Along the Red River Trail

I just returned from a trip to visit my artist friend Lee in Vernon Texas, six hours east of Des Moines New Mexico.

On the way I stopped in Canyon Texas, staying at Hudspeth House B&B, so I could walk the streets that Georgia O'Keeffe walked when she headed up the Art Department at West Texas A & M. Canyon was a very friendly town. My stay was a sweet stop along the way to check out new art that Lee is making.

Along the trail, sitting high in the sky this water tower caught my attention.... when I noticed the line of rusted out car bodies "parked" close by I had to stop to make a picture. Actually, I took lots of photos along the way. I'm looking forward to processing them in the upcoming days. It should be an interesting record of my ride along the trail.

Speaking of adventures.... I'm finding that there is usually an interesting journey trying to find an internet connection when you are on the road... I planned to write at the library in town but the connection not up yet when I arrived at 8:am Wednesday morning ready to write in my car. (Library did not open til 10:00) Apparently I misunderstood the librarian the day before, or she did not think about the equipment being turned off at closing time, so there I was ready to write and no internet. Not one to give up so easily I began my wi-fi search and adventure. I ended up writing at a wi-fi spot that the good folk at Waggoner National Bank helped me find, making some calls and an introduction for me with Sean and Jan at Business Development Corporation who graciously provided me space and an internet connection. Finally I could work on this entry. What wonderful people the town Vernon has. I must say, I see an opportunity for a nice internet cafe here. :-)

So, it was a wonderful visit with Lee, complete with a mini Georgia O'Keeffe pilgrimage, and plenty of adventure. All this and more on the plains six hours east of Des Moines. I always enjoy traveling and the expanded views you get in exploring our amazing world.

Are you feeling the fall in the air? I sure am; leaves are starting to crisp up... hot apple cider sounds good again and Halloween is coming up on the event horizon. Plenty of people out there in the world are already gearing up for it! I saw lots of Halloween scenes and fall harvest displays cropping up each day.

Here at Studio C the last Saturday of the month the night before Halloween is the night for Live @ Studio C! It's going to be a costume party and potluck; a preview for the big night ahead... if you dare!

It should be fun to put on Halloween costumes, new or old, (as long as they are hand made). Maybe you've put away some of the costumes you made way back when... Well, this is the event that should inspire you to get the moth balls shaken out and the make-up kit opened up for an evening of dress up fun.

The cover charge is a treasure you are willing to put up as a prize, costumes are encouraged but optional, however, if you want to win a prize you'll have to come in costume or bring a friend to model your entry. I've challenged myself to make the second in a series of five new Halloween costumes... a blue bell-hop bee bop car hop on roller blades! SheBopBBop sort of a fast food goblin. If I'm wearing my scarecrow costume you'll know I didn't make the deadline!

One thought I had walking around a large department store which shall remain nameless is that times have changed so much that our kids are too busy to make their own costumes. Thus the very cool costumes you can buy for 29.99 are selling like hotcakes. Having made my living as a costume designer for 15 years I know that you can barely buy the materials for that much.

It hit me, wandering those long isles of stuff you can buy, that this would be a very good month for all the trick or treaters to be stitching, stapling, or taping their costumes together with the help of friends and family. Good quality time spent creatively in preparation for a night of fun. In that spirit I send out an invitation to all to take some of that time back and make it into Creative-I-T time.

Studio C is here to help! I'm offering a free mask-making session on Saturday from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Come make a mask and get started decorating.... you'll have plenty of time to finish it before Halloween on your own or, if there is enough interest, we'll put together a costume making support group. We'll see how it goes on Saturday. Send an email to StudioC@bacavalley.com to register for the class. I'll take up to 13 participants.

So, there it is!

Have a great weekend~

Christina

May Storm Clouds ~ Spring Flowers

The winds have died down and the day is full of possibilities. Creating space to work and be inspired... first class day is Saturday. I've decided to set the studio class room up for collage. I'm thinking what better way to spend part of a day this glorious Memorial Day weekend? Collage is such a wonderful way to visualize ideas that are deep in your imagination. Worlds of emotion and feeling are made visible for the viewer. Fantasies for home and nature are made visible... facilitating the journey in making them real.

Speaking of creating a better world, and we always are in some way, reducing and reusing come before recycling. Something to remember as I sift through the resources I've gathered over time for making paper, sculptures and collage. The thought for the day, is flow. In fact let's take a moment to find a really great quote to inspire the vibrant flow of creativity....

"Life is easier to take than you'd think; all that is necessary is to accept the impossible, do without the indispensable, and bear the intolerable." ~ Kathleen Norris

As I look at my collection of junk from the perspective of resource management I realize that if you look at what you have in trying to create something of value... something artistic, your process leads to a final piece that is original and innovative in a way it could not have been had you gone shopping for materials. Reusing is a path to reducing and recycling is a process of life we are continually engaged in.

