Hang Your Hat Here

Home

2011-08-15T11:19:00.000-07:00

My family and I just spent 2 bliss filled weeks on the coast of California. We go every year. It's our family vacation spot. We have a big green bus we stay in most of the time - cheap motels part of the time. We always have a wonderful time together - away from phones and work and distractions outside of our little family unit. We would probably enjoy this time together no matter where we chose to spend it. But we all do really love the ocean.
And every year we are re-energized and ready to come back home. Home to our pets and our beds and our work and our lives with friends and school...For me and Greg it is work. We are blessed to have jobs we love.
But this year is different. This year it is very hard to leave the sounds and smells of the ocean.
Why? That is an open question for me still. Maybe this too shall pass or maybe we'll be headed back sooner rather than later. But maybe there has been a fundamental change in our perspective this time. Maybe our work lives are changing. We have for a very long time defined ourselves by our work and our work ethic. It is easy to be a workaholic when you get to tattoo for a living.
But maybe we are learning that we can love what we do for a living without it consuming us?

The stars have it!

2010-02-03T19:13:00.001-08:00

I know I've said it before...but I really do love tattooing feet! Bring 'em on!
www.MaggieMayesTattoo.com

Some little tattoos I've done recently

2010-02-03T19:02:00.000-08:00

This was a fun little graphic hibiscus.

That little black Kanji.

www.MaggieMayesTattoo.com

Grant Road Improvement Project

2010-01-15T19:55:00.000-08:00

KVOA news story. Maggie Maye's made the news this week. Of course lots of what I said was left out in editing. A more complete story would have included that I am looking forward to the new Grant Road with all the transit improvements it brings with it. And of course, selfishly, I am also looking forward to increased property values on Grant Rd. Yes, the widening of Grant Rd. is going to be NO FUN while it's happening. But we'll get through it with the right planning and we'll all be better off in the end.

Eyeliner Special for the New Year

2009-12-15T07:05:00.001-08:00

Through January 15....Eyeliner is 250.00!! That includes tops and bottoms. This is a great way to ring in the New Year.
TucsonPermanentMakeup.com

2005 Maggie Maye's Commercial

2009-12-15T07:03:00.000-08:00

Love this old commercial featuring Greg as Santa! lol
Hector played Santa the day that the public was invited to come and see him. They came with their little ones just to have pictures made. It was lots of fun. I took digital pictures and gave them out on disk. Still have them on my external.

Cookie Knows how to Chill

2009-11-30T19:27:00.000-08:00

Do you think Cookie reads Little Buddha?

40 Ways to Let Go and Feel Less Pain

2009-11-30T18:56:00.001-08:00

40 Ways to Let Go and Feel Less Pain

Posted using ShareThis

Tattooed Feet

2009-10-25T04:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I did this little elephant on Melanie's foot. Thanks for the skin, Melanie!

Maggie Maye's Tucson Tattoo Store Front

2009-10-25T04:38:00.000-07:00

I've finished painting the store front of Maggie Maye's. The shop has always had a desert themed mural with the sun, mountains and cactus but I thought it needed to be jazzed up a bit. The mountains and cactus are popped out and plastered over for a bit of a 3-D effect. I actually enjoy doing this sort of thing and will be jumping into painting the east strip of our complex soon and starting a larger moon mural.

2009-09-11T19:50:00.000-07:00

I've been busy working on the new mural for the front of Maggie Maye's. Of course I've had help. George is plastering in the mountains. They need one more coat and in the meantime I will finish painting the sun. Last but not least the "Maggie Maye's" lettering will go on top of the sun. I love the new and more dynamic mural. It's a nice way to celebrate the next 10 years at Maggie Mayes Tucson Tattoo Studio.

Fixing up old Tattoos at Maggie Mayes

2009-08-30T16:06:00.000-07:00

Just some fix up work I was privileged to do. The first picture is the orchid before the fix up.

Big Day at Maggie Mayes Tattoo

2009-08-17T21:15:00.000-07:00

I spent today scraping and patching the front exterior at Maggie Mayes. It hasn't been repainted in 10 years and it sure is time! I love doing this sort of thing and love it even more that I am prepping the wall at Maggie Mayes Tattoo. I'll try to remember to take before and after pictures of the progress. We are going to reconstruct the mountains, sun and cactus mural but with a lot more color and punch. The next 10 years are going to be even better!

