91:365:2011

Today I am thankful for:

remembering my dad with this photo...

finding some cool clothes at a thrift store

RAIN! Even though it was only about 15 minutes worth... it was the first in months...

... and the smell of rain...

and the slight wind with the rain...

Netflix

recipes from friends

fresh brewed coffee

cheese puffs... and the orange residue it leaves on the fingertips

and the quote:

"he who knows nothing... gets the most out of everything..."

(--- don't know who said it... but it's awesome)

*photos by Elaine A. Russell

72/73:365:2011

Well... this was the weekend of the "Full Super Moon"... when the moon is the closest to the earth... and will appear the largest and brightest... in fact... the biggest since 1993. It was also the Vernal Equinox... a time for spring!
This is a major thing for me... as I love to watch the moon. So... I spent most of the weekend... up and about... celebrating... cooking... making art... making jewelry... and taking LOTS of photos. It is a time for cleansing... and so I took this opportunity to do some cleaning and airing out of the house... smudging and such... rejuvenation.... and the starting of some fresh projects... (see more HERE)

*photos by Elaine A. Russell

(the top photo was taken at 3am; Sunday morning... from my backyard. The bottom shot was taken Saturday evening... just at moonrise. My daughter and I went over to St.Pius school... and stood on the cliffs just west of the Rio Grande... to watch the moon come up over the Sandia Mountains. We can see most of the whole city from there... )

33:365:2011

It's been a long time (or so it seems) since I just wandered around downtown looking around in nooks and crannies... and so... I thought I would spend a little time this afternoon doing just that. Problem is... we are in the middle of a very cold front... with a whopping temperature of 8 degrees today (and that was mid-afternoon at it's warmest). Plus... we had alot of wind!....

And so... wandering about in the cold took a backseat to a warm cafe with a pot of tea.
BUT... I did get a couple photos of some very cool tags on the way out to the parking lot :)


*photos by Elaine A. Russell

21:365:2011

Not much sleep... and then there were errands... which involved a visit with a friend (and a present!!! which I adore)... coffee and quiche at a local cafe... then a short wander-about taking photos... then a trip to a fabulous herbary for goodies... a nap at home with my favorite puppy (don't tell the others)... and now movies with the family...

How was your day?



*photos by Elaine A. Russell

358:365

Tonight we did something completely different for Christmas Eve. There are lots of wonderful traditions that go with the holidays... and one of the ones here in New Mexico, is to light luminarias and surround the grave sites with them... in remembrance of loved ones.
And so... we went to Mount Calvary Cemetery here in downtown ABQ... and watched as hundreds of luminarias were lit in honor of loved ones who have passed...

*photos by Elaine A. Russell

You can see a video on this here

356:365

Today I had a fabulous lunch date with my daughter... after which, we had a very inspiring walk about the college area... happily taking photos. While we were eating lunch... I happened to pick up a book called "14,000 Things to be Happy About" by Ann Kipfer. Feeling motivated... I decided to devote this post to a similar list *although not nearly so long :)

1. tea. So many varieties... so little time...
2. singing with the radio on full blast
3. puppy kisses
4. my camera... my little creativity box...
5. BAJ and the kiddos... and little Sophia
6. full moons
7. blue skies
8. bagels and cream cheese
9. flannel sheets
10. colored pencils and Moleskine notebooks
11. fresh flowers
12. mail
13. art on the walls
14. handmade furniture
15. 4-wheel drive
16. cottonwood trees
17. a stack of books at my bedside
18. good friends
19. neighborhood shops
20. candles


---perhaps this will in turn inspire you to make your own "happy list"...

*photos by Elaine A. Russell

345:365

Art Galleries and Art Shows: Sneak Peek #18 in my series...

A few days ago, my daughter and I were roaming about the Nob Hill area... as we are inclined to do this time of year (especially)... and we stopped in at: The Talking Fountain Gallery.
It was incredible. It is a fairly small gallery, but it is jam packed with tons of fabulous art.

