Nov14-18; Printmaking Lights My Fire!

(Finally updating my Blog under blankets in a cold hotel room in Santa Fe-Nov25..on my way home)
Note: the photos are out of order- I haven't figured out the new edit mode yet :-)

Nov-14 Saturday;

• I wake up early to take in the rich aroma of the land around here post rain!! Earthy and hay smelling…crisp air and still some sprinkles falling here and there as I leave town
  
  
• after filling up the gas tank I drive down the I-17 –gorgeous scenery listening to Shania Twain ..and loving it!! Driving up and down the gorgeous desert valleys with more and more giant cactii dotting the landscape..I try to call Eric and Sharon on the phone but the reception is bad
  
  
• Sunset Point Scenic outlook- I stop here and we connect- I can hear Sharon, Eric and Alexia as clear as a bell while taking in the breathtaking HUGE vista of bare desert hills… so great to talk to them. Again I just can’t get enough of Alexia’s sweet voice saying “Oma”! and hearing about the wonderful birthday baking party she had last weekend at their new house.
• Sign seen at this outlook/rest stop: "Please do not let your cattle out to graze"
  
  
• The Scottsdale Highway loop---is the best highway I ever drove on- the retaining walls have very funky HUGE desert themed relief sculptures and tiles of cactii, lizards, etc, and –NO WHERE TO STOP- and snap some shots- darn!- and I keep focussed on the road …don’t want to get into an accident!
  
  
• COTTON FIELDS! as I drive off the main highway I see all these polka dotted plants in the rows…hey- they are rows and rows of cotton popped out of its pods ~ ready to be harvested. I pull off down the road beside the field and climb over the dividing ditch up to my 1^st ever up close & personal moment with cotton plants!

Scottsdale Galleries; Very well-to do area like in Yorkville,Toronto…snazzy cars & snazzy people watching.

· the first Gallery, which will remain nameless; I was very inspired by the artist they were showing and asked for more information on the her. The woman behind the desk was very keen to help me and gave me some earlier show pamphlets; however, as soon as the she found out I was an artist and that I didn’t want to buy a piece and wanted to know more about the artist’s background how she got to this point ; she retreated and declared emphatically, “well, I wouldn’t suggest you go and try to copy what she’s done—she would be very upset and has worked hard to get to this point…and I have a very busy morning and need to get back to work!”

· Art One Gallery; the owner talked to me at length about his mandate; they mix art students’ works together with regular artists – all treated equally. I saw amazing clothing designs from grade 11 & 12 students; the owner is very socially conscious in supporting local students; they need a clean school attendance record and a certain grade level before they can exhibit and he works in partnership with not only the students but also the school and their parents

• Naked Horse Gallery; the owner was great to talk to and said …come back and show us your work next year! I was inspired by two Native artists; one who did abstract landscapes with native figures placed in the paintings and the other did very close up portraits of native faces...every line & pore of life experience evident. It brought me back to a native woman I saw at the Spirit Room with her husband—I took her photo but would love to take some more photos or do a sketch of her…
  
  
• I stop at a café in Scottsdale for internet and lunch
  
  

PM: Phoenix Art Center I found it very easily - thanks to Matilda again! 2 hours to soak up what this gallery has to offer – I head straight to the Modern Wing…climb up the stairs faced by....

• Lush Spring, 1975, a gigantic painting by Helen Frankenthaler ..and breathe in the beauty!! I am IN HEAVEN! ...and an awe-inspiring sculpture installation called..
  
  

• Mass, 1997, by Cornelia Parker from London. She suspended pieces of burnt wood pieces and charcoal from the ceiling creating a square with the shapes getting smaller and thinning out to the outer edges of the square. Guess where she got this material from? From a church in Mexico that had been hit by lightening and burnt down. A delicate…raw…powerful and spiritual space is so present in that corner of the gallery that is hard to describe; I felt that before I even read the background details.
  
  
• I was so excited and in my element I had to call Betty Ann Jordan…she was out leading an art tour.. of course! And so I spoke to John ~ it was great to share my experience an appreciative listener.
  
  

EVE: Dinner with Betsy at her favourite Italian restaurant: L’amour for a yummy seafood tomatoe stew ( had a wee bit of pasta on the side). Oh my gosh it was like I just saw her last week ( last fall at the Transforming Yesterday’s Strategies Course in Sedona) …she walked in from work( owns /runs a graphic design business) …same blue flowered blouse …but above all: the same big radiant eyes and smile that impressed me last fall. We caught up on what we and others in the course were up to and when she heard about my amazing experiences on my travels out here she
put a powerful context in place for what I have been experiencing on my 'Pilgrimmage'. 

( I met her last fall in the Wisdom Vacation Course "Transforming Yesterday's Strategies" here in Sedona).  

