Assemblog of Michael deMeng

A bit more on LoMeng/deBue class

2008-07-01T17:12:00.004-06:00

Okay...no class details yet...I'm waiting for Keith to get back from a teaching venue before we can work out the specifs....but here is a little info:

The combo Keith LoBue and deMeng (LoMeng/deBue) class is Oct. 7th and 8th in Portland. Glenny of Art and Soul is putting this on as well as another Judy class.

contact Glenny for more info. She doesn't have prices or specs yet but if you're interested get your name on the list.
glennymoir@comcast.net

This should be fun!

Australia, Root of All Evil....and No Glue Lo Bue

2008-07-01T00:17:00.007-06:00

Hey dudes,

Back to the aeropuerto tomorrow...quick trip to Australia. I've been a bit quiet...had to have a friggin' wisdom tooth root canal whilst I was here. Goody gum drops. What a pain...literally.
All better now, so I thought I'd toss out a couple of images (other than xrays) from my trip. Here's a little Lorikeet that was hangin' on Judy's balcony. I assume he's a he. He was squawking at another one across the yard.

And here's a nice shot on the Bondi beach walk...it was gorgeous day. In fact, in the distance, not visible here, were some Humpback whales cruising along. Apparently they are here in droves right now...they are safe in Aussie waters from the whalers. Maybe they are smarter than we think.

I did a bit of junking while I've been here. One of my favorite market is in Rozelle (a Sydney suburb) Judy and I try and go every Saturday lots of junk to find...here's a nice little rusty thing. Interesting eh? It is an ancient bagel cutter.Actually the guy tells me it is for cutting bamboo....but he didn't sound to convinced about this, so I'll leave it to your imagination. He was nice enough to demo it for me though.

Ah what a lovely sunset from the balcony...ah. By the way it is winter here and it is quite cold...well, not Montana cold mind but coat weather much of the time. I like it. Way better than the nasty humid seasons.

Got to see Keith LoBue, Irena and the twins a couple time while I was here. Funny thing...those glasses we are wearing are identical (shot was taken at ArtFest) we both received the exact same pair of glasses as a gift...the same night. Here's a little surprise:
Keith (no glue) LoBue and I are teaming up this Fall. We are in the process of putting together a duo workshop in Portland...LoMeng and deBue. The specifics are being worked out...but stay tuned.

Next stop Idyllwild...talk then...
ciao
M

Selling art...hits and misses

2008-06-16T14:58:00.004-06:00

THE ALCHEMIST'S BOOK
I'll leave you with some images of a sample I did for my upcoming Tuscany workshop and the Hacienda Mosaico workshop in Puerto Vallarta my workshop: the Alchemist Book

Diablo or NO Diablo

2008-06-14T21:06:00.004-06:00

Hey every from down unda
hangin with Judy for a few weeks...trying to get our prototype together for the Bali workshop.

So those of you who are thinking of attending one or all of my Artist Nook/Ft. Collins Colorado workshops...Christine and I have a little surprise...a chance to win a piece of my art...custom made for you. As some of you know Christine is my on-line store biz partner and she just moved her workshop retreat venue to a new location. As a way of celebration her new space we thought we'd have a little fun.

Demon or No Demon
For each deMeng workshop that a student takes this July, they will receive a little matchbox...filled with something. The idea is to get the one with a little devil. If you get the devil I will make a little shrine for you (roughly 4"x6"ish) that will incorporate a personal item that you would like included.

Here are the three workshops where have a chance of the little demon

Found Object Alchemy 2-day w/ Michael deMeng (7/17-7/18)

Transparency Collage-ssemblage w/ Michael deMeng (7/19)

Morpheus Box w/ Michael deMeng (7/20)

Sound like fun? So let's play...Demon...or No Demon.

What can a typewriter yeild?

2008-05-27T22:09:00.005-06:00

As promised...I said I would show what became of that old Corona typewriter. Looks a bit different eh?

I've been on sort of a vampire theme lately. Perhaps because of my recent music acquisitions. As many of you know, I have some residual Goth-ish tendencies, and lately I have been listening to the Kronus Quartet playing Phillip Glass's new soundtrack to the Bela Lugosi Dracula.

