Art is Life

Looking at nature...

2012-01-04T10:29:00.000-08:00

While working on my current "Trees of Baja" series,I explore how nature impacts our emotional state and how it teaches us how to see. I recently found this quote by Joan McIntyre which I love.

We have for too long accepted the traditional way of looking at nature, at natures creatures, which has blinded us to their incredible essence, and which has made us incomparably lonely. It is our loneliness as much as our greed which can destroy us.

I am you...

2012-01-03T18:53:00.000-08:00

I am you, and you are my mirror.

Dreams...

2011-12-31T17:55:00.001-08:00

May all your dreams come true in the coming year!

Poolside dining...

2011-12-31T17:43:00.000-08:00

When we got back to Baja we stopped for lunch at a place by the sea. This was the welcoming committee next to our table while we had lunch. Hola iguana bonita!

October in New York City...

2011-12-31T17:35:00.000-08:00

As Harry Konick Jr. sings... "I love New York in June, how about you?... but October ain't bad. Specially if you get to visit good friends and celebrate the one and only's birthday.

Couch anyone...

2011-12-31T17:32:00.000-08:00

While walking around Easton, MD, we cam upon a Free Zone. Couches for free!! Not one but two, three, four...

What is Life?

2011-12-31T17:29:00.000-08:00

"What is Life?
It is the flash of a firefly in the night.
It is the breath of a buffalo in the winter time.
It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset."

Last words of Crow foot, orator of the Blackfoot Confederation, April 1980

Note: These words were read at Helen Ruenitz's Memorial Service in November 2011.
The poem was selected by Helen.
'

Summer outside Baja...

2011-12-31T15:34:00.000-08:00

Getting away from the heat and humidity for a couple of months allowed us to explore the lifestyle of Easton, M.D. a small town about 60 miles south east of Washington, D.C. with about 13,000 residents. Easton is the Talbot county seat and has a mild, conservative but charming disposition.

Rain, how lovely it is...

2011-12-31T15:08:00.001-08:00

It is rare for us to receive much rain here in Baja. But one day this fall I had hung my sheets to dry early int he morning. The sheets absorb this fresh incredible smell that feeds your senses. However around 2pm I heard thunder, while I was deep into page 283 of my book, and suddenly I remembered the sheets. I quickly jumped, took them down and brought them into the house. Then the rain really came down and it was lovely.

Death... the ultimate good bye.

2011-12-31T15:01:00.000-08:00

We said goodbye to several people this year, but the dearest one to us was Helen Ruenitz.
I learned from her to see, even though she was losing her sight to a Macula degeneration disease. She was kind and she was fair.

The skies are magnificent...

2011-12-31T14:45:00.000-08:00

The skies are magnificent here in Baja. A masterpiece of clouds forming feather like arrangements as they dance through the sky. The sun almost everyday lights our skies, and like a fire ball at the end of the day descends sometimes to surrender a green flash as it dips into the ocean, or simply descends as its swallowed by the endless mass of water we call ocean.

Mexico City, my city of birth...

2011-12-31T14:26:00.000-08:00

A brief fly by to Mexico City, my city of birth. Mexico City, cosmopolitan, complicated, intense city, my city of birth; I still love you; Although you scare me, I still love you; Even with your agression, I still love you; As I drive by the hospital were our daughter was born, I still love you; Even with your dense pollution, the constant honking of the cars and the muscling from lane to lane in he busy "glorietas", I still love you; With your lovely "panaderías, el pan dulce de la merienda, el afilador, el pepenador, el ruido de las ambulancias, I still love you after all these years; I smile when I see the beautiful flowers in the street corners everywhere. When I think of you my beautiful city of birth, I still love you.

The 5 languages of love by Gary Chapman...

2011-12-31T14:02:00.000-08:00

Read and interesting book in the summer "The 5 languages of love by Gary Chapman". In the book it basically says we all respond to one of these languages:

1. Words of affirmation
2. Gifts
3. Quality time
4. Service
5. Physical contact

Beach walks...

2011-12-31T13:04:00.000-08:00

There was mist in the air. The water was green. There were clouds in the sky. Blessed I am to be able to take those sandy path walks every day to the beach... it feels my heart with joy to walk down to the beach every day.

Things I would like to write about...

2011-12-31T12:58:00.001-08:00

The blue hour; Children are the center of their parents life but the opposite does not hold true;tv/sitting on that chair and letting the world move you; looking in the same direction as your partner;like the movie "I Am Love" ...I can't live without love.

Things I thought about on May 10th...

2011-12-31T12:49:00.000-08:00

It was Mother's Day in Mexico, May 10th, 2011. The things I was thinking about on this day were: My mother, my daughter, my sister, the blue hour, being held in his arms in the morning when I wake up, India, dancing, my artwork, my purpose...

Es un regalo de la vida ser madre, gracias a la vida.

Photo courtesy of Lucero García.

What happens at 3am...

