Friendship Resurrected

As Much as Life Changes.... it Remains the Same.

Back in May I spent some time wondering thru the back roads of my childhood.  The house that my grandparents & great-grandparents built and the house that I grew up in was still there. It's a beautiful old adobe with hand carved doors and beams that my grandfather carved.  I have not been in that house for over 47 years.  I was lucky enough to go inside since my Mom knew the artist that now lives there.

 

Me my brother and our loyal watch dog Hondo in front of that door. I did ask if she'd sell me the door, but she wouldn't.  How wonderful it would be to have that in my house. 

 

It was wonderful growing up there and having 3 generations together.  Every morning I'd awake to the smell of fresh baked pies my "Nana" would make for a local restaurant.  We had a bountiful orchard that supplied an abundance of fresh fruit.  Sadly, it is no longer there.

I was stunned to see the same floor still there.  They don't make linoleum like they used to.  Definitely more worn, but in tact.  The cupboards still the same, the concrete sink in the laundry room that I used to get bathed in ~ still there.  It took me back to a time that was joyous and carefree ... my childhood.  Growing up in the country, riding my horse, swimming in the river, playing with my best friend... Jeannette.  The Good Ole' Days

As I left the house and drove down the road to see where my bestfriend lived I discovered her mother still lived in the same house.  Of course, I went to the door to say Hi and she remember me like it was yesterday.  She gave me Jeannettes' phone and after I got home I contacted her.  We hadn't spoke in over 47 years, but it didn't matter.... we were best friends.  After catching up and promising to get together on my next trip and before saying goodbye, she said "you know for 47 years when I go to visit my Moms, I take the exit before her house to drive by your old house and I always think of you".

How great was that!

Here we are at a Halloween Costume Party. 

I'm the "China" Girl

Crucifix Bottles

I love dabbling in various mediums and for years I've done stained glass - although my metal work has pretty much pushed stained glass aside for now.  I do love to create these bottles, however with crosses on them. As with every whim, craft, and art project I fall in love with I always go whole hog and buy massive quantities of that particular "whim" item I'm working with (the excuse to head to the thrift store is never an issue). Needless to say, I have now acquired a huge quantity of gorgeous bottles, crystals & jewelry for such.  I will never get them all made with crosses on top ~ Now what? 

If you think that is bad you should see the amount of shovels & wheelbarrows I have.... it's daunting!!  

Ok, Ok, I have a problem... what of it.  It's only one problem, right?

So here are just a few of the Cross Bottles I've made. 

Iris Watercolor Lesson

I've been trying hard to get better at my watercolor painting.  It's a weird feeling when I begin to paint a picture I kind of feel like I won't remember anything I learned from the last painting.  In fact, I start getting really nervous and my stomach gets fluttery.  Even when I'm creating my art out of metal I get the same feeling ~ especially when I've done something new.  It's kind of like when you have a dream and you can't quite remember any of it.  I get this strange feeling like I'll never be able to recreate something similar again. 

DO ANY OF YOU ARTIST OUT THERE GET THE SAME FEELING??  

So in trying to better my painting skills I ordered a video by Jacqueline Gnott who does fabulous watercolor flowers.  I've admired her work for a long time so on Thursday I received my video on her step by step instructions.  I learned a lot from her techniques and found some of my weaknesses my biggest issue is slow down, pre-plan and lighter layers.  I'll probable be painting this flower many times over.  Mine is way to dark, but I was working on a picture that was actually darker than her's shown below.  Check out Jacqueline's blog and see all her beautiful flowers.  http://jacquelinegnott.blogspot.com

This is Jacqueline's Painting

 

Dalton Ghetti Pencil Artist

I love finding new and quirky artists. Dalton Ghetti is one of those. His patience is beyond what I could ever imagine.  Many artists have used pencils to create works of art - but Dalton Ghetti creates miniature masterpieces on the tips of pencils The alphabet, all carved from 26 pencil tips.