Along the same theme I also purchased some nice little treats from Jill Tracy (a nice cabaret style goth), and she is great solo but she and the Malcontent Orchestra put together a soundtrack for the vampire films to end all vampire films...or to begin all vampire films...Nosferatu.

In any event the music seemed to influence the theme and the Rudyard Kipling book of poems "the Vampire" laying about, didn't hurt either.

So I entitle this new typewriter inspired piece: Blood Type.... get it? Okay bad pun.

Sweet dreams....

a few workshops on the horizon

2008-05-23T20:58:00.001-06:00

Howdy gang...
a little biz to take care of...
I'm teaching some workshops in the the next few months that might be of interest to some of ya'all...(I just got back form the south).

Boston area
Absolutely Everything
Topsfield, MA
May 30th - June 1st 2008

I'm teaching "I want to paint like Mike", Morpheus Box, and Transparency Collage-seemblage

Stamp Act
Marshfield, MA
June 7th - 8th 2008
I'll be doing the gool al' reliable Pez dispensing Tetem class, and Head Sea Scrolls

Then off to Colorado in July
Artists' Nook
Fort Collins, CO
July 18th -20th 2008
In this bunch of classes I'll be doing a 2 day Found Object Alchemy class, the Morpheus Box Class, and the Transparency Collage-ssmeblage class (a.k.a. I can see clearly now)

Hope to see you guys there...

P.S.

Next post will be what ever became of all those typewriter parts from the previous post....stay tuned.

To create you must destroy

2008-05-17T11:13:00.010-06:00

Its a beautiful day in Missoula. Everything has turned a vibrant green overnight. So what is one to do on such a nice day when you're not inspired to go inside the studio and work. Well, if it were me, first thing I would do is hook up with my buddy Tim for lunch and a few India Pale Ales, on the deck of the Old Post Pub. Now this , as you would imagine , leads me to being less inspired to go to work. So off to see an exhibit of abstract expressionists at the University of Montana...deKooning, Kline and an early Pollack highlight the exhibit.I head home to do some work, but I just can't seem to get into my groove today. I dink around for a few minutes...then I decide I'll go see Iron Man. I have to say I never read the comic but it looked cool, plus Robert Downey Jr. is always good and cynical.So the show was great mindless fun, yet quite inspiring, watching the main character, Tony Stark busy inventing the Iron Man outfit. It made me want to be an inventor....like Nikola Tesla...who was way cool...and David Bowie did a pretty good impersonation in the film The Prestige.So, I'm back at the studio, wanting to invent something but alas my brain is in a different mindset. I decide since I can't create I shall destroy. Nothing like a little destruction to get the cobwebs out. What to dismantle?
Ah yes Typewriters! For those you who have never experienced the process of dismantling a typewriter, lets just say that it is a bit complex...especially if you have any intent on rebuilding it....which, of course I don't. The interior of a typewriter looks something like this. Don't forget the twenty million screws.
Those of you who may be squeamish at the sight of the antiques being dismembered might want to close your eyes. Some have certain ethics about taking such things apart...I however do not. Its time has passed...now it is mine (evil villain laugh).
It begins with a screwdriver and bit by bit the pieces are removed.
Some parts are a bit stubborn....time to pull out the Dremel and let the sparks fly.....woooohoooo!A desolate landscape left behind, but to me it is pure treasure...hundreds of little goodies and trinkets left behind for me to play with.
And of course there is the Holy Grail ...not sure what the technical name is, but it is I always the best piece.I know exactly what I want to do. Now I am inspired. Now I can get some work done.