Meanings of the Symbols in the Tattoo for Religious Tolerance

2009-08-17T21:10:00.000-07:00

The symbols of fourteen religions are shown. Counterclockwise from the North Pole, they are Baha'i, Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Shinto, Sikhism, Taoism, Wicca, Zoroastrianism, and Druidism.

Religious Tolerance

2009-08-11T18:32:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful time today tattooing this piece on Gilbert. It symbolizes religious tolerance. I learned that although Gilbert is Catholic he "wanted to be covered".

Maggie Maye's Tattoo Grand ReOpening

2009-08-08T07:49:00.000-07:00

Maggie Maye's has a new website.
www.MaggieMayesTattoo.com
We have officially reopened the store front of Maggie Maye's Tucson Tattoo. Of course Greg and I have been busily tattooing in the back private studios all along, but now we have opened the store front again. It is and exciting time for us! We love the seclusion of the private courtyard studios and we aren't giving those up. But now I get to have that front room interaction with the public that I have sorely missed the last few months.
We are being joined by Jeff Scrivner and Mark Fowler. Both are experienced, mature tattoo artists.
Watch Cox Cable to see our new commercial (coming soon) commemorating our 10 Years in Tucson.
We will also celebrate our Grand ReOpening - 10 Year Anniversary with weekly giveaways that will include 50 Dollar Gift Cards and Maggie Maye's T-Shirts. Come share in the fun.

Black Widow Tattoo

2009-08-05T20:22:00.001-07:00

Don't smash it! This was a fun tattoo. We are over run in our yard at home with these creepy crawlies.
Maggie Maye's Tucson Tattoo.

2009-08-05T20:20:00.000-07:00

New Tattoos I've Done

2009-07-25T08:11:00.001-07:00

These tattoos were done recently and I had so much fun doing them. I think I've said it before - but I love tattooing feet. I hadn't done a bracelet in a long time and this one was challenging with all the s curves. Kept me holding my breath and smiling :-)

Thanks for the Article

2009-07-11T21:53:00.000-07:00

Recently, Charles Spillar wrote an article about the Tucson Artist Colony for the online Tucson Citizen. Charlie writes a weekly art blog called Artistic Tucson. It was a wonderful surprise to find that others view our little piece of Tucson as we do.
An Artist Shangi la in Tucson

New Tattoos I've done lately

2009-07-05T10:33:00.000-07:00

I've been privileged to tattoo some wonderful ladies the last few weeks. Here is a sampling of some of the tattoos I had fun doing for them.

Maggie Maye's Tattoo has a New Website

2009-07-05T10:23:00.000-07:00

Maggie Maye's has a new website.
www.MaggieMayesTattoo.com
Greg and I have been tattooing privately from our studios behind Maggie Maye's for the last few months. It has been blissful and secluded. I am going to once again take over managing the store front shop of Maggie Maye's and Greg will remain in his private studio in the back. I am being joined by Jeff Scrivner - his portfolio will be posted by the end of the day to the new website. I've missed the customer interaction that the street shop has and look forward to greeting new and old customers that walk through that front door. We have a few weeks of remodel to do as the last managers left us with a bit of a mess, but I'll be back up front soon.

2009-05-31T18:09:00.000-07:00

My family good times at Sabino Canyon. It's our favorite Tucson place to hang out.

Tucson Artist Colony booth at Historical Tour

2009-05-31T17:56:00.000-07:00

May 9th the Gateway Business Alliance hosted a historical tour of the historic motor hotel strip on Tucson's Miracle Mile/Oracle Rd. The Tucson Artist Colony had a booth. It was a good event. Lots of wonderful and interesting people attended. I manned the booth and was honored to have examples of several of the artists' art work with me. Robert Goldman, Brenda Semanick, Phil Starke and Sarah Weber all sent some of their work with me. I also had painting by some of the students of the colony. I was there really just to smile and meet people - tell them about our colony and what we do. I love events like that. There is that continuous flow of faces and comments and I have fun trying to keep up with it all.

mi familia

2009-05-27T11:07:00.000-07:00

Tattoos on feet

2009-05-24T21:48:00.001-07:00

My favorite body part to tattoo - the foot. And from what I understand I am unique in that predilection. I had lots of fun designing and doing this tattoo this week.

