Chamisa on the Chama-Georgia O'Keeffe's adopted landscapes

This week Norm and I took a quick trip up to northern New Mexico to the Chama river.  It is one of our favorite spots to camp and catch some tiny waves.  This easy to navigate river is perfect to take small children rafting or canoeing because it is not too challenging.  It is the first place I ever canoed a river.  I am not canoeing these days because of bad knees, so I "ran the shuttle" which means I dropped off our friends Jim and JoAnn and Norm at the put in and then drove back down to meet them at the bottom.  What a glorious day it was to take photographs, to paint, and to enjoy some much needed solitude after several hectic weeks.

 The "man-van," our getting-to-be-elderly Sportsmobile, cheerfully powered the pump to blow up JoAnn's craft, and then never failed to start again as I made multiple stops to take photographs of this glorious country that was the inspiration for many of Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings.  If you are a fan of hers, does anything in these photos look familiar?

The chamisa was in full bloom...

 Rabbitbrush, Guadalupe Goldenweed, Chamisa, Rubber Rabbit-brush
Ericameria nauseosa (Chrysothamnus nauseosus)
Asteraceae (Compositae)
A medium shrub about 6 to 9 feet high, rabbitbrush has blue-green linear leaves and woolly white stems on a woody base, and bursts forth with masses of yellow flowers from September to November. It grows in the western part of North America from Canada to Mexico.  It is found in dry, well-drained soil. It is cold hardy to below 0 degrees F, but goes semi-dormant in hot summers; in Southern New Mexico  it benefits from shade from the west sun. It could serve as an informal hedge along drives, and makes a nice contrast with evergreens. In order to keep it full and stimulate blooming, prune it severely in the winter.
Chamisa is growing exuberantly on our property, but is only beginning to show a little yellow, most likely because our dry summer.

Grand Canyon Art Show

"Looking In" by Joshua Been   Image Via

Thanks to my friend Celia Southwick, a fellow rafter and an artist in her own right...(see her photographs here), for sending me a link to this benefit art show for the Grand Canyon Association.  

4th Annual
Grand Canyon Celebration of Art
September 8 - November 25, 2012

This week is the annual Grand Canyon Celebration of Art at the South Rim. About thirty of the best painters of the Canyon from across the US are invited to do plein air painting at the Canyon, including former AZRA boatman Elizabeth Black, who won the Best of Show last year! The artists are painting along the South rim through Thursday. Elizabeth is painting in the Canyon, working from Indian Gardens. (She had to get closer to the River.) Friday morning is the Quick Draw, where the artists have to paint a view in two hours, immediately followed by a lively auction of the wet paintings on the lawn of the El Tovar. Saturday morning the show of all the work opens at the Kolb Studio-Gallery. It is an amazing, wonderful experience to behold. Look for Elizabeth's painting of Blacktail Canyon in the show. This is all open to the public. It is fascinating to watch the paintings magically emerge from the canvas, with the Canyon behind them. Artists are happy to answer questions as they work. The show at Kolb's will be open to November 25. There is more information at: http://www.grandcanyon.org/celebration.asp

As many of you know, the Colorado river is the subject of many of my watercolor paintings as well, since my husband and I have rafted through the Grand Canyon almost every year for many years.  Perhaps, I will try to enter this juried show next year.  In the meantime, enjoy these other artist's work...

"The Great Unconformity, Blacktail Canyon" by Elizabeth Black

"Out of the Depths" by John D. Cogan

Lapping Waves of the Colorado by Cody DeLong

To see the rest of the show click here

The Best of Times

If you enjoyed the post "Road Trips", or if you were a teenager in the 50's or 60's, you might get a kick out of this YouTube post my friend Molly forwarded to me.
click below:
The Best of Times 

As Molly pointed out, it goes on and on, but I would at least hang in there until the clip of Elvis performing "Jailhouse Rock.  Lots of great old cars as well as the music my youth. 

And speaking of youth, I delivered my "Dumbledore's Office" miniature creation to the New Mexico State Fair on Saturday.  For all of you living in New Mexico, if you go to the State Fair over the next two weeks, I would love to hear about your experiences.  And be sure to look for my entry in the "Creative Arts" Building.  If you see lots of Lego creations, you are getting close.

