Dias de los Muertos Calvary Cemetery Day

 Saturday was an eventful day! It started off wonderfully with an early morning rise, double checking the list and heading out the door for last minute errands.

There probably will never be a day when I don't have to do something important for an art event last minute. :\ I work great under pressure though.

Errands included trip to  the local Lowe's and then a stop over at Chavez Market. I picked up some pan de muerto for my altar and some other breads for the familia who came up to check out the event. I was going to grab an horchata for myself but fresh made carrot juice just called my name.

 

Little did I know I would have carrot stained mouth for most of the morning. Thanks to Hubby and his eagle eyes I managed to wipe it off before the main event started. 

We got to Calvary Cemetery about 9ish or so and got to our site, unloaded the van, and after a minor glitch and head scratching setting up the grid walls, we managed setting up my booth.

 The booth:

Older works on the outside wall:

I had some new small sugar skull portraits on the front end of the table. 

 

 At the inner edge of the table, I set up a small altar for my departed familia. Wela Chiquita (abuelita), Welo (abuelo), and mi tia Carlotta (Aunt Charlie).

There were other amazing vendors there as well, some artists, some clothes, jewelry and some amazing ceramic art direct from Mexico. 

 

I absolutely fell in LOVE with these skulls. 

 

 

I managed to get my paws on one of the above skulls. Can you guess which one? I wanted to buy another smaller one as well, but  must save some money for next time. Once I find the card I grabbed, I will post their information because I know some of you may want some of the goods as well.

There was also some amazing dancing going on down the ways from my booth. There were some Aztec Dancers in some amazing gear.

And Folkorico Dancers from a local High School Lincoln, and I managed to take a break from the booth thanks to my mom so I could watch bits and pieces of both dance groups.

I want their skirts. :D

Further in the cemetery there were large altars on display and one of them was from my old alma mater Notre Dame San Jose. GoGremlins!! (you will always be a Gremlin to me).

The arts department got really creative this year and made an amazing altar.

 All the skulls were done my the lower clanswomen and the higher clanswomen in the arts painted the Guadalupe.

Amazing feat. Wish we made the skulls back in my day in high school ;) but I did make a skeleton in ceramics class once. With wings. I have it somewhere at my parents house.

It was a beautiful day for the event. Last year it was windy, cloudy, and in the very last minutes it rained. And I tore a painting.

I noticed a small tear in one of my paintings this year after I put it up. Cset la vie.

I want to thank all of you who came out and enjoyed the festivities at the cemetery and those who support local artists and businesses. We can't do it without you. :)

I will be posting images of the work from the festival this week.

Hope you all have a Happy Halloween, Merry Samhain or however you celebrate and call it :D

I'm going to enjoy the evening with some pumpkin bread and beer. Then it's back to painting tomorrow!

Dias de los Muertos event at Calvary Cemetery

Hola amigos!

Just a quick blurb tonight. Wanted to say again that I will be showing at the Calvary Cemetery tomorrow, 10/29.

The event will be from 11-3pm, Calvary Cemetery San Jose off Alum Rock and Capitol.

(sorry, Gambit the cat is trying to dispose of the laptop fom my lap)

There will be a few vendors, altars will be set up, even one from my Alma mater NDSJ. Sugar skull painting, Folklorico and Aztec dancers and food.

Please come out, if you can, to support the event. It's free, open to the public.

(now Lando is trying to eat the laptop :\ )

Hope to see you there!!

<3

Week Recap

 It's been one crazy busy week for me. And when there is craziness in my life, little accidents happen.

In example. I was painting at my desk, rotated the canvas and accidentally smacked myself in the lip. Blood was spilled.

I survived the wound and got back to work on painting. Whoops, I didn't mean to flip the camera off.

This past week, while at work, I had company managing my painting routine.  My puppy Lando joined me for work since he could be trusted at home by himself. He destroyed and partially ate Elizabethan Collar  #1. He tried working on Collar #2, but I kept an eye on him so he couldn't do much damage.

Don't worry, he wasn't in his kennel the entire time. He managed to run around the office causing usual puppy havoc and mischief.

 I had also started on this painting.

And then decided to work on this one as well at the same time. 

I have no sense of time management skills. :P

But each painting progressed very well. Even though two of my other paintings got put on hold.  When I have an image in my head beating to come out, I have to oblige.

 

Below is the scene of chaos that is my temporary studio.

The two paintings that need work are the Parade and the Pinata Party. I lost my focus on them, becoming too overwhelmed by the volume of what I need to accomplish within the painting.