2011-12-31T12:36:00.000-08:00

What happens at 3am when my brain is on fire? I often have to look for ways to meditate or for images of something cooling to calm my brain. The restlessness comes and goes, as well as a pang for nostalgia and an ache for love.

I wrote on January 1st...

2011-12-31T12:33:00.000-08:00

Life is a gift and I intend to live it fully.

A year in the life... in parts...

2011-12-31T10:13:00.000-08:00

As usual in the past few years Christmas rolls over me (...like a big máquina) and I get to crawl from under it about New Year's Day. It happened again this year, the Christmas yearly letter never got out, the tree barely got up, (but it did with it's magical blue lights) thanks to my sweet and loving husband, the family picture which we don't take any more also did not get out... and the sense of incomplete "completion" lies heavily in my heart. So this is my intent to share with you some observations from the past 365 days.

Abstract Humanity... the continuum

2011-08-17T13:37:00.000-07:00

In the summer months and noticing that I had an awful lot of found metal in different shapes and forms, I set out to try and use them. Luckily around the same time I had been invited to participate in a show titled "Four Points of View" with three other contemporary artists. So my point of view got focused on "global humanity today".

The humanity theme continues to dance constantly inside mi mind in its ever changing context. The found metal objects used within helped me emphasize the movement or the concept I was after, such as the small staircase to heaven, or the bent rewire making a perfect symbol of birth, growth and path into the outside world. The swimmers used in a couple of the pieces address the the fluidity inside our bodies and yet how difficult traversing our path is sometimes, wishing it would be as fluid as fish swimming across the oceans of the world.

The show will be exhibited at the Carlos Olachea Gallery, next to the Teatro de la Ciudad in La Paz, B.C.S., starting with a reception on August 19th, at 7:30pm and continuing until September 20th, 2011.

To view the series go to: http://glorita.smugmug.com/Art/Global-Humanity/18583346_4NrGPW#1435504044_rGCmgKS

Composition...

2011-08-17T13:32:00.000-07:00

It is always a delight to find beauty where beauty is, but that is easy. However to spot a rusty door, with bottle caps on it or a broken stone, or anything else for that matter that depending on how it's seen can be a piece of art on its own. A great composition.
A perfect harmony between the elements.

It's that time again...

2011-08-17T13:29:00.000-07:00

The creative cycle comes and goes. The intensity grows as one gets deeper and deeper lost in that space that only an artist can find.

Summer...

2011-08-17T13:14:00.000-07:00

Summer is officially here in Baja. The thickness of the air carries the sweet smell of mangoes; it takes concentration to take a big long breath and fill your lungs; festering mosquitoes and pesky flies search for a spot on our sweaty bodies to land on; swimming in the ocean water at a beautiful body temperature is a delight; the plumerias are in full bloom; days are long and sunsets offer flaming reds and blue purple continuous shows; as the night falls the frogs creep from their sandy habitats looking for water cheering us with their croaking; and, when the neighborhood quiets down and the lights are out the most magnificent skies shelter our dreams. Summer is sweet.

Soul

2011-08-17T12:33:00.000-07:00

I recently read "Empire of the Soul" by Paul William Roberts about his journeys in India. One of my favorite passages of the book includes this writing.

I am the Eternal Spirit,
I am sunrise over the Primeval Ocean.
My soul is called God, I created the Word.
I abhor evil, and thus I do not see it.
I created the perfect harmony in which I dwell,
I am the deathless Word,
Which lives forever in my name of "Soul."
-- From Coffin texts, spell 307, Book of the Dead (eleventh dynasty, C. 2,000 B.C.)

Why trees?

2011-05-19T21:06:00.000-07:00

Trees stand metaphorically as humans... they stand in the middle of life, and the spirit of many things lie in them. They are busy all day, giving shade, support, shelter and food to all. Only when night falls can they find rest for themselves, and then under the dark quiet skies, the spirits that live in them are revealed. (... from the Life of Trees)... perhaps we should imitate trees.
The whole tree series can be previewed at http://glorita.smugmug.com/Art/Tree-Series/18550996_hgqq4j#1432405968_Pfh97Jf

Working with trees...

2011-05-19T20:31:00.000-07:00

I have started a new series working with trees. Working in a series allows me to explore and discover things in my pieces while I repeat the process. I like to work on several pieces at a time, sometimes it seems as if they were able to talk to each other. It feels as if each of them affects each other as they take a life of their own.

This tree was shot on the transpeninsular highway to Cabo San Lucas.

The Blue Hour...

2011-05-19T20:11:00.000-07:00

The blue hour represents that time of the late afternoon almost night, after the sun goes down and the sky turns slowly dark. At some point in between there is the most beautiful rich blue. It's there for a brief period of time and then it's gone. Like everything else in life it's just temporary.

Quién eres...

