HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Fir tree cut at 8500 feet in the San Juan Mountains (on the property we once owned)

Christmas Eve and all is frosty here in Colorado. After 3 days of wet snow and rain, today began with blue skies, turning out to be a good day for a brisk walk and snow on the ground for a beautiful White Christmas. Cheers to all and may the world become more at peace in the new year.

WINTER WONDERS

Winter has arrived in Colorado and the branches of the Curly Willow beautifully hold the snow.

SAN FRANCISCO

Spire (Andy Goldsworthy, sculptor)

Another version of hugging trees!

This fall a trip to California included seeing a new work by Goldsworthy at the Presido in San Francisco. The piece is made of assembled cut cedar trees that had died on the site. It echoes a building in downtown San Francisco. I also took in a great fiber show nearby - "Intersections 5: Colors, Concepts, Contours". Saw a cool show in Japan town, Ken Hamazaki's "Grateful Red" at Superfrog Galley. Had an amazing tour at Industry of Light and Magic. (the George Lucas "industry"!) And saw the film, "Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff" presented by the Mill Valley Film Festival in Marin, north of the city. Our time in Marin included visits with friends and exploring the arts at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts ("Mapworks, the Map as Art"), "Zaragoza" in San Anselmo, and meeting Donna Seager at her Gallery in San Rafael. This gallery has a wonderful collection of artists' books. It was interesting seeing alot of "local" artist's work and smaller venues on this trip instead of the usual museum exhibitions.

LIBRARY FOLIAGE

Sombra

This month I am part of the exhibit "Library Foliage" located at Studio 2 Gallery in Austin, Texas. The theme relates to the altered book and is juried by John Sager. My assemblage features a small facsimile of a book, mounted on an antique book page.

Gold Indigo - collage

A One-day Studio Sale and Open House - Saturday, November 20 from 10-5. Showing paperworks, collage, mixed media, small objects, sculpture, paintings, prints. My home studio at 209 El Diente Drive, Edgemont in Durango, CO.

FALL WORKSHOPS

"Heisel" (collage with paper fragments)


"Arroyo Muds" (books of earth and root)

"Cloud, Root, Paper" (close-up of suspended book sculpture - kozo and abaca fibers)


Coming up the last of my 2010 workshops

COLLAGE, Saturday, October 23
BOOK ARTS, Saturday, October 30
PAPERMAKING, Saturday, November 6

(held in my home studio, includes beginning to experienced students, consultation on individual projects, all materials supplied, small classe) for more information email me - wmelart@yaoo.com

DURANGO OPEN STUDIOS

Sumi Root

Talisman

These mixed-media works are featured among many new works and work through the years in my Open Studio event the coming weekend, September 18-19. This year I am part of Durango Open Studios where forty-one artists open their creative spaces to the public for one weekend. The times are 10-4. I will also stay open on Monday, September 20 and by appointment until the holidays. I will have paintings, prints, paperworks, sculpture, artists' books, collage, etc. displayed and a walk in the woods as part of a visit to my home and studio. Refreshments will be served and work will be for sale at reasonable prices. If you are a Durango, Colorado area resident, come on by. Maps and more information are found on durangoopenstudios.blogspot.com.

OPEN DOORS EXHIBIT

Entry 3 (close-up)

Five Elements

These pieces, and one other are presently being exhibited in the Open Doors Exhibit at the Durango Arts Center, a taster show for the Open Studio Event coming up. A reception was held last Friday night along with the opening of Cities on the Side in the Art Library. The Library show featured Christy Ferrato of Durango, Nance Van Winckel of Spokane, WA, and Renee Rossi of Dallas, TX. These poet/artists created video and audio works, photography, drawings, and pyansky eggs - all quite exceptional. A poety reading was also held after the reception. They offered a workshop "Text Off the Page" which was very inspirational and challenging for all that participated.

ROOTS

The exhibit "Roots" is now residing at The Land Gallery, 419 Granite NW in Albuquerque through September 30, 2010. This body of work has been the main focus of my art making for the past year. I primarily considered the physicality of roots, their function and form...the beauty of the tangle, the spreading, the delicacy. I left it to the viewer to attach the metaphors if so desired.

The Gallery is open Thursday and Saturday by appointment through the month.
Please refer to my link to the Gallery website for more information, commentary, and photos.

Artist (wall: Collection-Roots, sumi-dyed)

Wall drawing of roots with Rootlet books, Source Book (sumi-dyed handmade paper wrapped book, earth), 20 Drawings (charcoal, earth, conte crayon)

Rootlets (closeup: books - handmade paper, earth, solvent-transfered text with wall drawing - charcoal)

ROOTS

Here are more images of the exhibition "Roots" The show took 2 1/2 days to install. Many tiny pins, velcro, and wall drawing. With the help of Edite and Tom Cates, owners of the gallery, the installation went well and I was very pleased with the result. The reception was well-attended and the viewers seemed intrigued and pleased.

Rooted (nature-altered paper, tea bags, sumi-dyed roots, earth)

Entre to Gallery - shown: Anchoring (handmade paper, sumi-dyed roots, earth) and Meristem (sumi-dyed root, ink-jet print)

Roots Arroyo (one-of-a-kind book of handmade paper, ink-jet print on kozo paper)

Cloud/Root/Paper (3 suspended handmade paper sculptures)