As we remember the fallen heroes and pray for peace so our sons and daughters and their children and grandchildren live long and joyful lives, let us keep our hearts open to our neighbors and their new visions and to new perspectives and new collaborations.

With this in mind I invite your comments and thoughts.

Be Happy!

Christina

Working With the Rain

Another cold, rainy, wintery-spring day here in Des Moines New Mexico. The rain is great and when spring finally does land the green that's begun cannot help but be stunning.

This morning I stopped at KRTN radio to give a plug for Summer Art! on their morning show: This That & the Other. Buddy was working solo today and was gracious as ever helping me to get the word out about classes being offered this summer. The picture I've posted shows a wonderful mask made last spring by one of my students. I'm offering mask-making again this summer along with many other classes. Check out the flyer for more details!

I'm offering all classes "on-demand" and hope this delivery will result in Studio C having a successful summer full of creative exploration and discovery! Classes will be scheduled first come first serve so contact me early to be sure you get the dates you want. I'll keep you posted on classes and scheduling as it happens here at Studio C ~ Gallery & ArtSpace.

Live @ Studio C! is coming up on Saturday May 29th. This falls on Memorial Day weekend and I'm sorry to say I've not been able to schedule a featured act yet. Even so we'll be here with open minds and hearts looking forward to listening to the stories and poetry that open mike brings. Tim will read from Mrs. Click's history. I predict that there will be a great flow of traffic by the gallery and will put out the signs to invite folks to stop and share their stories and memories in honor of this day of remembrance. The show starts at 5:30... I'll put the sign up sheet out today for the open mike portion of the show. If you are planning on attending and would like to sign up for open mike you can send an email to StudioC@bacavalley.com.

Margaret C. just called... she and I have been working together to present the last two Guest Vendor Open Houses. She has expanded her group and they have decided to move their gathering to our local village hall where there is a kitchen for their use. They'll keep the same date but it will now be located across the street and down the block. If you are interested in joining her collective or have questions send Margaret an email.

It's a quiet time for me and the cloud that's descended on our town lends a mystical atmosphere to the day here at Studio C ~ArtSpace & Gallery. The new leaves on the silver lace and clematis vines outside are drenched in moisture. The last few days have been dry and windy so I know the land is soaking up this moisture in gratitude. I am grateful to have this opportunity to work creatively in this beautiful area of New Mexico with so many wonderfully talented people.

Be well and enjoy the day~

Christina

Adjusting to Reality~

Spring's crop of tulips has been generous and the warm air is welcome here in the cool confines of Studio C's cinderblock walls.

I've been really busy since last week here at the gallery... rode my first 25 mile bike ride, entertained my mom and our friend Tessa for an over-night stay, attended the Raton High School Arts Awards Ceremony, and most importantly, came up with a plan for Summer Art!

Summer Art! will offer classes by demand this summer. Class days are Thursday, Friday and Saturdays with the morning class period 10:30 - 12:00 and afternoon 1:30 - 3:00. Class days begin May 29th with the schedule closing August 7th. Classes to choose from are: Papier-mâché Sculpture, Costume Design, Mask Making, Digital Photography, Collage, Hand-painted T-Shirts, Pastel on Paper, Mural Painting, Hand-made Paper and Color Pencil Drawing.

I will book classes on a first come first serve basis with four students. Ages accepted are 8 years to 98 years! At Studio C! creativity is honored and advanced through multi-generational classes which nurture the imagination of each student. If you are interested in booking a class please send an email to StudioC@bacavalley.com.

This schedule allows me to provide quality arts learning experiences that serve you in your busy schedule. I know time and finances are tight this year so rather than creating a static class schedule that you have to work around, I realize I can maximize my ability to respond to the needs of my customers by leaving the classes open to booking. You'll help me in that you are bringing in four students, my minimum to hold a class. It is a "win-win" booking device. I'll cap the maximum students per class to seven students so every student receives quality time and attention. And, I'll thank you in advance for helping me to book these classes. I appreciate your support and look forward to art happening here!

I am bringing in three visiting teachers to teach classes in Dramatic Technique, Found Assemblages and Computer Art. Kathryn Engel will teach Dramatic Technique, Inge Bobek will teach Found Assemblages and Sasha Jensen will teach Computer Art. Dramatic Technique class is available June 10 - 12 and the Found Assemblages class is available June 25 - 26. Sasha's Computer Art class can be booked as best fits your schedule within our class times.