The owner, KatieCalico, is also one of the featured artists there; and it was a pleasure to be able to chat with her for a bit. The entire atmosphere of the place is welcoming and nurturing to the artistic soul.

Opening in May 2009, the gallery and boutique offer locally made art and goods, custom clothing, jewelry, bags, accessories, stickers, posters, local music, fine art, and lots more. Below are some "sneak peaks" into some of the awesome stuff held inside The Talking Fountain Gallery doors...

(*photos by Elaine A. Russell)

304:365

Yesterday was pretty awesome. My daughter and I went out and about... and it started with a surprise visit above our driveway from a Red-Tailed Hawk. Apparently, the species is known to "winter" here... although I don't recall seeing one before. This handsome fellow made sure that I saw him... taking large circles just above our house several times... which allowed me to try and get a photo. I no sooner got a couple quick ones... when he decided to take off... but it was an amazing experience.

According to some on-line sources, Red tailed hawks symbolize not only acute focus of one's life purpose (and also being able to see the "big picture")... but also a greater intensity and energy for life.

Afterwards, we went and enjoyed a fabulous meal at The Olympia Cafe... where we devoured such delightful mouthfuls such as: beef gyros with tzatziki sauce, Avgolemono soup, tabouli, hummus and pita bread, falafel, dolmathes, baked eggplant... and turkish coffee for an excellent finish!
Everything was soooo good.

From there... I got my "every Halloween" reading... this time from one of the fine ladies at Abitha's Herbary. It was truly excellent... and I feel so much better about several things now. Call me stupid... but I do believe that some people certainly have this type of gift... and I feel the lady I spoke to is amongst them.

From there... we had just enough time to stop in to Buffalo Exchange for some funky clothes shopping... and then went on home... where the hubby had enjoyed a restful afternoon reading and gaming on-line. Thank goodness for weekends :)

*photos by Elaine A. Russell

302:365

This has been a very trying couple of weeks... but... these things make us stronger, right?
I will expand on that sometime... but right now it is still fresh and somewhat painful
... and so I don't want to muddle it all with my emotions.

Tonight... we (BAJ, the daughter, and I) went out for dinner... and then we stopped at the most fabulous book shop EVER! ... right here in downtown ABQ. It was amazing... and I am delighted to have found it open and waiting for me to browse amongst the glorious stacks of books.


These last 3 photos were taken at Saggio's Restaurant here on Central Ave. We had a fabulous dinner (as always... the food is awesome!)... and I got to take a couple photos of the food (there is a shot of the canoli above) and the cacti that are right out front of the restaurant. It always amazes me that people will "graffiti" the cacti... but then... I suppose I shouldn't be surprised...

This one (above) became my photo for the day. I altered it slightly ...

changed some of the color a bit... added some flavor/grunge a little...

... and this one (below) was taken of those same cacti from inside the restaurant. It was getting quite dark outside, and the lights from inside the restaurant were being reflected in the window... making the cacti look like they were having their own little party going on right there...

*photos by Elaine A. Russell

296:365

Having used my Kodak pocket camera for over a year now... I am really happy with the photos I have been able to get with it. It is affordable (other than the batteries... it was awesome cost-wise)... easy to carry with you all the time... and surprisingly technically good for such a small camera.

I am a firm believer that the camera does not make the photographer. Over the course of the past year... I feel like I have learned that lesson well. Using a point and shoot encouraged me to go back to the basics... to really focus (as it were)... on what I wanted to accomplish with each shot... the feeling I wanted each shot to express to whomever saw it... but within the limits of a point and shoot camera... and that was an incredible lesson to learn.

It also encouraged me to concentrate on the art of the photograph. The composition... the color... and not just the technical stuff (aperture, focus, lighting, depth of field, etc). Simply put... there are some shots that you can do with a point and shoot camera... and ones you can't. But just as true... is that a point and shoot camera can be much more accessible than a big digital SLR.

And now... ((as of a few days ago))... I have the Nikon D300s with an 18-200mm zoom lens. Now.. I begin the "work" of combining a more technically savvy camera and all that goes with that... with what I re-learned about composition and color and feeling... and it is a wonderful feeling.