Robert Rauschenberg 1925-2008

2008-05-14T06:45:00.007-06:00

I tip my brush....
One of the greats of the Art world passed on this week. Robert Rauschenberg. He was one of my primary influences when starting my long hard slog to being an artist. It was years ago (high school, in fact) when I say my very first Rauschenberg work at S.F.Moma. It was what he called a combine...what I call assemblage.

combine - Any painted assemblage that is neither simply painting or sculpture, but rather a hybrid or interdisciplinary painting-sculpture. The term "combine" was coined by Robert Rauschenberg.

where as assemblage is defined as this:

assemblage sculpture - A three-dimensional composition made of various materials found objects, paper, wood, and textiles

Now, I admit that according to the definition, the term combine might be more correct in describing my work than assemblage...but only by a nose...besides, assemblage (assemblahhhhhzzzzzhhhhh) has a nicer ring to it. To each his own.
I can't tell you what an effect his work and others like him had on me. You might say: but it looks nothing like your work. But once upon a time my work was more like his than it was like mine. The reason was that when I was in Art School I dabbled in abstract expressionism. I was fascinated by texture of paint, and how paint was able to mix with other textures as well as actual objects. This exploration allowed me to use my paint the way I do today....because of his influence, I was inspired to understand what paint actually does, what it is as a physical, tactile element,and how it relates to foreign objects. There were others who inspired me in this regard, in particular, such as Anselm Kieffer, but I think Rauschenberg was the first to show me that paint and found object art can work together.

"think a painting is more like the real world if it's made out the real world."
Robert Rauschenberg

deMeng's Class Music on Itunes!

2008-05-07T06:03:00.007-06:00

Okay...so a number of my students really like my playlists during my workshops and wanted a way to access some of the music. So someone in my class at Art/Soul VA mentioned putting together a IMix on Itunes...duh. Of course! The lightbulb went on and I quickly created a list for everyone to enjoy

While much of my playlist is available, the obscure titles or title not for sale on the Itunes are not included. I have two different IMixes. Michael deMeng's Mix-ssemblage Numero Uno and then of course Numero Dos. Each list has about 30 or 40 songs (there are about 5 pages to peruse) so pick and choose what you like.

the skinny on Bali

2008-05-01T22:13:00.005-06:00

Join Michael and Judy on a collaborative Bali workshop.

"Temple of Dreams"

An 8 day life altering experience...not to mention 5 days of intensive art workshops with Michael deMeng and Judy Wilkenfeld.

March 11-19 2009
$2950

In this class, "TEMPLE OF DREAMS" Judy Wilkenfeld and Michael deMeng are teaming up for a Balinese art workshop experience. Our concept was to come up with a workshop where students could experience both of our unique teaching styles and create a unified piece of art from the process.

The Workshop:
It was important for us to design a project that had a definitive relationship to Balinese culture. One of the most profound images in Balinese culture is the Meru; the multi-tiered, pagoda style temple. It symbolizes the world (or cosmic) mountain and is composed of several odd numbered tiers (no more than 11) that reach toward the sky. This is the form we will be using in class…though admittedly, much smaller, so that it could be transported in a suitcase.

In class we will be building a mixed media/assemblage meru that will have the ability to be opened at each tier. Inside students will create a sacred space for dreams and wishes. The interior space will be created using the methods of assemblage, collage, and painting. Perhaps it is a home for your dreams, perhaps it is a home for your sacred thoughts. In the end you leave learning a variety of techniques from two artists to create your own Temple of Dreams.

What is included in the workshop fee:

A 5-day intensive workshop with Michael and Judy
8 nights of double occupancy accomodations at Apakabar Villas; www.apakabarvillas.com
A day trip to to Ubud, the culture arts center of Bali- with lunch included.
We will be making efforts to schedule a reading with Mr. Ketut Lyier, the medicine man and to visit Wayan, the healer mentioned in Elizabeth Gilbert's best selling book, "Eat, Pray, Love" http://www.elizabethgilbert.com/faq.htm#FAQ
Group snorkeling, beach excursion
A private one 1 hour massage
An evening of Traditional Balinese Dance Performance
Balinese temple excursion and ceremony with the priests
A magnificent hike through the nearby river valley, past rice patties and local villages
Time for swimming and enjoying the pool and grounds of Apakabar Villa's restaurant
Daily, fresh prepared breakfast and dinner at Apakabar Villa restaurant
All transportation to and from excursions during the workshop week
Transportation to and from the airport at Dempasar, Bali.

*Arcangelo Productions reserves the right to make changes in the itinerary if needed to due weather or other circumstances beyond our control.