Whoops.

Friday I spent preparing for the Salinas Food and Wine Festival.I made new/more prints, contacting officials of the festival to ask questions for my family (there was a little confusion of the event was free or not. it was)  loaded up my parents van with my new grates Hubby and his family gave to me as my birthday present (heavy!!) and made my way down to Salinas with my Mom who was going to help me at the Festival.

We stayed at mi Abuela's house.

She likes elephants :D

I woke up around 5:30 the day of the Festival and couldn't get back to sleep. I was quite nervous and excited at the same time. Like a child on the night before Christmas, waiting for Santa to appear. Well, instead of dreaming about eight tiny reindeer carrying a big guy in a red suit all I could think about was setting up my booth.

The e-mail I received about the event said we could start setting up after 8:30am. I was staring at the clock as if it would burst into flames while I waited for time to move swiftly.

After a  bowl of cereal and have a glass of chilled Starbuck's Mocha (I hardly ever drink coffee) I was jittering in the passenger seat of my  parents van and got to the site within 10 minutes. Though setting up wasn't as easy. There was a line of people in their cars and trucks waiting to find out just where their booths were to be set up!

No one at the entrance knew. Apparently there was only one sheet that revealed all? :\ Even amongst the confusion, people kept their cool and we all managed and finally got directed to spots. Pretty much where ever we got pointed to. Lol. I don't know if I was actually supposed be across the way from a Bratwurst vendor, fruit juice venodr and a cigar vendor, but it all worked out.

Mom and I got help unloading the van, and we began to set up. Eric and his brother Ty usually set up for me and Devon and I direct, but it was just my mom and I so I had to my big girl pants on and get a control on my bubbling freak out.

After only a minor glitch, we set up the booth wonderfully.

 

Ha! Just noticed Hubby peering through from behind the grate.  He came just an hour after set up with Devon and Lando.

The day was HOT. For Salinas. It had to be in the 80s. For the first part of the day we had the sun hitting us directly, but as soon as noon came around we got the shade of the tree behind us, but it was still hot out in the sun.

I walked around once to check out the other vendors. I was eyeballing some very cute looking boots from across the way, but forgot to take a picture of them. I did however get a card.

I also watched a little part of two performances. One was this chica:

 Isn't she cute? She wooed me in with Como la flor, by Selena. I very much enjoy Selena's music and this girl really hit the notes. Talented girl. Anyone know her name?

I LOVED her ranchero dress. I couldn't help but study the designs.

We also had a visitor in the booth.  One of the ladies walking through the festival came by with her little basset hound Sugar. She was simply adorable. Much smaller than Addie, but just as sweet. She was so gentle and friendly.

You bet I will be painting her sweet face.

The other performance I saw was something near and dear to my heart. No, not the belly dancers. Wish, I could have watched them though because I really do enjoy belly dancing. I had to man my booth so I couldn't partake in all the festivities like the wine tasting, performance viewing or food tasting.

But I did catch a bit of these guys as they walked by my booth.

Aztec dancers!

 

I love watching them dance. the beat of the drums, the feathers, the shells and nuts making noise. Love it all. 

All in all I had a great time at the Festival. I'm glad I went. I hope those of you who came out to the festival had a lovely time and if there is one next year, I would see you there again.

To check out more photos from the event, check out this site: Salinas Food and Wine Festival      

The Californian.

I am preparing for another crazy week as I gear up for the Calvary Cemetery show this Saturday. New and old Day of the Dead work will be shown!

On the Road Again

Hi! Just a quick post to anyone that reads the blog.

:D

I'm going down to Salinas for the Food and Wine Festival in Old Town, tomorrow, October 22 from 12-5pm. I will have a booth of old an new art with loads of prints!

Here's the website: http://www.salinasvalleyfoodandwine.com/

It's free, open to the public, except if you want alcohol then there is a charge but apparently it's going to be a large selection from wineries and breweries areound Salinas Valley and the Bay Area.

Come out and enjoy the festivities. Hope to see you there :)

Updates

Hi everyone.

As you may have noticed from the above picture and my lack of blogging, I have been a busy little painter over here.

I have been working on new pieces for my Dias de los Muertos show at the Calvary Cemetery in San Jose. October 29 11 am to 3pm.

I'm  excited, nervous and anxious all at the same time.

I have another show in Salinas at Hispanic Cultural Center in downtown Salinas, #34 Central Ave, Salinas CA, between the Steinbeck center and house. Just look for the crazy flags. 