So.... can you guess which shots on this post were taken with the Nikon and which with the Kodak?

*all photos by Elaine A. Russell

294:365

Today I took alot of drive-by photos out of the car window as we drove around town just enjoying the scenery. We had a fabulous late lunch at Kelly's on Central Ave... and spent alot of time just watching the clouds rolling in. We also stopped at the Grower's Market on Morningside/Lead... and got some of the best produce ever :)

I got notice that my art piece arrived in New York City safe and sound today... and will be putting a link on my blogsite to the gallery. And after having my Etsy store closed for several months, I re-opened the other day and already got 3 orders!!!

Now to get the hubby feeling better... and new grandbaby born... and my photos done and sent for the show in PA...

But in the meantime... here are some photos from the day...

*all photos by Elaine A. Russell

292:365

Today has been interesting in alot of ways. I keep having these "spells" (for lack of a better word)... where I get anxious, dizzy, and a horrible headache. About an hour later... I am completely wiped out. I can only assume it is blood sugar problems... but man... it is almost like going through various stages of shock on a fairly routine basis.
I have been eating very well... so... I am confused as to the reactions and why they are occurring... but hey.

That said... my daughter and I went downtown and enjoyed some wonderful food from Annapurna's... which I adore. I also managed to get my submission completed and mailed in to the NYC gallery, Charming Wall... and it will be featured in the show running all of November. This is their final show... and I was very fortunate in getting in.

My submission is shown below...


I was torn as to which photo to pick for my photo of the day project. I saw the wonderful painted VW bus near UNM today as we were driving around (see the first photo above)... and it was just freakin awesome! It reminded me of the old SNL skits with the "land shark"...

But I had also taken the photo below... showing a package sent out in today's mail... and that was the one I ultimately went with.... as I just felt it was a stronger photo in it's composition. More importantly though... is that I am back in the swing of doing art... and that is wonderful :)

*photos by Elaine A. Russell

291:365

All day today... I kept thinking it was Sunday. Partly because my hubby is on vacation... and so it still feels like the weekend to me... and partly because we chose to do things today that are normally Sunday type of activities for us.

For lunch... we went to Winning Coffee Co... which is one of my favorite places to go. We got a most excellent Peruvian coffee, as well as Quiche for me and a beef and green chile sandwich for him. Bradley... of Bradley's Books was there... and we had a great time perusing his vast selection of books while we sipped our coffee (and got a couple great books!).

Afterwards... we headed up to Barnes and Noble where we spent several hours enjoying a small mocha... and looking at a huge selection of books and magazines. I love to go and get ideas for artwork... crafts... all kinds of projects. One of the artists whose work I came upon is Takato Yamamoto... and a portion of one of his art pieces is shown below...fabulous stuff...



For my photo for the day project today, I chose to alter a Polaroid shot of the gates to Old Towne here in Albuquerque. I altered the color slightly, and tried to give it sort of a glowing effect. I wanted the photo to feel as magical as the place... (shown below)

And tonight I am finishing up an art piece to mail out to a New York City gallery tomorrow. I have printed off one of my square format photos, and used a transfer technique to mount it to a small 6x6 inch framed canvas. I have painted the sides, and plan to speckle the print slightly with paint for a cohesive, yet rustic look.

I love days like this.... photography... art... books... good food... good coffee... good company... and inspiration!


*photos by Elaine A. Russell

180:365

------> photo by Elaine A. Russell


One of the problems with having Lupus, is that the fatigue can hit you seemingly out of nowhere... and be incapacitating. Today was one of those days. Fortunately, the family came to my rescue with help cleaning the floors... and a purchased pizza for dinner ( Papa Murphy's has the best stuffed pizza ever ).

I took this photo last December at a FlickR photo meet at the ABQ Rail yards. It is an awesome set of buildings... and just loaded with incredible atmosphere to take photos in. I loved this room full of old lockers... imagining workers congregating here before and after each shift... drinking coffee... telling stories...

163:365

The circle of life was close today.