2011-03-31T13:38:00.000-07:00

Acaso eres aquel que va marcando el piso por el que caminas... dejando una marca en el vaso en el que bebes.. tocando el corazón de aquel a quien tu amas... quien eres?..

La Vírgen Decapitada...

2011-03-31T13:34:00.000-07:00

Se encuentran imágenes de la Vírgen de Guadalupe en muchos materiales, incluyendo piedra o concreto. Recientemente encontré ésta sobre un muro fuera de una casa...

El Mercado...

2011-03-31T13:16:00.000-07:00

What can you find in a Mexican market... everything... however it struck my curiosity to find these two items next to each other "a color wheel of bras and aprons". Is this a statement of what we think a Mexican woman represents?

AMOR... love...

2011-03-31T13:07:00.000-07:00

Amor... with a palm trunk stuck on the way... but isn't it that love has it's obstacles too...

27 Artists in Todos Santos...

2011-03-31T12:55:00.000-07:00

The highlight of the month of March in Todos Santos was the Open Studio Tour of 27 artists using a variety of mediums. Each artist had a visit of 75 to 100 art lovers.

Learning from Louise Bourgeois...

2011-01-24T19:33:00.000-08:00

I bought the book that Rizzoli published about Louise Bourgeois and I am finding so much to learn... To start she says "Art is a privilege, a blessing, a relief...the privilege of having access to the unconscious."

Opening in La Paz...

2011-01-24T19:27:00.000-08:00

Saturday night was the fantastic opening for La Galería Encantada in La Paz, BCS Mexico. The owner is sculptor Lila Magallón, who perviously owned Gato Negro Gallery in La Paz. The new gallery will not only have incredible artwork but a beautiful patio restaurant serving imported wines, cheeses and prosciuttos di parma. My artwork shines on their walls. Auguri!!

New Year's Eve...

2011-01-02T16:23:00.000-08:00

Pure joy.

The Solstice...

2010-12-22T13:13:00.000-08:00

We went with our African drums in hand to celebrate the Winter Solstice in Pescadero at the beach. It was an amazing full moon, a wonderful group of people, energy vibrating around the circle and the roaring fire. A little bit before midnight (our local time) the eclipse began, slowly covering the moon with an orange globe. AMAZING!

Bright lights... small town...

2010-12-22T13:07:00.000-08:00

Having a bunch of discarded material sometimes becomes handy, like the other night when we realized that we did not have enough light above our table to see what we were eating. So I found a piece of re-bar from my studio, and wrapped around bubble lights added a cord, wire a few screws and voila... we have a little more light were we need it.

Diciembre en México...

2010-12-22T13:02:00.000-08:00

Las pastorelas son unas de las costumbres mas hermosas de mi país. En Diciembre los niños de ls escuelas en nuestro pueblito Todos Santos los ninõs se visten representando a la Vírgen María y a San José y a muchos peregrinos que los acompañan. Paran y cantan "Pidiendo Posada" en muchos de los establecimientos en el pueblo.

Roses of the Desert Series...

2010-12-22T12:54:00.000-08:00

In this series I used photography as the primary medium combined with found objects, and encaustic. The encaustic wax medium allows me to work in layers encasing fragments of memory as a means of stopping images and words in time. Of great importance to me is the “female” and discovering the similar dualities found in the female entity and in the desert planes.

To see the full exhibition please copy and paste this link on your browser window:

http://glorita.smugmug.com/Art/Roses-of-The-Desert/15020156_S8Yhg#1121802414_vztGg

The show has opened!

2010-12-22T12:36:00.000-08:00

The exhibition Roses of the Desert opened on December 12th at Galeria de Todos Santos with a great reception. It is a climatic event, after months of development and creation of the pieces. It was very meaningful to celebrate with a wall to wall gallery full of people. To see the full exhibition please copy and paste these links on your browser window.

Roses of the Desert Series
http://glorita.smugmug.com/Art/Roses-of-The-Desert/15020156_S8Yhg#1121802414_vztGg

Art Reception
http://glorita.smugmug.com/Art/Roses-of-the-Desert-Reception/15075260_CffhH#1126512500_m7W2K

One Day before the show...

2010-12-11T07:20:00.000-08:00

Michael Cope, owner of the Galería de Todos Santos came to review the work yesterday and now the 24 pieces have been delivered to the gallery. The studio is empty. As I walked around it for the last time before I took the work I came to realize how intimately I had lived with those pieces of art. The women represented in these series, their eyes and their souls accompanied me for many days as a communal circle.

7 days before the show...

2010-12-06T20:33:00.000-08:00

Promotion, promotion, promotion... today was the day to go into town and deliver the invites for the opening reception and send zillions of e-mails containing the invite as well. Roses of the Desert at the Galería de Todos Santos. Opening Reception on Sunday December 12th from 1-4PM. Todos Santos, BCS. Mexico. 6121450500.

11 days before the show...

2010-12-01T20:34:00.000-08:00

Even though the series I have been working on, "Roses of the Desert" has taken the better part of a year, 11 days before the show there are thousands of things to be done, and great new ideas that I am trying hard to cram in as well.