What is NOT included in the workshop fee
-air transportation
-any food, beverages or meals not specified in the itinerary
-alcohol
-gratuities to Apakabar Villa staff
-required workshop supplies
-There may be a kit fee for this retreat to help minimize the need travel with larger materials. This is to be announced.

Cafe

Please Note Apakabar Villas does offer a lanai-style Cafe

Please Note Apakabar Villas does offer a lanai-style CAFE serving lunch daily as well as alcohol and other edible delights during the workshop.

As noted these items are not included in the tuition price but are available for the group convenience.

This workshop is being hosted by Stacey and Rob of Archangelo Productions (also hosts of my Cortona, Italy workshop),so its sure to be a great experience and is very professionally run.
Email: arcangeloproductions@gmail.com
or
Phone, Bali workshops: 503.381.2434

A Judy-Michael colaborative workshop in Bali

2008-04-28T17:32:00.005-06:00

Bali Workshop
March 11-19 2009

Well , that's right...here it is... the first ever teaching collaboration between Judy and I...in Bali!!! of all places. Here's a peek at where we are teaching:

Pretty nift...eh?
Yeah mate!
We are quite excited and busy putting together the class description. The workshop will run from March 11-19, 2009. We are honing in on the fine details, but students will be creating one project that utilizes techniques from both of us. Sounds fun. But what could the project be? I'm not giving it up yet...but I promise you... it is way cool. We thought about it for a while and I think we have come up with something that is unique and Balinese at the same time. Stay tuned well be giving more info as time moves on but if you want more on the event and the location you can check out the Archangelo Productions website: http://www.arcangeloproductions.com/
(yes, they are the ones who put on my Cortona, Italy workshop)
you can also contact them
ROB FRIEDMAN
STACEY MATTRAW-FRIEDMAN
ARCANGELO PRODUCTIONS
2714 NW Savier St
Portland OR 97210

Bali workshops: 503.381.2434
Cortona workshops: 503.381.2433

email: ARCANGELOPRODUCTIONS@GMAIL.COM
Sound pretty nifty doesn't it...see you there. Class size is limited so....sign up now!
M

Angels in our Midst.

2008-04-19T08:50:00.010-06:00

A whirlwind number of weeks....Portland....Seattle....Port Townsend....and Missoula. Judy just left and is hanging with the gals in Phillie, NY and beyond. I in the meantime have to get some stuff done before Art and Soul Virginia, in a few short weeks.

While Judy was traveling through my home of Missoula, we had a rigorous schedule of meeting friends and family...not to mention a bit of junkin' along the way. She had a number of opportunities to share her recent creation of the 12 Tribes. Funny thing is that one observation that people made was the similarities between her and my work. I think it is impossible to work next to someone in the studio for months on end and not be an influence to each other. Of course we were drawn together because of common interests but I think both of our works have changed and become closer because of the relationship. This is not always the case...I have plenty of artist friends in relationships with other artists, and the work looks nothing like the other person's. It makes for great fun and many more opportunities for collaboration.

Strangels or Strange Angels
I'm on a winged thing sort of kick. I've been working on a series of Strange Angels (some fallen some not). One of my all time favorite movies is Wings of Desire by Wim Wenders. Amazing cinematography and all around beautiful film about angels in Berlin (before the wall came down). It is the story of one angel who wants to live and be human as opposed to...well see the film...if I were a Hindu deity I would give it 6 thumbs up.

So ever since that film, I expanded my obsession from just vampires to that of angels...though, I have to admit that I'm still a sucker (pun intended) for the blood suckers. Wings of Desire is what inspired this latest series:

Steampunk

2008-03-24T12:48:00.005-06:00

Here's a little treat for you guys....first I should start off with a definition from Wikipedia:

Steampunk is a subgenre of fantasy and speculative fiction which came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century, and often set in Victorian era England—but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, or real technological developments like the computer occurring at an earlier date.

Okay now you're up to speed....check out the Steampunk computer goodies. These are from a couple of different sites first:

you can see more of this here http://steampunkworkshop.com/daveveloz.shtml

Another guy does some nice work as well....his link is here.

http://www.datamancer.net/keyboards/industrial/industrial.htm

Someone need a new laptop...this is what I should have picked up after the robbery

How bout a scanner?

some of you may need something a little more substantial

Pretty cool huh?