Jasmine in the air

2009-03-15T21:52:00.001-07:00

Today the scent of jasmine pervaded my back patio. Made me just want to lay out there and snooze all day. Of course I didn't do that - but the heavily perfumed air sure was tempting me. I know that this time last year I was way too stressed to appreciate my jasmine vines this much.
The economy and the wear and tear of the day to day grind of running a business had all but burned me out.
Now Greg and I are appreciating the up sides of the slow economy. More time to stop and smell the jasmine means more time at home with family. And now that we tattoo by appointment only from our private courtyard studio we don't have the stresses of balancing the art with the needs of the employees and the vendors and the keeping the doors open the posted hours....it is endless and then there's the paperwork...it never stops.
Even though Greg and I are tattooing as much as we ever did. It doesn't seem like a job anymore. It is once again fun and rewarding. We can enjoy the art and the time spent with our customers.
Some of our regular customers have commented to us over the last couple of weeks that we seem somehow different - happier and more relaxed. And they like it better. It's more relaxing for them. There isn't any jasmine planted in the courtyard at work (we'll have to fix that) but the feeling of that scent is there. That seductive lure that compels you to sit with the sun on your face and relax for a few minutes. Can't wait to go tomorrow.

Pink Tattoos

2009-03-12T15:46:00.000-07:00

I had a blast today tattooing. First I tattooed lips. Of course the lips weren't really pink. They were deep earthy pink. And toned down from there. I'll share that picture when I have a healed one to go with it. Fresh lip pictures can be stunningly bright but it's interesting to see the fresh picture next to the healed picture.
And then I had the pleasure of tattooing a newborn baby girl's footprint on her proud momma's foot. Baby footprints are always a neat and gratifying tattoo to do but today stood out for me because I got to do it in color. It was a lot of fun.
'

John Farnsworth at Tucson Artist Colony

2009-03-06T19:11:00.000-08:00

THE (UN)LIMITED PALETTE
an intense 2 day workshop
with John Farnsworth
March 22-23, 2009

COST: $240 - limited to 10 participants

LOCATION: Tucson Artist Colony, 2409 N. Castro, Tucson
located in Placita de la Luna at Grant & Castro

INFORMATION & REGISTRATION: Contact Bernita Barfield, 520-455-5953 or e-mail BernitaBarfield@aol.com

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This class is all about color and mixing whatever color you need by using just the 3 primaries. John Farnsworth ( www.johnfarnsworth.com ) has painted for over 30 years using this system.

You will delight in the freedom and ease that this system brings to your work. Avoid bad color habits. Learn good color habits. Enjoy mixing just the color you need. I will help you to simplify your palette and concentrate on your statement.

www.TucsonArtistColony.com

Working on ideas for websites - You run across some good stuff

2009-03-03T07:05:00.000-08:00

Tucson Permanent Makeup

2009-02-24T07:44:00.000-08:00

I've been busy this last couple of weeks building a new website for me. This is fun - always before I built sites that centered around other people and what they did. Now it's my turn. I must say I've had a hard time writing a bio - so Greg did it for me. But now I'm kinda liking talking up myself :-) Today I'm adding links to other peoples websites. So let me know if you'd like to be there. Currently I have added Tucson Cowgir l and Turn It Green Today. Check out my new site.

This lawn is you lawn.

2009-02-21T18:58:00.001-08:00

I am on a break from painting the last week or so. Still thinking about color and value...but just doing other things right now. I came upon this video. I found this on a website my sister created http://turnitgreentoday.com/. I really DIG it!
This Lawn is Your Lawn from roger doiron on Vimeo.