Gracias a la Vida...

2010-11-25T09:25:00.000-08:00

Hoy Día de Gracias escucho la canción de Mercedes Sosa llamada "Gracias a la Vida". Las palabras en gran melodía me arrullan, "Gracias a la vida, que me ha dado tanto, me dió dos luceros que cuando los abro, muy claro distingo lo negro del blanco y del alto cielo su fondo estrellado y en las multitudes el hombre, la madre, la hija, la amiga y la hermana que yo amo...

A gift...

2010-11-24T20:47:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day, and today I received a gift to be thankful for.
Saw my first whales of the season, 9 of them.
Priceless...

Young Artists...

2010-11-10T16:14:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow Thursday November 11th, 2010, 27 young artists from Todos Santos (ages 6-12) will be exhibiting 100 portraits that they created of their favorite heroes celebrating the Mexican Independence's Bi-Centennial and Revolution's Centennial Anniversaries.. Cafelix/Visions will be the gallery showing the work downtown Todos Santos. ARTS (Artistas de Todos Santos) organized this community event in support of the local visual arts.www.artistsoftodossantos.com
Photo was provided by Juan Hernández.

De regreso....

2010-11-10T16:04:00.000-08:00

De regreso de la caminata de ésta mañana paramos en un pequeño altar dedicado a una mujer que aparentemente termino su vida junto a un árbol de torote. Los locales le llaman a esta área sagrada "La Ahorcadita". El área está llena de flores, rosarios y velas como muestra respetuosa a la difunta. Definitivamente se percibia cierta energía dolorosa...

Buenos Días Todos Santos...

2010-11-10T15:52:00.000-08:00

Eran las 4:30am cuando me desperté ésta mañana. El cielo estaba obscuro y lleno de estrellas brillantes. No logré re-tomar el sueño nuevamente así que decidí levantarme por ahí de las 5am. Me vestí y salí en el carro acompañada de Rey y Bambina (mis cachorros). Nos encaminamos hacia el desierto a una zona alta de donde se pueden ver más las montañas. Ahí caminamos silentemente por unos minutos y esperamos a que la luz del sol se asomara por la cima de los montes. Fué un buen comienzo de día.

Full bloom...

2010-10-24T18:14:00.001-07:00

the San Miguel vine is in full bloom all around us. Particularly close to the dunes where it grows totally wild. It's color pink is so vibrant and lush...

La vie en rose...

2010-10-18T15:10:00.000-07:00

Roses are a particular flower, with which I have had a love/hate relationship all my life. There were many “rosales” in our home’s garden while growing up. I used to pick all their spines, encase them in each other and make necklaces out of them. In the process I always ended with bloody fingers. My favorites are of course, deep red. However in the Baja desert we have our own rose, and this one does not have any spines. it has a smooth and succulent trunk giving way to deep green lush leaves with pink, red or white flowers.

Celebración de la Vírgen del Pilar en Todos Santos...

2010-10-18T14:22:00.000-07:00

A ls 5am se reunió una gran comunidad de uns 300 personas en la playa de Punta Lobos para rendir homenaje a la Vírgen del Pilar (nuestra Patrona en Todos Santos). Se rezó el rosario y el Padre Sergio dió Misa al amanecer. Los mariachis acompañaron canciones y fué una de las más bellas mañanas que he vivido. La ceremonia hace honor a la Vírgen y le encomienda que bendiga a nuestros pescadores, los cuales salen diariamente a pezcar aquí en el Océano Pacífico. Al terminar la Misa fuimos todos invitados a abordar las pangas de los pescadores para acompañar a la Vírgen en una pequeña travesia hacia Puerto Nuevo.

Fresh Laundry...

2010-10-18T14:20:00.001-07:00

Can’t help but think of the wonderful restaurant with this name in Napa Valley.

How do we keep growing and learning...

2010-10-18T14:17:00.000-07:00

In my art I love working in a series because it allows me the possibility to explore a theme in depth, to expand into all kinds of options, and allow myself the act of repetition with slight differences. Hoping… that by the end I am ready to move into something new.

Recently I found something that Matisse wrote in 1916 “When you have achieved what you want in a certain area, when you have exploited the possibilities that lie in one direction, you must, when the time comes change course, search for something new.”

Sometimes it is hard to change direction, because we are within our comfort zone or because there are some questions which take a long time to answer.

A good morning in the studio...

2010-10-18T14:14:00.000-07:00

Listening to Leonard Cohen… From bitter searching of the heart quickened with passion and with pain we rise to play a greater part. This is the faith from which we start men shall know comonwealth again from bitter searching of the heart.

Mothering...