Northwest.here we come

2008-03-22T19:48:00.003-06:00

Howdy,
been back in Missoula getting the house ready for Ms. Judy's stay. I'll be meeting up with her on the West Coast and off to ArtFest we go. It will be great to see the gang and overwhelm Judy with introductions.

WorkShop Alert
But hang on....that's not all!!!!!!!!
A last minute workshop has plopped into my lap as we head up to Vancouver B.C. I'll be teaching the "I Can See Clearly Now...Transparency Collage-ssemblage" class at Ruby Dogs Art House
on Wed. April 9th. So all you Canadians or Washingtonites who couldn't get into this class at ArtFest have a shot.

Thats fine and dandy for all the people on the Pacific Coast what about yoooz guys in the east.
Another Workshop Alert!
Well another place I'm teaching at that doesn't get much press is the Society for Contemporary Craft in Pittsburgh. If you're hanging out up there this June 3rd through 5th drop in and see me. Contact Laura Rundell for more info thestudio@contemporarycraft.org

well that's it for now.... See everyone somewhere.

Listen to them - children of the night. What music they make.

2008-03-15T09:47:00.005-06:00

Just a brief post to those who have responded to the "Issues of Shadows" entry. Thanks for your comments, I'm glad I could draw a few of you out of your caves. As Varney the Vampire sang: "It's not easy being grim".I had a few people ask...privately and in comment form about the "mortal coil" reference.

It's from Shakespeare's Hamlet...the soliloquy in fact...you know, "to be or not to be" To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil...

Now some have argued that the term was used to mean the troubles of daily life, it used to be used to mean ado or disturbance. I'm not convinced that this alone was what Shakespeare had in mind. I actually think that he was metaphorically referring to the snake shedding its skin. The snake is often of symbol of the life cycle...i.e. Urobouros. It makes perfect sense given that Hamlet is at the moment of pondering life vs. death, and what may come beyond.

Just a footnote.

The issue of shadows

2008-03-08T07:09:00.010-07:00

So, as many of you know...my aesthetic tastes lean a bit on the darker side...it was all those episodes of Dark Shadows, no doubt....which brings me to my post.

I saw the coooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooolest thing the other day. I noticed that my favorite band from my high school era, Bauhaus, had released a final album (they have been broken up and recently toured together as a reunion), so I downloaded the album and as a bonus you get a video of a 2005 live performance in which they play there most noted tune "Bela Lugosi's Dead" (you may have seen them play this live in the opening scenes of the David Bowie vampire movie "the Hunger"). Anyway the video has the lead singer, Peter Murphy, hovering onto the stage, upside down in bat pose...AND proceeds to sing the entire song this way. How hard would that be. Way cool.

Now, I'm not quite the Goth I used to be, but it still works its way into my art. I have always been attracted to shadow...after all without shadow, light cannot be defined. It is also one of the most misunderstood of aesthetics. I think the assumption is that if your work leans a bit toward the dimmer side, (whether in color or theme) that you are somehow a dark personality. I can't tell you how many times I've had people say that, by the nature of my work, they assumed that I was this pensive and foreboding personality. My belief is that the art creates is not the sum total of an artist, it is merely the part they wish to express. (the following are a few samples from a commish I just finished).

In my case my aesthetic choices came about because (this is only speculation...I'm not sure anyone can really know why they do what they do to the nth degree) of a number of reasons. Probably the most notable was being a shy insecure kid...I moved a ton and just when I would make friends I would move again. Thus the loner vampire became sort of appealing as a metaphor....they were beautiful, stylish, self confident...everything I wanted to be. But really I think there is something deeper going on. I believe that there is something archetypal, something innate, that makes us fear...yet long for the night. To me it is the metaphor of the unknown, like sleep, like death.

