The Adobe Down the Road
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Truchas Mission Church Lives!
That's right. Truchas Mission Church is FINISHED! It involved some re-painting not only because the glaze didn't work well for the clouds but because twice it fell off the fireplace and sustained slight damage (mostly scrapes in the paint by Junior's horns). It's up in--what I hope is--a safe corner for a few days until it's dry--I mixed extra dammar into the medium to hasten the drying time.
So until we get some new stretcher bars built and canvas stretched there's only Momument Valley & the Coyote Fence to work on. Oh yeah, and the mural. That'll totally hold me over as I believe we're going into town tomorrow to do some banking & pick up some lumber for the new stretchers. Though Husband has a few projects still going on that have been sitting around this week during the straw-bale thing. The print rack, my motorcycle (which is nearly back on the road) plus the new trastera.
It started out to be a beautiful day but quickly turned to overcast, glowering, blowsy big clouds seriously threatening rain. Doesn't seem like it will improve anytime today, it's still mostly dark grey out there. Hmmm. Tonight might be a night to burn a couple of sticks.
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Moving Paintings About
I ordered some tangerine tissue paper today for wrapping purchases in (the prints at least). I’ve got a lifetime supply of raffia in the workshop for tying up with. Then I sat down and figured out the ratio to enlarge the panomorics—looks like they’ll end up being 19” x 48” and I’m starting with 4. Yes, you will be able to fit one over your sofa. You may need to recover your sofa, but you've been meaning to do that anyway!
We’ve had one visitor already today. I saw Jan at the Post Office this morning (she shows at a gallery down the road) and we chatted a bit regarding our gallery traffic. It’s been slow for everyone up here. I’m certain it will pick up soon, as last weekend seemed to be a very big deal here and a kickoff to summer in many ways.
Now it’s on to the Truchas Mission. It WILL be finished today come what may.
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Out by Cordova--finished!
Our old cell phone carrier let us out of our contract since there’s no service up here. That felt like walking out of jail. I found another service—we’re on pay-as-you-go, which after the initial gouging will only cost us about $5 or $10 a month, no monthly bill and best of all, no 2-year contract! No contract whatsoever. I’m so pleased because I was growing weary of that $98+ bill each month—it made some sense in the city but not here.
Today they reported on the radio 80+ temperatures down in Santa Fe—up here, as usual, I wore three shirts. The wind has died down for now and it’s quite pleasant. After sunset though, the temperature drops rapidly.
My husband is still not home from building yet. I think they are working him entirely too hard. He’s putting in 11-hour days. And he had to pay for the privilege ;-/ But he’s learning a lot and he likes it. Yesterday they did mud.
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eBay Listing
Geez, it took me all afternoon to straighten out my PayPal account so I could list on eBay. Haven't used it for years, so all the info they wanted from me to verify my identity was so old I could not remember it (my phone number from 7 years ago? I've probably lived 10 different places in the last 7 years!) Finally had to get on the telephone with them.
In any case, the first eBay listing is here.
Now that I've mastered the process I'll probably list the other prints as well. I may open an eBay store--but that would be another day's adventure.
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Made the Call
Yowza. We've taken our first big step, only a phone call, but to us it seems like a big deal. This morning I called the real estate agent to make an appointment to look at an adobe for sale here in Truchas. With great gallery potential BTW. It's small and we'd have to build a workshop right away and eventually add on to the adobe itself but that is so do-able. It's only on half an acre though--I don't know if that is enough room to adopt a mustang. (Oh, YES, it is! I just looked it up, we need a minimum of 400 square feet for the stall or corrall--we can do even better than that.) We would get some water rights from the acequia. The adobe was built in 1910. We'll probably see it on an evening this week or next week sometime as Leonardo is in straw-bale school all this week down at Gemini Farm.
Got some art supplies ordered, bills paid, calls made this morning, now it's time to dig into the mural, Out by Cordova and Truchas Mission Church, both nearly, nearly finished. Maybe today is the day!
