More Pix...

mas graffiti

pix of school and graffiti

a bit of political graffiti.
Putting on los picos for the traditional pinata for the Christmas season.
upside-down ollas that we have prepared to begin the pinata.
The lawn we have conversational class on.
the office entrance at Instituto Cultural de Oaxaca (ICO).

My friend from India, Priti, and I went looking for some beautiful graffiti I saw the other day while exploring. There is alot of regular graffiti but my favorite is the political stuff.

more of oaxaca

at hierve el agua, a mountain of mineral deposit (sideways).
at heirve el agua
at hierve el agua
Went to Hierve el Agua on Saturday and forgot that I had changed my camera setting to .txt so all the pix from there and from the mescal factory are poor and in black and white. I made one watercolor in my sketchbook that does absolutely no justice to what I actually saw. A really beautiful place, quite a distance form Oaxaca city, about an hour and a half. But worth the drive. The countryside is very like New Mexico and Arizona, very similar plant life. Agave farms and mescal factories everywhere.

Today was my first day of class. We had a placement exam and am in the right spot I think; there are 5 in my class and we are all floundering with different things. Perfect. So 4 hours of nouns and verbs, an hour of conversational description stuff, a break then making pinatas for 2 hours, learning songs and other cultural things related to the christmas season. Tomorrow there will also be an additional hour, called Intercambio, which will be with someone who wants to learn english. We are supposed to teach each other. I hope that whoever I get to talk with wants to go out and get a coffee or something because at the end of 7 hours I am so ready for some caffeine (Casey says I am addicted. Maybe it is true, but it sure helps get through a day of concentration...)

Tomorrow I hope to remember to take my camera to class so I can post pix of the beautiful grounds of the Instituto, and whatever else I see. Am hoping to find some wonderful political graffiti again that I saw the other day (without my camera) and will post those too. if I find them.

Politically it seems pretty stable right now, there have been a couple of rallies for APPO but no-one seems to be able to tell me what that is all about. It is no longer the teacher's strike of 2 years ago, it is changed to something more like deposing the governor of the state but no-one seems too certain. I hope to find out more soon.

Walking in Oaxaca

maguey garden at the "ex-convent".
giant parade guys made of papier mache.
A float dedicated to La Virgen.
breakfast at "la olla".
I am beginning to lose my english, what a concept when i barely speak Spanish. I have been able to make some small paintings in my sketchbook and some postcards which I will be sending out soon. I want to photograph them first. And please save them, I have an idea for a project when I get back to the EU.

I have been walking for miles going to the zocalo, to the mercado, finding out where and how to get things like toothpaste and shampoo and pencils. I found a terrific little artist supply place about two blocks from the house I am staying in. I really like how things are done so far, it is so personal. Every interaction is with a real live person, how odd. No machines telling me what to do. I like that alot.

Today I had a meal at a restaurant called La Olla. The meal was so beautiful I took a picture. I can't recall right now what it was called. A native dish made of eggs, squash blossom and cactus. Yum.

There is a fiesta every day I think. at least in December. Things are revving up for the feast of the Virgin, soon there will be parades and fireworks for three days. At this moment there is a huge market in the park across the street from where I am staying, with a giant band and lots of stalls and more strolling vendors than usual. Very busy.

¡OAXACA!

At the zocalo.
They sell tortillas here.
They also sell fried bugs...
my "internet cafe".
The patio outside my room.
I don't have my camera with me at this instant but will post a couple of pix later today. It is 0730 and am in the park across the street from my lodgings; people are walking everywhere, jogging, walking thir dogs. Women sweeping the dust off the bricks, cars driving by honking horns. It so reminds me of Okinawa when I was a kid.

Cave Junction

OUT O'BRIEN WAY
OCTOBER COLOR
MANZANITA AND OAKS
Mike and me by the waterfall, Columbia River
BY THE DITCH
A lot has happened since I last wrote. I relocated for the time being to Cave Junction to spend more time with Mike, in mid-September. Since that time I have been able to paint the fall colors in trees (what a concept!) and have also found out that there is LIFE DRAWING in Oregon. I feel like a glutton, have gone twice a week to different studios to work with live models. It is wonderful and I am beginning to feel as if I am growing again. We have been to Montana for a few days to see my kids and just got back from the Bay Area where we delivered some instruments to a music shop in San Anselmo and Mike repaired a badly damaged guitar. And we visited our friends Stan and Joan in Ukiah. A great road trip. Two weeks ago we were in Reno for the Wild Women Show. I sold nothing at the show but had some sales at Stremmel Gallery to Renown Hospital the day before we hung the show at Rancho San Rafael. So although not a giant plus for me at the show, not a total wash either.