Paintings from my men

2009-02-08T12:47:00.000-08:00

The first one is by William. That's his painting this week. "Mustard and Ketchup". Maybe we'll get him to do the lettering on the ketchup bottle. And the second one is by Greg. This is from a photo I took as we were driving into Seattle on that unbelievable journey in our big green bus. We had been on the road for awhile and we were anxious to see the family in Seattle and everything around us was exciting. That was my point of view. Greg remembers it slightly differently. We had just a few days before bounced off the side of a mountain on highway 1 and now he was about to enter some hair raising traffice. So he has entitled this "White Knuckles"

Another day of oil painting class

2009-02-08T12:09:00.000-08:00

This is as far as I took the dog before class on Saturday. And I'll just stop here for now. It's not about a finished painting to frame and hang but about what I'm learning. And I know that I've taken this one as far as I can. I probably should have tried the paws again...but now it's too dry. I like painting wet into wet and that's what I want to learn to do well. Got home today without any canvas so I won't paint again until tomorrow. Really do need to work on taxes anyway....

Life Drawing Class with Robert Goldman

2009-02-06T06:41:00.000-08:00

Monday a new adventure starts. I am enrolled in Robert Goldman's Life Drawing class. So for 3 weeks I'll have 2 classes a week. Looks like I might need to start painting the things I'm drawing in Robert's class. I'm excited but nervous about this new class. I am in over my head there. I am in awe of his paintings. He is a painter's painter. Like Sorolla or Bongart. And the class is full of accomplished artists. But I am not the only beginner. It will just push me to draw better. We will draw from models every week. This will really be a challenge. I have no idea how to even start. There are some artists enrolled that I really admire. Stephanie Birdsall being one of them. And then there will be little ol' me....struggling beginner. But Robert assures me his class is geared for all different levels. Greg is currently attending Robert's painting class and so I've gotten glimpses of Robert's teaching style and I think I'll be okay. He just doesn't know what a temper I have and how mad with myself I can get. But as usual I'll reserve that for our little dining room studio at home where I work out my artistic frustrations.

Just Blocking in

2009-02-06T05:57:00.001-08:00

I'm working on the block in for another homework piece for Brenda - is she sounding like a slave driver?? If your reading this, Brenda, (first I'll be flattered) some of us NEED slave drivers or we'd procrastinate. I admit I feel some pressure to have my assignments done for the next class. The first thing we do is share with the whole class what we did that week. This is a good thing or I might find excuses everyday to avoid the challenge. Brenda does not let you take the easy way out. But that's what makes her a good teacher.

I will finish blocking in some values and then I will get rid of some hard lines between some of them and then I think I will just develop the eye area and the highlights in the muscles around them. I'm not having much success with the paws without making them look too prominant so I might just ignore them for now. By looking at the photo I can easier see how the whole right side is in shadow and so tonight I'll make that one dark shape. That will be a good move towards finishing the block in.

Struggling Art Student

2009-02-05T22:41:00.000-08:00

I have had a tough and unproductive week in oil painting. I'm not sure Brenda will believe me but I really have painted every day for atleast an hour - usually 2 - except for yesterday when I just blew everything off. I took most of the day to cook with my 8 year old son - subject for a different blog - but it was the stuff the good life is made of...
Tonight I decided if I didn't make some visible progress in painting then I might as well hang it up for a while. One thing I knew I couldn't face again was that danged black and grey paint. If you've ever been into any spaces I inhabit/work in you know I am all about the color of life. The relationships of colors to light and spaces and the emotions they evoke. I look back at my kitten painting and have decided to name it "Shades of Death - Kitten". The lifeless blue that the black becomes when mixed with the white overwhelmingly reminds me of death and just flat out depresses me.
So the little rebel in me used a burnt sienna tonight. And once again I had fun. All week before this I had drawn with the deathly grey paint and wiped it off, drawn again....cried a bit...drank a little wine....wiped it off...it never felt right.
And once again my drawing in sienna is off - but I don't care. It felt right this time. I'm too old to spend my evenings suffering over ugly paint. Next week we are suppossed to get to break out the tubes of color. YIPPEE!

Super Bowl Portrait Demo with Romel dela Torre

2009-02-02T07:10:00.000-08:00

Super Bowl Sunday at The Tucson Artist Colony was a big hit. Romel dela Torre was our guest artist. He put on a wonderful demo session with the help of Stephanie Birdsall and her accomplished daughter as the model. We watched Romel paint the portrait wet into wet from beginning to end. The entire session was around 4 hours with a few short breaks. Romel shared valuable insight with us down to the nitty gritty of brush selection palette layout. Even as a beginning art student I learned a great deal yesterday watching the drawing and block in and I was particularly interested in when and how Romel put in his darkest darks.

