Monday, January 28, 2013

Mexico City - deMeng de los Muertos 2013

As many of you know, every year I head down to Oaxaca for Dia de los Muertos so that students and I can celebrate.  This coming October I will be returning to Mexico for Day of the Dead...but not to Oaxaca.  My organizer, Colleen and I decided we should mix things up a bit.  We decided to hold a workshop in Mexico City!   I know that this can be intimidating to some folks but it is actually one of my favorite places to visit.  


This workshop will be very different than other workshops I've done.  Students will not need to bring a suitcase full of rusty things to take the class....believie it or not, all you will need is some basic art supplies..."The Five P's"(pencil, pastel, paint, paste and photos) from there we will visit a variety of  wondrously strange places in the Mexican capital where we can sit, work and be inspired.  I will be giving instruction on journalling techniques, sketching, painting, etc.  I will also be showing students some nifty effects using mobile phone/ ipad or small cameras.    Every night  we will end with a show-and-tell of our art-ventures...perhaps while enjoying a margarita, cerveza, or Aztec hot chocolate.  

Where will be hanging out you may ask?  I wanted to include my favorite places to go.
It will be Dia de los Muertos, so there will be plenty of activities associated with that as well.
Where the final list of journaling venues is not quite complete but here is what we have so far...
The dates will be October 28- November 3rd

Isla de las Munecas -Doll Island.  
That's right...the bizarre island up the canal system of Mexico City.  We will take a boat up to visit this haunted island.



Casa Azul - Frida Kahlo's house.
It's beautiful place to hang and right in the heart the lovely area called Coyacan.  Trotsky's house is a few blocks up...left exactly as it was when was assassinated by one of Stalin's henchmen.

Teotihuacan - Pyramids
Not much know about this place...Aztecs stumbled upon these ruins...the inhabitants...long gone.  

Murals of Diego Rivera, Orozco and Siqueiros 
We will be hanging with the murals of the "big three" various locations...the Ministery of Education, the Presidential Palace, Escuela Nacional Preparatoria, and the Bellas Artes Opera House.



Basilica of Guadalupe the Catedral Metropol 
Architectural sights to behold.  
The Catedral being in the heart of the Historic district.  And the Basilica being the location where the Guadalupe allegedly made her mystical appearance.  

AND MORE...LOTS MORE
Like what?
Here's we are trying to work out...

Puebla
Home of Talavera pottery and the Alley of Frogs (antique row).


Luchadors!

Anyone want to check out a Luchador wrestling match?

The Witches Market?

Dia de los Muertos
Each year they do some amazing things in the Zocalo and around town.  We will find out whats going on and check it out.

Stay tuned...Colleen is heading down to do some figuring out and then we will be ready for registration in about a month or so.  More to come...

Friday, January 18, 2013

The Pez Playlist

And now for a musical interlude...
 I dig my music and it would be unusual for me to step foot into the studio without my precious ditties blaring away.  Now, those of you who have taken classes from me are well aware that I don't teach a class unless something is playing in the background.   As for my tastes, lets just say...they are rather eclectic.  I love a little of this and a little of that...depending on my mood.  Usually students find someone finds something they like in the mix.   Currently I'm doing an Pez Dispensing Totem Workshop online and a few students were asking for a playlist associated with the music used during this class.  I figured I share this with everyone, not just PEZ-ites.  Unfortunately ITunes no longer has the "share playlist" option, which was kind of cool because you could create a playlist and folks could go on ITunes and by the playlist and not hunt and search for everything.  But alas...no more.

So instead I'll be sharing the PEZ class playlist via YouTube videos.    
Here we go...happy listening!

Rocky and Bullwinkle Theme 

Seven Nation Army - Ben l'Oncle 

Candy - Frankie and the Outs

Orange Blossoms - JJ Grey and Mofro

Someone is Squeezing My Skull - Morrissey

Black Leaves Fall - Sea Wolf

Meyrin Fields - Broken Bells

Ghosts - Head and the Heart

Gone Daddy Gone - Violent Femmes

Devil's Paintbrush Road - The Wailin' Jennys

Land of Confusion - Katzenjammer

Chewbacca - Hosty

Ashes to Ashes - WarPaint

Default - Django Django

Gimme Shelter - Rolling Stones

Paint It, Black - Rolling Stones

Live and Let Die - Paul McCartney

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly - UK Ukelele Ochestra

Coin Operated Boy - Dresden Dolls

Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men

Ataypura - Yma Sumak

Seeing Someone Else - Belle and Sebastian

Glen Phillips - The Hole

Tuesday, January 08, 2013

2013 Workshop Schedule

Well... 2012 has come and gone.  We survived the Mayan Apocalypse and, I'm assuming we are in a new universe or dimension...though things look awfully similar...to the untrained eye.
So given that we are in some alternative reality I figured it best to keep you abreast of whats happening.  Plenty of post-apocalyptic workshops ahead.   

Mystic Marionette of Marigny 
New Orleans, LA
Feb 18-23
In the spirit of the Big Easy we will be creating fortune tellers...with strings.

Art is You
Nashville, TN
April 3-7
A new venue for Sal and El...should be fun.
I'll be doing a Baba Yaga Birdhouse Class.
then my wife Andrea Matus and I will be doing a duo, Beauty and the Beast workshop.

Ocean Reef Art League
Key Largo, FL
April 18-20
I'm heading to the iconic land of Bogie and Bacall.
We we be creating Navigator's Journals

Artology
Port Townsend, WA
April 23-26
Once again my wife Andrea and I are teaming up to do Fantastical Fantoccinis (Marionettes and  stages)


Random Arts
Saluda, NC
May 9-12
Back to one of my favorites....great junking and lots of fireflies.
Baba Yaga Birdhouse
and Andrea will be teaching a couple days too.


Small Studios
Westlake OH
May 16-19
Teeny Tiny Shrineys, Baba Yaga Birdhouse and Vehicular Varmints will grace Ginny and John's joint.


Salty SeaDogs and Sumptuous Sirens
Coney Island, New York
June 17-22
A duo class with Andrea.  Masks and banners to participate in the Mermaid Parade.

Idyllwild Arts
Idyllwild, CA
June 27-30
Yet again I'm heading up in the hills above Los Angeless...safe from the smog and paparazzi.  I'll be teaching Sanctum of the Forgotten Tune and Baba Yaga
Registrations starts Feb 1st

Collage
Portland OR
July 17-21
Some one day classes coming your way in the fun fun Alberta neighborhood.

Art Unraveled
Scottsdale AZ
August 2-5
Need a break from the heat...head on into a nice air conditioned classroom.

Wild at Heart Studio
San Juan Island, WA
August 24-25
Perfect place to hang in the summer.  Patron Saint of Rusty Things.

Lady of the Lake
Cornall, UK
Sept 8-14
A Lady of the Lake vignette is whats on the menu in the land of Arthur and Merlin.
More info very soon...

Art is You
Petaluma, CA
Sept 25-29
Good Brushes Gone Bad, Teeny Tiny Shriny and Baba Yaga Birdhouse
and
Art is You
Stamford, CT
Oct. 10-13
Vehicular Varmints, Teeny Tiny Shriney, Good Brushes Gone Bad

South of the Border
Oct 28- Nov 3
Mexico...somewhere in Mexico
A few treats in store.  Back for Dia de los Muertos, but with some new twists and a new location??????? 
The big surprise to be revealed soon!

Hope to see you somewhere!