Gallery Walk in Missoula

Hey all you Missoulians,
I have some friends with openings this Friday. Stop by and say "hey" and check out the work.

Kathryn Dunn
Kate is having a show at Liquid Planet on Higgins...you know, the place where I pretty much wrote my book at. Music at 7 by David Boone. Check it out.

Also
Laura Blaker
Local artist and muralist extraordinaire is having an exhibit at Paradigm Architects on Main St. This is a series of oils and sketches from Italy....ah....Italy.

Look at art, drink their drinks and buy some work...see everyone there.
cheers

Mexico City and Upsy Downsys

Okay, just wanted to show you a few picture from Mexico City. So I ended up getting a screaming deal on Priceline for a hotel I've always wanted to stay at. If you have seen the movie "Frida" you will has seen some of this hotel...at least the ceiling...the amazing stained glass ceiling. In the flim Friday is supposed to be in Paris...but I'd know that stained glass anywhere...it is actual "El Gran Hotel" on the main Zocalo and across from the Presidential Palace and the Catedral. Amazing. I ended up paying a third of the listed price...don't ask me how.

Here is my veiw from the room window. The Zocalo. Catedral on the left. Presidential Palace on the right.
Here is the hotel looks like from outside.
and this is what I see when I opened my door.

Look up!Stay there if you can. Way cool. Even if you don't at least go in and look at the beatiful interior.



UPSY DOWNSIES
for those of you who were in my Oaxaca class...I know you're lurking out there somewhere. There was a conversation about a toy that I had when I was very young. Upsy Downsys. Some of you thought I was zooming on shrooms but here is proof.

the cast of characters:

Upsys

• Flossy Glossy - The Upsy Fire-Chiefess and her Elewetter Fire Engine
• Tickle Pinkle - The Upsy Beauty and her Bugabout Car
• Pudgy Fudgy - The Upsy Eat-Too-Mucher and her Piggybus
• Baby So-High - The Upsy Hero and her Airo-Zoomer Plane

Downsys

• Downy Dilly - The Downsy Mischief-Maker and her Footmobile
• Pocus Hocus - The Downsy Mixed-Up Magician and his Dragon Wagon
• Mother What Now - The Downsy Frazzled Mom and her Go-Getter Car
• Miss Information - The Downsy Opposite Directions Teller and her Miss Information Booth

and the physical evidence:So there...neener neener!

Return of El Charro

Well, I'm back. Back from "deMeng de los Muertos" in Oaxaca, Mexico. Just when I wonder if it is as magical a place as I seem to recall I am reminded that, yes, it is the most magical place on the planet. The class was swell...a wonderful group of 19 artists and adventurers, who, most said that the place exceeded there expectations. Well good...I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks so. And it looks like we will be doing it again next year. Stay tuned.

Some of you may already know, but I'm working on book numero dos. It is my take on Mexican art...so I'm not going to go into great details on some of the stories of the trip right now, since some of them may be good book fodder, but wanted to give you a few images to peruse.

Taking cemetary shots at night is a pain...but somehow this one turned out...if you have a Canon powershot...try the aquarium setting.


One of these things is not like the other:


This is Santo Domingo. This place just glows at sunset...the stones are so multicolored it is amazing...not bad a mid-day either.


Monte Alban...Zapotec...then Mixtec ruins. Read the story of Donaji in my book for more details but this is supposedly where Heaven and Earth meet. Just by looking at the photo, I think you might agree.

Ah yes, Zaachila church...where deMeng met the killer bee a number of years back...we did see bees, but nobody was injured.

As far as skeletons go...they are breathtaking

The Return of El Charro de los Calaveras...looking a little older.

Well thats it for now...stay tuned...more to come.

adios amigos
M

One More Monkey Note

Thanks for your many comments on the Sacred Monkey post. By the way, Vickie left a nice comment with a little myth from the Dayak tribe referring to the creation of orangutans. Check it out in the comment section of that post.

The piece is coming along swimmingly (Joe and Dalynn will be glad to hear this).

One thing that I find really mysterious - beyond the finding of the Sacred Monkey - is WHO, and under what circumstances did someone place the monkey on that step (by the way it seemed quite obviously placed and not dropped). That is the mystery that now consumes me. Of course it is the mystery of any found object...that's what makes them so interesting to me.

Enough monkey shines. Back to work.

p.s.
the above image is Hanuman. Hindu monkey/man who led a monkey army against the demon King Ravana.