Through the years, the vampire in me worked it's way into my art...its more refined than it used to be, but it is really a way of releasing ideas but it is also a way to explore the complexity of existence and the mortal coil we must all shed. Someone like Monet, finds a role in art exploring beauty and light and color. For me, it is the contrast of light and dark and of time's deteriorating and transformative effect on all things. I know this sounds odd, but it is really the hint of painfully beautiful nostalgia that fascinates me. There is something so sweet, so sad, so engrossing about things lost. Yes, there is beauty in tragedy, it is the recognition of the fragility of life and light as it battles against the shadow. Or in the case of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in Mexico, a celebration of the dead is really an joyous celebration of life. The dark eerie setting of a cemetery at night, is transformed with simple candles, flowers and warm hearts, into one of the most beautiful things I have ever beheld.

ESH

This brings me to the Holocaust piece that Judy and I worked on relating to her family's experience (Judy did an amazing number of in depth informative posts on the collaboration check it out). The most moving thing about working on this piece was that sense of lives lost, not in the sense of mere existence, but in Judy's father's case, childhood stolen. It is strange because as I was working on this project, what I found most disturbing was the not the photos of despair, but rather the photos of joy before the darkness came.

The next two images really punctuate the point. These are Judy's handiwork:

We know the tragedy that lies ahead yet we as viewers are helpless to reach into the past and help. It is the fragility of life that amazes me, the beauty of it despite adversity...perhaps because of it. It is how things in the universe try to block out the light, and how light tries to move through shadow. A dance...and sometimes a violent one, but if you look hard enough you will find grace and moments of beauty. This is the gift that Judy has, as an artist and as a she navigates this territory flawlessly.

deMeng de los Muertos... Official Itinerary

2008-02-23T23:20:00.007-07:00

Three posts in one day...that's crazy! I'm trying to get some stuff taken care of before I leave Australia.

So I mentioned a few posts back that the Day of the Dead workshop in Oaxaca was a go, but we hadn't put together our official itinerary yet...so here it is as well as all the info you would ever need. Colleen is already getting oodles of responses. So, he who hesitates...is...well...not able to go with us.

Dia de los Muertos workshop - October 25 - November 3, 2008

Retablos from the Random

by Michael deMeng

One of the most amazing things about Mexico is their knack for transforming the most mundane object into something interesting and artistic. In this art adventure we will be creating shrines using mixed media and found objects...found objects we find wandering through the Mexican town of Oaxaca...the shops, the vendors, the streets, the rooftops...wherever. Old shoes, rusty machine parts, license plates, who knows what we'll find and that is the adventure. Then, back in the class, we will assemble, collage, paint, etc. the work into fruition. I'll also show students how to make little saints, skeletons or diablos out of broken dolls or toys. Mexico is so rich in inspiration when it comes to shrines, that we'll explore a number of possible styles and designs including Nichos, Quadalupes, Ex Votos, Ofrendas and Retablos. Time to turn that trash into treasure. Oh, and don't worry, we'll still have time for margaritas...or better yet mescal.

Join Michael for a workshop in Oaxaca, Mexico. Oaxaca is a beautiful, friendly, historical and culturally rich city in southern Mexico. Home to some of the finest folk artists in the world, Oaxaca abounds with ceramics, textiles, tin, wood carving, jewelry, and more. There is an exciting contemporary art and photography community based here also. The food and restaurants are exceptional and friendly people make it a pleasure to visit.

Throughout our 9-day stay people around the city will be getting ready for Dia de los Muertos. Every home and business will be setting up altars and preparing for the feast. The photo opportunities are endless. Each time you head out the door for the Zocalo or just a walk around the neighborhood something new will catch your attention. Flowers on the street corners, students in school altar competitions, book fair, traditional dancers, mariachis, and so much more!

Last year's group had a fantastic visit and workshop. We hope you can join us this year

Itinerary

October 25 (Saturday)

Arrive in Oaxaca and get settled after a long journey. Enjoy a walk to the Zocalo (town square) for dinner and sight seeing in the evening.

October 26 (Sunday)

Breakfast. Tour to Monte Alban and Atzompa. On a hilltop over looking the Oaxaca valley sits the majestic archeological site of Monte Alban. Our guide, Juan Montes, will explain the history of this sacred place.

