SOLO SHOW IN ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO

WALKS AT EDGEMONT HIGHLANDS

Sandy Creek

Waters Past

This summer found me leading walks along the trails at Edgemont Highlands, a development just east of Durango. I have been the artist-in-resident there for 5 years and am currently maintaining 30 sites. "Sandy Creek" is one of the sites that needs its raking each spring. "Waters Past", a sculpture made of clay fragments from an old water system, also needs an annual tending. The wild trail encircles the development, passing along stream beds and wetlands and through ponderosa pine forests. The complete hike takes about 2 hours. Residents and community members participated in the 3 artist-led walks on the trail this summer.

SIGNS OF FOREST

There will be a closing reception at the Arena Gallery for "Signs of the Forest" exhibit on August 21 from 3 to 6 p.m.

SIGNS OF THE FOREST

Detritus II

This open book, part of my Detritus series, was originally photographed in a snowy aspen grove in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. The scorched markings echo the worm larvae carvings on the inner bark and cores of aspens. This image comes from an installation at the Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, California in 2009. Currently this book sculpture is back in Southern California at Arena 1 Gallery in Santa Monica. I am one of 16 artists exhibiting in the show "Signs of the Forest", curated by Jean Clad. The exhibit runs from July 17 to August 21.

AMPERSAND article

Secrets of the Burn, 2004

I am happy to announce my inclusion in the recent article "Book Artists Who Make Their Own Paper: Peter Thomas, Mary Ellen Long, and Lisa Beth Robinson". The article by Deborah Kogan appears in the Winter 2010 issue of Ampersand, a quarterly journal of the Pacific Center for the Book Arts, San Francisco, California. The four page inclusion covers how I discovered book arts, my rituals of paper in the landscape and other projects that use handmade paper, how I learned to make paper, the characteristics of the paper made for my book works, and the influence of handmade paper on the book works produced. The making of "Secrets of the Burn" illustrated above is also included. Issues of Ampersand are available for purchase online at Green Chair Press. (see link)

THE LAND/AN ART SITE

Entrance Sign

Sculpture Example

Arroyo Roots


Last weekend I visited the sculpture reserve The Land near Mountainair, New Mexico, founded by Edite Nuevo and Tom Cates over a decade ago. And ten years ago I was part of a curated show at the site, creating an open book sculpture in the arroyo on the property, a temporary installation that spoke to the native plants and sandy earth of the arroyo. This current visit was made in conjunction with my solo show that opens September 4 in the Land's gallery site in downtown Albuquerque. The theme of the exhibit is roots and during my visit I photographed and collected roots for the upcoming show. I also installed handmade paper-covered roots within the exposed roots of juniper trees in the Land's arroyo as part of my on-going exploration into the physicality of roots. (click to enlarge photos)

SUMMER/FALL WORKSHOPS

Each year I teach workshops in my home studio. This year I will be offering the following:

PAPERMAKING, June 19 and July 10 (basic "kitchen" techniques, western and eastern style methods and emphasis on local fibers)

COLLAGE, June 26 and October 23 (basic techniques and understanding of adhesives/materials/papers)

BOOK ARTS, October 30 (review of all styles, bindings and sculptural forms)

All workshops are for beginners to experienced. There will be consultation on individual projects, and all materials are supplied. Classes are small
Hours 10-4 $65.

Please email to register - wmelart@yahoo.com

TRIP TO CANYON DE CHELLY

Canyon view

Spider Rock

White House ruin

White House paintings

Canyon wall with circle paintings

A few days ago, I traveled to Canyon de Chelly National Monument in Arizona with husband Wendell and friends Genie and Al Shenk. The experience included a drive along the rim - looking down on the immense canyon, and a guided drive down into the canyon along the stream. An incredible experience in Navajo land. The overviews with ruins of structures built by people Archaic to the Navajo people were quite grand but I carry away the detail of the wall paintings and the rock geology as most impressive and inspirational.

WADE IN THE WATER

Last weekend I attended the Colorado Art Ranch Artposium in Salida, Colorado. The theme was Water - "Wade in the Water". The presenters were author, naturalist, and desert adventurer Craig Childs, poet/writer, water law expert, and state supreme court justice Greg Hobbs and Basia Irland, sculptor and installation artist, poet and book artist, and an activist in water issues. All amazing presentations. Part of the weekend was given to workshops. I took one workshop on the chemical properties of water and another on photographing water. The following images were taken during a walk around the Sands Lake State Wildlife Area and another at a nearby lake photographing water. One evening we meet and heard from the Artists-in-Residents who have been working in Salida for the past month and who the Artposia supports through the participants' fees. All quite impressive - visual artists and writers alike. See more by checking out coloradoartranch.org.

Family on the water

Beaver Lodge

Beaver returning

Reflections

A NEW ADDITION

Purr cat

Purrsha

Beautiful Purrsha (Purr for short) is a frequent studio visitor. Her varied grey and white markings blend well with color themes throughout the house and studio. (Currently studio work tends toward black and white!) Was she not designed to belong to us? Purr has a grey "heart" adjacent to her nose and performs a terrific sit-up for her morning treat. Very affectionate and a purr-fect friend!