There is a materials fee for the Hand-painted T-Shirts and the Mask Making classes. Students must provide their own cameras for the Digital Photography class and their own laptop for the Computer Art classes. Studio C provides printing services at reasonable costs.

If you have questions I'm happy to answer them! Give me a call here at the studio at 575-278-3517. Leave a message on the voice mail or better yet, call during regular gallery hours Thursday - Saturday 10:00 - 4:00 mst, or Sunday noon - 4:00.

I'm looking forward to a great summer of making art and facilitating creativity in the community! Out of town guests are more than welcome. If you are interested in visiting Des Moines, New Mexico and would like to plan a week of art classes, sightseeing, and experiencing life in small town rural America, give me a call and I'll help you plan a wonderful visit to our community.

So, there it is!

Christina

It's spring inside the gallery here at Studio C... looking like another chilly winter day outside.

This week we have freshly roasted great coffee beans so I'm looking forward to seeing local customers come in to take advantage of the opportunity to buy organic fair trade whole beans here in Des Moines, New Mexico.

I had a lovely first Live @ Studio C! event last Saturday. It was an intimate gathering with almost everyone sharing something during the open mike. I want to thank Katherine Engel especially for her spotlight appearance and to Tim Keller for reading from Us Nesters in the Land of Enchantment, compiled by Mrs. N.H. (Cora) Click, edited by Mrs. Charles E. (Nita) Leierer. We welcomed new guests Rosalie and Steve who joined Lori in bringing the evening to fruition. Thank you all for supporting this event. Our next Live @ Studio C! will be on May 29th. Details to come soon. Now June's event, on June 26th, will feature Jim Irwin reading from his memoir: Eighty years in New Mexico. I met Jim through my friends Tom & Jan who suggested him as a good match for the Live @ Studio C! event. Jim grew up in the small town of Mt. Dora east of here. He's lived a long, happy, rich life and he loves to talk about it. I'm happy to highlight local history as experienced by Jim. Be sure to mark your calendars for this date and join in the fun. Bring a friend and if you like, something to contribute to the open mike portion of the show.

You may have noticed that I've been noting local events in many of my blogs past, and I love doing that however, it has occurred to me that I need to focus on what is going on here at Studio C! I'm going to be investing more of my time and energy to the gallery in the upcoming months although there are still a couple of obligations I have which will get time and energy for a while. It feels right to be editing my task list in this way.

I've been working on a website finally.... Mike has worked to create the frame work and get me up to speed on the development. I've got to flesh out the site and this will require regular work-sessions. I hope to go live with the site this summer. Will keep you posted as it takes form.

I'm also hanging works I've created in the galleries. The photograph for today is a detail from a piece I call Ode to Frida ~ For Joyful Dancing.

And probably most importantly I have to get the class schedule for Summer Art! set and publish the information so that we'll have a summer full of great art and creativity flowing around here. So that brings me to a close here at the blog today! You can guess what I'm moving on to next.

Be Well and Happy!

Christina

Happy Spring Equinox!

I'm here on a very sunny yet frigid afternoon thinking about the year ahead. This morning was still blowing snow with nearly zero visibility. Now, four hours later the skies are blue and the robins are flitting around looking for crumbs and fresh new worms, confused by the cold but hopeful with the warming rays of the sun. Today is the first day of spring. It's a perfect day to roll out my preview for Summer Art! classes and my ideas for Live @ Studio C!

Next Saturday is our first Live @ Studio C! for 2010. I am excited to hear your poems and songs and stories. We'll come together after 3 months away. We'll share laughter and maybe even some tears. We'll welcome new comers and regulars alike. There will be coffee and tea and hot chocolate flowing in abundance. It will be a night of open mike with everyone's creativity supported, nurtured and encouraged. We'll be introducing a new element: local history readings. Tim Keller will start this off with readings from Us Nesters in the Land of Enchantment compiled by Mrs. N.H. (Cora) Click.

In some cultures the spring equinox marks the new year... I find that idea interesting. It feels right to me.

I'm taking a new approach to all we do here. Times are changing; I feel it in my own journey; with that I've determined that it has to be fun! I have to be flexible. We should strive to be self-sustaining and above all be nurturing.

Summer Art! classes are exciting to me. I'm looking forward to teaching and I'm looking forward to learning from my students and from other teachers. I'm publishing a list of classes I want to offer and a loose framework of times and dates. Now I'll be working to line up teachers and finalize a class schedule... and most importantly students! I'm looking forward to seeing what we come up with and to the art we make.

There's lots to do to make this summer a success and I'm enjoying the process!
I'd love to hear your thoughts!. Send me an email so we can take up a conversation.

 Thank you for your support and for your comments and patronage. It's a wonderful life and I'm grateful to be here growing and learning together.

Stay warm! Be Happy!

Christina