From Peace to Soul & Around the Volcano!

Wow! I feel like a beautiful red maple leaf caught on the surface of a lively river~ flowing downstream with the sound of water splashing against the great sandstone banks and the well worn granite boulders and stones below.

The photo I open with today comes from the 2010 International Day of Peace event which The Mandala Center presented last week. This was a beautiful event and I am so grateful to the visiting monks for making their prayer for peace on the planet right here in our corner of the state. Thank you to The Mandala Center for presenting this experience.

I'm still zinging from the amazing concert I saw in Santa Fe Monday evening. My friend Katherine met me at The Lensic Theatre to see Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings. What an amazing show. This is a show to get your dreams up and into get down and move mode. WOW! Thank you Sharon Jones for being so generous with your talent and so righteous with your songs!!!

Earlier in September I spoke of the 2010 New Mexico Arts ArtsLink conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico in late August.... thought you might like to see some images from the workshop I presented. They can be viewed here: Mask-making - ArtsLink 2010.

On the way home from that conference I stopped in Cimarron, New Mexico to visit my friend Yvonne O'Brien, a photographer/writer, and her husband. Yvonne shared the exciting news that she has been accepted as an Artist in Resident at the Petrified Forest National Park for April 2011. She'll be there for a month, making images and writings immersed in an amazing place. In exchange she will present to park visitors and make a work that will become part of their collection. Congratulations Yvonne! You can see one of her images in Des Moines Village Hall which houses the local EMS 1% for art purchase.

We had a lively show here for our last Live @ Studio C! Many thanks to Jaecke & Ruby for presenting some local history on Emma Adams and also to George Greco for sharing his wonderful poetry with us. ~And who should walk in the door just now? Ruby & Jaecke! They came with a copy of the current enchantment news, in which our local paramedic Jan Pryor is featured in their Nuestros Vecinos series. They also brought the news that our very own Senior Citizen Center is hosting a show of art from the New Deal. On Wednesday, October 6th, there will be a talk about the New Deal presented by Kathy Flynn. For information or to register please call the Senior Center at 575-278-2144.

The next Live @ Studio C! will be on the night before Halloween... thus, I've decided that we simply must go with the season and offer a Halloween Costume preview get together.

Yippee! (Pardon my gleeful enthusiasm but I love costumes!) Only one rule applies: You must have created your costume yourself. You can get out the sewing machine or raid your closets and attic drawers to put together something wonderful. Costumes are not mandatory for entry, just a spirit of fun and frolic and a contribution for the peoples' choice 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place awards. Details to come. So, put on your creative thinking caps and get out your imagination. There is plenty of time to make a wonderful costume you can be proud of for years to come. Mark the date: October 30 - Halloween Eve Costume Party~ 5:30 p.m. Potluck and dance.

And finally, I come round to The Volcano!

The 2010 Capulin Volcano Run Around the Rim to benefit the Folsom Museum was a big success! You can visit Tim Keller's blogs (he has two) to see more photos from the run, the peace event and other happenings our corner of New Mexico.

So~ even as I swirl around in wild eddies of experience I seek peace and continuity and yes, sustainability. I am working on time management skills, scheduling in the tasks I want to maintain and striving to make it all come together. Stay with me, dear readers, I will achieve my goal of a weekly update. I appreciate all the support you give me and I reflect love and compassion back to you.

May you be imbued with happiness and all of its causes.

Till next time~

Christina

Some September Selections

Hello!

While I was working on the mural this weekend I spent some time thinking about Live @ Studio C!

I thought you might enjoy a peek into the past with this photo of Tim playing the July show.

On September 25th, we'll have George Greco presenting an evening of inspirational poetic wisdom. Jaecke Hughes-Daniel will be sharing local history with us and of course, another reading from Cora Click's collection of local history. The open mike offers you an opportunity to share your talent in our warm and welcoming gathering.

Back to September's show, when asked to provide a bio George suggested I share that George is "athletically appointed, spiritually attuned, poetically inclined, wrapped in a package of adventure and still having fun!" He's a dynamic performer; I'm sure you will enjoy his poetry and the rest of the evening line up.

George will be running the 2010 Capulin Volcano Half Marathon Run the next morning. I'm excited about his appearance, looking forward to Jaecke's presentation and hoping that the open mike section will have more great talent; seems like there is a wave of shy that's come over a lot of people which is not to detract from the wonderful moment when Nathanial Franklin took the stage with Tim's guitar and sang us a couple of songs! Great voice, passionate delivery and guitar playing coming along. We all want him to come back. So don't be shy, come by the gallery to sign up now. I'd love to visit with you. Who knows, you may even get to help out with the mural... which is officially a "work in progress". Depends on where I am in the creative flow when you arrive.

While I was on the road last month I stopped at Santa Fe Baking Company to eat lunch and happened to be there when Mary Charlotte of KSFR Santa Fe Public Radio was recording her live interview for the next show. It was fun to see her with her interview going on and all the microphones, headsets and technology making it happen. I listen to the station online in the mornings when I'm not listening to Raton's own great morning talk radio show, KRTN 93.9's "This, that & the other".

Meanwhile, here at Studio C Gallery & ArtSpace, I'm preparing a sample of the new media surface for a new piece I've been thinking about. I've got a lot of ideas flowing and feeling the blessing of being able to pursue my art while also offering a place for people to gather and be creative and inspired by the creativity of the artists and artisans in the gallery.