I was thinking of listing a set of the small prints up on eBay. It may be a good supplement to gallery traffic esp. if we're looking to become property owners!
Just had 3 delightful ladies come into the gallery. Very enthusiastic about the work (and nice cowgirl hats!) One signed the guestbook and would like to come see the museum show in Georgia later this year. Also a couple stopped in from Gemini Farm on their way to Santa Fe. I like days with gallery traffic.
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Spring Day/Mural Progress
A gentle breeze is tickling the new leaves on the trees, sunlight dances in between. The grass is green, everything smells fresh. It's just warm enough and the breeze is slight so can leave the door open.
Husband is off to straw-bale building workshop again today. Gallery is open, I'll work on various paintings, the mural, and mind the store. Though it is quite tempting to just take the camp chair and a book and go sit under the big tree out front. Tomorrow I think I’ll sit out there with a sketchbook, at least for awhile. I’ve been meaning to draw that mountain.
Later.....It's too nice to stay inside. I've moved the big table up front and will work on the mural outside (saving my back in the process). With a freshly brewed glass of ice tea. Just the ticket!
Even Later.....Putting the table outside under the tree was brilliant. Plus it caught the attention of passersby. But it's 4pm now and I had to bring things in, our afternoon thunderstorm is threatening.
Later Still.....Gallery's closed. Had a few visitors. As long as my husband doesn't need this table (I can see where this is going...) I'll move it outside under the tree during the day, at least until the mural is done. But it's Sooooooo nice to paint outdoors I may need to find a smaller folding table for palette & such & just move one of the studio easels out to work on the regular paintings.
Made much good progress on the mural today. Tomorrow I'll have a first coat of color on the entire thing (I've got 18 unpainted inches left--so close!) and I'll let it dry before going back for the 2nd coat, color adjusting, finessing out. Unfortunately I'm going to have to find a way to see the entire thing at once (I've been rolling it up with a layer of glassine over the paint so as not to smear the damp parts) but colors are not matching exactly.
Yes, it's just an advertisement but it's got to be good. I'm not going to do a quick & dirty job because I do not make sloppy art and it's got to represent. So, I think I'm looking at a couple sheets of plywood up against the outside wall of the house that I can staple it onto for the last round or two of painting.
It's very cool to turn around and see this huge painting taking up the studio. Even cooler would be a studio large enough to actually accommodate it as well as everything else. In time. In time, as well, there will be a barn for the mustang. Animal, not car.
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Sunscreen (not) & Samosas
We tried out Alicia’s café up Picuris way and we really liked it. We’ll be going back there. After breakfast we headed up to that sweet spot between Dixon and Ojo Sarco & set up the easels.
Alas, there was no sunscreen in the truck as I thought, so our painting time was cut short. Normally I’m fine in the sun but have gotten no “base tan” this year due to our new, high elevation and lack of fine weather to be outdoors in. So I am basically lily-white but managed to come home something short of beet-red. Leonardo is a just right brown color and he managed to come home with “tan-lines” as well, remembering how his mother used to warn him against getting “too black.” Normally my ‘sorta red’ will turn to brown by tomorrow, but that’s really not the way to go about acclimating to the sun. It seems to happen at least once a year, though.
So when we got home it was back to work as there is that mural/banner thing staring me in the face and taking up all the room and then some in the studio. The sooner I’m finished…..
Leonardo’s out in the kitchen making Samosas from scratch. Samosas do not excite me the way they are a favorite of his, but they’re ok, and they sure smell good now!
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Mural/Banner
The mural/banner is about half way there. I did 2 coats of gesso, drew the grid, transposed the image and painted half of it. This thing is going to kick butt. It's hard on the back, though, working on the floor.
Husband went in to do a Santa Fe run as he has to nurse the wrist and can't really do much in the shop for a few days. He brought me back a pair of camping/river sandals and surprise! They fit perfectly! ‘Cause you can’t really wear flip flops up here.
