​The summer continues with abundance: so many moments for friendship and art.  I exhibited in the Art Fair at Cathedral Park – that is, on the grassy lawn under the majestic trees beside the landmark building in beautiful downtown Santa Fe.  I met new friends, both visitors and vendors. By odd chance I met someone my sister works with – I just happened to look up at the right moment and I spotted her across the lawn.  That chance encounter reminded me to allow for the possibility of the unexpected, and mystery chance of “magic”.

​Happy happenstance imbues much of the events that are filling my summer.  Every August for more than 4 decades I have participated in a delightful event in Chicago, the Fest For Beatles Fans.  Likeminded fans of the group get together for one weekend and indulge in music, discussions, art, and performance. For many years, I have managed the display of fan art and the related art contest.  I also head up the Poetry Jam, and this year we are putting on a play looking at the careers of the Beatles after the death of their manager Brian Epstein.  It is surrealistic and funny and has a large cast of folk from the UK and the US. I would be hard pressed to describe the Fest, and photographs that I post are not adequate to show the enthusiasm at all the events.  

​While I am attending the Fest, I am going to roll out new art – originals created this month, some collages that I think this Beatles-loving audience will appreciate. The titles of these three “Are Like Dreamers Do”, “It’s Only Love” and “Knowing She Woods”.  I will also bring prints of my Lennon collage and a new sketch of a young Lennon.

​The Fuller Lodge Art Center is kicking off a new show in August.  The group show is titled “Under the Influence” to give artists the opportunity to exhibit art that has been inspired by an outside influence.  Three of my original collages will be in the show. “So Costly A Sacrifice” inspired by the last photo of Lincoln and a condolence letter in his handwriting. “Tempus Fugit” inspired by the short story “The Pit and the Pendulum” by Edgar Allen Poe. “Leopold Bloom”, a portrait of the fictional character, was inspired by the tiny back-of-an-envelope sketch by the author James Joyce.  The show runs through September 15, and the opening reception is August 10, 5-7 pm.  The receptions at Fuller Lodge are always a treat, with tables of snacks and live music, and a dedicated following.

​Indian Market – As soon as I return from Being Beatly in Chicago, Santa Fe rocks with the largest art festival in the city.  Vendors and art buyers arrive from all over the world. The market where I exhibit regularly, Santa Fe Railyard Artisans Market, has added an extra day to our schedule.  We will be setting up on both Friday and Sunday of Indian Market weekend.  If you are in town for that, be sure to stop by the Farmers’ Market Pavilion on Friday August 17 and Sunday August 19, from 10 am to 4 pm.

​When I set up at the Santa Fe Railyard Artisans Market on Sundays, I put up displays to show the items I am selling – greeting cards that are printed with my collage designs, posters, giclée prints, and some original collages as well.  The last thing I set up is my portable easel with the current piece that I am working on.  My booth is near the entrance of the Market, and often the first thing that visitors see.  They love to see me cutting and pasting on my latest project and they ask questions about my process.  They marvel at the scrap-happy mess I make as bits and pieces go flying into the air and all over my rug.  They wonder where I get my source material and I hold up handfuls of pages torn from mail-order catalogs. 

​One of the most frequent questions I am asked as I work on my collage, is almost always phrased with some hesitation. “Um,” my visitor asks, “Do you know, like, do you have some idea, some concept let’s say, of where you are going with this?”  I laugh in response, because, I also get the hidden question: “do you really know what you are doing?” I point to some of my finished pieces, like the portrait of Lincoln, which had to be sketched out first, or “Take A Flying Leap” (depiction of the Galaxy Andromeda), and explain that yes, indeed, I did have some concept of “Where I was going”.  But I understand the concern, when they see oddly shaped scraps stuck somewhat randomly on my board. This is especially true for the series I have been working on for the past year or so, the one I call Coral Reef.  

​“The Coral Reef” is a series of abstractions that capture the ebb and flow of life in the shallow seas.  They are bursting with color and surging with movement, but as I begin each one with the dabs of paper here and there, the project looks obscure, puzzling even.  But not for me: I see the totality, although no one else does. I proceed happily because I am excited about the completed vision, even though it takes months for that to occur. By then others can see the progress - after all, I am working on it in full view of the passing crowds – and they too can see wild blazing movement.

Journeys, especially to new places, often unveil things previously unseen or unknown. 

