Tucson Open Studio: Poem, Painting, Monotype

Thinking about the moon a lot. And, the night sky: 

Ease of Night Light 

O Luna, nightlight for the worried insomniac, 

Your golden shape floating like a banana boat gliding across 

The darkened sea above. 

Why do you sneak out so late? 

To whisper lovely, impossible secrets in the ear of the weary? 

To soothe a restless heart with a thousand questions? 

I think I hear one of your poems in a language of color 

And mist-- The values, a softened gray, layering the plane. 

My head is bowed, but my eyes swim in your neon glow. '

Waking is the dream," you speak,' 

'Fall up into my orbit and let go.' 

'And I, decorated for travel, will melt unruly monsters, like a dollop of honey on a warm, indigo plate.' Poem © 2010 Melinda S. Esparza Image © 2010 Melinda S. Esparza In a way, this 8" x 8," oil on artists' board painting, reminds me of some of the recent night skies. This monotype is one that I worked on a year ago, but never uploaded here. I thought those of you who've been following my blog would want to see something new as I go through the works for the Tucson Artists' Open Studios Tour. Is she a nighthawk? Image © 2010 Melinda S. Esparza Now, for a bit of shameless self-promotion: One of my favorites! The painting that made it into the Tucson Museum of Art's Arizona Biennial '09 Sabino Hill on a Snowy Day Image © 2010 Melinda S. Esparza Wrangling the warm clothing this week. More soon. Have a great week!

Tucson Artist's Open Studio---Lovely Spring Day

Thanks guys! I felt your support and presence throughout the weekend. And, when I grew tired, I'd take a moment to remember your comments, your fantastic artwork and I was energized. I felt part of a solid community. An extra bonus: We even have snow lingering on the mountains! There was a good turn out and I was surprised. Tucson is really busy with art gallery openings, book festivals, sports events and a plethora of other fun things to do before it gets gawd-awful hot around here. So, it was great to see so many enthusiastic art tourists visit my studio, carefully and thoughtfully considering the work. We met some interesting, intelligent and artsy folk. I hope they'll come back again.

  Here are some photos of the day. Again, I didn't want to blow anyone's cover (Sometimes I think a lot of Tucsonans are in the witness protection program and don't want to be photographed.) Just kidding. I don't even ask visitors because I feel it would be intrusive. Maybe I can talk the next group into allowing me to photograph their backs as they look at the paintings!

Hope you all had a good weekend full of paint, good friends and family.

Tucson Artists' Open Studios Tour--Let the Visits Begin

The news around town is that there is a real "buzz" as the Tucson Artists' Open Studios Tour gears up for this Saturday and Sunday from 11 AM until 5 PM. I think that it's the increase in the collective heart rate of all the artists who are participating this weekend. Dear artist bloggers: I sense your kind support, knowing that you will be here in spirit. Wouldn't it be great if we could have a group show?! I would love that. Let's dream together on this and see what comes. I'm pretty excited about all of this because next week my college boy is coming home and he's having a birthday, too. So, I've got a mailart to share and a quick sketch I made from a screen capture as we webcam'd recently.

  This mailart piece is a bit out of character (more sculptural, really). But, here's why. This Plexiglass, paper with grommet and 'o' rings enshrine a story I made up one day while Ell and I were resting after I had set up camp in the forest. Ell was six years old. I was old. So, I told him we had to rest in the tent until Daddy got there from work. I began to stare at the clouds as they rolled by over our tent. They seemed to be speaking. I told him the story of Little Proud Thundercloud (M. S. Esparza ©). It stuck as a family story and now it is in plexiglass. Of course, at the time we didn't know anything about Iceland, but I think that painting the cloud to resemble the country pleased my world traveler today. It's approximately 8" x 4," plexi over paper, with tarp grommet, washers and 'o' rings and glue. And to all my visitors from far, far away (Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom)--- Peace to you all and thank you for visiting. I am honored when you visit. I hope you'll always feel welcomed here. I hope you'll feel comfortable to comment any time you want to. In my dreams you all are here and we are laughing, sharing green tea, and talking about life, art, good things to make a better world. I'll try to take photos to share next week. Everyone, stay well, don't give up.

Tucson Artists' Open Studios Tour

Sunset Ridgeline, 2010. 8x8 Oil on linen panel. Sold

The Tucson Artists Open Studios Tour is just a mere and frantic eight days away. There are two beautiful, gorgeous, exquisitely constructed canvases built by Deadwood Framing that invite me to paint large. They will have to wait until next week. But, until then... I've got this 8" x 8," oil on artists' board, abstracted painting for today that is a bit of an extension of the kinds of landscapes I've been painting lately. Until the next post, I hope you are living well, painting often, dreaming and walking with all beauty and excellence! I also wish all of you could stop by for some mesquite flour chocolate chip cookies and decaf green tea with prickly pear syrup and a nice chat. Some funnies (to offset the seriousness of the last post): Math joke Signs you are an artist: #14. "You chose to buy that new Russian Sable Number Six Round instead of a Big Mac, a Large Fry, a Milkshake, Dessert, and five gallons of gas." #17. "When viewing a sunset, you think in terms of cadmium yellow (light hue), salmon and gold, a tinted teal mixed with gold for the water...." #26. "You explain your deplorably bad housekeeping by saying, "It's a work-in-progress..." And, one from me--True Story: Instead of fixing our leaky roof years ago, we bought an Ettan Press and set mixing bowls out to catch the rain.

Sabino Canyon House and Sky

Cold in the desert. Cold in the West. Cold in the East. Cold in the Middle. Let's all get together and knit an Icelandic sweater for the entire country, eh? I hear that there is another storm racing up to New England. My portion of the sweater will be cobalt blue and cadmium yellow medium. What are your colors?

This painting is one from last week. This is 36" x 36," oil on canvas. It has a little sister, which I'll post some other time. I'm getting ready for the next Tucson Artists' Open Studios coming up March 13th and 14th. Yikes. February is a short month. And, there is a storm heading our way in the desert too.

Don't you just love winter?!

"I wanted things that I couldn't at times articulate."
--Helen Frankenthaler