Monday, October 22, 2012

One more show and then...changes

 I just got back from a day trip to northern New Mexico and boy, 
did I need it after Balloon Fiesta.
The Fiesta was fantastic - I sold lots of work and met people from all over the world. 
I saw Dawn Patrol, Mass Ascensions, Shapes Rodeos, glows, and fireworks.  It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I loved it all. Except for getting up at 3:30am every morning. Seriously, people who love ballooning are some of the best people I've ever met.
The photo above is from our favorite little general store in Tesuque.
It's a little smoky because they had a pinon fire burning - the smell was heavenly.

 This was someone's property in Tesuque. 
They had huge grounds, I don't know how many acres and it was all covered in trees like this.

 This is red chile ristras in Chimayo.
I bought my favorite dried red chile there. 
They have oven-dried and sun-dried. Sun-dried is definitely better.
I also bought some powdered chipotle. 
They said the best way to prepare it is to mix it with orange juice and honey. Hmm.
I also bought the Chimayo dried heirloom chile, which is hot and a bright bright orange. 
I said I might mix it with another milder one and the guy told me, "No, don't do that, it's like mixing a fine wine with the cheap stuff."
I also bought some of the seeds to plant next year. They supposedly go way way back.
Gotta have that chile fix.

 Santuario de Chimayo was beautiful. They have it lined with luminarias.
It's on my bucket list to go to midnight Mass there one Christmas Eve.

 Here is San Idelfonso at Black Mesa. 
The last time I photographed and painted this church, 
the golden trees were a lovely purplish-grey.
Beautiful either way.

 We stopped to eat at the Abiquiu Inn. 
I noticed my friend Michelle Chrisman's paintings on the wall.
All of her paintings are plein air and painted with a knife.
She does an awesome workshop up in Ghost Ranch every year.

 Homemade salsa and guacamole...yummy.

 Huevos Rancheros.
I don't care for eggs on my Huevos, so I asked them to bring me a side of their homemade papas (potatoes) instead.
The Huevos are made with blue corn tortillas. So good!

 The morada near Georgia O'Keefe's house. 
I wish you could see the valley beyond. 
The view from her bedroom is gorgeous. 
Tours of her house and grounds are available for $30.

 On the way to Ghost Ranch.

 Those beautiful hills.

 These are orange at the top and mauve and grey at the base.

 Fall color at Ghost Ranch. 
Beautiful!

 Pedernal and fall colors.

 Along the road to the monastery.
Pictures don't do justice to how pretty is was.

 This pile of "something" was at apull of camping area next to the Chama river. 
Can someone tell me if this is bear scat?
We didn't stick around long.

 Another view of the Rio Chama.
What you don't see if that I'm driving up high on a one lane dirt road filled with ruts.  
A little scary...

 Candy-coated formations along the monastery road.

 The famous hoodoos seen from the back.

 Side trip to the little village of Canones, nearAbiquiu Lake. 
Colors were vivid here too.

 Three little cows, leery of us for invading their privacy.

 Another view of Pedernal from Canones.

 Beautiful fall colors - perfect for making a painting.

So, now that I've had a few days to recuperate, it's on to preparation  
for Weems Artfest, which is happening November 9, 10, 11th.
I'm not sending out postcards because it is too close to Balloon Fiesta, 
but I'm hoping that you will all come down to visit and see my new work.
Lots of 5x5, 6x6, 8x8, and 8x10 pieces, along with a few larger works too.

This will be my last show until 2014.  


Wednesday, October 10, 2012

BALLOON FIESTA!!

These are just a few of the photos I took last weekend.
I can't describe how fun it is to be at this event.

This is my tentative schedule for the next few days:

Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday - 6am - 11am for mass ascensions, 
then back from 4:30 - 7:30pm for the glow.

 This is a photo of part of my booth after the morning crowd.

 This is a group of gifted kids on a trip to the Fiesta from Amarillo, Texas. 
The balloons didn't go up, but they were still upbeat. 
They were headed to the zoo and aquarium.

 Hats and caps make a huge appearance on the field.
This little girl was half asleep at about 6am in the morning.

 Another hat, this one a little more patriotic and with matching sunglasses!

 Another view of my booth and paintings.

 I wasn't watching the balloons so much as admiring 
the watercolor-like puffy clouds and beautiful sky.