The Strange Case of the Sacred Monkey

Ok so I've had a strange day. Today was the day I needed to hunker down and get some work done on a commish that I'm doing for someone. It is a family portrait...sort of...more generally speaking and I just got rolling. It's a large piece...about 4ft by 3 ft. and things started to roll after I found a couple of statues at an antique store to represent the couple. Below is a hint of the beginnings of the piece. No paint yet...just raw materials...the figures will change oodles. Now one thing my clients wanted me to include was a representation of there child...who they fondly call their little monkey. So today I decided I needed to track down a little monkey for the shrine. I pondered a bit and my first thought was the Montana Antique Mall (4 stories of goodies). Of course it means weeding through the place to find a small little monkey. Well, no time like the present. I pull up to the curb in front of the building and start walking in. I even pull the door open and I hesitate. I look down on the side walk and see this:
What is it? A piece of rust...poop? Looks like it might be good. I look closer.
Before I go any further...I'll show you where I was when I found the little object...red dot marks the spot.A closer look reveals a tiny ceramic orangutan. Okay this is pretty friggin' weird. What are the odds. I mean seriously...the day I'm looking for a little monkey. Now I'm sure I could have found a monkey, but to find a monkey on the sidewalk in front of a store that is not know for its supply of monkeys. That little thing on the sidewalk could have been anything...a gear...a old tootsie roll...even a ceramic squirrel, but nooooo, a ceramic monkey on the day I need a ceramic monkey. What do you think statistic freaks? Two trillion to one....more...less?

So here is the sacred monkey in his little spot on the piece. I'll post images of the completed piece when its done. But there is some seriously strange mojo going down already. Weird...very weird.

Vowels at the end of every word...mama mia

I'm baaaaaaaack...for a few days anyway. Back from the land of Olio de Uliva, the land of after dinner drinks called digestivos, the land traffic cops with white purses, an the land of really old stuff. Thats right, I am back from Italy Had a great time...great food...great drink...and a really, really great workshop group...here are my peeps below. I just thought I'd throw a few pictures your way, for your amusment. This is where we had the workshop...not inside this building but on the grounds. Sunset right here....purdy. And here is the view from my apartment...which was totally awesome...except for the uphill climb...upside is that I am now ready for ski season. Okay we did get a bit of rain...but even that was cool...I love rainy cobblestone streets. After the class was over I decided to do a day trip to Firenze (Florence). Stacy (the organizer) was a little wishy washy at first "maybe I'll go...maybe not". Finally after a bit of persuading I convinced her to go. I had ulterior motives, Stacy went to school in Florence so I figured she would know some secret spots and cool things to see....and sure enough she did. The first stop was Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella...which was a surprise for me. It was one of the earliest apothecary shops in Florence, and still sell perfumes, soaps, etc. Here's the ceiling...I have a thing for Medusa...don't look. Here is a drawing room or study in the same building, and of course the cool cabinets filled with stuff I'd love to disect.

Now I said I had a thing for Medusa....this is one of my favorite statues. Celinni's Perseus Beheading Medusa. Amazing to see it in person in the Piazza della Signoria . I'm not quite sure what my Medusa thing is all about, and I know it didn't start with the Clash of the Titans, staring Harry Hamlin as Perseus. I think my fascination is that it is one of the most fantastical villains in all of mythology. Also in the Piazza della Signoria is the Fountain Neptune ...also quite impressive in person. And of course who could forget Michelangelo's David...which is a replica of the original now housed in the Accademia. Okay so I'll leave you with a picture of Neptunes butt.

Ciao...is it time for a cafe and a Limoncell0...or two?

na na na na na...wa...wa...wa

Howdy gang,

been busy trying to get some goodies together for book II. ..plus class proposals... plus trying to figure out Facebook...plus whatever else. Lots to do, no doubt...plenty of time to sleep when you're dead, right? I wanted to post some images of what I've been working on, but you'll just have to wait...top secret right now.

So I'm off to Italy next week...I know...I know...blah, blah, blah, life is rough...yeah, I know. Hey, I'm the first to admit that I am soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo friggin' lucky.

So, speaking of Italy, those of you who are familiar with my classes know that at the end of every class I play the theme song to "the Good, the Bad and the Ugly", the famous spaghetti western starring Clint Eastwood. After the song we do our class critique, (which isn't as ominous as it sounds)...so since the whole Spaghetti Western thing came from Italy (remember all the really bad dubbing) I thought I'd give you a treat.

My buddy, Kristy Duncan (KD) ...a music freak-a-saurus rex...forwarded me something waaaaaay cool in honor of my critique sessions.

the Ukelele Ochestra of Great Britain...check it out...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3gp7B8WC4Q