Dalton hollowed out the centre of the wood, then carved the central column of graphite to create this hanging, linked heart

Dalton, who works as a carpenter, has been making his tiny graphite works for about 25 years A sculpture of Elvis Presley wearing shades, carved from a single pencil

Using the eraser end of a pencil, Dalton created a tiny cross sculpture from the internal graphite

 Dalton has made about 100 carvings, and is currently working on an epic piece inspired by the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. He said: "I decided to make a teardrop pencil carving for each of the people who died in the attack, about 3,000. Since 2002 I have carved one every day, it takes me under an hour. When I'm done they will form one big tear drop. It will take me about 10 years but it will be worth it"

Two interlocking hearts, carved from one pencil

Dalton, who is originally from Brazil, has a box full of more than 100 sculptures that have broken while working on them that he affectionately calls 'the cemetery collection'. He said: "I have quite a few broken pieces so I decided to glue them on pins and into Styrofoam for a display case. People might think it's weird I keep them but they're still interesting. I worked on them for months so they might be dead now but at one point I gave them life"

Is this guy Awesome or What!!!!!!

Garden Stakes and JACK

Have I ever told you I LOVE ~ LOVE ~  LOVE my plasma cutter.  This may be the best piece of equipment I've ever purchased.  I can cut metal like butter baby.  When you can cut metal like
butter baby
butter baby
butter baby  (sorry I had to do that ~ I had a brain freeze)

It opens up a whole new world.  It did for me.   You should try it sometime!!  It's been hard to gear up to go outside and create (113 today), but finally this week I created something new.

GARDEN STAKES

Every beautiful garden needs a garden stake & Jack

How To Be Alone

Found this beautiful video. What a beautiful insight..

Keep on Truckin' (how old is that saying!)

Since it's so HOT here I've had to resort to watercolor painting instead of metal work. I've also decided that cleaning house, walking dogs, doing laundry, getting the mail and every other chore that requires me to get up is also something I'm not doing.   Every time I start painting again I feel nervous, so inept ~ I know I don't do it right, I go to fast, my paintings get muddy, I need to take classes!  At any rate that being said here's one of my favorite pictures I took recently of an old old truck in Villenuva, NM.  Mine of course is the "Cartoon Version".  Sadly I didn't start out with that intention ~ perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned that.  Oh well what the Hell.

Georgia O'Keefe & The Genizaro

A recent road trip back to NM, Mom and I took a day trip on the high road to Abique, New Mexico.  The scenery there is stunning.  I see why Georgia O'Keefe was so inspired.  

We spent a long time talking with Napoleon Garcia who was O'Keefe's long time friend since he was a boy.  He had so many stories to tell us about his life with this unique artist.  He is an Abiqui native and Genizaro (a person who claims both Colonial Spanish and Native American heritage).  He also just published his first book about his life with O'Keefe.

 The Genizaro & The Artist.

 

I have never tried Plein Air painting, but I have a new found admiration for those that can capture the beauty the way O'Keefe did.  We stopped at the Chama River which is one of her very famous paintings.  You can obviously see what O'Keefe saw.

We headed up to Ghost Ranch, which is where she lived for many years,

but she actually lived for 40 years in the small village of Abique.

They filmed City Slicker's at Ghost Ranch.  The little cabin is still there.  Of course without all the other buildings around it that were actually in the film.

Passion Vine Inspiration

I find it hard these days in this oppressive heat to create the way I want to. I find my inspiration has only been in my thinking and not in my actions. I think more of doing then the act itself. So I'm having to revert to a small project I did a few months ago. I've had a passion vine outside my front door for almost two years and as I was leaving for a vacation it presented me with the most beautiful bloom. Only one bloom, once in two years! So my scrap glass left overs from another project became my permanent passion vine bloom. There's an old crystal plate as the center, small flat marbles and lots of pieced together scraps.

ONE DAY!!!

sometimes I lay
under the moon
and thank God I'm breathing
then I pray
don't take me soon
cause I am here for a reason
sometimes in my tears I drown
but I never let it get me down
so when negativity surrounds
I know some day it'll all turn around
because
all my life I've been waiting for
I've been praying for
for the people to say
that we don't wanna fight no more
they'll be no more wars
and our children will play
one day x6
it's not about
win or lose
we all lose
when they feed on the souls of the innocent
blood drenched pavement
keep on moving though the waters stay raging
in this maze you can lose your way (your way)
it might drive you crazy but don't let it faze you no way (no way)
sometimes in my tears I drown
but I never let it get me down
so when negativity surrounds
I know some day it'll all turn around
because
all my life I've been waiting for
I've been praying for
for the people to say
that we don't wanna fight no more
they'll be no more wars
and our children will play
one day x6
one day this all will change
treat people the same
stop with the violence
down with the hate
one day we'll all be free
and proud to be
under the same sun
singing songs of freedom like
one day x4
all my life I've been waiting for
I've been praying for
for the people to say
that we don't wanna fight no more
they'll be no more wars
and our children will play
one day x6
ooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Inspirational Artists

