HEMINGWAY HAS ARRIVED!

No, we all know he is dead but I received a box of Ernest Hemingway books today! He is the first author I have selected to read in my 2009 resolution to try new things and become a more learned person. When we are moved into our new home in Pennsylvania I will continue to build the wonderful library I have always wanted. I had ordered 3 books by Hemingway from Copperfield Books on Amazon.com. I must tell you they are wonderful people to do business with. In addition to the books I ordered, they included two additional books for free! I strongly recommend Copperfield Books for all your reading needs. The three books in the bottom row are the ones I ordered and the two at the top were gifts from the seller. Oh happy day! I can't wait to read them...but which one first?

"NIGHT WATCH"

Yes, I know. It has been several days since my last post. But, I have been busy! I have finished this painting called "Night Watch". It is acrylic and measures 26 x 35. Roy built the stretcher frame for it and stapled it on this morning. The inspiration for this was several weeks ago when I had many sleepless nights caused by that shoulder pain. (Yeah, it's much better and I am sleeping well.) So now in my head I am planning the next piece. No clue yet which direction it will go but I will have fun with it!

A SWEET SURPRISE TO SHARE....

Yesterday during my Physical Therapy session Roy brought in this sweet little bouquet! He said it was to reward me for working so hard and making such good progress in the treatment. I decided it was too pretty not to share with all of you. The vase is 4-5 inches tall. I photographed it on a tie-dyed shawl I bought in Santa Fe a couple of years ago. Please enjoy it with me!

STRAW MOUNTAIN STUDIO IS FOR SALE....

A few of my regular readers know that for some time now we have had our lovely straw bale home for sale. I decided it was time to let the rest of the world in on the secret! Recently I added a visitor map feature on this blog and realized that perhaps someone out there would really like to live in New Mexico in this wonderful home. So, I am putting photographs up for your review . We are listed with the local Coldwell Banker Legacy Realty Company. If you ,or someone you know, are ready for the New Mexico experience please drop me a note off site and I will connect you to our two Realtors. In the meantime do enjoy these photographs. It is a sweet place with a wonderful well lit studio. Have a good day all of you!

HISTORY IN OUR FRONT YARD.....

Well, not exactly in our front yard. Those of us who live on 40 acres off a dirt road don't have yards. It would just be silly! Besides, water is very special here and should not be wasted on "lawns". We took a walk this evening after dinner while the sun was still quite high in the sky. We ambled down the dirt road from our home to the 40 acres just to the south. The land belongs to absentee property owners and there is no house there. Ahh, but there is! Here I give you photographs of a very old adobe home; so old it has almost completely returned to the earth. We can see this from our windows and for a long time I have wanted to photograph it. Although all of the pictures were taken within about 10 minutes they look very different, depending on whether in sun or shade. I hope you enjoy them! I included Roy in this one so you could see some scale.

This is an old window frame that is almost ready to fall out.In these closeup shots you can see the adobe bricks with small stones embedded in the walls. This looks like an old door that has fallen in.Not far from the perimeter of the building we found the family "dump" where the ground was littered with rusted cans, broken dishes and lots of pieces of colored glass. This photo shows an array of cans around and under a cactus.And speaking of cactus, here you can see several cholla cactus, standing like silent sentinels near the home. One day this will all be gone; gently melted away and back to the earth from where it came. It will be a gentle and quiet ending for a building that used to be home to a family. I wish I knew who made the bricks and built the home. I wish I knew the story of who lived there.

ART WORK FOR YOUR REVIEW.....

I have been reminded recently (by some of my loyal readers), that it is time to see some artwork! Really, I HAVE been busy but, in doing more than one piece at a time, it seems a long time between pieces of finished work. Wait no more! Here are photographs of the three vests I will be shipping out to the Firenza Gallery in Arroyo Seco, NM. They have sold some of my vests and are wanting more inventory. That makes me so happy! Somewhere out there are ladies who have bought my wearable art and are having fun wearing one of a kind creations. I wish I could meet them! If any of these connect with you, contact me off site and I will connect you with the gallery. Enjoy! This is "The Party Girl Vest" which was featured in the Spring 2008 issue of "Altered Couture Magazine". This is "The Peace Vest". This is "The Dream Vest".

BREAKFAST WITH BART....

Yes, this is Bart. He is SURE he can hold onto that pole long enough to get to the bird seed. You see that dead bush to the left in the photograph? Yesterday he tried to climb those skinny, brittle branches and fell out on the ground. He is persistent if not real smart!I felt so sorry for him and his efforts that I put seed out on the stones for him. Did he say "thank-you"? Naahh...just proceeded to fill his little cheeks until they dragged on the ground. We will have breakfast again tomorrow.

GOODBYE NORMA JEAN.......

February 9, 2009 I assembled a piece of Disintegration Art as part of a global project organized by Seth at www.thealteredpage.blogspot.com. I could see the piece from my studio windows and got used to having Marilyn there every day. Our direction was to place this piece outside in the weather and watch as Mother Nature assisted in the creation. On May 1, 2009 we were to retrieve the piece and photograph it.

File Note: the weather at about 7000 feet in New Mexico can be harsh and the wind unrelenting. As pieces became unattached and started blowing around the courtyard I gathered them up. Marilyn disappeared one day after a particularly strong wind lasting about 24 hours. I looked for her in vain. She is gone. And this is what is left.