Tomorrow is day off, we’ve moved it from Monday to Sunday. We haven’t really gotten any traffic the last 2 or 3 Sundays and the gallery up the road is closed Sunday (the largest one up here). When we roll out on Mondays I always see out-of-state cars so I think it’s better to be open on Monday. Not a minute too soon, I’ll be glad to get out—except I’m anxious to get this mural done. I expect it’ll be ready to go up sometime later in the week, though.
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Wrist is OK, & Sunny Saturday
In other news I have embarked on painting a mural to hang on the outside, roadside wall of the adobe. Two other artists up here put paintings out on easels during the day…a good idea, eye catching and it shows the gallery visitors just what kind of work you do. I contemplated a number of ways to approach this (I just don’t have extra easels) and decided to take Cerro Pedernal (just the right proportions) and blow it up on a banner.
I have finished constructing the canvas (had to cut & sew it back together) and two coats of gesso. It is a little over three feet tall by 15 feet wide. Yes, fifteen. Today I’ll make a grid map of the smaller painting and transpose onto the mural canvas. This should be fun! I love to paint big.
Today is bright and sunny and summer-like. Yesterday there was thunder, hail, rain and two tornado warnings as well as flash-flood warnings. I’ve become quite familiar with the emergency warning signal on the radio.
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Nearly Serious Accident
We stopped the bleeding-- wood chisel going into my husbands wrist. He went to check if he could still pull the clutch on the motorcycle, if his nerves were still intact. Things seems OK.
All seems under control right now, ice bag on arm, check in tomorrow.
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Exciting New Painting Series
A note to me as much as anything to anyone--this is landscape. I see a connection to the drought in the West in these years and decades of global warming, but that was not my draw. Not my focus. It may become so....but for the initial work it is solely the landscape and the spiritual connection that compels me to capture these vistas. I grew up on a ranch in Montana, the sucess of our entire extended family depended the crops, the cattle—in essence, the weather.
I’m wrapping up what’s in the studio now--essentially “eating my brocolli” so I can begin new work— As I’ve mentioned before, I love nothing better than to begin new work.
With the exception of my husband, who is a work of art in and of himself!
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New Series, Winter Again
Yeow, it hailed yesterday morning, then thundered and rained all day. A downpour. The fireplace was on all day. Today we woke up to frost but nary a cloud in the sky.
The cooling towers painting--officially named Athlone Towers--was completed yesterday. We're open early today (after a disturbing dream shook me from peaceful slumber) so I’ll see if I can complete another one or two today.
I like Athlone Towers so much (it’s a little 16” x 16”) I’m planning to do eight more, so there will be 9 altogether, can hang them 3 across & 3 down, call it the ‘energy grid.’ Will do an oil jack pump, a power pole…etc. I used to do a lot of power poles, any excuse to re-visit that!
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First Sale & Straw Bale
Ghost Pony Gallery made our first sale today. (Modest sale, sale nevertheless. Correct foot off on the right path and all that, old girl.) And it's a right thing that I got that #$*&% credit card machine going because I knew. Of course I was correct. Paid for itself this, our initial month. Now, all these sodding other expenses require a bit of attention….
The young couple bought a print—after they stayed to hear stories about various paintings, he stopped in front of one looking puzzled for long enough that I volunteered information as to how it was conceived. She then fell in love with it and He subsequently inquired if she would like to have “that little print.” Upon his further actions we can only suppose she said “Yes.” It was quite the sweet scene.
Straw Bale. My husband and I by chance picked up probably the most left-leaning little free rag of any kind hereabouts the other day and noticed a workshop for Straw Bale Building, just up the road from us in Las Trampas. Tried two days to get hold of them because Husband got very excited at this prospect. Could not get through on the phone (turns out phone was out for a couple days, they are up here on the mountain, why would we be surprised?) Finally connected and looks like Husband will be going to check out Gemini Farms tomorrow and joining them for a straw bale building gig for several days to a week whilst I mind the store and paint up a storm as usual.