If anyone is interested in a workshop with Romel contact Stephanie or me (Susan). It would be great to have him here in Tucson for more than a few hours.

Homework Assignment #2 - Tucson Artist Colony

2009-01-30T20:46:00.000-08:00

Tonight the homework for my painting class with Brenda Semanick was to render a kitten. She provided the photo reference and it was up to me to make sense of the paint. I have a confession....this is getting addictive. I was just going to paint for a bit and then make dinner. Eight o'clock rolled around, I was still painting and Greg made dinner :-)

I am sharing my kitten with you. And let me tell you, if I can do this - you can too! You just relax and study the reference and then go for it with the paint. I love the way the oil paint feels. It is positively lushous. Add oil painting to the list of things everyone should try atleast once in their lives. It feels a bit like gardening. The soil and the smell of the soil and the feel of the soil and the sun on your face....all those sensuous tactile pleasures....And then I could draw insipid parallels between germinating a seed and developing a painting....but that would just be soppy.

Homework assignments for Brenda Semanick's Class

2009-01-30T06:59:00.001-08:00

I'm not asking for critiques - I live with "The Critic" and I am an extremely harsh critic also. I know, I got the drawing wrong and it fell apart there. But I want to share anyway because the thing I'm really proud of in this picture is that I did it. My first 3 attempts turned into little temper tantrums and I told Greg I wasn't going back to class and that this was "stupid". He settled me down with a glass of wine - what a good husband he is....and I started again. Ironically, I think the drawings of the first 3 attempts were more accurate but the paint was a muddy mess. I also highly recommend the book Brushwork Essentials by Weber. As I read it I realized he was repeating almost verbatim ideas that Brenda had stressed in class. It was good to hear it again. Today I am working on a kitten. I am slow and so I won't have much to show for class, but I am learning. And I think our family is bonding with us all having this oil paint bug together. I still smile everytime I see the palettes in the freezer.

Palettes in the freezer - Oil painting classes at the Tucson Artist Colony

2009-01-30T05:48:00.000-08:00

Do you know what it means when your're trying to make dinner and you have to take 4 palettes out of the freezer to get to the peas??
Well, I've found it is the secret to happiness :-)
Recently, Maggie Maye and I have started art classes at the Tucson Artist Colony. Our first session was beginning drawing with Brenda Semanick and now we are taking Beginning Oil Painting, also with Brenda. The homework assignment is challenging enough to require me to paint daily. Just what I need. At the same time Greg is taking a painting class with Robert Goldman and he is obsessively painting every morning - in breaks during the day - and late into the night. And William seems to have caught the bug. Two days in a row he has come home from school, opened his paint box and worked on a desert scene he is painting. It must be quite a picture to outsiders. ...our dining area lost in easels, paint boxes and reference pictures. But to me it is a scene fit for Better Homes and Gardens.
Downside - I can't spell anymore - Brenda said that might happen when the right brain really starts to work and the left brain has to be quiet. I think I've gotten most of the blatant spelling errors corrected in this ditty - forgive the rest - I have a kitten to block in.

Becoming a Family of Artists

2009-01-27T07:17:00.000-08:00

How many paint palettes can you get in a freezer??? So far we can put 4 in ours!! How do we know this and why?
Recently I find my mind with a little "time on its hands". This is a result of selling the tattoo business (don't forget - I'm still tattooing - but independently - I don't manage a shop anymore). And so I am enrolled in a beginning oil painting class. Maggie Maye and I attend painting classes on Saturdays at the Tucson Artist Colony. Brenda Semanick is a wonderful instructor with enough patience for difficult students like me. Greg already was painting every day and now Maggie and I are also. So the freezer is stacking up in paint pallets so we don't have to scrape our pallet every night and waste so much paint.
Our beginning exercises are fairly simple mono chromatic studies. The challenge for me at this point is picking up the paint in the right amounts and consistency and being able to lay wet onto wet. I've sat at my hubby's side and watched him paint for years. It's been exciting to watch him grow as an artist. And he tells me those problems never go away - oh boy - something to look forward to! lol!
Tonight I will attempt the eye study yet one more time. So far I've made mud. But I'm trying to keep my chin up and remember that my best times in life have included mud. Make whatever you want out of that statement - but I've always loved playing in mud. Now the challenge is to NOT PLAY in mud. So I will struggle for clarity with the paint just as I do with words and we'll see what happens.