Roxie from Interstate Auctioneers stopped by last week to let me know that she has an auction coming up on September 18th. Click here for the sale flyer for the sale in Lamont, Colorado.

I've got two pastel pieces in the 34th Annual International Art Exhibit and Sale presented by the Raton Arts & Humanities Council and International Bank in Raton New Mexico. The show is available for viewing 10:00 am - 4:00 pm in the downtown office of International Bank. A reception for the artists will be held Friday, September 10th, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. I hope some of you will stop by the bank and see the show. Feeling festive? Come to the reception! Thank you International Bank for the amazing support to local and regional artists and for providing a wonderful location for this show. Tim has three pieces so you can be sure we'll meet up Friday evening at the reception. I hope to see you there too!

I've got an order of big bend coffee roasters organic fair trade coffee coming in tomorrow! Yea! I love the smell of freshly roasted coffee. You simply must come by for a pound or two.... enjoy a cup while we visit "on the house"!

So, this has been a hodgepodge of news items indeed. Here is one last thing! I just ate the last sample of Biscochitos de Taos but I forgot to take a picture of the box before it was almost empty. Bummer... but! Doesn't it testify to how delicious they were? I had several visitors try them and we agreed that these are yummy. I'll be carrying them soon... as the holiday season comes on.

And on that sweet note~

Have a lovely week, stop by, tell your friends, send an email to StudioC@bacavalley.com and/or leave a comment here for others to enjoy.

I appreciate all the support flowing into the gallery and studio. Thank you!

Christina

It's Framed!

I've been doing a lot of traveling lately; alas, my promise to update the blog weekly has not been met. However, I am home now for a while and have lots of news. I thank you, loyal readers and visitors for checking in on me while I was out and about.

I also want to thank Karen Anderson who graciously agreed to reschedule her harp concert to November as the featured act at our upcoming 4th annual Show of Gratitude. Because the Juan Siddi Flamenco Dance Company was bringing their concert to the Shuler Theater I asked her to reschedule so we'd be sure to have a good audience for her. Turns out that several people were indeed planning on coming to hear her and we would have had a good night... However, in hindsight, it appears that it was my deep love of flamenco that was key to the decision to reschedule. I LOVE flamenco and was thrilled to accompany my husband on our 11th anniversary to see this absolutely brilliant show. Tim Keller was reviewing the show and so you can see some of Tim's photos from the show here at his blog.

It's a beautiful New Mexico Indian summer day here in Des Moines New Mexico.... the sun is bright and there is a crisp breeze fluffing the leaves in the trees and on the vines. I'm grateful to call New Mexico my home state and to have such a deep love for the land, weather and people of this enchanted land.

I had a very productive and informative time at the recent New Mexico Arts ArtsLink Conference. It was inspiring to hear experts in the field share their experiences and wisdom. This conference represented another example of the excellent services to art councils, art educators and artists that our state provides through the dedicated work of New Mexico Arts.

New in the gallery~ I've brought home four pieces of newly framed work. Two are awaiting the jurors' decision for the 34th annual International Art Exhibit and Sale coming up in Raton, New Mexico, one is already hanging in its new home in Las Vegas, New Mexico and two currently hang here at Studio C in the main gallery. I started the series in 2003 with photographs and a color pencil drawing. The series of five pastels was begun in 2007 and in 2010 has come to completion. It's been a long journey but the work comes in its own good time. I call the series The Road to Kindness. It's for the journey I'm embarked on as I strive to live my life authentic to my soul's creative voice and the gifts I want to honor.

There's new chocolate! In addition to the endangered species chocolate bars I carry I've added endangered species new line of covered morsels... nuts, berries, toffee and mixes. They have been tantalizing visitors and enriching home-made ice creams too. Yum!

Coming up at the end of September, Live at Studio C! looks to be a wonderful show. We have a spotlight presentation on local history given by Jaecke Hughes-Daniel and will feature the inspiring poetry of George Greco. The evening starts at 5:30 on Saturday September 25th on the eve the 3rd annual Capulin Volcano Run. I'll blog Wednesday about George who wowed our Live Poetry! campfire gathering in 2008, inspiring me so much that this year I asked him to come entertain us. I am thrilled to present him as our featured act.

Coming up soon, just three miles east of Studio C ~Gallery & ArtSpace, at The Mandala Center: International Day of Peace 2010. Studio C offers its sincere thanks to The Mandala Center for bringing a week full of wonderful, inspiring and special events promoting peace in the world to Union County New Mexico. What an amazing opportunity to experience Tibetan Mystical Arts in our neighborhood! A heartfelt welcome to the Buddhist monks and all the visitors, from far and near, who will come to our area to share in the experience.

And this labor day weekend I turn my attention to the west face of Studio C.... the paint cans will be opening soon, beginning phase two of my mural painting process. Having bit off a giant chunk of wall to paint, it will be a huge rush to finally see Galardias in full gargantuan bloom on the gallery. They are blooming now and their bright cheerful native blooms are my muses.

I hope you've enjoyed the news and invite you to prepare to share your talent, inspiration and stories at our open mike on the last Saturday of the month. Send an email to StudioC@bacavalley.com to let me know you want to sign up. I appreciate all who tell friends and family about the fun we have and the magic that happens when we listen to each other in a warm and welcoming circle.

May you experience bliss this weekend!

Christina