Thursday, November 10, 2011

2011 Fall Tucson Open Studio Tour: Tucson Artist Melinda Esparza Mops and Dusts With Painterly Gestures

Rincon Peak Winter Snow October 2011 Image © 2011 Melinda S. Esparza

Dusting toward Saturday.
Slouching in meditation.
Daydreaming of rain,
and tea,
and cookies
and guests.

Windy Point and I do Have One Image © 2010 Melinda S. Esparza

Wish you all could be here. The last three times before the Tucson Open Studios Tour, paintings sold online because collectors didn't want to take the chance that they'd lose the one they wanted. A few of the new paintings for this tour are highlighted here:

Ghost Ranch Cliff 8" x 8" on oil panel--Image © 2011 Melinda S. Esparza

Ghost Ranch Ancestors 18" x 18" on cradled oil panel--Image © 2011 Melinda S. Esparza

Ghost Ranch Ancestors above SOLD! today during the Open Studios Tour!


Ghost Ranch Mesa 30" x 30" on oil panel--Image © 2011 Melinda S. Esparza

Plus, this one, She Wore New Earrings (8" x 8", oil on cradled panel). The proceeds of this sale will be donated to charity.

She Wore New Earrings Image © 2011 Melinda S. Esparza

Here is the link to Zocalo's article about the event: The Artists Welcome You!

If you are in the Santa Barbara, CA, area, I hope you'll check out my work in the Westmont Museum of Art's auction of work from November 30th through December 16th.


Looking forward to all who can stop in! Thanks to Mr. Arty Fice for taking an okay photo last night at the preview exhibit.

8 comments:

cohen labelle said...

Full marks for the whole shebang Melinda – your display of paintings is food for the soul!
Also I whole heartedly love your list:
Meditation is good, daydreaming gets a plus, plus lovely tea, yummy cookies, the buzz of interesting guests, and getting to look at your gorgeous work – I so wish I could be there! But you could put a hold on the dusting on my account – both Picasso and Mondrian eschewed dusting – maybe you could do the same?!

Or is it slouching toward dusting or dusting in meditation
Also question is slouching an oblique reference to the Yeats poem or to Didion’s short stories?

Barbara Muir said...

Wow how exciting. A lot of action Melinda. Love the paintings and the cute picture of you at the show. It must be getting right cold down there if you could actually wear a jacket.

xoxoxoxoxoxoBarbara

Like the poem too. I ate a cookie tonight in your honour.

Melinda said...

Thank you, Marcia!
Well, in Arizona, if one doesn't dust every three days, it looks as though the place was abandoned years ago--with the doors open! I think if I didn't dust, my home would look like one of those archaeological digs where you have to dig down 12 feet to get to the rooms. But, I wish I could put dusting aside and never do it again.

Yes! I was listening to an NPR radio interview with Joan Didion the other day. Very powerful. Both she and Yeats cut deep.

Now, truly, after all the preparations, I could not sit upright while meditating...

Wish you could be here too. I'm holding on to someday.

Melinda said...

Hello, dear Barbara,
Thank you! You are very kind and you're right.

I wore a jacket...AND a scarf! Brr! It was under 60 degrees (15.6 C). We've had a cold snap here and might get some rain this weekend.

Yay! You ate a cookie for me. Wish you could be here for one of my sort-of-homemade ones.

How 'bout you and Marcia fly down together someday?

Wow. That would knock me out.

Virtual hugs to you and your dear ones.

Linny D. Vine said...

Beautiful paintings - all painted by a beautiful artist!! Thinking of you (and cookies, too...)

Melinda said...

Hello Linny,
Thank you so much!

Wish you were here. I would love to share some cookies with you. I just picked up some fresh prickly pear candy, and I must say, it's been a stellar year for the harvest. So, if it rains here, the food and kind visitors will brighten the day. Your presence would too.

Virtual hugs!

Donald Diddams said...

Have a great weekend! What fabulous paintings -- including that one with the "winter snow" just above your head in the picture!

Melinda said...

Hi Don!
Thank you so much. So far, so good. Oh, you've picked one of my favorites. It's staying close for now. For some reason, it seems to signify a breakthrough similar to the first New Mexico painting of Ghost Ranch Ancestors (which sold on Saturday).

Wish you could come on over. Until you can, I'm wishing you all the best where you are!