 An open house with strawberry daquiris qill be happening on October 21st, in the evening. I will be showing some of my older paintings not seen at the art and wine festivals along with some of my newer paintings.

I am still debating whether or not to participate in the Salinas Art and Wine Festival on Oct 22. I would love to have more exposure, but I also think I can spend the day painting as well. I am a little torn between the two.

Below are photos of some work that is in progress and some of them are already finished, but I'm keeping them covered just a bit longer.

Sugar skull girl with marigolds. She's actually done and she looks fabulous. :D

Part of a bigger painting. Unfinished.

Close up of another sugar skull girl. She's 99.9% done. I am not too happy with her 'dress' so she need to be fixed.

I actually just started her today and am dying to get back to her. I have to have patience to let her dry though. 

Another unfinished working on at the moment painting. Looking to do something fun and happy from my childhood. Pinatas!!

I truly hope you enjoyed the small sneek peek.

Sometimes I don't know if I want to show the work in progress photos. The art just looks so . . . . blah. Empty. Disjointed. Unpolished. Unfinished.

Duh, Sonia. that's part of the whole work in progress aspect.


But I suppose it's a way of showing my work in a different light. Sure, it may look all funky now, but wait until you see the finished product attitude, I guess.

West End!

Hi everyone!

Hope you're all having a fun weekend! I am having a great time down here in Monterey County. I am here at the West End event in Sand City.

Yesterday was fun getting everything set up in the morning. I don't have a professional wire stand like many other of the vendors do, but I have some awesome helpers to figure out how to set up the wire grid I got at Orchard Supply Hardware.

Love OSH.

Hubby loves the zip ties. They come in handy.

I have some great family here helping me.....er well, setting up the entire thing while I stress with time and worry if its going to work.

And low and behold.

It did!

This was so much better than last years set up where it was bulky, enclosed and just plain uninviting. Here people are able to come inside, view the paintings and I get to comfortably talk with them! Love it! I also get to see outside where my family was sitting and talk to them through the grid and hung paintings.

Guess who sold towards the end of the day?

Addie!!

I LOVE this painting. I love painting Addie. If you would like to see her she will be out there today, modeling a posing as she usually does.

This one also got quite a bit of attention . . . . 

....enough that I am planning on doing a small series of these two critters. Isis and Target. Family cats :)

 Speaking of felines, check this one out.

Inspired by Chat Noir. Love this piece. It will be sad to part with it, but it is available for sale as all my works are.

I will be posting all new paintings and more photos this week. Also, I will be posting them to Fine Art America where you will be able to buy prints and canvas copies of these paintings for a fraction of the price.


Updates Today:  Commissions page is updated as well as a posting for Dias de los Muertos custom portraits. 

If you are interested in having a portrait of yourself painted with sugar skull motif, check out the commissions page for more info.

Prices are currently same as pet portraits, but will go up on September 21st 2011.


Come check out the booth at West End Today!!

Here we go again . . .

 Hi everyone! Long time no blog!

-crickets chirp-

 Yeah, I know, I have completely dropped the ball on this whole blogging thing for the art and writing world. Let it be known that life gets in the way of the fun things.

Yes, I am talking about you work. And I don't mean artwork or writing. I don't consider it 'work' since I actually have fun doing it :)

Got to do whatever pays the bills and the insane credit card debt right?

Hopefully sometime soon I can make a living on my art and writing alone. I cross my fingers and pray. I also got to get myself more out there. Showcase my work. So here I am, back to blogging and restating the fact that I will just not go away.

I am an artist. I am a writer and I will succeed!! Hear my pen scribble and my paint brush! Rowr!

Yeah, I am a little excited.

Anyways, just wanted to let you know that I am alive and well (sans running injuries) and that I have actually been doing quite a bit of work and have two new shows coming up.

1.) August 26-27 the Sand City West End Event (just north of Monterey). An art and wine festival. I will be showcasing my animal portraits this year.


2.) October 29 will be the Day of the Dead Celebration at Calvary Cemetery in San Jose. Yes, it will be held in the parking lot to the cemetery. I will be showing Dios de los Muertos work, some which I am sketching now. Hope to be done in time!


Currently, I am a busy bee working on some new animal portraits.

And of course, it's not a painting day if I am not covered in paint.

I will also be working on the blog this week, adding images of my paintings, commision pricing and past and current exhibitions/shows.

Look at me Mom, I'm getting all professional here.

Hope you're all having a great day!