Not to worry. I know Trish Fu, etc. Will be OK here by myself.
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Off The Hook Monday!
What a great day. We loaded up the truck with our outdoor painting gear and headed off to a spot we'd chosen earlier. We walked around a bit in the area first and we both found a bunch of bones! We both found a skull, me a very large dog skull, Leonardo a coyote. The dog skull is 3 times the size of the coyote’s. I also found the pelvis, vertebrae and most of the ribs of the dog. I found a few larger bones too, probably bovine, and so old they were beginning to flake away. An auspicious beginning.
We set up our french easels on top of a little ridge and pulled out some small art-store canvases. We each painted the same scene but since we paint so differently you'd
never know it was the same place. Once we pick the seeds and weeds out (the wind was strong!) I’ll take a photo & post. The wind was so strong it blew my canvas upside down onto the desert floor even though I had the little easel pegs up holding the bottom edge. So next time we’ll bring something to really anchor the canvases down to the easels with.
It was completely awesome sitting outside all day and messing about with paint. We’ve picked out next week’s spot already. It’s on a back road we took several weeks ago & stopped to take photos, between Dixon & Ojo Sarco. First we’ll drive up toward Picuras Pueblo & try out a little café we found there on a recent jaunt, then go back down to Ojo & take the dirt road back into the hills. We’ll get an earlier start than we did today (I forgot to lock the house today so we had to come all the way back from Poaque for that ) and we’ll take a picnic with us so we can stay out for the entire day.
Things to remember for next time:
Tie-downs for the canvases & pretty much everything else.
Always, always wear a tank top under outer layers, no matter what the weather looks like in Truchas.
Take more than one kind of blue paint.
Tweezers for picking desert dust & plant parts out of the paint & off the canvas.
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Our Essential Guide Web Link is up
And you can see it at Essential Guide.
Click on "Galleries" and scroll down to the 'Gs' to find Ghost Pony Gallery. Clicking on the painting will take you to a new window with our blurb.
My arm is much better today though still weak. Out of the sling, though. I could paint at least.
Another thunderstorm this evening, it's been every evening for a week. Expected tomorrow as well. It is not freezing cold though, just blustery.
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Ouch
Woke up this mornning with a pinched nerve--so can type only with one hand, the other is in a sling. After many Motrin & zero movement it is ever-so-slightly better.
Was not able to make it into studio until a just bit ago--with pleasing results on the Cooling Towers. If I can manage to actually mix paint I could finish up the Truchas Mission Church this evening. Fortunately it is my left elbow that’s the problem, not my painting arm.
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Santa Fe Art Scene
The publisher of The Essential Guide stopped by today to meet me and bring a box of guides. Since we’ve already signed our contract to advertise next year they will put me up on their website as soon as I can send them info. That would be tomorrow. It’s a good-looking site, just like their publication.
Ran down to Santa Fe this afternoon to attend a gallery opening. Ed Sandoval was opening at the Manitou Galleries along with a couple other artists from Taos--Leigh Gusterson and Fran Larson. We chatted with Ed for a couple minutes, mostly about our museum show --but did not get a chance to speak with the other artists. There was a mariachi band playing up on the balcony. Now that’s an opening. This looks like it would be a good place to approach for Santa Fe representation for my work.
We arrived home after dark and discovered bats flying around in the back! How cool is that?
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Giclées Release Today!
We're releasing the Giclées a few days early, and what better way to celebrate our "month-a-versary?" Details are here, along with images of the editioned works.
That's probably about it for the exitement today! Now I've got to go sign them all, that'll take awhile as we made several prints of each to launch the effort and make a visual splash in the gallery.
We had a few gallery visitors today. Weather is still a bit dreary though, and that really keeps folks down in Santa Fe.