I spent the morning at the PRIDE parade here in downtown Albuquerque, and it was a joyful celebration of life and love. Colorful costuming, floats, music... it was vibrant and alive and exuberant.
This evening I gathered with a circle of women for a new moon ceremony. Grounding, releasing of negativity, thankfulness for what we have in life... hopes and intentions for the future... all important aspects, and covered with love and grace.

And tonight, as I watered my plants and said my reflections on the day... my dogs discovered a severely injured baby rabbit in the yard... and potentially injured him even more as they brought him to me. As I said prayers of thanks for this little life, and tried to convey my deep love and caring for the baby... I ended his life as humanely and peacefully as possible; knowing that there was no way that the baby would recover or be able to live a wild life.

While I feel absolutely horrible about the bunny situation (and those of you who know me know how much I adore rabbits)... I feel fortunate in that; in spite of the fact that he was alone, confused, scared and hurt... he was able to somehow end up in my yard... where I was able to help him go on to the next phase of his life where he will hopefully be running around happily and safe from harm.



To read more about new moon rituals.... look HERE

(*photo by Elaine A. Russell)

157:365

As promised... today I am doing another post on one of the local art venues here in ABQ.

... and my Art Gallery "Sneak Peek" for today is: Chroma Studios
(peek #12 in my series)

"Chroma Studios is a contemporary art gallery focused on the art of New Mexico artists. We also provide studio space rentals for artists and musicians looking for a professional working environment. We now have two studio/classroom locations, downtown and near UNM."

This month's featured artist is Denise Kuntz; with her show entitled

" I See London - I See France."

Denise is a fabulous artist, as well as a wonderful person. She says she was inspired to do this series of paintings..... by the nose art of WWII plane artists; which included her father... and by the life and art of Betty Page.

Owners Paula Manning-Lewis and Aaron Lewis celebrated their 2nd anniversary in April 2010... and are still going strong. They have relocated the gallery space (formerly upstairs at Roma Station) to the new and funky "Underground" space. While it is now a smaller gallery space, it flows well... and continues to showcase top notch New Mexico artists.

This past Friday was the last "First Friday" event they will be participating in until the fall; and they will now be open by appointment only.

For more information, check out their site:

Chroma Studios

(top left - top right): Karl Eschenback - digital photography, Brendan Gould - oil painting

(bottom left - bottom right): Cari Pier - painting, Susan See - photography

artwork by owner Paula Manning-Lewis

(*photos by Elaine A. Russell)

156:365

(*promo postcard from this month's show at REVLIS)

When I started this blog... I wanted to include lots of local flavor, thoughts on art and photography... and daily musings on life in general

... and I think I have achieved that (at least on most days)...

At the beginning of the year... I started a series of blogposts on local art venues; which I called "Sneak Peeks." However, having been back and forth to PA for many months... I was unable to continue this series. Now that I am back for awhile... and to make it up to you all; I am going to post on 3 different galleries here over the next few days....

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

... and my Art Gallery "Sneak Peek" for today is: REVLIS

(peek #11 in my series)

Behind a somewhat unassuming exterior on Central Ave, lies a fabulous selection of funky...
hip hop... wild and colorful... exciting and fresh... art.

Graffiti fans beware... you will be sucked into the abyss

... at a vibrant new art gallery called REVLIS.

(yah well... I couldn't help myself... )

I stopped in this First Friday for the first time in several months. Only a short while ago, it was CIRQ gallery... and I loved it's creative spark. Honestly, I was a little reluctant to go now that it is a new place... but the owner; Nicole Montes, has gone out of her way to keep it all "street" and exciting and new. She heartily supports local, up and coming talent... and the energy is fierce.

This month's featured artist is J.L. Johnson... a truly fabulous artist.

For more info on J.L. and her art... check out THIS article at Duke City Fix.

Lisa Gill wrote this great article, and it is well worth the reading.

PLUS... here is a link to J.L. Johnson's website.

And so... here are some photos of some of the art at REVLIS...

artwork by Frank Andrade

artwork by Zack Meyer

artwork by Guillermo Gomez

*photos by Elaine A. Russell

154:365

I have slowly begun the process of getting re-aquainted with Albuquerque.