New Year's Resolutions - Huge Changes at Maggie Maye's Tucson Tattoo

2009-01-24T07:29:00.000-08:00

I have finally started my New Year's Resolutions. It just didn't seem like the new year until January 20th. Having Barack Obama as the president is giving me hope to make the resolutions. But on a more personal level Greg and I made some seismic changes in our life that same day.
Some would say that we've owned Maggie Maye's Tucson Tattoo since 1998. But the truth is Maggie Maye's has owned us. Everything we did on a business and a personal level was dictated by the needs of the shop. If you haven't owned your own business before - start one. I think everyone should have at least a taste of it (as I think everyone should do some form of community service in life). When you own your own business you are NEVER off. The closest we came was when we took that wonderfully adventurous vacation in the big green bus on highway 1. That's a whole other blog I might get to write soon.....But there was about a week when I did not have cell phone service and the pay phone was quite a hike from where we had set up camp in the bus (a blissful week in Nirvana).
Don't get me wrong - we have loved owning Maggie Maye's. But it is time for Greg and I to include other things in our life.
So with great excitement we welcome Theresa Barksdale as the new owner of Maggie Maye's Tucson Tattoo Studio. Theresa has been with us in lots of ways since we opened. Some of you have seen the tattoo work Greg has done on her back. She has a full back memorial to Stevie Ray Vaughn. Her son Jesse will be tattooing with her at Maggie Maye's.

You'll still find Steve Gray at Maggie Maye's.
SO ARE WE! Greg and I are still in our same booth. We are still tattooing and piercing. We have just closed up the shop in the middle and we have a private entrance through the courtyard behind Maggie Maye's. We're easy to find - but you must CALL FIRST. We work by appointment only now 520-270-6351.

So now this weekend I can write my New Year's Resolutions. And this year they can include personal improvement goals like learning to play the guitar and becoming a plein air painter. Huge smile. And this leaves a lot more time for us to dedicate ourselves to the Tucson Artist Colony and to working on the grounds of Placita de la Luna (the complex that houses all this good stuff).
This weekend we will finally pop the cork on the champagne - CHEERS!

Inauguration

2009-01-20T20:47:00.000-08:00

Well, today is the day we've been waiting for. I feel like I've been holding my breath. Just waiting for the new President. New Hope. New Beginnings. I sat and stared at my T.V. this afternoon just as people all over the country - all over the world did. If nothing else we were all united in watching this ceremony together. And I am resolved to let myself be vulnerable enough to BELIEVE. Maybe it will all end in disappointment but I am willing to risk it. We all need a dose of BELIEF. "Yes we can". And so we will.
God Bless Barack Obama. Keep him safe and give him guidance.

New Beginings

2009-01-19T14:20:00.000-08:00

What an exciting week. Tomorrow we will have a new President. Not just any new President. I got tingles today when I read Tucson Cowgirl's blog about this inauguration. Last night we had a little family party to celebrate and even though Greg and I have decided to lose weight as one of our New Year's resolutions (how stereotypical can we be?) I made a cake for the party.
I wanted to write "YES WE CAN!" But I'm really not very talented with cake writing icing so I thought I'd stick to the simple "Go Bama".
That says it all anyway.
I salute this new President of ours. Hail to the Chief.

Going too fast or too slow??

2009-01-19T10:42:00.001-08:00

I look at the date of my last entry and realize I've lost a couple of months. With the holidays and guests and shopping and cooking and cleaning and of course continuing to work...the Artist Colony and the Grand Opening....I'm not sure if time has gone on without me or if I've just been caught up along in it.
I have met absolutely fascinating people. Among them Monica Surfaro Spigelman and her husband Leigh (check out her blog - it's the Tucson Cowgirl listed in my blogs to the right). Greg and I attended their Exhibit downtown and purchased some wonderful photographs.
Then at the Grand Opening of the Tucson Artist Colony there were so many interesting visitors to our little classroom. We were honored to have George Strickland and his lovely wife, Carolita, attend.

