Hello,

I had a wonderful time in Oaxaca Mexico.  Susan was a great guide and the city was a visual feast.   Every where one looked there was art.   This pony sculpture was at the airport and shows a modern twist on the Alibris’s we usually connect  with this area. I did visit a family workshop where they did that beautiful work.  As one can see here the  painted  detail is amazing.

Susan, Carolyn  and I went to many museums.  We did the Print Museum and the Fiber Arts Museum the first day.   There was a great display of Indigo stilt walker costumes   there.  The museum also had a  display of hand stitchery on shirts from the areas in the state of Oaxaca.    Each area had a unique style of clothing with unique stitching patterns.     I found  that  specially interesting after my slow stitch class last fall.     Each language group has a unique style.   Susan and I went to the  market and it too was a visual bombardment.    Susan’s land  lady brought her fresh flowers every day  and after this visit I can see why.    We had lunch at a Chocolate bar that day.    The shake was delightful, tasty  and very filling  along with a chicken burrito .This shot shows how big the drink was.

I took a day trip to the ruins at Monte Alban  and enjoyed the wonderful carved images  and buildings.    The guide explained a lot of history  and was very knowledgeable.    I was epically taken  by this little god image in the museum  and think he may be a jumping off place for some new work. ( this shot is life sized)  The tour took us to  a village that makes Black Pottery.   Many villages in this valley  specialize in one type of craftor another.   This woman who is in her late  80’s has a sure hand and a good eye.  She stated doing this type of work   nearly 68 years ago  so the fact that she does it all by eye and does not use a prepared pattern is understandable.

Susan and had a play day.   I  cut some of the organza we got at the market and made stencils. 

 

Susan worked on her long Lincoln and Washington projects.   The garden in their compound  was beautiful.   I had never seen Poinsettia that were 10 feet high before.

I drew almost every day on this trip and this is a banana plant Susan’s  garden.

We visited the Stamp Museum one day and there was a good display of work using a big stamp as a base   for artist interpations.   I liked the idea of using stamps as units for a collage too.   There was also a large collection of stamps from all over the world for ones viewing.   It was a great museum. w

We went on a field trip to the Print Studio/ Museum  too.  It was an old  weaving  factory, that  has now been  converted for artists   studios.  The display space was huge and there where over 100 huge prints there.  Many were woodcuts that were done  on 4’X6’  sheets of plywood.    Big windows and reflective glass made taking photos very hard.   I did like how their definition of prints included stenciled graffiti.    These were done on the walls of the gallery and were pristine.      There was also a wonderful  video  show in the gallery upstairs from a South African artist.This woodcut block was also a part of the show.

Susan and I went to the Museum of Modern Art and saw a wonderful show of collaborations.  An artist was paired with a craft person  and  they filled a room of the gallery  with their collaborations.  A weaver and embroider were paired for the text exhibit.     The results were wonderful.  This    second paring  was  of women appliques and  a  poet.   I went in search of the stitchers works and purchased one of my own to bring home.

We  took another fiend trip to a village that specialized in woven rugs.   This shot shows hand dyed yarns drying on a balcony.       The men did most of the weaving and were very pleasant.   His loom was huge and as the photo shows he did it all standing.      There were rugs everywhere even  in this village – even in restaurant  where we ate lunch.  We spent time in their  local church too.  It had just be restored and in the process it was discovered that may stones from the native  temple that was destroyed for the church construction were reused in the building of the church.  I love the mix  and the fact that the restoration left the  underling stones exposed.  

I went on a tour of the Botanical  Garden in Oaxaca  on my last full day.  It was very informative and  beautiful.  Epically when we learned that it was only 35 years old.  I really  like this Elephant Tree and

this tree they call the Rock Crusher. The roots are amazing.   The guide  said it was going to be cut soon as it was destroying the old abbey wall that surrounded the garden.   I took tons of photos here  and enjoyed myself.   Later that day Susan and I visited the Museum of Oaxaca and had a good history lesson.   It was a wonderful trip and so very colorful.   I am very glad I went- especially when I got back to cold central NY.

Progress Report:  3X3  This is block 2C of the 3X# challenge.    I am currently doing my daily practice on this block.     I took this one and block 2B with me to Oaxaca to work on  while I was away.

This is a shot of the whole background with all nine parts.

 

This is block 2B, the center of the 3X3 set and it is more or less complete.   As I build other squares there may be overlap that needs to be added.

 

Forest Flock  I am to the point where I am stitching down the birds with the sewing machine and making that the quilting step  of the project.   The trees are also part of the quilting.

 

Lily   I painted this  lily on pillion with Susan on one of our play days.    It was one of the flowers that her landlady had brought to her.

Sweet  Peas    I painted these with Susan too.   I added the background  color yesterday.

Sandpipers   I finished the thread painting of the three birds yesterday and they are washed out and drying now.   I go inspired to work hard on them after receiving payment in the mail for the sale of Black Capped Chickadees at the Associated Artist sale.

This is the shore background for the birds.   It is a felted background.

Jeanne’s QuiltAll the rows are now built for this project.   I will move on to the next step now.

Label Cards Joy    One day while I was away Susan and made cards.   I used one of the many colorful magazines I had picked up to create these three cards.

 

Shoot They represent what was on my mind at the time.

Land  It was a great experience and I am so glad I went.

Keep Creating

Carol