It was fun to watch all the hopeful young boys and girls entering their Lego
creations and they were pretty amazing.  Here are some images from last years competition

Image via

Image via

Since this is my first entry, I had no idea what to expect.  I certainly did not expect to have my carefully constructed exhibit shake itself to pieces on the dirt road from my house down the mountain!

Fortunately, I had brought double sided tape to attach the last piece of plexiglass after putting the miniature Dumbledore's office in its place, and some superglue (which I ended up needing to repair the chandelier that swung wildly, hitting the walls with every rut in the road), and my sister (who went with me for moral support) had some sticky wax.  So all repairs were made once we unloaded the office and carried into the building.  All the folks running the check-in were so nice, even if a little confused about which was the best category for my exhibit.  

 Photo very early in the construction stages

Finely, one was decided upon and I nervously left it in the hands of the volunteer fair crew, hoping nothing else would fall off of the bookshelves and it would be safely transferred to its final location.  

Many more books were added to this bookshelf.

Another picture of the early stages of construction...a portrait of Dumbledore replaced the painting over the table.

On Wednesday when the Fair opens, I will go and take more photographs of the completed projects.  Cannot believe I neglected to do so before dropping it off.

Now if this desk chair was still at my house, I would shrink myself and collapse into it!  Which is exactly what I was told when arriving at the Creative Arts Building.  One of the volunteers exclaimed, "Wow, wish I was small enough to live there!"

Out and About in Albuquerque- An Art Show & Fine Dining in a Bowling Alley?

Last Friday, I invited my sister and my friend Molly to an art show that opened at the Gallery at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal church.  We decided to have dinner first.  What would be close to the Gallery?  An unlikely choice was Ezra's Place which is housed in a bowling alley.  Despite its humble abode, Ezra's Place, owned and operated by chef Dennis Apodaca has garnered raves among the food critics in Albuquerque.  I have eaten there many times and always thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  You can sit along the windows that overlook the bowling alley if you think the conversations in your group might lag. Or at the tables covered with white cloths and enjoy the artwork lining the walls which is where we should have sat on Friday, as our conversation was really lively, and our laughter much too loud or the folks sitting in the booth behind us!

I have to confess that Friday night at Ezra's was a bit of a disappointment. The current artwork was not too inspiring and my sister's free range chicken in mushroom risotto was much too salty.  

However, my salmon special was outstanding,

and Molly enjoyed her duck enchiladas.

 The service was very attentive and friendly.  Since I have often enjoyed wonderful meals here, I am still recommending Ezra's Place and it's sister restaurant, Sophia's Place (housed, if we are honest, pretty much in a shack down the street.) 

• Sophia's Place, 6313 Fourth NW, Los Ranchos, NM; (505)345-3935. Breakfast and lunch only, seven days a week.
• Ezra's Place, 6132 Fourth NW, Albuquerque, NM, in the Lucky 66 bowling alley; (505)344-1917. Lunch and dinner, seven days. 

The second half of the evening was a treat as we really enjoyed the photographs by Steve Shelley and Lincoln Draper.

 My sister and I have known Steve for many years, although we did not find out that the other knew him, each of us from a different context.  Rosalind and her husband, met Steve and his wife at a yoga retreat in Mexico.  I know Steve through work in the church.  Steve's son, Luther, worked for me as one of my favorite counselors at Camp Stoney.  Steve is a multi-talented person.  Besides being a photographer, he owns and operates a landscaping firm, Steve Shelley Landscapes which you can see here.

Here are a couple of images which I copied from his website just to encourage you to go and see the show.  Remember that these images are copyrighted and may not be used without his permission.

  

Patil twins rushed to Infirmary

Trewlaney's Divination Classroom via

Headmaster Dumbledore has announced that Padma and Parvati Patil's recent asthma attack has prompted Mr. and Mrs. Patil to donate new table coverings and draperies to their twin daughter's favorite divination classroom.  Professor Trewlaney is overjoyed because she "predicted" long ago that she would be surrounded by a green and aqua aura.  She was, however, very unhappy when the house elves threw out all of her dusty feathers.  Madam Pomfrey insisted they were contributing to the Patil's problems.  The lingering smell of incense is all that remains of the old atmosphere.

 Here is a look at the newly decorated classroom...

Down in the old dungeons of the castle, the expanded potions lab is almost finished. Stone masons have been imported to finish the walls, new Bunsen burners are being manufactured and Snape has moved back into his office.  He is especially delighted with his newly upholstered chair, although not amused when he almost sat on his demonstration skeleton which the Weasley twins had left in it.