2010-10-18T14:03:00.000-07:00

It is amazing to observe a beautiful finch work so hard to build a nest, carrying feathers, branches and twigs and padding it down with her chest. Of course that is only the beginning of the job. Followed by keeping the little eggs warm and protected from the wind, then feeding the baby birds to make them healthy and strong. And eventually the final the day comes when it’s time to teach them how to fly and let them go. I thought about that on October 4th.

The desert is green...

2010-10-18T14:01:00.000-07:00

It took only two days of rain out of 365 to turn our desert into a green lush and lovely site.

Are we in love?

2010-10-18T13:55:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I ponder upon questions like…
“Is it that we are in love, or that we are enamored with the concept of being in love?”

El Bicenenario...

2010-09-16T07:02:00.000-07:00

The plaza in Todos Santos was full of people celebrating the 200th time of El Grito de la Independencia.

Viva México!!!

2010-09-15T09:11:00.000-07:00

Padre Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla on the night of September 15th declared war against the government in what was known as the Grito de Dolores. Mexico celebrates the Bicentennial since the declaration of Independence in 1810. Tonight in our little town there will be a celebration of "El Grito" in the town's plaza. Viva México!

The sky is the limit...

2010-09-15T09:02:00.000-07:00

This morning the sky seems to have an army of tiny clouds all lined up ready to move in some direction. Where will they go...

Respect and Trust...

2010-09-14T15:54:00.000-07:00

A good friend took me horseback riding this morning. For me a total "horse rookie" there was a real lesson on respect and trust to be learned. "Galleta (Cookie)" was my assigned horse, and after grooming and saddling her we took off for a ride on the beach. At the very beginning she tested me and nearly walked me into a small shack full of hay. But after some correction remarks from my teacher friend I started to gain control. There is a need to establish respect for such a sizeable animal and a need for trust. One for the rider who must establish the lead and needs to trust him/herself in this position. And for both, the animal and the rider to start forming an intuitive bond of trust in each other. It was a wonderful learning experience.

El Torote...

2010-09-12T16:54:00.000-07:00

Scientific Name: Bursera microphylla
English Name: elephant tree
Spanish Name: torote blanco, copal, palo colorado, torote rojo, torote colorado, cuajiote blanco, torote

A few weeks ago clearing out an area of brush around our house we came upon a small "Torote tree", I couldn't believe it. I always loved them, but they are an endangered species and should not be pulled out of their desert home, in other words it's not something you find at the local nursery. They are a classic desert tree with a flaking bark and open arms full of green leaves when they bloom. But because of the lack of water they remain dormant, grey but sturdy. I was so delighted to find it, we cleared around it and started to give it water. Fifteen days later it surprised me with a tiny leaf out of each of it's tiny branches. It is in full bloom today. Once again nature is king.

9.11.2010...

2010-09-11T12:43:00.001-07:00

As Leonard Cohen sings in one of his songs "...since the day someone hurt New York", 9.11.2001 was a day that changed many people's lives. It was a very painful day. Today has been an out of sorts day waiting several hours for a caterpillar to help us move some very big rocks. Can't help but think the many pieces of concrete that had to be moved in the World Trade Center nine years ago.

Roots...

2010-09-10T18:34:00.000-07:00

We stand strong over the earth and try to feel rooted. And although our roots are real they are invisible to our eye, not like the ones of this beautiful fig tree. They visibly run deep into the ground and up above. They even grew over a rock. The tree extends itself many feet up above us and it is starting to bear fruit this time of the year. Small green figs are attached to its hundreds of branches.

Object of beauty...

2010-09-09T18:50:00.000-07:00

Right at the base of part of the Sierra de la Laguna mountain range lies a small house with an outstanding potter named "Marcos". He and his sister Margarita collect red clay dirt from the base of the mountain, they work it, clean it, run it through a sieve to get the stones out, and add water to make it into the perfect consistency of clay. Then he hand builds all his functional pieces with extreme proficiency and love. The forms are rounded, minimal and clean. Simple and elegant. His pieces have integrity and purity. Less is more. Each piece is an object of beauty.

The Art of Racing in the Rain...

2010-09-08T20:32:00.000-07:00

This is a novel written by Garth Stein. I read it in one day. It filled my heart with joy, my eyes with tears, and my heart with compassion. It is a beautiful book for us all, not just dog lovers, not just "gear heads", it is about life and death. Good read.
Thanks Doug. (this photograph was taken by Dennis Bradbury, a good friend, a professional photographer and the owner of the 22 Haviland Street Gallery in Norwalk, CT).

Que onda buey?

2010-09-07T13:53:00.000-07:00

Que onda buey? is a very common phrase used by the young people in Mexico. It basically means "What's up, dude?" but the direct translation really means "What's up bull?". However it has become a colloquialism used everywhere. Today as I drove into town and encountered a herd of bulls in the huerta, I had an opportunity to use this colloquialism directly with the source. Still waiting for an answer, however...

The core...