 Right over my head.

 Two balloons bumping each other.

 This is a balloon "referee." Instead of striped referee outfits, they are zebras. 
He looked awesome!

 A lady's balloon pin hat.

 My husband Mac and my cousin Larry, from Dallas,.Texas. 
Mac, thank you for helping me with almost every aspect of my show:
your advice, your loading, your boxing, your hanging of lights, and carrying of heavy things, you making sure I don't forget everything, your bringing me food and making sure I get enough rest, your dropping me off early in the morning, a million other things, and most of all, for dealing with my crankiness!
Larry, you and Shelly and your mom helped me so much during the days you were here!
Making signs, bagging magnets, being restroom monitor, getting me things I need, bringing us food, sweeping, shutting us down at night, and just being so darned upbeat. 
I couldn't have done any of it without you guys, so thank you!

 A more complete view of the booth.

 Balloon glow in the evening - this is an amazing sight.
If you look behind teh balloons, you can seethe horizon line.

 Holy Mother of Elvis, Stacy, it's the Elvis balloon.
This is for you!

 A lady's balloon jacket.

 I think this is a butterfly.

 The "When Pigs Fly" balloon.

 I'm not sure if these are gas balloons, but they are shaped like Easter eggs.

I woke up to the dogs barking and this balloon flying low over my trees.
They said good morning to me!

Okay, Thursday and Friday mornings are the Shapes mass ascension.
Thursday and Friday evenings are the Shapes Glow and fireworks.
Saturday and Sunday morning are mass ascension.
Saturday night will be the last glow and fireworks.
Come on out and see me!

Wednesday, October 03, 2012

what I've been up to!


 Hi everyone - I'm sure you're wondering why I haven't been posting. 
I've been too busy getting ready for the Balloon Fiesta Show!.
I have lots of small paintings and a few larger pieces for the Balloon Fiesta and I hope you will all come and to visit me, say hello and watch the spectacular balloons.

I must tell, you, it has been so exciting already, just being down on the field and thinking about what's going to be happening this weekend.

The photo above is where my booth will be - in the big merchandise tent right in front of the grassy field where the balloons take off. I could not have a better spot!


 This is the great group of people that I had put up my walls, paper, and lights.
They were so quick and efficient.


 This is the huge sign in the Balloon Merchandise tent right next to my booth.
They will be selling my poster as well as posters from the past few years; 
Amado Pena, Daryl Willison, David Welch, etc.
They are already out of the t-shirts with my poster on them.
They do still have mugs.


 This is after my paper has been put up and they are doing the lighting.
The paper looks brown but is actually black.


 This is after the booth is complete.
 We added the beautiful twinkly lights and brought in the tables, chairs, benches, etc.
Basically all the things you need to have an art exhibition.
Except for the paintings - that's tomorrow and Friday.

Canones

Madrid

Taos

Arroyo Seco

Solar Street, NorthValley

Abiquiu Morada

Taos adobe

Taos Meadow

Chimayo

Arroyo Seco

Santa Fe adobe

Taos Mountain

Taos aspens


This is just a sampling of the paintings I will be bringing to the fiesta.
All paintings will be priced as follows:

5x5 - $85
6x6 - $145
8x8 - $225
8x10 - $225
9x12 - $285
11x14 - $325
12x16 - $375

I will also have a few larger pieces that will be priced individually.

BALLOON FIESTA INFORMATION 

Here is my tentative schedule for the following days:

Saturday, October 6 - mass ascension and evening glow and fireworks
Sunday, October 7 - mass ascension and evening glow and fireworks
Thursday, October 11 - shapes mass ascension and evening glowdeo and fireworks
Friday, October 12 - shapes mass ascension and evening glowdeo and fireworks
Saturday, October 13 - mass ascension and evening glow and fireworks
Sunday, October 14 - last mass ascension in the morning

6am to 11am and 5pm to 9pm
(except for Sunday, October 14 - no evening events)

I may be there other days doing painting demonstrations in the morning.

I will post on the blog the night before my schedule for the next day.

I invite you all out to say hi and to see my new paintings.
I'm very proud of them and I think they are going to go like hotcakes!
If you don't have any of my paintings yet, this is a great time to start your collection.

I will be doing no shows in 2013.