A recent hop “across the pond” to tour Yorkshire and the Northeast corner of England, turned out to be a journey of discoveries.  I traveled with my sister, and we took a low-key approach, getting about by train and bus, which we found delightful.  I had been to York as a student, but this visit showed me parts that I hadn’t seen before (some  had to excavated!)  Sitting in the grand York Minster for Evensong as the setting sun filtered through the stained glass and the stonework echoed with the voices of the choir – special joy.  I saw Morris dancers in the square, and the hidden relic of the martyr Margaret Clitherow in Bar Convent.

Our explorations had a literary bent: We visited the ruined Whitby Abbey on a misty day at the seacoast and could easily imaging how the setting inspired scenes for Bram Stoker’s Dracula.  On the other end of the spectrum, nearby Castle Howard inspired Evelyn Waugh to set Brideshead Revisited in its opulent halls and lovely gardens. From Durham, we explored Newcastle and Hadrian’s Wall, and toured the glorious Cathedral, sat in stillness next to the grave of Cuthbert, and listened to a contemporary Evensong in the nave. Ahead of us was the Herriot homage at Thirsk (All Creatures Great and Small) – with a nod to Downton Abbey’s environs. Did we visit Haworth and the Parsonage where the Bronte family grew up? Of course!

​One of the highlights for me was the ramble in the Yorkshire Dales.  We traveled train to Ribblehead (where we saw the Victorian train viaduct that I am pretty darn sure the Hogwarts Express transversed), and we hiked up the trail to the top of Whearnside, the highest of the Three Peaks in the Yorkshire Dales. We encountered few beings – some hardy local trekkers and an exhausted troop of Girl Guides, as well many sheep that grazed on the slopes – and we were caught in a thunderstorm at the summit, but we were dry by the time we made it back to the station. 

I renewed my acquaintance with strong Yorkshire tea.  

​I also renewed my acquaintance with vin santo... 



​ I have been applying myself to my work with enthusiasm since my return – I have deadlines to meet!  Shows to launch!  Dreams to fill! ​  ​

​The show in Los Alamos, “Spirit Lines”, ended a few weeks ago, and I drove up there to pick up my four pieces, and drop off another piece for the next show, Vessel, which opened on Mothers’ Day weekend.  While I was at the opening, I found out that my flame-infused image, “My Thoughts Be True” won the Viewers’ Choice Award during the Spirit Lines show.  What a delight!  This piece is the second in a series that I call “Elements”.

​The show in Española is ongoing (it’s been extended!), as is the show at Fire & Hops, so interested parties still have time to see art there, although it is going fast; today, another piece sold at Fire & Hops, the galaxy piece I titled “Passion”.
In a few months’ time, is the Fest for Beatles Fans, where I join my team Troika for performance and spoken word as well as present the Fans Art Show.

​Much of my time is preparing for these events, but I still find time to find beauty: wisteria in my courtyard, roses in the backyard and a striped horned toad on the mountain trail.

 What's Next?
 I am going on a trip soon, and will be visiting historical sites and places of literary interest, including the place that inspired scenes in Bram Stoker’s Dracula.    Yikes!     I will try to post photos, but often I go far afield in my travels and never end up exactly where I think I am heading.

“The further one travels, the less one know” – GH.

Love and Peace,

​Deco

 ​
Additions to the Store! 

I am pleased to have added to the on-line art store Art of Santa Fe.    I have now uploaded the Scenes of New Mexico Greeting Card collection, a popular selection at the Sunday Market, so it is now available to seekers on line.    Culled from my Autumnal Haiku Series, this collection comprises five collage images of scenes in autumn in northern New Mexico.     From the backyard to mountain vistas, these colorful cards capture the bright hues and lively atmosphere on this unique corner of the American Southwest.    Whether you are a native norteño, a visitor wishing to bring a memory home, or a faraway dreamer longing for the high plains and mountains of New Mexico, this collection is sure to please.

​I have expanded my selection of journals. These blank, lined notebooks are ready for you to record your dreams and memories and hopes for the future, featuring my own collage designs on the cover. 

I write in my journal every morning, and I wanted to make the opportunity beautifully available to everyone.  Makes a nice gift too! Three designs are available:  Loosen Your Soul, Musings, and the new one, Reverie; and can be purchased at the Market on Sundays.  ​

This week I also heard that I have the “green light” on a solo show at the Portal Gallery.  This will feature my collages of stars, planets and galaxies and will debut mid-January 2019.  More on that in the months to come.

Meanwhile, you can find me cutting and pasting at the Santa Fe Railyard Artisans Market on Sundays.  I am still working on my Coral Reef Series – although I will take time out to work on my piece for the Exquisite Corpse show (October, Santa Fe.)

