Tucson Artists Open Studio Tour: They Visited. They Chatted. They Ate Some Treats. Me? I Had a Ham Camera

You know, these open studio tours are somethin'. There were people I hadn't seen in years, my poetry professor from the UA, for example (!). There were people who were return visitors from last time. There were visitors who found the studio from the signs along the streets, and there were visitors who picked up one of my postcards at one of the local establishments. Every last one of them brought synchronicity, sophistication, respectful and careful looking. They provided stimulating repartee. Those collectors who bought my work mean more to me than I can articulate. These paintings sold recently, and during the open studio tour: Sabino Canyon House and Sky

Image © 2011 Melinda S. Esparza Sonoran Night Watch

Image © 2011 Melinda S. Esparza Rosemont Sonoita

Image © 2011 Melinda S. Esparza Sunset Catalinas

Image © 2011 Melinda S. Esparza Hill of Intrigue

Image © 2011 Melinda S. Esparza Mystery Door Tumacacori

Image © 2011 Melinda S. Esparza Near Sonoita

Image © 2011 Melinda S. Esparza Peak Red

Image © 2011 Melinda S. Esparza There you have it. And, I did something that really freaked me out. I had a thirty minute live webcam event (Ustream), on Sunday. Yes, I hammed it up a little. If you missed it, be thankful. As our dear friend and wonderful actress friend, Mary, once said, "She's a ham, but ham can be cured."

Tucson Artists' Open Studio Tour (April 16th & 17th) Ustreaming!

Image © 2011 Melinda S. Esparza

It was a hoot and a half chatting with all of our visitors today during the open studio tour.

I did a live webcast, on Ustream, for about 30 minutes this afternoon, and I'll try to do the same tomorrow, around 1 PM:
A moment at Fuerte y Claro Whoo!

Had a quick painting demo going on, and a visitor and I painting in collaboration. More on that later.

We also had an impromptu jam session with my music mentor, Ruben, at the end of the day and Mr. Arty Fice opened a bottle of wine.

I think some people had a good time...

If you're in town, hope to see you on Sunday. If you're not, I hope I can offer you a virtual visit tomorrow.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by and for all the good wishes.

Tucson Artists' Open Studio Tour (April 16th and 17th) Coming Up Soon!

Image © 2011 Melinda S. Esparza New growth on the prickly pear cacti, and mesquite trees greening up, mean food! And fruit! Did you know that you can eat the prickly pear pads? They taste a bit like bell peppers with added sweetness or a light vinegar spiciness. Now, when I talk about food, I think about the last time I posted a recipe: Melinda's Tangy Summer Salsa or Oh, Yeah, It's a Dry Heat Fajita. Yeah, that day is coming. But, today, I have this painting: Glyph (8" x 8," oil on artists' board) that reminds me of the ancestors, of the land, of reading the landscape the way one might read the marks on one's own skin.

  Image © 2011 Melinda S. Esparza The Tucson Artists' Open Studio Tour is approaching, only a week from this weekend. Previous to each event, there is a collector (or two) who buys a painting in advance. This week, a buyer purchased Daydream Sabino and I am delighted for her!

  Image © 2011 Melinda S. Esparza And, I'm glad that it will be appreciated! Another collector bought Terra Incognita. It has been looked at by several potential buyers recently.

  Image © 2011 Melinda S. Esparza Wishing you all a great week painting. And, if you can swing by next week, I'll have treats!

For Dog's Sake--And the Yard as Wildlife Preserve

This last weekend was full of yard work cleanup and much of the yard was off limits due to the grackle getting water from the pool, the rabbit who needed a snack, the lizard/iguana that looks like it was someone's lost pet, and the dear, new quail family staking out the land under the mesquite. There were seven to eight little cheepers in the covey and dad quail had to fight twice with another male to protect the brood. Way too much excitement for me. As a result, I've been keeping our dogs inside unless carefully supervised! Now, our Loki isn't as cute as Bonnie Luria's, Cloud, but he does have a look about him and I'm so glad he is my friend.

He is a big baby, but he looks bad, doesn't he? In his mind, he's a teacup chihuahua. Really. I've got another closeup of the Grand Canyon painting because I made myself sit in front of it, giving it some attention. I'm feeling that this painting is in real need of finishing. Yet, like so many artists, I'm wanting to work on everything at once--isn't it hard sometimes not to have ADHD?! I'm still developing the mailart thing, so that'll be awhile longer. Spring is so great in Tucson. As I look at the veggie garden and the new desert finch bites on the leaves of the plants, I do have to wonder about these urban creatures and how successful they are.