New work

In my other blog I have a written a little about the reason for being absent from my blogs for such a long time. I usually post realistic work in that blog and abstract work in this one. I have been quite busy and have teken several workshops here in the city. I hope that now, I can enjoy reading all of your bogs and see the wonderful work I have always enjoyed.

I posted several pieces that are mostly just exercises of these intense workshops on my other blog and a little of what the workshop consisted of. The link above is of that blog if your are interested in what the workshop was all about.

I am posting two works on this blog that are abstracts but if your read the other blog it will be easier to understand the outcome of the work.

Una pizca de Lila

Mixed Media on MDF board
20X16 inches

Why Not?

I know I am always saying that I have not posted for one or another reason, and again I am coming up with the same statement. I have started taking a figure class at our new art center and this being something I had never done before, I am quite enthused about it. The class is a three hour class three times a week for a trimester. I believe it will not only help me loosen up a bit, but it also might help me find a new approach with my abstracts. I have nothing to show from this class yet because so far, it is contour line and gestural drawing without looking at the paper, but I do have an abstract I finished yesterday.

Acrylic, ink, gesso and liquid watercolor on strectched canvas. 27 x 29 inches.

Naica Crystal Caves

I have not been able to post any abastract work on this blog, because I have been working on a realistic charcoal, and these usually take me quite a while. I am also taking a live figure class at our new Art Center that I hope will help me be a little more creative with my abstract work. In the meantime I would love to share this incredible film about the caves in the Naica mountains, in the northwestern state of Chihuahua, Mexico. The website is also very interesting to read and I understand this project was started in 2006. I keep going over and over this film and can't help wondering how many other gorgeous sites are under our feet waiting to be discovered.

Naica Crystal Caves

Mammillaria Bocasana

I don't intend this blog to turn into a blog about Cacti, but I am working on a new abstract project, so while I finish that, I'll post some of my cacti that have been blooming.

Years ago when I became interested in Cacti, we would go out hicking and come across some beautiful species. At that time we were surrounded by so many that it never occured to me that it was illegal to pick one out of the earth and bring it home. I thought it was like picking wild flowers. That was how this particular one became part of my collection. It has been cared for and with us, for many years and I have often thought that I might have saved it from being crushed by heavy machinery, while making way for a new highway or land being turned into agicultural soil.

These are not easy to identify because they are so similar sometimes to others in different regions. If I have done my research right, this is a Mammillaria BOCASANA poselg that grows in the state of San Luis Potosi. The stems are only about and inch high and they have very tiny yellowish tinted flowers. They bloom only once a year in March.

Ferocactus Histrix

San Luis Potosi is noted for having one of the largest varieties of cacti in the world. When you first see one while hiking or driving on the highways you think they all very similar until you start taking interest in them and then realize that the difference and variety of species is immense. Some are very small and just barely visible because just the top parts show up above the soil, others are very tall and thin, while others like this particular one are at least 3ft. high and about 2 ft. in its circumference. One this big is usually close to a century old. They usually grow on the sides of mountains but will also be found on flatter land. One thing that I have noticed is that if you find one, you will probably find at least a dozen several yards apart in the same area and then if you walk a bit more, you will find a completely different species close by.

The one in this picture is a few yard from our ranch home and it will be in full bloom in about a week. All of those buds will turn into gorgeous bright yellow flowers and after they dry and fall off, the fruit will be left on the cactus. It is a small elongated fruit about the size of a fig in colors ranging from burnt orange to deep red. They have a sweet sour taste to them and many people love to enjoy the savor while drinking tequila.

Untitled pour study

I had all of the intention to try a horizontal quiet piece with little coloring and many coats of different colored glazes, but I just can't seem to stay away from the squirting, pouring and experimenting. This is acrylic, ink, liquid WC over watercolor paper pasted onto MDF board. I have always had problem with my WC paper buckling up when working this way but I was amazed at how easy it was to control the pour after pasting the paper to the MDF board. This is very small , 9X8 inches, but once I can get the control with different colors I will try bigger formats.