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Even though we started planting a little late, Saniego and I had a successful garden this year! Here are pictures of some of our last yummy fruits and vegetables.
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Lately, my work in the studio has been dictated by the routes I take on my walks. I keep a little journal with me so that I can draw out the routes I take. I've re-drawn some of my "walking drawings" into larger (3' x 3') pieces of Vellum paper using pencil and embroidery techniques.
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The Center for Visual Arts on 10th y Santa Fe Avenue hosted an incredible art exhibition called "Return of the Corn Mothers," organized by Renee Fajardo (whose daughter, Asia, happens to be a high school friend of mine). Saniego and I attended several of their community oriented and academic events including a Panel Discussion about Indigenous Prayer in Contemporary Society, Lectures by Maxine McBrinn, Ph.D., and Jill Mollenhauer, Ph.D. about female gender roles in light of agriculture in Southwest and Pre-Columbian MesoAmerica, Lectures by Dr. Devon Peña about Water Asequia rights in southern Colorado; and Día de los Muertos Celebration. Here is a picture of the Panel Discussion:
Here is a picture of the Youth Poetry Event we attended, where we were honored by the dancers of Cleo Parker Robinson's Dance Studio:
It was an amazing experience to have these community events so rich in culture and social awareness right in our neighborhood. It felt so stimulating to be re-connected with an intense academic community and to be able to learn about so many strong women in the US who keep culture alive and communities strong. I found a link from Renee Fajardo's website which tells of one of the featured "Corn Mothers," Rita Flores de Wallace, a woman who I admire very much and feel such a privilege to be able to work with her and learn from her: http://www.reneefajardo.net/articles.html?subfuse=wallace
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With Saniego's encouragement, I sold my greetings cards at the Denver Art Museum. The picture shows cards that Saniego and I collaborated on - he made the paper and chose the thread colors, which I used to embroider my designs. Preparing cards to sell for this event got me in the mindset and studio practice to get me going on opening my esty shop called HOLAyola. I've been reading up on what it takes to have a card business, tuning into to Online Labs for Esty Sellers, and working on my Photography Skills - on top of making Cards, ha ha!
My earliest memory of wanting to start a 'card business' must have been in middle school, so it's never too late, Check it out: www.holayola.etsy.com
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Saniego left to Miami this week for his job with the Dikeou Art Collection. Here is a picture he sent me of his view from his hotel on Miami Beach (jealous! although this sunny weather in Denver is nothing for me to complain about...):
Saniego and I will be reconnecting in Mexico City come Dec. 10th! So my next post will be about our travels through Mexico, where we hope to visit family, las Mariposas Monarchas, attend Dia de Guadalupe festivities at la Basilica on the 12th, be in Patzcuaro for the renewal of the Mayan Calendar, visit as many art and cultural museums as we can, and of coarse, eat eat eat!
