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This is the on going record of my adventures travelling across the US to Jerome, Arizona, and my 2 month stay down there! A pilgrimage of sorts into revisiting and expanding my creativity! Why Jerome? In 2006 Rae and I came across Jerome by accident in the night driving on a crazy 158 S curve road over Mingus mountain to get to Sedona; went back to check it out the next day to explore it and I started crying standing in an art gallery there because I felt "at home".

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Oct 23- 26 .. Three Days of Creating~Dancing~Parading & Partying!!































I'm finally publishing my blog updates from local Safeway-on one of those electronic buggies by the store entrance because their Starbuck's cafe does not have a plug, and these buggies are connected to a HUGE power cord that I can use to juice up my laptop battery :-) (Nov2)











                                                                                                             Oct 23- Friday; This morning is Katie Lee Parade and Party in the Jerome Middle-park!
  • Up early to hammer in all the staples in my canvases- Karen is up too getting ready for work
  • 7:45; I ride up the mountain into town...an elderly gentleman takes me on the 2nd corner ...without huffing and puffing like I was!! When I get to the Fire Hall i see such amazing group of connected and creative participants gathering for the parade to celebrate the bravado and celebration of Katie Lee's famous ride through town in the 80's in the manner of Lady Godiva to pull the town's spirit out of the funk it was in at the time. This was due to a recent death in the town. The scene was cool~ fake breasts galore, some even squirting water; real breasts dressed in vibrant flowers, and bras of pink lace, red lace, leopard skin; and in my case, plastic orange bowls with painted daisys; and even a couple of men adorned with paint cans reading "Nice Cans"and tennis balls with google eyes glued on them; One woman proudly walked with her real breasts bared to the sun.
  • The fire chief led the parade with the siren going...and the crowd walked, rode bicycles, motorcycles and even an open roofed flourescent green VW with fake Tigerplush covered seats....waving plackards we sang Happy Birthday till we got to the town's upper park steps, where Katie Lee sat with her friends totally blown away by the parade and so surprised and tickled by the gesture of the spectacle!
  • After there was a breakfast laid out in the middle park with fresh coffee and even "Strip & Go Naked" lemonade( 1 can water, 1 can beer, 1 can vodka!) I helped clean-up and needed a ride home... so i could get home safely :-)
Afternoon: I finish the garden finally...till dark!
  • I build an inunnguaq ( A structure similar to an inuksuk but meant to represent a human figure, (ᐃᓄᙳᐊᖅ, "imitation of a person"), has become widely familiar to non-Inuit.) See this link for the details http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inukshuk
  • plant the 2 cactii, after finding some beautiful green rocks to add extra dimension to the garden space. This is after I made sure that i had 4 different types of materials in the soil: small stones, reddy soil from the pile by the driveway, sandy soil by the patio, and the grassy-leaf bits I raked up..hopefully the plants will like these!
  • for the final touch I plant the indigo vine into the stove!
PM:
  • A quick bowl of soup while I start making my 1st movie cooking breakfast.....
  • then up to the Spirit Room to go dancing to the Johnny Lingo Trio with Karen and her friend Kathleen, who is celebrating her birthday today! Meet up with some other locals there and have a great time ~ of course. Meet a cool local artist/business woman who designs furniture for the wealthy and owns a Gelato Cafe in Old Cottonwood.
Oct 24- Saturday; Kaleidoscope Workshops all day run by the Nellie Bly Scopes shop (http://nellieblyscopes.com)
  • I registered for the 9am class, making a stained glass Kaleidoscope...was going to keep it a secret because this one is for Rae, but at least he won't see the finished product until Christmas!
  • I get a real appreciation for the exactness required to put the mirrors together that make the inner body of the Kaleidoscope.. Picking the little do-dads and bits that go into the disks that get attached to the Kaleidoscope is all part of the fun and science too! I also got an appreciation for the detailed work it takes to solder glass...still sporting a scar from a piece of solder that dropped on my thumb! My teacher, Bob Ade (http://www.scherergallery.com/kaleidoscopes/ade.htm) was very helpful in making sure that I could add some other embellishments I thought of...and I ended up being the last one out of class.. I think i'd like to look into this some more.
Afternoon:
  • I lucked into an extra workshop in the afternoon due to a last minute cancellation and it was paid for!... so glad i had my cellphone to get the call from Lisa....and I am very lucky I know so many great people in this town! This 2nd workshop was taught by the Reynolds brothers, Peach & Mark, and their wives. See http://www.kaleidovisions.com/
  • It entailed painting a huge cardboard tube- I was inspired by the pink one and decided to make a special one for Alexia's birthday! Then I picked the special bits of glass etc that are going into the disk that they will put together with oil ( an invention by Peach, well known in the K-world) and install it for me after this weekend, along with the mirror design I picked and mail it to Alexia- I hope she gets it in time for her birthday on November 5th!!
  • I meet Reva in this workshop who is just ending her 2 month visit to Arizona. She stayed in Sedona and also drove by herself across the US from Michigan. We were both excited about meeting one another and made plans to attend the Snow White & 7 Dwarf's Party together that night at Nellie Bly's
  • home to get a costume together, which was sort of 'Snow-White'ish and when Reva arrived I showed her my place before we drove up to the party; WOW -when they have a party - they know how to do it up right here! Lots of amazing food and drink AND lot's of people dressed up in character from Snow White: crazy dwarf creations - lots of magic mirrors and several witches...one person even made a mock up of the tree with the poisonous apples and wore that on her head!
  • a 4 man band called "Cornville Philharmonic Symphony" played oldtime instruments: washboard, washtub and even a vacuum cleaner ~ I kid you not!!! A cute couple came in later looking for a place to dance and they dazzled everyone with their great smooth jiving moves
  • Postscript: Here is my 1st ever video uploaded to YouTube on Feb28th/2010 in the wee hours of the am: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEwvw4IXlRE
  • I stayed after to join the clean-up crew after; it was an honour to do this...karma yoga...wanted to give back..having been able to participate in the extra workshop and it was fun!! It was fascinating to see the store being brought back to its original state...creating a beautiful magical space in the store for patrons coming in the next day, who won't have a clue about the clean-up; moving out the food and leftover liquor bottles, vacuuming, moving back the merchandise....placing glass balls in corners and Kaleidoscopes in just the right viewing angles & on special fabrics to show them off in special way.
Oct 25-Sunday;
AM;


