ever lived in a small town, you know first hand that this really happens. Having grown up in a small town, myself, I appreciate every aspect of of that particular lifestyle.

So you can imagine my delight when we moved here. This isn't even really a town. It's considered a village. We don't have a restaurant, or a gas station, though we DO have a Post Office (which also serves as a weaving shop for an, apparently, quite famous local weaver). We probably even have the proverbial "village idiot," though I've yet to decipher who that person is. Oh, and we also have a volunteer Fire Department. No, strike that. We used to have a volunteer Fire Department. The old building still stands--right across the street from our Post Office/Weaving Shop.

Now, I have to relay a story to you, but before I do I have to tell you about the person who relayed it to me--our good friend, Andres. He grew up in Santa Fe, moved away during his years in the military service, got married, and moved back to New Mexico; eventually landing here in our little village about 18 years ago. Picture a tall, Hispanic Groucho Marx. That's Andres. He even does the "eyebrow thing" sometimes when he's talking and feeling particularly animated. It's pretty cool.

So, anyway, as the story goes, once upon a time our little village had a volunteer Fire Department. Keep in mind that New Mexico is the 2nd poorest state in the nation, and our particular county (Rio Arriba) is one of the poorest in the state. Now, you can probably imagine that our Fire Department's official fire truck probably wasn't the newest one around. In actuality, it was quite old and to say that it worked, even intermittently, would be an exaggeration. So, whenever there was a fire, bells would ring and people would come running from all directions to the volunteer Fire Station. They'd roll up the door, run inside, get behind the official Fire Truck, and push start it.
Today it's raining. In fact, it's been raining and/or drizzling for the past few days. The clouds are hanging low, and there's a very slim chance that there will be any fires around here. I'm thankful. Because even though the New & Improved volunteer Fire Department has a functional fire truck, it's about a half hour's drive from here.
So, it's a perfect day for staying inside and doing something creative. I was inspired by Mary Ann's new journal pages, so I decided to get out a book that I picked up at the Los Alamos library recently, and begin altering it. Don't worry. I didn't check it out from the stacks. I bought it for about 25 cents from the book sale room. It's a book on "Flight," and is mostly photos, so it's perfect for altering. Once I get the pages "ready," I might just use it for a journal.

669 Days until George W. Bush Leaves Office!
670 Days until the BIG PARTY!!!

A Match Made in Whoville

2007-03-22T21:13:00.000-06:00

It's allergy season. Specifically, it's "allergy to juniper" season, and easily half of the population around here is just plain miserable. Dave is one of them.

Today, Dave told me about how one of his teachers came to class wearing safety goggles. Apparently, they really do help to protect against all of the pollen in the air. We both agreed that this was a brilliant idea, and promptly drove over to Lowe's to get a pair. I waited outside in the Jeep, and Dave went in an purchased a nifty pair of goggles--the kind that protect against chemical spills and splatters. He wore them all the way home, and looked pretty spiffy in them, too--even after they fogged up. I really, REALLY wanted to get a photo of him, but he refused (can't imagine why!).

I got to thinking, and even mentioned to Dave, that swimming goggles would work nicely. And then I got to thinking, even further, that a snorkel--retrofitted with some kind of filter--would REALLY protect him against all of that nasty juniper pollen floating through the air. Well, we couldn't find either the swimming goggles or the snorkel, so he's stuck with the nifty chemical-proof safety goggles for the time being.

Now, I'm not unsympathetic, which is why I toiled so long to come up with The Pollen Plan. In fact, just a few years ago, during the height of pollen season (tree pollen) back in Virginia, I got a a sinus infection SO BAD that I looked like one of the Whos from Whoville. If you don't believe me, just ask Erica or Shannon. As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure it was Erica who pointed out the stark resemblance. And I'm not talking about those cute little Whos from Dr. Seuss' book, either. I mean the really creepy looking ones from the Jim Carrey movie version.

Well, Dave--being the wonderful guy that he is--stuck with me through thick and thin, through normality and the Who stage. So it's only right that I help him through this very trying time, even though--after some thought--he nixed my idea about the swimming goggles and snorkel.

So, now it's on to Plan B. I just remembered that Shannon & Erica bought Dave a pair of those REALLY COOL Willy Wonka sunglasses! Now, if I can just figure out where they might be . . .

670 Days until George W. Bush Leaves Office!
671 Days until the BIG PARTY!!!

Baskets and Cards

2007-03-21T14:29:00.001-06:00

Happy Spring!!!

Okay, I promised some photos from the recent Japanese basketmaking workshops, and here's one! First, let me say that I didn't make the small, round basket with the tall handle. I purchased that from Nancy, who picked it up on one of her many trips to Japan. Isn't it a gorgeous little basket?

The "snake basket" is filled with round, black stones, and is probably one of my favorite baskets thus far. The hexoganal weave was a little maddening, but worth all of the frustration. I love it! I envision making a monumental snake basket, possiblly filled with boulders. Not really sure how I could accomplish that, but it never hurts to dream. I think it would look totally cool in our new Zen rock garden (once I get around to finishing it--just too many irons in the fire right now). Even COOLER would be to weave a HUGE, GINORMOUS snake basket that a person could walk into! Great idea for a future outdoor room! :)

The third piece in the photo is a group of wrapped nuts. Again, it's a project that's a little tricky, because you have to keep one hand tightly gripping the grass, nuts, and completed weaves, while using the other hand to weave around/over/under/through the contraption. I just love the idea of wrapping things, though, so this is definitely something I'll persue. Once again, I'm thinking about wrapping up some rocks. It would be fun to wrap a group of rocks, and then leave them along a hiking trail for someone to find.