OK, now it's time to close the gallery. Stayed open a bit late this evening and good thing too. A couple from Pacifica (CA) just stopped in, liked the work, and picked up a card to facilitate another visit--they were, of course, on their way to Taos.
Signing off for today--Grey's Anatomy Season Finale!
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Prints & Museum stuff
I did not get near a canvas today but it was a big biz day and no less a rush than coming up with an unexpected painting solution. We drove into Taos this morning to pick up the Giclées. Ohmigod, they are fabulous. They are perfect. They could not be better in any way. Plus the whole thing cost a couple hundred less than I had plotted out. I Sooooooo love these guys. So we stopped at Artisan’s (art store) on the way home to get foam board for backing. The guys put each print into its own cello envelope so I will present them likewise, with the addition of archival foam board backing. As I was paying for the supplies the owner of the place (at least he seems like he owns it, or he runs it in any case) said “Oh, you’re the guys up in the new gallery in Truchas!” Someone’s paying attention, nice!
Then Husband dropped me off (was anxious to open the store) and he proceeded down to the tool fair where, this time, he did find his sandblaster. I’m excited about this too….he’s got way cool “artifacts” planned for sale in the gallery.
When he came home he handed me the coveted piece of mail…..Yes, indeed, the artist’s agreement from the Museum came today (along with a list of all the other participating artists). Bwa, ha, ha, it’s signed and sealed. That exhibition will go up on my website bio tomorrow as well as the announcement of the release of the prints. OK, so I mentioned the prints already but tomorrow I will make final decisions as to how many we’ll print (they will all be limited editions rather than open editions), sign and number those I have in the studio, set up some sort of record-keeping to keep track of them all—I can tell this is going to become complicated--and publish the prices.
Oh—one of the guys at the digital studio suggested I do a REALLY large print of the one that’s everybody’s favorite---You should see this thing. It’s 30” x 40” --very nearly the size of the actual painting and it’s just awesome! I’ll be able to sell it at around 1/6th the price of the original painting which is really cool for a large segment of the folks who enjoy my work.
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Plein Air Intentions
Today was my day "off." Out of the studio/gallery and into the great outdoors. We'd planned on taking out the french easels and our new field bags and setting up in some picturesque little meadow or creekside area. We got a late start and were chased by the rain, thunder, and lightening all day. Leonardo managed to get a sketch in and I got a few photos but we never did find the spot to set up, so no actual outdoor painting ensued. We will get the hang of this yet!
We did explore a few new county roads (meaning gravel and dirt roads that wind up who knows where and sometimes just end). We found a log bridge over a lovely creek with crudely painted signs that warned one to pass "at your own risk." The only alternatives were to turn back or to take the “low road” and drive through the creek itself. It wasn’t that big, but this is the tail-end high season for snow melt and runoff—and Tonka (my truck) is low slung so we took the bridge. It worked but gave us a scary rush as the logs were not fastened down, only held loosely by a very, very, inadequately small chain wrapped around the logs like a rubber-band. They jumped, rolled, and otherwise shifted as we drove over. Then we could not discern the county road from the private road and upon backing out after realizing our mistake (it was far too narrow to turn around) we were met by the somewhat scary residents telling us we were on private property. Now honestly, we respect the signs and fences as there are huge areas of public lands around here, no need to trespass, we do realize folks take that infraction quite seriously here—we were just exploring and got a bit turned around. We explained to them five times and all’s well that ends well, but we left there without continuing up the actual county road as we weren’t at all sure that they wouldn’t follow up with, I don’t know, a shotgun or the big dog or the tractor. They said there were signs, there were not. We looked for indicators on the way up and the way down and were just as happy to be going in the opposite direction from their place.
So. Our small incident with what we’re calling “Little Applachia” and no offense to anyone from Applachia…That was my husband’s term and I know he’s had, uh, experiences with that area. In fact, I believe one of the colleges he attended was only a motorcycle ride away…..
