Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Day of the Dead Altar 2008

Full view of my taditional Altar
Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead
The Vision Gallery
2008



Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Dia De Los Muertos

Sheesh! Can you believe it's already October? Where does the time creep off to? Well the start of October can only mean one thing. The fast and furious dance with a deadline. Why I always wait until the last minute is one of life's little mysteries that I can't seem to solve. I started the Altar piece in July-August by finally ordering the balloons I am using. I even had the guys blow some of them up and well I have 9 of them papermached and awaiting a second layer. That's as far as I've gotten. Now, my mind has drawn a blank and I've been scouring the ends of the earth for inspiration. I only have until the 15Th before the piece has to be signed,sealed,and delivered to the Gallery. Oh, Calgon take me away! I don't know which is worse,Writers block or Artists block? I'll post photos as things progress and knowing how I am they'll be posted next Easter or something.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Ostrich Festival 2008

These pictures are of the Ostrich I did for Chandler's Ostriches on Parade. They were displayed in Down Town Chandler in honor of the annual Ostrich Festival. The piece I did was called "In Frida's Garden". When I saw my ostrich for the first time her face reminded me of Frida Kahalo's. It took several tries and just as many white washings of the poor bird to finally get the garden right. My favorite part of the piece were the hummingbirds. I was very honored to have been given the opportunity to do something for the community.

Ostrich Festival 2008





Slacker

I can't believe it is almost August and I'm just now posting pictures of last years Dia de Los Muertos exhibit. It's now time to start planning my piece for this years exhibit. I will be doing just 1 piece and that will be for Vision Gallery. I got an invitation to do ASU's as well,but I didn't understand their theme this year and I just didn't want to think that hard. The piece for Visions should keep me plenty busy. This year I am going with a Tree of Life/Death theme. I was in the hospital in ICU for a week and one thought had come to mind. Do we chase Death or does Death chase us? Just a thought to ponder. I really don't take much in the way of pictures of my pieces and I really should. I will try to committ to taking pictures from start to finish of this years piece. I have no excuse that there isn't enough time because I will be off work until at least September 15th. The piece I did was in Honor of Breast Cancer Awareness. I included the names of both men and women that had survived and lost their battle against the disease. There were more than 100 names that were left in a vase for me to add. I had left cards for those who felt so moved to leave the name of thier loved ones to be added to the piece. I was really moved when people approached me and told me how the piece made them feel.It seemed as though everyone at some point has been touched by this horrible disease.

Dia De Los Muertos 2007


Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Where Does time go?

Ok so it's been four months since my last post and I still don't have the DDLM pix up either. Sheesh, where is my head? OK don't answer that. Well since it's a new year I have new goals (I don't call them resolutions. The only resolve I have is to never drink Long Island Iced Tea's again) A few of them involve Writing and Art. Why are these things always great in theory,but then I sit at the computer or in my art studio and my muse flatlines. I remember reading about an artist who could create like mad and one day she decided to quit drinking. After she dried out she could no longer create. She'd sit and wait,but it was never the same. Maybe my muse needs VODKA! Because if she got any drier she'd be a sandpaper doll.

Sunday, September 9, 2007

An Old Poem I wrote

Grandma

I long to be like you
Mujer Devina
A great granddaughter
of Aztecs
A daughter of Mestizos
Soy Chicana!
Skin the color
of refried beans
eyes the color
of the black olvies
that hide in Christmas tamales
I look at my hands
and wish they were yours
delicate, silky skin
stiring,mashing,chopping
watering,cleaning,scrubbing
I memorize the smells
fabric sofenter,manteca,Maja
I wish to love
just like you
unselfishly,undeniably,unconditionally
but i am me
americanized
desensitized
judgemental,controlling
I know not where
my allegience lies
instead
I live my life
smelling of
fast food,fast work,and a fast life

