TAOS, QUESTA AND ART...CONNECTED

 By

Gypsy Rhapsody

(a 1977 Airstream who connects with art)

What can I say...Vannie and Dave enjoy art.

They connect with it.

They enjoy looking at it.

They enjoy creating it.

They enjoy meeting artists and hearing their stories.

Vannie and Dave's favorite Airstream artist...

Elizabeth Jose

Sage Fine Arts Gallery

V and D are enjoying a visit with Elizabeth in the gallery located in the historic Taos Plaza.

Look closely...Elizabeth painted a couple of cousins of mine.

...and here they are visiting Elizabeth in her studio...

There's another cousin to the right of Elizabeth.

That was such a fun day.  A caravan of Airstreamers were

were visiting Elizabeth's studio.  We felt right at home.

Inger Jirby  Fine Art Gallery

Inger is from Sweden, but has lived and painted in Taos for many years.

Always fun to visit her gallery and hear some of her stories.

It seems Vannie always come away with something to treasure.

Dave said that looking out this screen door from Inger's gallery

to her guest house is a painting just waiting to happen.

Jones Walker of Taos

"Where art lives"

2 Guys from Dallas

Tony and Max

V and D love these guys.  They are so much fun.

They always greet you with a smile.

Their collection of art is incredible.

Max is constantly creating...some of his work is displayed on the wall behind them.

The Harwood Museum of Art

Founded in 1923

2023 has been a year of celebrating 100 years.

Harwood 100 Open Wall

Local artists were invited to exhibit their work in a self-curated exhibition series.

V and D's friend, Elizabeth Jose was one of the artists on "the wall".

There's another cousin.

My goodness, they keep popping up all over the place.

Vannie said "the wall" didn't just include paintings.

A dress created entirely of...

...origami  cranes.

"Paper folding with a twist"

The Wright Contemporary

Exhibit:  Portraits d'usage in Conversation

Artist:  Isabelle Plat

Isabelle is from Paris, France.

She used old clothes and human hair to create this exhibit.

Vannie said she was delightful, and enjoyed talking about her art.

The Millicent Rogers Museum

(You can see  Millicent's photograph just to the left of Dave)

Dave said there is so much to see in this museum.

Beautiful paintings...jewelry...pottery...and more

This painting on glass is by one of Dave's favorite Taos artists, Lydia Garcia.

1936-2023

V and D actually visited Lydia in her studio in the early 2000's.

Just one of many of the outstanding paintings depicting

Native Americans

Millicent's son was very interested in  Southwestern textiles.

His collection of Navajo Chief's blankets and Hispanic weavings

from the Rio Grande Valley is unsurpassed. 

Questa Artist

Vannie

She entered an art contest...and won!!!

"Home of the Brave"

The Cerro Cemetery...small community a few miles outside of Questa

Questa artist and writer, Ellen Wood, with her friend Lynn.

Ellen purchased one of Vannie's small paintings.

Painting of the Cerro Church

Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe Mission Chapel

Ute Mountain in the background

There are many more galleries and museums and artists in this north central area of New Mexico.

These are just a few to "wet your whistle".

TEXANS ENTER INTO THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT

 By

Gypsy Rhapsody

(a 1977 Airstream that loves kids from Texas)

Excited  Excited  Excited

My very own Texans have arrived.

Vannie and Dave have on their biggest smiles when they are surrounded

by their kids and grandkids.

Vincent...T-Pop...Eliana (Maddie's friend)...Vannie...Maddie...Emilie

(and, of course, ME)

Ellie and Maddie didn't lose any time rolling out the Rummikub game.

In fact, those girls did not let grass grow under their feet all week.

They found 2 more girls that loved to play games.  Sitting in the middle of the

living room floor was their favorite spot.

The ski lift was busy carting Ellie, Maddie, and Emilie up the mountain.

sooooo....

...they could ride back down on those big tubes.

Mountain tubing is a huge hit among the vacationers. 

...and then there is the fishing...

Maddie and Ellie were trying to be very patient.

Can't beat that scenery!!!

Maddie's got one...YAY

Vincent's got another...

...and another!!!

...and what do you do with all those rainbow trout...

You season them with some Cajun seasoning...

and enjoy each wonderful bite!!!

Ice Cream cones for dessert!!!!

The Community House is Red River has so many great activities for

kids and grown-ups.  Maddie and Ellie are enjoying an art activity.

What's going on here???

The girls are involved in an art lesson about the artist, Georgia O'Keeffe.

The Caribel Condos has this poster of one of Georgia's works hanging in the hallway.

...so the girls had fun doing their own thing like Georgia.

The next day after the art lesson, we had tickets to tour Georgia's home in Abiquiu, NM.

Looks like the kids were a little stir crazy waiting for the tour to start.

It's starting soon...I HOPE.!!!

This was one of Georgia's paintings.  

She painted this after flying in an airplane.  

She loved watching the clouds out the plane window.

Her house was so interesting.

It combines Native American and Spanish Colonial building styles.

Some of the oldest rooms in the house were built around 1744.

Dave is checking out the adobe hacienda with rows of rooms

around an open space called a plazuela.

O'Keeffe grew a wonderful garden which supplied food for her and her guests.

It is still a working garden today.

Bones were her thing.

She loved the shapes and the colors.

The windows were like paintings...

They brought the outside in.

The view of the NM skies and landscapes were mesmerizing. 

This room was a combination of studio and bedroom.

Maddie and Ellie especially liked hearing about her clothes.

Georgia loved to cook.  Her meals focused on homegrown and natural foods.

Oh NO...did Maddie cut herself in the kitchen???

Nope...just another one of her fake bandages.

Vannie said it's enough to give a grandma a heart attack.

All good things have to come to an end!

Our Texans flew out of Albuquerque.

Here they are arriving back in Austin...still smiling...well, the girls, anyway.

The next day Maddie and Emilie heading to pick up Prince at the Doggie Sleepover.

I think you can see that Maddie and Prince were very excited to see each other.

They look just alike!!!