I really do love it here. I also love PA... basically... I love being most anywhere, as long as I have friends and my dear hubby.... and a puppy or two or three....

Today I got to spend the afternoon with a friend talking about art, and the business of art... and it was awesome. There are so many truly talented people in the world striving to get their art out there and be seen... and so many who have devoted all their time and talents into making it their career as well. It is a rough and weary road... but I have to say, I personally am enjoying the trip.

After our visit, I drove by the Albuquerque BioPark; and while it was closed for the day... I was still able to get a few photos of the pond and cacti areas right near the front gate. I love this park, and I never fail to find something extremely exquisite there to take photos of.


And I have re-opened up my Etsy store after 3 months of being on "vacation mode."
My goal for the next week or so is to take photos of a tub o' stuff and get things listed.
So.. feel free to check it out (link here).



In the meantime... have a great night... and I will see y'all tomorrow :)


* photos by Elaine A. Russell

121:365

----------------------------------->all photos by Elaine A. Russell

...today was an incredibly busy... but totally awesome day. It started off with a full body massage by Masterpiece Massage on Carlisle. The owner, Karla Linden is a very skilled therapist... and I left feeling refreshed and in less pain than I have been in weeks.

From there I went to an Art Sale near UNM, and got a fabulous art piece by Thomas Christopher Haag! He is one of my fav artists here in Albuquerque... and I am honored to have the opportunity to own a piece of his work.

On my way back home... I saw a demonstration on the UNM campus... providing info on medical marijuana... lots of peace and love, folks :).... and a great photo op. I have my own opinions on the subject... and having been a cancer survivor... have some real experience as well.

Later on this afternoon.... the hubby and I went to La Parada where the "Cinco de Mayo Folk Art & Music Festival" was in full swing. It was awesome. It will also be the main topic for tomorrow's post... so check back for lots of cool photos of some fab art by some awesome artists!

(Aaron Campbell)

And... before we headed home for the evening... we stopped at Astro Zombies on Central Ave; as it was their "Free Comic Book Day." We got to meet comic artists Aaron Campbell (Green Hornet Year One) and Andy Kuhn (Firebreather), and were even lucky enough to get signed comics and photos! WOOT!

It was an insanely busy day... and my back may kill me for it tomorrow... but in the meantime... it was feckin awesome :)

Gotta love Albuquerque in the Springtime

64:365

(*all photos by Elaine A. Russell)


It's Friday! ... and my Art Gallery "Sneak Peek" is: the Matrix Gallery
(peek #9 in my series)


One of my all-time favorite galleries in ABQ is the Matrix....located on Central Ave in Nob Hill.

"The Matrix was founded in 2007 by its director Regina Held. Originally from Germany, Regina received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Texas at Austin and her Master of Fine Arts from the University of New Mexico. She is also the founder and director of New Grounds Print Workshop and Gallery, located next to Matrix Fine Art. New Grounds has been in operation since 1996."




"Matrix Fine Art reflects New Mexico's artistic diversity by featuring two- and three-dimensional work ranging from landscapes to abstract and figurative themes. The 2,000 square foot gallery mounts twelve exhibitions a year with receptions taking place on every First Friday Artscrawl."... the Matrix website.




The front room... currently featuring artwork by Raul Dorn,
and porcelain work by Elizabeth Fritzsche



artwork Karl Koenig



artwork by Jacklyn St. Aubyn



artwork by Susan Reid



artwork by Archer Dougherty



artwork by David Koch



The Matrix Fine Art Gallery is always a place of inspiration. They have a huge variety of work, the place is fabulously curated, and it has a very pleasant atmosphere.

With the New Grounds Print Workshop and Gallery and on-site artist studio spaces;
it is also a working, vibrant, active space.
I absolutely love this place... and I think it is a MUST SEE for art lovers in and around the ABQ area.







***Link to the New Grounds Print Workshop and Gallery website: http://www.newgroundsgallery.com/