Forget it

So I am sitting here trying, for the life of me, to remember my password for logging into the exhibitor profile for the San Mateo County Fair, and it's just not working.

I'm trying to submit last years Day of the Dead work to the special DOD portion of the Fair. Great opportunity to reach a broader crowd. If only I can log in!!

It's not even finidng my email address. Heck, it knows my name, but well...I don't know my password. Cset le vie.

Well, lookie here, long time no see. Yes, I fell by the wayside with blogging on my art and writing and well, to be quite honest, there hasn't been that much going on on either front. I have worked a little bit on my book and have been sketching quite a bit, and even yesterday I finally sat down and started a painting.

As for writing. I think I'm letting my fear of failure and disgust with myself and my work getting in the way of accomplishing my goals. It is VERY HARD not to compare myself to other writers already published and on their 3rd or 4th book. I read the books and wonder, why can't this be me? Why can't I finish my damn book? Why am I making excuses for this?

I was all gun hoe earlier this year, making it a New Year's resolution to finish it by the end of February. Remember that? Well, it's almost the middle of May and I have nothing to show for it except tears and self apathy. My eyes hurt like hell. Strained to the point of momentary blots of blindness.

I guess that's what I get for reading food and fitness blogs all day :)

I should quit while I'm ahead. Quit? Quit writing? Nah. Me? Never. Writing is in blood. I go nuts when I can't write something down whether it be a small quip, a tiny little twinkling of an idea or a complete novel bursting at the seems in my head.

Currently I've been listening to one of my favorite country classic singers, Marty Robbins and he sings beautiful stories. One follows a three part arch. One that I play over and over on my CD player and in my head and never gets old. It has me wanting to plan a trip to the badlands of New Mexico (yay!) and Texas (huh. who wudda thought?) The wild west and tragic love story has taken the place of vampires and angels.

Oooh or perhaps I can have vampires and angels in the badlands. ::furiously scribbles quick idea::

Eep. I have to set it aside to let my baby breathe and grow. I have to get to work on my story. If I don't finish,  than my friend Aisling won't have anything to read while sipping on her glass of Dom Perignon.

I will finish thee oh novel. Even if I bust an eyeball or two to do it.

Triumphant Return

okay maybe not so triumphant.

Still recovering from being sick. Coughing like a mad woman but even that is decreasing. I haven't touched a paintbrush in over a month and I haven't written anything pertaining to my novel in about the same time.

Creativity went to hibernation mode I guess.

But I am back. I am now more focused and determined than ever to get my goals done.

Last night at dinner, my girlfriend Aisling challenged me to finish my novel by June 1 or I have to buy her a bottle of Domn Perignon (sp?). I accepted her challenge and starting tomorrow, April 1st, I will be writing again.

Be prepared to hear more from me on the blog world. :-D Bwa ha ha ha ha.

Sick

Sorry for my total lack of posts recently. Work has kept me pretty busy from writing  and such. I've also have been really sick the past few days.

Fever, chills, chest congestion, sore throat, aches etc. . .

There are several art things in the works right now. I haven't painted recently but some of my older work is going up in a show next week at the San Jose Rep.

I will post with more info since the keyboard is getting a wee biut dizzy.

Blegh.

Off to swim in inspiration . . .

. . . . or drown in the weather.

The Hubby and I are heading up to wine country this weekend. It had been planned for a while,as we soaked up the unusually warm winter weather, envisioning hiking in the sunshine and green hills and tasting wine out on the patios and verandas of our favorite wineries. Hello Ledson.

Fat chance of that.

It's dark, gloomy, and cold. All around perfect winter weather. At least the people heading to Tahoe mountains this weekend will be having a jolly good time on the fresh snow.

Did I mention it was freezing here in the Bay Area??We actually had snow. In Los Gatos. And not in the mountain part of the town. Yeesh.

Hopefully, luck and sun will shine upon us and give us a reprieve day so we can enjoy the sites.

I'm taking my camera with me and you can bet your behind that I'll be taking loads of pictures. An inquiry about a possible commission for landscape art has peaked my interest, and what better place to get some inspiration that the beauty that is wine country?

Perhaps potential buyers would like the gloom and drab of rain over a vineyard.

Maybe.

I'll be taking two books to read. One to finish and one I have been meaning to start since last April. Hahaha. I will also take my novel to write on if I find myself in my hotel room with nothing to do. . . 

At least a glass of wine will help. Or two. :)

Stay warm and dry out there folks. And be careful on the roads.