In any case. The cool spot today was in Dixon, quite a lovely little village just off the Rio Grande. Next Monday we will pick out a morning spot and an afternoon spot and I promise to rise with the sun. There will be outdoor time because I’ve got to spend six days a week in here painting and minding the store (I know, Oh, poor me, pull out the violins now!) but when I do get to go out on Monday I want to go out and be in the breeze and not be sitting in the truck driving around all day. Speakng of breeze, Leonardo is sorting out my motorcycle...it should be fixed soon and then ...
Geez, I can’t believe I’m living in New Mexico and this is the year I will get the least amount of sun ever and I’ll probably be totally white throughout the summer. Utterly, Absolutely Frightening.
P.S. The tractors. Everyone has a tractor here. Little ones, mostly grey and maybe a bit of red and looking for all the world like it's a 1940s model. Even if their entire plot is an acre and they are plowing up a piece of dirt maybe 15 feet by 60, they have their own tractor. All the little plots are plowed now. I cannot wait to find out what they grow in these little baby “fields.”
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The Opening Reception
We bought a case and a half of wine for the opening reception and I was worrying that it would not be enough. We closed this evening with a case and a quarter left over. No matter, it will be put to good use in the future!
Our guests for the evening totalled twelve. (I was actually expecting eighty or more, but then this is Truchas.)
Leonardo asked me to invite a friend of his that we missed at our going away party in California. I did, and said friend emailed that he would be here. I thought he was a joker as I only emailed him yesterday. Imagine my surprise when he and his friend drove in today, mid-afternoon! Turns out no one told me he actually lives near here, in Taos, for several years now, being another California expatriate. He was here for at least half an hour before Leonardo figured out I was totally confused—and explained the mystery away (I thought he drove from California in what? 10 hours?)! Said friend is also an artist, (painter, glass, you name it) with all sorts of projects going on--one of which is building a solar, green, sustainable, artist’s compound in Taos.
Our next guest was someone Therese (landlady) invited and he hung out for a short time and left a note on her door. Then a couple in a burgundy Corvette arrived. They apparently just stopped by on a drive. I was putting the final touches on the goodies & opening the wine when she asked, "are you having a party?" I explained it was a reception so she partook of a glass of wine. She got so far as to asking the price for La Escalera--the only one without a label, of course.
Then Grandma and Grampa came, not ours, but Therese’s. Grampa Del and Polly. They treat us as if we were new members of the family which is so sweet. The gallery used to be Grandpa’s garage and workshop!
Our next guest was Bill! From Hands Artes Gallery up the road a short walk. My husband and I walked up and visited the other day but met only Margaret, as Bill was traveling at the time. He arrived after he closed their gallery and Margaret, his wife, followed shortly after. He loved our work and told me I was a surrealist, and what else could I call myself? He really, really loved Leonardo’s work, called it elegant. He was a general, all-around good time!
Then Vivian stopped in and she also loved our work.
Next were fortunate enough to have Sharon and Jan stop in—local artists as well --and of course they know Bill so ensued a lively conversation on many things of interest, artwise and locally (ok a little gossip!) We all came up with an idea—Truchas needs to institute a “First Friday” or “Third Thursday” or probably—“Second Saturday” artwalk! Looking forward to getting that going.
So. All in all--the opening was not what I had expected. And, as usual, in typical New Mexican fashion, it was so much more than I had expected in every way.
(The hidden track)
I'm pretty sure if a guru of anything lives anywhere, said guru lives here. Perhaps within you, certainly within the mountain. The magic happens when you meet.
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The Cat, The Proof, and The Party
Wizzy rolled me up out of bed half an hour before the alarm. It's ok, it's much nicer to wake up to The Wiz than an alarm any day, no worries there!
Rolled into Taos early and the proofs were great! The only one that presented difficulty was
Amsterdam—not because the studio goofed up—their work was impeccable and truly top-of-the-line—but because of the technique I used to paint it (I actually didn’t think it would reproduce well)—it just does not translate with photography. It’s one of those things that you have to be there for, along with the lights and the physical viewing angles. Still, we’ll do a couple small prints since we’ve already got the expensive part done. It doesn’t look bad, it just doesn’t have the wowie, zowie that the original does.