Sometimes I get stuck in my artistic endeavors, I feel bored, stagnet (maybe because it was 114 today and working with heat/metal/sun is just too overwhelming) so, today I needed some inspiration of other fellow artists. The videos below (if you have some time & they are worth it) were so awesome. I admire an artist who creates something and walks away and it all disappears, but then it really didn't disappear it actually became virtually recorded forever! I love that. Grab your coffee, sit back for 15 mins and enjoy!  TURN MY MUSIC OFF NOW......


Acclaimed composer and conductor Eric Whitacre offered the sheet music of his original composition, "Lux Aurumque", as a free download and invited singers to submit a video of themselves performing one part (soprano, alto, tenor, or bass). These rather ordinary videos of solo performances were then pieced together to form a choir of singers who have never met each other...but have unwittingly created music in perfect harmony together.




As the morning tide recedes at a beach near Christchurch, New Zealand, Peter Donnelly arrives to go to work. Peter the Sand Dancer, with a simple stick and a rake (and a not-so-simple gift of vision), paints elaborate works of art in the sand while hundreds watch in awe and appreciation.



Scott Wade is the Da Vinci of dirt. The artist from Wimberly, Texas loves nothing better than a dirty car. With brushes and other tools, he creates amazingly detailed images in the window dust of his car. The range of tones and detail create the look of charcoal on paper. That is, until it rains. But for Wade, the short life span of his work just adds to its power.

Git along little dogie

I'm head in' for the last round up
gonna saddle old Paint for the last time and ride
So long old pal
it's time your tears were dried
I'm head'n in' for the last round up
Git along little dogie
git a long 

We were tired and been driving too many miles in too few days, but coming upon this scene was so grounding for me.  I love the West, the cowboy life, riding horses, gettin' dirty.  There is something truly comforting about driving cross country - gettin' out of the city and seeing life like it should be. What a nice traffic jam we came upon.  

Watching the new babies cross the road running back and forth trying to find Mom, being scared with this new experience, the bulls butting heads showing off for all those heifers!  It was great.

Chama & La Bahada Junker

This is a true Arroyo Junker.  I crawled down an embankment, past a dead dog, and past some very shameful graffiti.  Amy if you see this.... SHAME SHAME!  I was going to show these pics of the dead dog and what the graffiti said about AMY, but my photo shop skills weren't good enough to cover the bad parts if you really didn't want to see it.  This junker has had many a river run thru it.  It was a beauty, however.  I know it's weird to see such beauty in these old car, but I swear I do. 

I've discovered that New Mexico is in love with Chevy's!  I drove many miles thru lots of small towns and all I saw were Chevy's.

I loved the way this hid behind the old adobe... as I crept forward so did that old chevy.

Blacksmithing a Rose

I've made it back safe and sound from my blacksmithing journey in Santa Fe, NM with Helmut Hillenkamp.  I created some fun stuff and learned a whole lot more.  Met some great folks and enjoyed having the opportunity to participate in this adventure. Thanks go out to Helmut for inviting me and being so generous with his time, tools and steel.  I know I'll be able to use what I learned in my work ~ only wish I had that power hammer in the shop to make my life easier.  Who knew I could make a hummingbird out of a steel pipe.  That Power Hammer was quite the tool.

As much as I enjoyed these new experience and getting out of my routine I think the best part was coming back home and getting back to my routine.  Life is funny that way.... I love to go and do fun and exciting things, but I always love coming home.  It must be the adult version of a babies blanket ~ its warm and enveloping plus you can leave your dirty underwear lying around!

It's truly amazing what can be created with one single round bar of steel!   Here is a gorgeous rose that was created by Christin Boyd with Fly Girl Iron.  Each handmade forged Rose typically sells for $100 a piece.  Husband if you read this..... I'll take a dozen of those any day of the week ~ don't forget I only need 11 more!