2010-09-06T13:41:00.000-07:00

Often in yoga we concentrate on our core strength, and the feeling of being centered. There are also so many things that are built around a center point. From the laws of rotation of the Earth around its axis to the simple core of an apple, or the center point of our belly button. But amongst one of the most interesting architectures is that of a sunflower. Have you ever studied the beautiful organization of each seed pod in its center. The way they fit into each other, the pattern they form and the strength they bring to the soft yellow petals that hang from its edge.

Rain in the desert...

2010-09-05T17:19:00.000-07:00

We woke up to a lovely soft rain at 5am this morning... I find it fascinating to live in the desert and realize how nature adjusts to it's lack of water. It's all about conservation. The cardones, choyas, torotes and all the other native plants turn brown, almost lifeless. However in the summer, when we get our few days of rain everything changes, the desert turns green, beautifully green. Each of those plants then, holds it water for many months in order to survive. There is no waste.

The air is thick...

2010-09-04T10:19:00.000-07:00

You wake up in the morning, you open the door and go outside. The air is thick, so thick that you feel a certain shortness of breath. Nothing moves, there is no breeze, everything is still. It almost feels like there is a layer between you and the rest of the world. You try to focus but it is like looking through a foggy lens.

Sometimes we walk together and sometimes we walk apart...

2010-09-03T10:23:00.000-07:00

August came and went, and somehow I was unable to get too close to the computer. This month brought forth a wedding anniversary of 37 years. I was thinking how many trails, paths and highways we have driven, how many creeks, lakes and oceans we have paddled and how many walks we have taken together. Como dice Simone de Beauvoir en su libro "La Mujer Rota", solíamos mirar lejos y actuar sobre lo mirado. Hoy vivímos al día, y muchas veces caminamos solos, o a diferente paso. It's Ok to walk together and sometimes to walk apart.

My studio gets a roof....

2010-07-27T10:52:00.000-07:00

After three years of working au plain air I decided to go indoors. Although it brought a certain amount of excitement to my work sessions there were other conditions that far outweighed the pros. The constant wind, while trying to position thin japanese or handmade papers was to say the least challenging. The constant bug patrol buzzing around my head and my wax container distracting, and having to set up every morning and put everything away at nights exhausting. So I am thankfully delighted and very excited to think I will soon be having an enclosed beautiful space to work in, and still have plenty of light and the ocean in my viewfinder.

2010-07-20T20:46:00.000-07:00

I have been pondering on one of Virginia Woolf's lines "You cannot find peace by avoiding life".

Plenitud y Armonía...

2010-07-20T20:26:00.000-07:00

Acabo de leer otro libro de Sandor Marai, este llamado La Amante de Bolzano. Y ésta frase me ha hecho pensar... "la vida es cuando un hombre y una mujer están hechos el uno para el otro, porque tienen que ver el uno con el otro, como la lluvia que cae sobre el mar y vuelve a renacer con el, creándose y recreándose mutuamente y siendo el uno condición del otro.. y esa plenitud crea algo, crea la armonía y esa armonía es la vida.

Que pasa cuando el espíritu se pierde...

2010-07-20T19:56:00.000-07:00

Durante nuestra visita a Cuba, pasaron muchas cosas por mi mente y por mi corazón. Primeramente ví en la Habana, una ciudad bella sin reparo. Sin embargo habitada por un pueblo caribeño que se distinguió siempre por su gran espíritu libre, su alegría, su amor a la música y a la vida. Más ahora me queda claro que la historia a llevado su cause y ha robado el espîritu libre de su pueblo. La estructura está ahí, la gente está ahí, así como sus edificios aunque faltos de un poco de pintura, pero ahí están todavía siendo testigos a los estragos del tiempo. Todo esto me produjo un extraño vacío.

Summer of Love...

2010-06-22T21:21:00.000-07:00

Officially the summer has started for us in Todos Santos. In addition on the 26th with the New Moon a new era will open in the Universe and love is the subject matter.

El día 23...

2010-06-22T21:17:00.000-07:00

Mañana, en el 23 de Junio estaré partiendo por unos días a Cuba, la tierra de nacimiento de mi madre, Julieta. Allá encontraré a mi hija y juntas reconoceremos aquella ciudad. Visitaremos la vieja casa de la Abuela Julita, la casa de las tías y la casa en donde crecio mi Mamá. Escucharemos la música de la isla y caminaremos las calles procurando observar la historia que ha ocurrido.

My yoga mat is orange...

2010-06-22T21:05:00.000-07:00

A couple of times a week at least I take out my yoga mat and do my practice. I stare at my orange mat and smile. There is an association with the sun, warmth, the Art Center logo, fresh squeezed orange juice, and many other delicious things in life. On Monday I actually took my orange mat to the sand and performed my yoga class at the beach. Full sun, waves crashing and that sense of rushing waters that I had at the circle of breath weeks before came back with a fury. It was the beginning of a great day.