• She pointed out to me that everything I shared with her about my trip so far was perfectly timed because the Phoenix Wisdom 5th Weekend is this coming weekend and the theme is all about the trinity of:  

ART   ~   COMMUNITY  ~ SPIRITUALITY 

creativity & self-expression - spirit - expanding in community ...one connected to the other

AND THAT IS WHAT I AM EXPERIENCING RIGHT NOW ON MY JOURNEY DOWN HERE....A PRECIOUS...PRECIOUS GIFT.

• Radisson Hotel ; I crash happily in the modern comfort of my room after I replenish my cooler with ice
  
  

Nov-15 Sunday: Back to feeling the soul of Printmakin` in my bones

· Left the Raddison Hotel early to drive up to the JILink Printshop in New River.. GOOD thing because there was construction and detours on the I-17 going north ~ I am early for once!! So I have time to stop on the hill at the end of the dirt road that Irene and Big John live on and have an up close and personal time with all the different cactii - especially the big cactii!! I love them they are so new to me with their big arms reaching out. From afar when I saw the holes in them I thought they would be fragile in their deterioration...but they are like trees! They have grey bark like trees. I of course take a ton of photos and some of the locals out walking their dogs or driving their ATV's observed another tourist being fascinated by nature!

Intaglio Workshop; see http://www.alternativephotography.com/process_photo_intaglio.htmlfor a great description of this process.

• Big John and Irene partnered in the teaching of this workshop for Jodi and I ....and I can't say enough about how awesome these 2 people are
  
  
• They greeted us with coffee, juice and muffins; helped us with picking out our images so they would work successfully with the medium; explained in perfect detail and showed us their own works how this printmaking technology works...and all the while being so great with us and each other; Fun - Lighthearted with the LOVE of Creating so present.
  
  
• Jodi and I had a blast playing with the printmaking process. John and Irene and their own strengths complimented their teaching as they played off of each other; he just jumping in approximating the exposure times.; Irene being more of a perfectionist and careful. AND John provided reading materials for us so we could just be present to the experience...Lunch time while our plates cured in the Arizona sun was served and it was such a treat to be spoiled like we were with the one on one teaching!
  
  
• I WAS IN HEAVEN!!! I truly found my calling...yes I am going to get back into printmaking when I get back to Toronto. You know that song, "Light My Fire...Light My Fire! "...well the flames were fanned baby!! ( etching was my favourite print medium at Queen's) The sumptous paper - inking the plates- pulling the big press wheels, the creaking of the pressure…and (hold your breath!) lifting the embossed paper off the plate...to see the results of all the preparations...excitement PLUS!! Tears came readily several times from just the recognition of the love of this process and the creative caring spirit present in this studio.
  
  

It was very exciting to be sharing this experience with Jodi who has done some printmaking but not in this type. She too took to it like fish to water. We both left with 2 gorgeous image plates and many prints to take home.

I vowed to come back and we organized a studio time slot for me to return this coming Friday.

PM: We drive down to Jodi and her husbands home in Scottsdale - a gorgeous home with hibiscus plants and palm trees. John, a doctor, just arrived by plane that day from a busy 12 day work shift and he still came out with Jodi to treat me to a great relaxing dinner at a local sports bar where we saw the Toronto Raptors lose a very tight game to Phoenix 100 to 101!! I drank a cool beer called Blue Moon with orange wedges added ~ Yummy!! and I don't normally drink beer!! (ps...i packed a case for home)

Jodi and I sit in their cozy living room with a nice cup of tea reviewing the fantastic day we had...fully satiated!

Nov-16 Monday: Simple Pleasures…so sweet!

· AM: After a relaxing sleep I wake to the smell of coffee and walk about with my PJ's on. My hosts are not quite up but already a hot pot of coffee and teapot with a tea towel keeping it warm are waiting for us to enjoy. I look out their windows and note that every one has a beautiful view of the garden; 3 palm TALL palm trees, hibiscus, cacti, unknown orange berry bushes, and backyard spa ( a salt water jacuzzi) made of rock structure. Their grassy patch on one side is astro turf...very cool; it makes sense because it costs too much water to keep grass; they just use a vacuum to care for it :-)

· After a delicious breakfast which included freshly squeezed orange juice from fruit that Jodi picked in the neighborhood, Jodi and I head out ...and find …

· A LOADED orange tree right on the boulevard! Jodi came prepared with a step stool. I unfortunately left the plastic bags behind. We were like 2 kids in a candy store!! ~ taking turns twisting and picking off the delicious juicy oranges, handing them to one another…filling the paper bag to the brim & then just piled them up on the car seat! We ended up with 4 plastic grocery bags of fruit to share between us! The brunch crowd on Sunday sure will appreciate these!!

• After a quick pit-stop to wash our dusty fingers ( the desert does that) we drove off to Cosanti ; (http://www.arcosanti.org/expCosanti/main.html) where Paolo Soleri, a renowned architect and student of Frank Lloyd Wright, developed a very interesting creative site of organically designed buildings and landscape incorporating a business/foundry & studio workshop where they create exquisite sculptured bronze bells. Jodi who is a also a musician pointed out the best bell shapes and rang lots of bells to pick the clearest tunes. “Ring my Be….e…ell ~ Ring my Bell...my Bell …ring my Bell” !!! We asked for a discount for all the bells I picked; but you need to buy 10 of one kind for that ~ boring!
  