It would have been better to take in Painted Desert, as that one’s sister painting La Escalera de los Animos came out regally (as did Taos Church), but now we know the sorts of things that reproduce well and those that do not. You know, it’s that expensive ‘empirical education’ thing again. In any case I could not be happier with the other five proofs and am really looking forward to the prints, due to be finished by Wednesday or Thursday.
I got a nice compliment by the owner and staff of the studio. They are the premier Southwest Giclée studio so you know how many renditions of the mission church at Ranchos de Taos they’ve seen. Not only did they indicate they’ve seen more versions than are actually countable (I have an entire published book on artists who’ve rendered the image in one media or another)—they said they liked mine the best and that my work was truly fun to shoot. Now that has got to be about the best compliment a person could get. (I think they might have actually meant it because everyone there told me that in their own little aside.)
Then we brought the paintings back home to Truchas, had business down in Espanola, spent hours in Santa Fe—mostly related to the opening reception tomorrow.
So tomorrow. There will be moving of paintings. There will be more making of painting labels, There will be floor scrubbing (like, when is there not?) and there will be preparation of all the snack-y things for the table. OK, grapes are easy, but there’s brie and baguette (Must Be Cut) and apples (MBC) and summer sausage and cheese (MBC) and I forget what else. There will be wet paintings to put away and protect (isn’t that an oxymoron?—no! I’m a moron to think I can protect a wet painting ;- /)
I must mention—we finally made the weekly arts section in the Santa Fe paper, Pasatiempo, this week; we made the Taos weekly arts section again, Tempo; AND we made Santa Fe’s monthly arts magazine THE. We also made the Rio Grand Sun Arts again this week so if anyone is reading the papers we should definitely have some reception-attendees tomorrow!
Tomorrow will be both a busy and a big day. Can’t gurarantee you’ll hear from us again until Mother's Day (please DO remember to call your mother on Sunday!) But you can, of course, expect a recap of our little event.
Cheers. And thanks for reading.
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New Mexi-Snake & Print Proofs
Missy tangled up with a snake today—actually they didn’t really tangle much. Snake tried to get away, moved super-fast, super-suddenly, sending Miss straight up! Then she swatted at it a few times, feigned disinterest & walked away. See Snake Here. Snakey went on it’s way—up to our door that it tried in vain to get under. Yikes! I kicked the door making vibrations that encouraged it to move away. Miss took a good hard look and decided to come ahead and go in the other door with me. After a few quiet minutes Snakey went off on it’s own business, no one worse for the wear.
The print proofs are ready so we’ll shoot into Taos early am to check ‘em out.
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Good Morning Sunshine!
At last! A beatiful day and the door is standing open!
Scrubbed everything up and opened early today as yesterday we spent most of the day on getting the paintings into the digital studio. We may have to run back in today to pick up the paintings, otherwise it will have to wait to Monday as tomorrow Leonardo must go in to Santa Fe (that’s an hour in the other direction) to pick up the wine & all the accoutrements for the opening reception on Saturday.
I hope for a call today because there are a couple of paintings that I’d love to have back for the opening, though that’s how it goes. There’s always one you want for this show but there’s always another show. So I’m not going to worry about it. If they’re here, fine, if not, we have plenty others to hang.
So today is painting unless they get the proofs ready.
Oh, in fun stuff, I’m carving my walking stick. It’s a nice, long tree, taller than I and I’m carving with designs I’ve picked up from the local posts & woodwork that is common in this area. Most folks use walking sticks around here, many as tall as this one. It’s necessary for keeping some of the less friendly dogs at bay, all of whom are allowed to run loose. There’s one house up the road that keep six dogs, and they’re all mean. That’s the only spot where I feel I really need a big stick, sometimes two, to tell the truth!
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