We will visit the ceramic producing village of Atzompa and visit artists at work.

Lunch is included. Evening is free.

October 27 (Monday)

Breakfast. Class begins at 10:00 A.M. Break for lunch. Late afternoon and evening free.

October 28 (Tuesday)

Breakfast. Class begins at 10:00 A.M. Break for lunch. Late afternoon and evening free.

October 29 (Wednesday)

Breakfast. Class begins at 10;00 A.M. Break for lunch. Late afternoon and evening free.

October 30 (Thursday)

Breakfast. 9:00 A.M. Tour to Zaachila, a small country market that focuses on animal sales. You too could own a pair of turkeys and some piglets.

We will also visit Santiago Apostal in Cuilapan. This huge Dominican monastery was begun in 1550 and never completed. Also in this area we will stop in Arrasola, home to some of Mexico's finest woodcarvers. A visit to their home studios is always a treat.

Lunch at a restaurant in the countryside. Evening free. The classroom is open if you want to work until 10:00P.M.

October 31 (Friday)

Breakfast. Class begins at 10:00 A.M. Break for lunch. Today is the last day to finish up those pieces and get ready for Michael's critique also known as the good, the bad and the ugly.

Tonight we will visit the XOXO cemetery. This is the first night of the Dia de los Muertos celebration. It is an amazing experience and a time to be very respectful of the people. Please ask before taking photographs.

November 1 (Saturday)

Breakfast. Today is a free day in Oaxaca. Visit the market, the museum, galleries, botanic gardens and everything you might have missed this week. Try to see it all. We will visit the city cemetery in the evening.

November 2 (Sunday)

Breakfast. Tour the sights along the Pan American highway. First a visit to the 2000-year-old ahuehuete (Montezuma cypress) El Tule tree. Young students from the local school will be practicing their guiding skills. Next, the Tlacolula market. One of the largest continuously held markets in Latin America. Hang onto your valuables; it can be very crowded. We will travel on to Mitla. This site contains some of the most beautiful and complex stone fretwork in Mexico. Lunch in Mitla. If time permits we will visit a small family owned mescal distillery.

Our last night in Oaxaca, enjoy!!!!

November 3 (Monday)

Breakfast. Fly away home.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Accommodations: Holiday Inn Express Centro Historico Workshop classroom here also.

Included: Breakfast daily, 7 lunches, 2 dinners. The cost of alcoholic beverages and bottled drinks and water is not included with meals.

Tours: 3 guided tours included.

Tour price: $2100. Per person double occupancy.

$2400. Per person single occupancy.

Deposit: $250 to secure your spot. Full payment is due September 10, 2008. Please pay by check; I am unable to process credit cards.

Colleen Darling

950 Ballard Canyon Rd.

Solvang CA 93463

805-688-1221

colleen950@gmail.com

Airfare is not included. When searching for airfares the Oaxaca code is OAX.

Responsibilities: Michael deMeng and Colleen Darling do not own or operate the hotel or any of the companies providing transportation for this tour. We assume no responsibility for delays, losses or accidents or damage to persons or property caused by any persons, firm, corporation or other legal entity providing the following services: hotel, restaurant, transportation or other services incidental to this workshop.

Trick or Retreat in the Fall

2008-02-23T22:19:00.006-07:00

A few things to keep your eye on this October
First
Art and Soul Portland is always a big one . They should have there class lists up pretty soon. I love going to Portland...land of McMenamin Pubs and Voodoo Doughnuts

Then comes:
Here's something to keep your eyes on. A new retreat in Cedarburg WI is happening in Oct.
I taught in this town a few years back for Bernie Berlin. Now her friend Kim is putting together classes with me, Linda and Opie O'Brien, Bernie Berlin, Jill Berry, Karyn Gartel, Judy Wise, and Laurie Mika. It's a groovy little town.
Check out more info here

The Answer is Blowing in the Wind

2008-02-23T17:49:00.003-07:00

The answer is....YES. If you're wondering what I'm referring to...go to Jen Crosley's blog post in reference to our overly intelectual conversation.

While you're there check out her art...cool as school.

Packing up for the big trip...cheers,
Michael