I've been working on cards for the 2007 Abiquiu Studio Tour, and I've already finished quite a few! These are all miniature (approx. 3" x 5") originals which I've created by cutting up paintings, and then detailing with markers. There's something really satisfying about putting old paintings into the paper cutter and turning them into small, abstract works. After enhancing each new "original" with a fine-tipped marker, I affix them to bright white card stock. It's kind of nice to have something small to work on--something that doesn't take a big time investment. I can do just one or two or three cards, and then do something else.

What I'm REALLY looking forward to doing right now is starting on my contribution for The Cradle Project. I already have my main element(s) picked out, but I'll leave that for another day...

671 Days until George W. Bush Leaves Office!
672 Days until the BIG PARTY!!!

Sylvia Plath and Frida's Frocky Dreams . . .

2007-03-20T22:39:00.000-06:00

We have this goldfish, Sylvia Plath, and she's such a drama queen. Sylvia does this quite often--pretending to be dead. Don't worry. She's fine. She just does this for attention. Sometimes it works, but usually only on a visitor. One day, though, her act was quite convincing. So much so, that I very nearly flushed her down the loo. I'm telling you, that Sylvia should be nominated for an Academy Award. She'd get MY vote!

Miss Frida Magdalena is involved in one of her favorite past times: stretched out on her pillow and catching some rays. Actually, I'm pretty sure that she's also dreaming of that new frock that her Grandma promised to send. Every day, when I come back from the Post Office, she asks if there are any packages for her. Sadly, the answer is usually, "no."

Kim sent me the best link about the new Apple iRack. You've gotta check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-KWYYIY4jQ

672 Days until George W. Bush Leaves Office!
673 Days until the BIG PARTY!!!

You Are What You Eat

2007-03-19T16:23:00.000-06:00

What a wonderful Spring Break this has been! Wonderful and busy!

First, I was fortunate to spend three full days over at the Rift Gallery, learning Japanese packaging and basket making techniques from Nancy Moore Bess. I purchased her book, Bamboo in Japan, and it's absolutely gorgeous. Real eye candy. If you get the opportunity to take one (or more!) of her workshops, go for it. I can't say that I got a *whole* lot of stuff made during the workshops, but I did make one really cool thing--a snake basket--which I filled with black rocks (courtesy of Rift). I'll post photos from the workshops in the near future.

Now, this next thing won't sound very exciting, but here goes: I also pounded out about 14-15 pages (single spaced) of notes for my research paper! If you want to know anything at all about OCD, I'm your woman!! I could probably even diagnose you at this point. One of the reference books that I checked out, Just Checking: Scenes from the Life of an Obsessive-Compulsive was so good that, after cracking it open to search for a few good quotes, I ended up reading it cover to cover; spending much of that time laughing out loud (and wondering if I was perhaps a little OCD, myself). The author is Emily Colas. Do yourself a favor: go to the nearest library and check out this book. It's a real page-turner!

More on the book front: I also received Wide Open: Inspiration & Techniques for Art Journaling on the Edge by Randi Feuerhelm-Watts. So cool! It's a very nice, slick little box with a book and cards inside--full of ideas and inspiration. I think I might just have to buy another boxed set and send it to Erica.

Getting down to the nitty gritty--meaning dirt and sand--I spent 2 1/2 days out in the front yard, trying to make it look less neglected. It's getting there, though it still has a long way to go. Miss Frida helped, of course. She's always the first one to lend a paw when there's work to be done.

Finally, in honor of my last day of Spring Break, I whipped out a small piece of Mail Art for an artist in Chicago. She's requesting "fish pictures on food labels." Well, it just so happens that I made a cherry pie recently, and still had the can in the recycling bin. By the way, I don't recommend "Great Value" brand "no sugar added cherry pie filling." To say it tasted yucky would be an understatement. We ended up tossing about 1/4 of the pie. Of course, that means that we ate 75% of it, but when you're craving cherry pie, you'll choke down even the worst.

And what good would it do to create a piece of Mail Art unless you're going to decorate the envelope, too?

673 Days until George W. Bush leaves office!
674 Days until the BIG PARTY!!!

Happy Birthday, Dad

2007-03-18T12:18:00.000-06:00

Today is Dad's birthday, and if he were still alive, I'd call him up to wish him a happy day. But he's not, so I lit a candle for him, and I'll spend the day thinking about him as I celebrate his life in my own way.

A few years ago, for Christmas, Chris gave each of us the most wonderful gift: A photo of Dad (above), framed with his favorite poem, "Desiderata." It's such a wise and wonderful poem, and represents the epitome of Dad, and the way he treated others. In fact, this poem meant SO MUCH to him that, when I was in high school (many moons ago), he offered to double my allowance if I could memorize, and then recite it for him. I did.

I still remember Desiderata, and I try to live by its principles every day.

Thanks, Dad. I love you.

And I'm going to strive to be happy.

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery.
But let not this blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore, be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams;
it is still a beautiful world.

Be careful. Strive to be happy.

--- Max Ehrmann, 1927

674 Days until George W. Bush leaves office!

675 Days until the BIG PARTY!!!