Peace and Love,

​Deco

​Spring winds have wafted to me three simultaneous shows!   Art work never shown in New Mexico before is now on display in three separate locations. 

The first to open was the Spirit Lines show in the Fuller Lodge Art Center in Los Alamos, New Mexico.  This is a group show exploring the concept of Wabi Sabi – finding the beautiful within the broken.  I was very pleased to have four pieces accepted into this show.  The exhibit opened on March 23, to the beautiful sounds of a Celtic harp.  The reception was well-attended, and I was excited to be in the presence of such moving art and their creators. The show ends on May 5.

​Last week was the opening of my solo show in the Convento Gallery of the Northern New Mexico Regional Arts Center, in Espanola, New Mexico.  I have 15 originals on display as well as framed giclee prints. And very pleased about an 8-page newspaper article in the Rio Grande Sun, with plenty of photos of my work; they are giving this newspaper with every purchase. A classical guitarist played 2 hours of melodious Beatles music. Old friends and new came to view the art, most of which had not been formally exhibited before, and I was able to tell stories about each picture. Prints, posters and cards are available in the Convento gift shop. This show closes on April 30.

​Already up and on display is the Bistro Show at Fire & Hops in Santa Fe.  Five of my largest and most serious pieces are on display in one room at this upscale pub.  I plan to have an informal celebration at Fire & Hops on Monday April 16, at 5 pm. Everyone is invited to stop in and see the art; great beers and ciders are on tap. The art will be on display for a few months.

​​Meanwhile I am cutting and pasting away at the Santa Fe Railyard Artisans Market, and offering for sale prints, posters, cards, and original collages.  I am exploring the possibility of presenting a workshop on creating collages soon, looking for the appropriate venue.

Peace and Love,

Deco

​The wild cavorting colors of the collage pictured here depict the passion of interior thoughts; the material world burns away.
​
A few years ago, a Santa Fe gallery solicited work for a juried show with art focused on the human body.  I entered and was accepted into the exhibition which was to start in the Spring.  The collage I had been working on would be perfect for the show; the second installment of my Elements Series was large, intricate and colorful. I was delighted. At the time, I was also experiencing extreme pain in my eyes – like a thousand tiny daggers stabbing repeatedly – and I could hardly see well long enough to work more than 30 minutes at a time, but I was determined to complete the piece.  Then 3 weeks before the art delivery date, the gallery canceled the show, with no explanation.  I was devastated. 

The moment has come.  “My Thoughts Be True” and three other collages will be displayed in a show in Los Alamos.  The show is called Spirit Lines and its aim is to “find beauty in the broken and imperfect in the tradition of Wabi Sabi.” The Portal Gallery is in Fuller Lodge Art Center, located at 2132 Central Avenue, in the center of Los Alamos, New Mexico. The reception will be on Friday, March 23, from 5-7 pm.   gallery@fullerlodgeartcenter.com
​

I will be participating in the Fest For Beatles Fans this weekend in Jersey City, on the Hudson, displaying Fan art, and creating a multimedia live presentation of a tribute to the legacy of Brian Epstein.  Enjoying Music and the Friendship of Beatles Fans.

Love and Peace!

Deco

​I went on a hike in the foothills to day around noon; the sky was clear and the sun was warm.  We had had some snow throughout the week and snow capped every mountain in five directions.  But the air had the feel of Spring.  It astounds me every year; it seems that Winter darkness is going to last forever. But that is a falsehood.  I wake before sunrise nearly every day, and I no longer see the pitch of night when I draw the curtains open. I sit at a table at a window facing east and as I write my daily notes, I watch the lightshow of dawn coming to New Mexico. 

​​I took some photos of the snowy mountains standing serenely against the blue blue sky. The snapshots can not do the moment justice. Somehow the scale is not honored, the vastness of the landscape is diminished.  I was reviewing the photos before writing this blog entry, and I was struck how different my interior vision is from the view I see from the mountains.  On one hand, I see the landscape as a still and magnificent abstract in subtle tones, and on the other, I see in my latest work (Coral Reef Series) the swirling and thrilling chaos of my thoughts and feelings in brilliant and colliding hues.

​When I am cutting and pasting in public, as I do at the Santa Fe Railyard Artisans Market, demonstrating my technique, people watch me, and ask questions about my procedure.  One comment I hear frequently is “Oh my, you must have such patience!”
​I always laugh, because while my process is slow, my thoughts are always racing; I experience the thrill of discovery every time I sit at my easel to work.