Sister love…

2010-06-14T15:15:00.000-07:00

Do you remember when your little sister threw a fit because you did not want to share your favorite toy with her...I do. Our grandmother used to call us crazy nicknames “Leocadia” (her) and “Tripita” (me) to help characterize our actions. I guess that is part of history, our own history. Sisters are those people with which we share most of the nuances of our genetic past. Happy Birthday Sis…

Pink

2010-06-11T20:29:00.000-07:00

There are innumerable connotations with the color pink. Does it belong solely in little girls dresses, girly musical jewelry boxes, cute tank tops, pink roses, pink carnations, strawberry milk shakes, pepto bismol, calamine, pink eye, pink cadillacs... but a pink race car. Only in Pescadero, BCS.

Misty.

2010-06-11T20:24:00.001-07:00

The locals call the month this month “June gloom”. Every morning we wake up to light gray skies, and fog rolling over the ocean. It’s misty, moody, nostalgic and beautiful in it’s own way. We are spoiled by being able to see the sun 345 days out of the year. So this month brings us a refreshing change.

“Solitude” and “Loneliness”… what’s the difference.

2010-06-11T20:19:00.000-07:00

The real difference comes from selective versus non-selective. We select “solitude”, as a way of being within our own very personal space, listen to our own breathing, look inside, be alone, just you and your private thoughts. On the other hand “loneliness” comes with a pang… a pain in the stomach… a state of being alone, just the same, yet wishing to be with someone who loves you.

Images of a heart...

2010-05-31T18:39:00.000-07:00

I was truly impressed by Gabriel Orozco's show at MOMA, but particularly, the piece where he is pressing fresh clay in his hands, opening and showing the shape of a heart in front of his body. It's so great, so visceral and so real. http://4.media.tumblr.com/grgM9l4yckqnyzt1MlQ2rLvYo1_500.jpg
Last week I picked up this piece of wire from the road and thinking of that beautiful piece I wound it around to form of a heart. Which happens to be one of the symbols that I keep using over and over again. Why? I am not sure.

Nature is king..

2010-05-31T18:33:00.000-07:00

When we first came to Todos Santos in Southern Baja California we were told that the most important feature of our new environment, was that here "Nature is king". It has taken a couple of years for us to really understand what that meant. Nature starts creeping into your skin, into your body and your soul. The desert surrounds us, the ocean roars,a big fat full moon came up a couple of days ago and lit our way and down our street there is a beautiful field full of almost ripe tomatoes.

Looking out into the Universe...

2010-05-31T18:23:00.000-07:00

My mind can weave itself in the cocoon of my own thoughts. There, it is safe and protected... suddenly something starts moving within me. An unbearable sense of sprouting, of bursting, breaks through the skin of my own awareness. A thousand times a day.

What is Art anyway?

2010-05-31T18:05:00.000-07:00

I can only answer this question by what I see and what I feel. Take this photograph of a found discarded object. By now you all know how I get incredible satisfaction out of discovering an old piece of metal and giving it a totally new context in life. My last trip to the "basurero", after a frantic call from my friend Flora, was truly amazing. She wanted me to come quick because the scrap metal guy was about to come to pick up "los fierritos" and she wanted to make sure I had a chance to select before he picked them up. There were incredible finds, there were metal stars, interesting contorted pieces of wire, screens, circles, interesting engine parts, wild refrigerator coils, amazing stuff. What a delight! But how this translate into art. Is it the transformation of the object, the actual application of the medium, or, the final presentation of it all. For me Art is all of the above. From the moment I lay eyes on the forgotten object, to the delight of working with it, the imagination running wild while finding a setting for the object, the application of the melted wax, the incorporation of the words, the observation, the editing, and being absorbed while becoming one with the artwork...

The soul craves creation....

2010-05-31T17:43:00.000-07:00

After four months of intensive creative activity within our ARTS group (http://www.artistsoftodossantos.com), my soul craved for creative privacy. Most of the events I am talking about had to do with the organization of Art exhibitions, artist talks, attending art events, giving workshops and having our first Artist Studio Tour in Todos Santos. While all this was highly rewarding, at a given point I wanted to run and lock myself in my studio (hard to do since it's outdoors...) but the point is, that the soul started to crave the creative process. Getting to smell the wax, get those brushes loaded with the clear stuff and then make markings, lots of them... YES mark the surface. Changing a simple piece of wood into something worn with character like our bodies and our lives. So I made it, I am in the studio starting the process, looking forward to developing the content for my new series which will include photographic content.

Día de las Madres...

2010-05-10T15:58:00.000-07:00

En México el Día de las Madres siempre se ha celebrado el 10 de Mayo. En Estados Unidos se celebra siempre el segundo Domingo de Mayo para evitar que caiga en día de trabajo. Hoy es 10 de Mayo y como tal, recuerdo a mi madre "Julieta" a quien llevo en mi corazón desde el dia que murió hace ya casi 21 años. Siempre le sonrió a la vida y adoró el ser Madre, suerte para mi hermana Julieta y para mí. Recuerdo su inolvidable sonrisa, su fortaleza femenina y su corazón sin fondo.