And Tuesday we are to go to Seattle to have Thanksgiving with Mike's son and family. Mike will drop me off at SeaTac on the following Monday so I can begin my Adventure To Oaxaca. I plan on adding more to the blog from Mexico, maybe I will be able to do it en Español. Mike will pick me up in Oaxaca in january; we plan on spending the rest of the month down there playing in the surf and painting. Happy holidays to all, and I hope I have tons of cool stuff to post soon.

What Was I Thinking???!

For those interested in seeing the difference between what I moved into 5 years ago and how it is now, a few pix. A lot of hard work is starting to pay off.
Then...
a collage of Then
and Now
the back yard
poppies gone wild

summertime

Well here it is, last day of July. Summer has been very cool and windy in Tusca, and full of CRICKETS the bane of our existence right now. Mormon Crickets. What was god thinking??!!


Because of the cool weather we have had a much greener spring/summer than usual, and so far no fires so we are pretty happy about that. I have been able to get alot of painting done and am working on some furniture for the WildWomen show in Reno which we hang September 4.
Navajo Gulch
Tailings Below Blitzen
Last of the Navajo
Columbia

post-Easter Holiday greetings!

Pictures of recent works. If I can figure out how to properly put headers on the pix I will include them as well...



PREGNANT MODEL




THREE WOMEN




CHINESE NEW YEAR PROJECT



Well as usual I haven't put a thing on the blog for a while. Life gets so busy out in the boondocks!

I am thinking that spring is springing: I can see dirt (mud) in many areas of my yard now, and have actually seen real flowers. One lovely yellow crocus opened amazingly yesterday. It had only emerged from the ice the day before. And I have a few of the Mysterious Blue Guys. I have no idea what they are but will put in some pix when I get them taken later today.

There has been alot of travel in my life during these winter months: I have been hanging shows and taking shows down and visiting in Oregon. I went to Virginia City for a "tiny books" workshop in February. I am hoping that I will be able to incorporate some of my new skills in my work. Upcoming travels include Fallon (tomorrow through Friday) to give a workshop and pick up a show. Also in the future but not nailed down date-wise are a trip to Tucson and hopefully a Spanish immersion course in Mexico.

happy days to all and happy spring.

Winter In Tusca

Valentine, Watercolor 2008, "All Aquiver"
My back yard...
The truck across the road.
Muncus Agruncus running from the weather?
the Dragon Trap in hibernation.

We have snow! And the skiing has been awfully nice. For the most part. I must say that all the snow makes it difficult to pack my truck for shows as I cannot get my truck to my house. Fortunately I was able to bribe my neighbor up the hill to plow me a track about a week ago all the way to my front gate and I was able to pack 2 shows at one time. Boy am I glad I did that! Jerry only had about a foot to plow through; the next day we started getting a series of storms that added another 2 feet or more. As a result of Jerry's labors I was able to get to Elko to hang the show at DuncanLittleCreek with the rest of the WildWomen; and the following week go to Reno to hang the claynichols gallery show and attend the reception there. It was really nice, Jackie and Jeannie did a beautiful job putting my work in their space (fancy that, they didn't want me around to hang the work!). I think there is a picture on claynichols.com . My furniture looks really nice and the paintings look great on their walls.

The valentine is for the Sheppard Gallery Invitational Valentine Auction at UNR in Reno next month. Please go, the valentines that everyone makes are so much fun!

Am off to the Keddy Ranch tomorrow to finish a welding project with Susan, hopefully we will be able to display her (it) on the sidewalk at DLC during the Gathering. Pictures after it is done...

And more later! Pack the truck for the Cowboy Poetry Gathering Closing Celebration at DLC Feb 1 and 2; Hang a show in Fallon March 1; take down the claynichols show March 2 or so; give a workshop in Fallon March 27, take that show down March 28 and home again! At some point in time I will actually have time to make work, breathe, get myself collected,and start working on some other projects. Happy days all!

HAPPY HAPPY

New Year's Day and still not home yet. It has been a huge travel holiday for me: Reno to see my mom, Cave Junction to hook up with Mike and his daughter Emily, Seattle to see his son and family, back to Cave, etc. Lots of fun and family and life. It's been great. Got some painting in which always makes me feel more human, and postponed the trip home beacuse of weather. Got as far as Elko yesterday and should get home today if all goes well. The Wild Women are hanging the gallery show at Duncan LittleCreek on Thursday so will turn around and head back to town after I transfer belongings and repack with paintings.

Some photos of what Oregonians call a creek (in Nevada this would be a navigable body of water), Rough and Ready Creek in the Illinois River Valley. High water photos from last week, swimming in the same place last summer...