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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".

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Nov 19- 23; Last Days of Jerome

Photos: Peggy the egg seller, 3 Arcosanti photos, Don Mclean,Karen & I crackin' open the bubbly,Buddy~Joanne~Sally & I after brunch, Sally hitchin' a ride, Karen~Larry~Levi~Joanne+the 2 Lisas, Mary Relaxing, Lisa P with Walter+Lisa.....
























































Nov 19-Thursday
  • up in Jerome to the Mojo Cafe for the last time (this year!) treat myself to a cafe mocha - (no whip cream) & connect on the internet updating my blog and preparing myself for the Printmaking session tomorrow; researching sites online for Intaglio techniques & reviewing my photos. I hear from Jodi that she visited John & Irene with her husband she saw the deer transparency that has been prepped by John already & it looks great! Can't wait!
  • I visit with Sandy down in Cottonwood to get some cuttings from her long eared cactus; have a glass of wine after the house tour and meet her husband Jim. They moved here from California...and share their beautiful house near the bottom edge of the Mingus Mountain with a one-eyed cat. She just finished moving in all her winters sensitive plants into a new greenhouse that they just built. They ask me to come back with my pastels so they can buy one before I leave. (Yeah!)
  • Get ready for my trip to JIL Link Studios
Nov 20 ~ Friday: a final day of 3 Great Travel Destinations
1. New River
  • on my way down I stop at Sunset Outlook Point again. This time accompanied by about 20 jeeps that also pulled off here just before they went off-roading & and a group of Antique cars. Official Sign posted at outlook: "Do not let your cattle out to graze"
  • This part of Arizona has funky road names everywhere: Bloody Basin ~ Bumble Bee ~Crown King~ Horse Thief Basin ~ Badger Springs Road..etc!
  • I turn off into New River and come across the Road Runner Saloon...take photos and get a coffee; the lady fills up my coffee mug for free!
  • JIL Ink Studios: John and Irene are ready for me ...We create the Fallen Deer plate first which I love! John insists on helping me with this one as this plate is a special size, and i'm still a relative newbie...it turns into a powerful rich print. A good thing !! For the other plates I went through some growing 'pains' ~ great learnings: 220DPI (dots per inch) vs 320 DPI(correct); washing plates is different than 'washing laundry'; and rolling the excess water off the plate is different than rolling paint . Thankfully Irene helped me make more plates and run some of the first-offs on the images so I could pull some deer prints. The Road, Tire and Chair images will be able to run through a printing in Toronto! John was right when he said; ideally you want to create plates one day and print on another. One thing at a time... the best lesson of all. I have a lot to play with at home now and I will be back to visit these two generous and inspiring artists next year!!
2. Arcosanti; (just 1/2 hr away from Cottonwood)..what a an inspiring surprise! down this dirt road in the desert off the main hwy- down to earth solid feel; reminds me of Anne and Martin's place in Germany...yes, more modern and huge of course; but the same spirit with artistic, cozy nooks and crannies. I only saw the building with the gallery and cafe building because I missed the last tour...next year! You can even stay there as a B&B guest.

3. Prescott: Don McLean Concert!! Yes the wonderful singer-songwriter of American Pie, Crying, and MY FAVOURITE: Starry Night
  • He brought me to tears many times...I didn't come prepared with tissues and I didn't have Rae by my side :-( The sound sucked at the venue...but he was very gracious and gave us what we came to get; a trip down memory lane and connected to his music,... and Starry Starry Night in his encore set !
  • I bought 2 CD's and stood in line to get them autographed.
  • stopped at Starbucks and then drove home listening to Don's tunes along the curvy 89A across Mingus Mountain to Jerome.

Nov 21-Saturday; Takin' Care of Business...

  • Cactus Guy Visit; stopped by to say good-bye to Francis and to pick up the cactus seeds he promised me and bought some Prickly Pear Jelly. He didn`t want me to take his photo so I drew him while I waited at the hairdresser
  • Hair appointment...yes it did take all afternoon as Karen warned me; but the ladies were great and good story tellers( a good way to get to know a town!) They also looked at my portfolio and gave me their input.
  • Shopping for Brunch at Fry`s & get a call back from Mary and Sally that they just got back from Tuscon and can make it for the brunch! Say a final good-by to Ed, Enilliani's Dad.
  • Trying to Log-on at Safeway...having internet issues and give up
  • Get ready for Brunch & Trip
  • Sandy and I both didn't have time to meet today to show Jim my art


Nov 22-Sunday; Final Breakfast Club (for me....this year) Karen & Larry & I host this morning's Breakfast Club;
  • Karen has it upstairs inside( too cold to have it on the patio as planned)
  • I cook a potatoe and yam home fries & 2 kinds of frittatas: red swiss chard & cheddar; and Mushrooms & Swiss cheese... each with red onions and garlic too! and a plate of cucumbers, green onions and tomatoes.
  • Larry cooks the sausages and bacon
  • Karen sets it up with yoghurt and fruits, granola, coffee and OJ & champagne.
  • Everybody rolled in at 9-9:30am --I could hear them upstairs as I was finishing the last of the frittatas
  • AND... oh such great people they are; Karen & Larry, Lisa and Walter, Lisa and Levi, Lisa P. (Anne is travelling home from LA), Mary and Sally, and Joanne and Buddy ...I get present to their greatness again and how very much they have given me and how much I will miss these folks!! I am so blessed and grateful. Sally leaves early hitching a ride with Buddy on his bike...what a daredevil...no helmet etc! Some people have to work around here! Walter and Lisa leave on their trip to Colorado for Thanksgiving... they just became grandparents to a new baby girl!
  • PM: I bring all my 'stuff' to the living room carpet; wrap the break-ables
  • return the unused Citrus squeezer machine (we put those Scottsdale oranges out in a bowl instead...and thank god Karen had OJ on hand); and the groceries we didn't use yesterday( saved 46$)
Nov 23-Monday: Packing Day:  
Photos; Sandy + my Devil's Bridge Pastel,  Richard our Jerome Library volunteer, The hardcore Poker Night gang, Lisa & Anne(home again) hosts of Poker Night,
      





  • Laundry...laundry
  • Packing Day...so many great things to pack!! in my rushing I break the big Cactus Jelly jar :-( ....more of a mess to clean up!
  • and just as I was getting a bit teary about having to leave this place...I get a call from Sandy..do I still have time to come by with my art work? Sure...
  • drive down to Cottonwood to Sandy's and she and Jim decide on the Devil's Bridge pastel; i have a slight pang of sadness handing it over to them but I am very happy to have found such a perfect home for this work: Sandy is an avid hiker appreciates this scene...and she even offered to hike it with me one more time! I believe Jim even hiked that spot when they 1st moved here. I spray it with fixer ...take some parting photos and leave with my 1st cheque for my art at this stage of my life.
  • Jerome Library; oh good Richard is working today: I take some photos of him and then print out my maps for the next couple of days.
  • Clarkdale-for Poker Night: and its a big crowd tonight; Levi and Shane are our male contingent and Karen racks in the chips tonight- she was the big winner

















  • I leave early to load the car..brrr..it takes forever; i have to go through everything again because I could not find my passport!!! ARGGHH!!
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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!