Circle of breath...

2010-05-10T15:46:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I had one of the most powerful experiences in my whole life. I went to a "breathing circle" led by Shakti. It was held at the Cachorra beach at sunset. The light at that time of day is beautiful. The waves were crashing with serenity but carrying loads of strength. While I closed my eyes I felt water gushing within me, fluid massive movements, energy circulating through my body. It was only the beginning of an incredible experience about to happen. The circle was blessed, candles placed, our bodies smudged and instructions on breathing given by our facilitator, Shakti. What happened next I won't even try to describe but it was a mindblowing experience. Energy traveling through my body, taking me to a place where I had never been. There is definitively much to learn about our essence, the divine, the universe and everything that surrounds us.

My life as a dog...

2010-05-10T15:41:00.000-07:00

Bambina sits at her view tower, checking to see if something moves in her neighborhood. Perhaps a neighbor with their dog at their side on a casual walk, or a wild horse searching for something to eat or... the unfortunate site of a small lizard "a mighty catch". Whatever the day brings is entertaining for her.

Dia del Niño, Abril 30

2010-04-28T15:55:00.000-07:00

Children's Day will be celebrated in a couple of days, on April 30th. Marlina and Lupe are my neighbors and some of the sweetest children on earth.

Life is fragile...

2010-03-17T21:45:00.000-07:00

Life is so fragile... I heard the other day that we can live without food for many days, without water for maybe a couple, but without air, without our breath only 6 minutes. Breath is life.

Release into the real world...

2010-03-17T21:22:00.000-07:00

Last week I finally got the chance to be part of the release of baby leatherbacks into the Pacific Ocean (www.todostortugueros.com here in Todos Santos). It was a beautiful afternoon while I drove 5 km. north of the Pastora surfbreak. The road becomes very narrow and there is a need to share the space with cows, bulls and horses. Its beautiful and it's rural. Sunset was approaching when I got there. Some of the volunteers were measuring and weighing the baby turtles... beautiful little beings. Others were busy in the invernadero still digging more which had just hatched. Important to not leave any behind. Once they were all accounted for and documented, a long line of people was formed in front of the surf. The little guys were released a few at a time. It seemed so hard to watch their little arms paddle paddle to get ahead and into the water. The surf was rough and it kept washing them back into the sand. some were confused and walked backwards, towards us again. It took a while to coax them all into the big wide world, their world, the ocean. Only one in one thousand survive... what a harsh reality.

Mary had a little lamb...

2010-03-17T20:44:00.000-07:00

Mary had a little lamb and it's coat is white as snow. There is something wonderful about witnessing the birth of a lamb and watch how the little one learns to take its first steps, and says it's first baaahhhhh.

Gracias...

2010-03-05T12:34:00.000-08:00

Giving thanks after 58 years of life...

I am thankful for life and what it’s brought me. For my husband and my daughter. For all my family members and good friends. For my creativity and lust for life and love. For my beautiful surroundings, for the pounding of the ocean which gets inside my skin. For the pink sunrises that I have experienced and the beautiful sunsets and bright orange skies. For the stars that make me company as I look up at the heavens every night. For my hands and my eyes that bring me visions of color and form. For my ears that tingle with the sound of the chimes, for my brain which helps me analyze and resolve. For my nose that fills with joy when it smells a beautiful plumeria. For my heart which often rides a rollercoaster and for my soul which I am trying so hard to keep plentiful.
Photo courtesy of Julie Gonzalez.

Our mistakes...

2010-03-01T20:37:00.000-08:00

Our mistakes and imperfections are the cracks through which the light comes in.

Karma...

2010-03-01T20:27:00.000-08:00

Marimar read this quote today at our yoga class "Karma does not come, it is the way we react to it when it comes."

On Balance...

2010-03-01T20:08:00.001-08:00

I learned this weekend about Balance and the management or our feminine and masculine energies. Being able to achieve Optimal Energy, helps us achieve Optimal Health and Harmony & Balance in our lives. Like everything it takes focus and practice. Nevertheless my awareness was raised and at the the end of the workshop I felt energy flowing out of my hands profusely...

The cheese stands alone....

2010-03-01T19:50:00.000-08:00

On our path through life we weave in and out of people's way. Sometimes we walk side to side with one, or two or many. Sometimes we get to walk alone. These interactions or relationships make a mark in our intellect, our hearts and sometimes in our souls. At some point it becomes clear who we select to walk with, and at times, we look for stillness and for an empty path.

Isla Magdalena...

2010-03-01T19:39:00.000-08:00

The Island of Magdalena in Magdalena Bay, is something outstanding. It is a town of 200. A fishing coop. The island has its own desalinization and electricity plants. They are a sustainable society. I believe the breakdown is 130 adults and 70 kids. Very beautiful dunes and vistas, but a very basic existence.