  • Human Society Brunch at the Honeymoon 'Cottage'. This link is a good one with other pics of Jerome and talks about this home: http://www.sedona.biz/jerome-historic-home-tour0109.htm. This home has a spectacular view of the Verde Valle with a vineyard planted on the hillside below the front garden. The brunch was fabulous with traditional green chili grits and biscuits to go along with all the other delicious egg dishes. The bar served the spiciest BloodyMary I ever had with pickled beans, corn and okra as additions to put in your drink...not the usual celery!
  • at the auction...The 'Canadian' ups the ante for the gorgeous crystal geode but holds back to play for ...and gets the cool necklace, bracelet and earing set; beautiful metal work of graceful detailed eucalyptus leaves. I will get the name of the artist later.

PM;
  • I get a lift back to the village (we had to take a shuttle to this place) and go look at the Raku art gallery....10 minutes later I fall in love with 2 beautiful Venetian Carnival style leather masks, designed locally, and call Karen to help me decide on which one to get. I end up getting the black, red and green one with an accent of rattlesnake skin! ( see future Halloween blog!)
  • Coffee and more shopping with Karen in town- I get a dancing skirt and shoes from a retro used clothing store...
  • then dancing to the Cadillac Angels on a Sunday afternoon at the Spirit room from 2-6! They always do that here- everyone was out. The band was very very good: a guitar player accompanied by a drummer and a base player.I took a ton of photos and video. Two margaritas and LOTS of great dancing later we drove down the mountain
  • ...to Clarkdale for pizza and more dancing. I finally got asked to dance by a stranger ...but not a great experience as he was drunk and kept on wanting to dance real close to a fast song ..I artfully kept changing the steps to do more jiving and then went back to my friends.
  • I haven't 'spent' a cool Sunday like this ~ well... ever!

1 comment:

  1. I miss dancing at the Spirit Room...especially to the Cadillac Angels

    ReplyDelete


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I love exploring Creativity and what it makes possible. My business, Flourish Arts, is a natural expression of this. I have a Bachelor of Fine Art Degree from Queen's University.I'm a Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Artist, and Certified Yoga Teacher. Creativity has always been part of everything I have taken on. My journey as a full time Artist is now possible and I am passionate in sharing my art with others and having people - adults & children ~ find their own creative self-expression!