Greg and I foundered ourselves at Thanksgiving. It was just us two and our beautiful 2 children William and Maggie and of course the dog, Cookie, and the 2 cats, Strawberry and Bagheera. But I cooked as if the whole family from Texas was arriving at any moment (secretly wishing they would).

My mother and step dad came for Christmas which really made it a special holiday. I think they stayed longer than they have before and we were able to enjoy them more. No rushing about. Fun times shopping and eating and movie going.

Maggie and I started Beginning Drawing Classes at the Colony with Brenda Semanick (her blog is also to the right). And I have homework for the first time in years!! I've loved every minute of it. Not only have my drawing skills improved, but the time I've had doing this along side Maggie Maye has been priceless. I know this memory of art class together is one we will share always. I hope it sustains us through the rocky teenage years soon to be here.

And now it's time for New Year's Resolutions - but by the time I get mine done it might be the Chinese New Year. So either it's all moving too fast or I'm moving too slowly.

Haiku

2008-11-22T12:34:00.000-08:00

On New Year's Day
I long to meet my parents
as they were before my birth.
* * * * * * * * *
In my old home
which I forsook, the cherries
are in bloom.

http://www.toyomasu.com/haiku/

Part the Second of Susan's Sleeve -- Tattoo in Progress

2008-11-22T12:08:00.000-08:00

Drum roll......And here is the rest of my sleeve-in-progress.

Check out more of Greg's work.

www.TucsonTattoo.com

Susan's sleevework -- Tattoo in progress

2008-11-22T05:58:00.000-08:00

Greg worked on my tattoo this week. Basically it follows a Japanese theme. Raijin and Fujin are the gods of thunder and wind and then there are the traditional cherry blossoms and chrysanthemum. The upper part of the arm - and onto my back in koi and waves. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raijin Wikipedia is an excellent tool.
Obviously, the sleeve is in progress. This type of work is about the process as much or more than about the outcome. The evolving - unfolding of the artwork is really more inspiring than the sleeve itself. Will post the rest of the series after work today.

Tucson Artist Colony Announces Grand Opening

2008-11-20T19:41:00.000-08:00

Contact: Susan Alexander
Tel: 520-270-6351
Email: placitadelaluna@live.com

TUCSON ARTIST COLONY ANNOUNCES GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION
Tucson Artist Colony Provides Opportunity to Buy Local

TUCSON – 2409 N. Castro at Placita de la Luna – December 13, 2008 – the Tucson Artist Colony celebrates its Grand Opening with a reception from 5-8 pm. Tucson Artist Colony is an unprecedented collection of some of the country’s finest plein-air and studio artists who have come together to work and teach on the grounds of Placita de la Luna in Tucson. Artists such as Phil Starke and Chauncey Homer are instructors at the colony and are offering classes to share their talent and knowledge with the Tucson community. They and the other Colony fine artists are available at the reception to discuss their work and the scope of the classes offered. Examples of their works are on display and are for sale. This is the perfect opportunity to make Holiday shopping relevant by buying local and supporting the Tucson Arts Community. Tucson Artist Colony Gift Certificates are also available for purchase. Aspiring art students benefit from these gifts.

Colony Fine Artists:
v Phil Starke www.philstarke.com
v Chauncey Homer www.chaunceyhomer.com
v Brenda Semanick www.brendasemanick.com
v Sarah J. Webber www.sarahjwebber.com
v Robert Goldman www.robertgoldmanfineart.com
v Martha Braun www.marthabraun.com