  
• Taliesan West; Frank Lloyd Wright’s home and currently ongoing Architecture School was my next stop…got to it within minutes from Jodi’s home , and very easily with the map that she drew for me before I left them. What special people they were!! I count my blessings at how I came to meet them and the time we had. I made it just in time for the 90 minute tour—fascinating! Angular low buildings built into the side of the hill ( never build on top of a hill! -FLW), amazing built in furniture- rock walls made of the beautiful boulders, red wooden angular beams and canvas ceilings. The place used to be without windows – only canvas panels that could be raised and lowered. I loved the art-deco style sculptures that dotted the landscape. People come to this architecture school from all over the world. Their residence? ~ they build their own on the surrounding property.
  
  
• Poker Night…yes I managed to make it; I had called Lisa to please pick up my pot of lentil soup from my fridge for me( these nights are always pot-luck…so I take it literally J) I kept in touch on my whereabouts; and they were so kind as to wait for me. I lost …again~ Shane scored bigtime!...but had a blast learning more about Poker from Lisa`s hand reviews...and great evening!
  
  

Nov-17; Hike of all Hikes!

• AM: After an invigorating Weighted Workout class - our hiking group took off for the Lost Canyon Hike (off the beaten path, but listed in Lindy`s hiking book)- just down the road from the hike that goes up to Devil's bridge.
  
  
• Oh ~ my ~ Lord!! ~ it was challenging...very adventurous and breathtakingly beautiful!  We calculated that we climbed over 500 feet in altitude on our 3 hour walk and much of it was close to the edge of the high buttes.
  
  
• We saw the silouette in the distance of a huge boulder balanced on one point!!
  
  
• around the next corner of the butte, tucked way down in the shadows of the rock face: a simple one door cliff dwelling. It was a moment of awe and beauty…and made me pause on the presence of people here so long ago. The surprise connection to an ancient time.
  
  
• Lunch: a cold (even with jackets on!) pit-stop on the cliff ledge high up over the dwelling. Then walked up and around to the sunny parts of this butte outcrop (mesa?) so we could view the Devil's bridge on the other side of the valley. I so loved the Devil’s Bridge and seeing it in the shady distance was just not good enough so Sandy offered to walk it with me tomorrow. Well, on our ride home, after the return hike around the two mesa’s and the steep down hill climb at the end, my ankles told me that they had.. had …enough climbing for this week!
  
  

Nov 18-Wednesday

• I call Sandy to confirm that I cannot do the Devil's Bridge hike today and she too said that she was too sore to do a hike so soon. She asked if I could bring my drawing of it to our yoga class - sure thing!
  
  
• Nothing like an incentive to actually finish the darn thing! So I whipped out my conté pastels and filled in the spots that were left empty last week as I raced down the hill to beat the dark to my car on that hike...
  
  
• I got so mesmerized by that…. I was late for the yoga class and instead did my cardio workout on the bike..reading a Vogue magazine article about Frida Kahlo's goddaughter memoir's..
  
  
• I showed the ladies my pastels and sketches in the parking lot and I'm really glad I did...my first time having others see them; they so appreciated seeing them ( i had 2 offers tonight to buy my work- yeah!) They acknowledged what I have all done while I've been here and how much I inspire them. ...and it was so great to hear because I love everything I have done and all the great people I have met....and I'm a bit sad that my time is almost over and I seem to have not done all I expected to do....I have a massive amount of ‘juice’ for future works..I will be busy at my home studio
  
  
• Denise, the yoga teacher who was taught by Narayani, a British yoga teacher, joined me for lunch at the Mile High Inn, and we have a great time sharing yoga stories and things that inspire us.... another amazing person in my life that I have gotten to know; she &her husband, who has healed from major illnesses and transplants is this cool long grey-haired cowboy ..with a moustache- yes, Rae…and a cool black cowboy hat--are very busy with those two gorgeous horses I met the other day.
  
  
• I stay behind to finish some more work on the internet....have a coffee and Jet’s famous bread pudding (– its all Melissa’s fault!) and go pick up my 2 dozen eggs from Peggy at the store next to the Mile High Inn.
  
  
• I stay up late watching the Ridley Scott movie called “a good year”. Russel Crowe plays a fast paced investor in London who inherits a beautiful chateau/winery in France and is forced through crazy ‘circumstance’ to slow… down… and enjoy the simple pleasures in front of him….like maybe a sweet romance with Marion Cotillard who plays a local café owner. All this wine tasting and drinking..I am inspired to go grab a wine bottle I have been saving for guests ~ but… no bottle opener!! I pour myself instead some left over Sangria from the Kaleidoscope party, held weeks ago and fell ill in the middle of the night...can Sangria go bad?...it was in the fridge ? I toss out the rest and stay in bed the next morning till 11 editing photos and sleeping.