La Llorona #2 2006 @ ASU ANthropology Museum

LA Llorona 2006 @ Vision Gallery

Never argue with Mother Nature

Happy Sunday! I wish Sunday's came before Saturday so that tomorrow would be Saturday instead of Monday. There really isn't enough "END" in my week.
Well it's that time of year-finally! Things on the Gallery front are getting into full swing. Wow I can't believe my exhibit is in a little over a month. I finally started my piece,but in true artista fashion I was late in getting a picture in time for the card we mail out. Like how I say, we and mine? I'm playing this Guest Curator part to the hilt. Seriously though, it still fills me with wonder and amazement.I wonder what the hell I got myself into and it amazes me they actually want me to do this and are paying me real feria to do it and not in mickey money. In previous years the opening has been an evening affair,but this year it's an all day and into the night pachanga. Makes me tired just thinking about it. Whatever will I wear. Last year I wore the Dia De Los Muertos skirt I had created and sewed my self.ok so it was stapled and duct taped. Some habits die hard. As soon as I can figure out how to upload pictures on to this thing I will put some up of the piece in progress.
It's taken on a mind of it's own. Beware of the evils of newspaper and chicken wire! if it knows what it wants to be, it will not let you create otherwise! That's what I love about creating my pieces. You think and think and think some more about what you want to do,so you take out a sketch book or a cocktail napkin which is sometimes the case and sketch out a rough idea for what you at the time think of as an inanimate object. Then from there you decide what the tools of the trade are going to be. Once that is done your super sillious mind thinks WOW! that was easy, now I just have to put the pieces together. Well my Brothers and Sisters I'm here to tell you, that is sooo WRONG! Not to mention that when you try to make chicken wire go where it doesn't want to...the damn thing bites! I drank water and could have used my hands for sprinklers from all the punctures. Nope, I'm a big girl I don't use gloves! Ok so I couldn't find them after I used them to mend the corral fence. Yes I know..if you put things back where you got them... I'm an artist, If I can find what I need it makes things boring.

Well my original intent was to do something with the Virgen of Guadalupe, did you notice I said "intent"? Well Mother Nature had other ideas. My original outline was on a smaller scale and Mamacita earth, as we all know, is not and I mean NOT to be scaled down (think Katrina,Peru et al) so she or the form that is soon to be She, stands a freckle short of 4 feet tall,and could get hired on at HOOTERS if you catch my drift.I had created a head for her,but she has decided she wants a tree growing inside her. Some may call it schizophrenia I call it a psychopathic piece. She haunts me,screams at me, and fills my dreams with what she wants. For example I was at Micheal's(my youngest) football game and afterward I worked the snackbar(against my wishes,but that's another story) and this little mocoso had this huge dried leaveless tree branch with a bunch of smaller branches protruding from it. I really paid no mind to him or the branch aside from the fact he was hitting things with it and wouldn't you know good old Mother Nature to be decided she had to have that for her head. I tried to ignore her for a while and she was relentless. So when Micheal came up to the bar I told him of my dilema,he asked if I wanted him to go bargain for it and before I could decide Micheal pointed out the fact that the little Mocoso was now jumping up and down on the poor defenseless branch. I could almost hear the poor branch cry. Did Mother Nature go away? Not a chance! Now I get this nagging little voice telling me that I need to go out and find another head friendly branch. Maybe I can send Micheal out into the north 40 to procure me another branch. He is very sympathetic to my artistic travesty's. Unlike the artistically unloyal first and second born. Mom you want me to do WHAT??? With that said I have to go solder something now,so until next time .PEACE,LOVE,and SOUL (yes,it's a Soul Train liine but so effective)

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Saludos

Welcome to my cocina. Please grab yourself a drink,the chicharrones are on the table. Once I get cooking you'll never want to leave. I'll have plenty to feed your mind and Soul,so please come and visit me often. It gets lonely out here in the desert. Oh and one more thing,I Hope you like your tortillas burnt!