Picture of my house circa 1880

THEN (the white window frame)
NOW
My house is the tiny one exactly across the street from the joss house in the righthand corner. The joss huse no longer exists, the buildings on the left are gone, and almost all the structures up the road from my house are also gone. The house I now live in incorporated the shown structure as its front room.

HOME AGAIN HOME AGAIN

Shadow of the golden treasure
quarry rock
cloudy-morning-below-the-dexter
bitterbrush reclamation
above the brewery
Well it has been months since I posted because I am a slug and also because being on the road makes it hard... so am back in Tusca and am making work; it has been really productive lately. The Mormon Crickets have almost entirely left the area so it is very pleasant at last to get out and paint. Have started a series on the old tailings; attached are the latest. Have also put them on my facebook page for those of you who care to look there... I'll try to be better at this!

The Shrine of Death

There are shrines at the side of the roads everywhere, and on the hilltops, in the houses, wherever people are. This one was one of the most interesting we ran across, outside of Puerto Angel. Most of the shrines are dedicated to the Virgin Mother or some saint or are sort of memorials to some particular person. This one was so different. And when we were driving away there was a woman on foot who started to run when she saw the shrine, and made the most incredible mouth sounds, seemingly to ward off the evil eye or something. Not a whistle, not a shriek, a peculiar sharp vibration made with her lips.

just more pix. the Road home.

Me at Monte Alban.
Sideways calendas...
Women dancing at the blessing of the busses.
another bus being blessed.
The market at Mitla, with the church in the background. This church, like many, was built on the site of a Mayan temple complex that the Holy Spanish Fathers tore down. The stones from the temples were used to build the church. This temple complex, like Monte Alban, is still being studied and rebuilt. The decorations on the stones are written in a linear grecian-looking type of script that is known to be a language but is unreadable.

Happy Valentine's Day...

Pyramids at Monte Alban.
The blessing of the busses... about 80 busses, each with its own name and frontal shrine dedicated to the Virgen of Guadalupe...
Pericol, the flower used to make all the natural yellows for wools.
Anil, for the blues (greens and violets too).
Marisela crushing cochineal insects, a blight on nopal cactus, to make the scarlet dyes that all the reds and oranges come from.
Well here it is Valentine's day almost and I am finally getting to the blog. I actually have thought about it... so here is the update:

Mike had amazing driving adventures while coming to Oaxaca to pick me up; he finally arrived after Christmas. An epic adventure, truly one only Mike could have. At any rate, he spent a few days resting up while I finished my course en espanol's. We spent New Year Eve in traditional Oaxacan manner, at the house of in-laws of the family I lived with. Aside from the fact that we left our house to go visit the in-laws at 1030 pm, it was pretty much like a family party everywhere. Tons of amazing food, lots of chatter, kids playing and fireworks everywhere. And at 12 seconds to midnight everyone started eating half-grapes: one half for each month of the year to come, and a wish to go with it. So the last grape was eaten as the bells started ringing. And then the fireworks REALLY started. A very nice custom, and one that (I found out later) although traditional, is not observed much anymore. so that was fun.

Then after my classes were done Mike and I had the rare privelege of being invited to stay with an artisan family in Teotitlan del Valle. I had been talking with a very intelligent weaver about natural dyes. He eventually let me know that he taught classes on the subject and after a while longer told me that he like to give me a private three day course if I was willing to stay with his family about 30 miles outside of Oaxaca. Who could say no to that?

The pictures are from the stay at Teotitlan. The three days there were quite intense. I learned alot and am trying to figure out a few things to incorporate into my own work. It may yet happen...

So then Mike and I spent the next 3 weeks driving and surfing. Or rather trying to find suitable surf. It was pretty small stuff for an expert. i thought the little waves were perfect but I am new at it. We also spent some time with our friends Kasey Rose and Eric Messenger and their son Diesel Blue in Sayulita, surfing and eating. Great fun. I had alot of fun with Diesel, he is absolutely fascinated with anything drawing or painting related , and is an amazing colorist at the ripe age of 3.

Mexico is giant. It is hours and hours of driving to get from Oaxaca to the border. At least 60 hours of driving only. The agriculture changed from tropical fruits to banana plantations to cattle to fishing to desert to the frontier , south to north. Incredible.

More another time... happy valentine's to all.