Notice the dime on the table to establish scale.

Toothpicks, washers and balsa wood will soon be tiny Bunsen Burners.

A little paint touch-up and they will be ready for the cauldrons.

 

Road trips

I don't seem to have a photo of the 1952 Pontiac that my grandparents bought for me during my Senior year in High School, but here is a similar one.  Mine was green.  It was huge and had that very handy running board but not those classy white walled tires or the spoke wheels.  Cruising along at 100 miles an hour was no problem at all with its powerful engine.  Of course it had no seat belts and did not compare to my grandparent's newest Cadillac which was very plush, but it was a car!  I could drive to school, make to the trip from Hobbs to Eunice to visit my friend and fellow artist, Jeffan Yell, cruise down the main street to see who else was out and about, and run errands for my grandparents. I looked forward to driving it to college the following year.  It certainly was a step up from the cars my parents had owned through the years of my childhood.  Not that those cars were not the very latest thing, but they did not have air conditioning.  

I remember many trips across the country to visit both my Mother's family in Maryland, my father's family in New Mexico, and a great-grandmother in Independence, MO as we were transferred from place to place while my Dad was in the Air Force.  Of course, because of the school year, these trips always happened in the hottest part of the summer.  My earliest memories included wet towels hung in the car windows to create cool breezes, a cooler full of ice to be renewed in a washcloth to hold against pulse points, and a water bag hung on the outside mirror to cool emergency water in case we broke down going through DEATH VALLEY.  I always thought the water was to pour in the radiator if it boiled over, but now know we would probably have saved it to drink ourselves.

Rest stops were few and far between and my impatient Dad would never stop at them anyway.  By the time we had spotted them and asked to stop, we were well beyond them and he would not turn around.  We were required to time bathroom breaks with filling station stops for gasoline.  To this day the Pegasus sign, though rarely seen now, represents a sense of relief and an icy cold coca cola, something I was usually not allowed to drink.

My grandmother and I took many road trips in her first Cadillac. Lordy, I did love that car.  I always felt important as we barreled along at 30 MPH over the posted speed limit (because it would go that fast so easily). When they sold this model for a newer one, I missed the fin tails!

Sometimes we would go to Santa Fe to visit my Godmother.  Sometimes to Tulsa to visit her sisters. Sometimes to Independence, MO. always arriving several hours before expected.  When I would remind my grandmother that we should call my grandfather and let him know we had arrived safely, she would glance at her watch and blithely say, "Oh we can call him in two hours,"  knowing full well he would have a fit if he knew how fast she had driven.

Last weekend, a friend and I took a road trip through Western Colorado on the way to visit my newest grandchild.  We enjoyed the incredible purple and yellow wildflowers set against the light blue skies and dark blue mountain ranges and we stopped in Buena Vista next to the Arkansas river for lunch.  I could not help thinking about how much more comfortable the trip was than those of my childhood. 

Eliza and Me

And of course, the arrival was so sweet!

I never did drive that Pontiac to college.  My grandfather decided it was not dependable enough and sold it.  Instead he and my grandmother took me to school and came and picked me up for holidays.  My parents had moved to Atlanta, Georgia in the middle of my senior year and left me with my grandparents in New Mexico so I could graduate with my class.  My father died that first spring semester of college and I inherited his 1966 Mustang convertible.  

Oddly, I cannot remember what color it was.  The following year, my sister and I shared it when we both transferred to UNM.  Eventually it was passed down to my brother and he killed it by not changing the oil.  So sad.  It was such a fun little car.  As I get older, I shudder to think of the speeds I used to love, although my daughters assure me that, like my grandmother, I still drive way too fast.  65 MPH does seem to be a little pokey on our long empty highways in the West.  And don't let me even start about how fast my husband take curves in his little WRX.

Baby Mandrakes Growing Apace

Today I am linking to Jane's "Flowers in the House" with the flowers that I created for my miniature version of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  Professor Sprouts greenhouse is being rebuilt and many new plants will soon be arriving by Owl Post. 

You can click (below) on older posts to see Dumbledore's office and Snapes Potions Lab.  Don't forget to visit Jane's blog to see some wonderful photos of cut flowers by visiting bloggers and the newest members of Jane's family..a pair of kittens.