​A few weeks ago, the Railyard Artisans Market hosted a Valentines Collage Workshop. I showed my technique to the participants and we all sat together and made emblems of love for the holiday.

​At the end of March, I will be hanging my show in the Northern New Mexico Regional Art Center, in the Plaza in the center of town of Española, New Mexico.  The show will be open by March 23, although I plan the Reception for the week after Easter; Holy Week in Northern New Mexico brings tens of thousands of pilgrims to the Sanctuario of Chimayo, and the highways will be crowded. Besides the Opening Reception, on Friday April 6, I plan to do a demonstration of my technique and a workshop, on Wednesday April 18.  

   ​Join me on Sunday, February 11, at the Railyard Farmers Market Pavilion in Santa Fe, when I will be conducting a Valentine’s collage workshop.     All supplies are provided, including a hefty stash of magazines and catalogs, so you can just arrive ready to cut and paste a gorgeous Valentine card for your sweetie.      Truly a gift from the heart!       The workshop is free, and all ages are invited, from 11 am to 1 pm.         See you there!

​I will also debut a new line of cards: Scenes of New Mexico.    These 5” x 7” greeting cards are bundled in an attractive packet, five blank cards + envelopes.    They are derived from collages I have created here in Santa Fe.   I now have 4 collections of Greeting cards: Fine Ladies Dancing, Rising, and Perfectly Pear.    They can be purchased directly from me, or from the new online store, Art of Santa Fe.

  ​The past weeks have been busy.    I made a quick trip to visit a friend in Florida, and to approve the framing and installation of a giclee print of one of my largest collages, Bloomsday at Molly Malone’s.     The piece depicts a pub interior and pays tribute to the Centennial Celebration of the fictional day of renown in James Joyce’s Ulysses.     And speaking of Joyce, I returned to Santa Fe in time to join my fellow Joyce geeks at the James Joyce Birthday Bash (something like the traditional Bobby Burns celebration, but without the Haggis.)

​Meanwhile, I am busy at my easel, cutting and pasting.  I am working on the eighth collage, in my series the Coral Reef. A few more to go and I will exhibit them all at once. You can come see me at work on Sundays at the Railyard.



In the coming weeks, I am preparing for a show in nearby Española, New Mexico in April.  I am very pleased to be asked to display my work in the Northern New Mexico Regional Art Center, in the Plaza in the center of town. Besides the opening reception, I plan to have a demonstration of my technique.  I will post the dates and times as soon as they are finalized.



More shows to come!

Love and Peace,

​Deco

​We had a sprinkling of snow in Santa Fe this morning; although many of you have been socked with heavy snow and plunging temps, we have enjoyed a mild winter so far. We have been longing for the white stuff, just a bit; when snow comes to Santa Fe, the mountains are bold against the crystal blue sky; the air is crisp and fresh. So I left my studio this afternoon, promising the work would wait till my return.  I strapped wire coils (yak trax) to my hiking boots for traction, and I drove to a trail in the foothills. I love the quiet of the pine woods. Despite the bright sun and the mild air, I was one the few that went exploring today.  My footprints marked a pristine trail (although I saw bobcat paw prints occasionally); Mount Taylor, over a hundred miles distant, was clear on the western horizon. Yes, the excursion takes me from my scissors and paper, but I returned refreshed, ready to tackle new projects.

​New for the Year
​
I have listed some of my work on an online gallery.  I love the name of this gallery: Art of Santa Fe.  I have several items listed and I will add more.  It is easy to use this new site for purchases because it links to PayPal. The site is www.ArtofSantaFe.com and my work can be found under DECO//fine art collage.

Two days into the New Year, I received some exciting news.  I was selected to create the art for the 2019 Poetry Out Loud recitation competition state finals. This national competition was conceived by the Chicago-based Poetry Foundation to encourage the reading of poetry.  The State of New Mexico’s Department of Culture, New Mexico Arts conducts the event.  The state finals are held in March, so I will have most of this year to prepare the art for 2019.  I am thrilled, and I already have ideas for it.

What else is new?

I am continuing work on my Coral Reef series; I started the eighth one a few days ago.  I will be working on it in the studio and at the Santa Fe Railyard Artisans Market on Sundays. 

​Coming up next month, I will be conducting a Collage Workshop at the Market on the Sunday before the holiday. I will post information about this event both here and on my Facebook page.

New shows are in the works as well! stay tuned!

Love and Peace,


Deco