The Tucson Artist Colony is the concept of Greg and Susan Alexander who saw a need in Tucson for a place Artists could call their own. While the downtown art community is struggling to maintain studio space these owners of Placita de la Luna have stepped forward to fill the need. Brenda Semanick, who is best known for her watercolors of the Tucson Barrio and large floral canvases and one of the key fine artists involved says, “It’s a perfect location to paint and to teach. Tucson has needed a place like this for a long time.” At a recent Open House held for the students of the Colony, Connie West, a local artist and art collector says, “Tucson has needed something like this for a long time. This is the best kept art secret in Tucson… This is going to be a wonderful thing for Tucson.”
The classrooms of the Tucson Artist Colony are located at Grant and Castro in a rambling building that was originally built as a home in the 1930’s and was constructed with adobe dug on site by the Native Americans of the Pascua Yaqui tribe. This historic property is now called Placita de la Luna (Grant Rd. was once Luna Rd.). Greg and Susan are completely committed to the development and growth of this new Tucson Artist Colony and pledge to set aside the entire complex to the endeavor as space becomes available.

The public is invited to share in the Grand Opening of the Tucson Artist Colony and to
celebrate this exciting development in Tucson’s art community. This event is also a perfect opportunity for the community to Buy Local for the Holidays by purchasing gift certificates for the classes. The enriching experience gained through instruction from the fine artists of the Colony is a gift that lasts a lifetime.

Although the Tucson Artist Colony is not an "Artist Colony" in the truest sense it is a group of some of the best artists in the Southwest. The Colony is committed to creating and providing an atmosphere to foster artistic growth among the artists who choose to work there and among artists who choose to participate in the classes. For more information visit the websites.
http://www.tucsonartiststudio.com/
http://www.tucsonartistcolony.com/

And So It Begins...

2008-11-19T20:19:00.000-08:00

The last two days have taken me by surprise a bit. I had really been looking forward to the art classes beginning at the Tucson Art Colony. We had worked so hard on the buildings and grounds and websites....
So of course I was excited. But then the first class was Tuesday. Chauncey Homer had his first class (on our grounds)...and I was just about overcome. It's really happening. These wonderful fine artists are teaching classes through the Tucson Art Colony on our grounds. Placita de la Luna has REAL artists painting there!
We had already been blessed when Brenda Semanick and Sarah J. Webber began using studio space at the Placita. That has been completely heady.
Then today Phil Starke's class met. Some of his students opted to paint in the courtyard instead of the classroom. I smiled everytime I saw them set up with their stately easels painting things they had found in MY humble abode.
December 13 is the Grand Opening. I do hope we can get the word out that this new part of the Tucson Art Community has begun - and we want to SHARE it!

Thoughts on the Bailout

2008-11-18T05:32:00.000-08:00

I found this haiku on the internet this morning (hint to Greg: sure would like a book of them for Christmas). It was written in 1499 in China.

and will the land not fall in ruin
with its commoners in distress
EM - 1499

Current thoughts:
Hey! Doesn't anyone see us down here!!?? We're drowning! HELP!

Art Classes in Tucson at the Tucson Artist Colony

2008-11-14T07:59:00.000-08:00

Gain the Competitive Edge...Be a Better Artist.

You can't miss this opportunity! Brenda Semanick is forming classes for drawing and for painting. Classes begin soon.....This is the perfect year to BUY LOCAL. Sign up for Brenda Semanick's classes. http://www.brendasemanick.com/index.html

Tucson Artist Colony Grand Opening

2008-11-13T22:30:00.000-08:00

TUCSON ARTIST COLONY
GRAND OPENING

Tucson ArtistStudio announces the Grand Opening of the Tucson Artist Colony to be held at 2409 N. Castro on Saturday, December 13, 2008 to celebrate the inception of this exciting Fine Art Colony in Tucson.
Please join us for a come and go reception where you will meet the Fine Artists of the Colony and be able to view their works and even purchase directly from the artists.
The reception will be held in the Tucson Artist Colony classrooms where you will be able to speak with the artists about the exciting classes being offered.
Gift Certificates will be available. This year especially would be an excellent time to give that special struggling artist a gift card from the Colony. The enriching experience gained through art instruction is truly a gift that lasts a lifetime.
Support the Tucson Fine Arts Community by attending the Grand Opening of the Tucson Artist Colony. Share in this celebration of our beginning.

Participating Fine Artists:
v Phil Starke http://www.philstarke.com/
v Chauncey Homer http://www.chaunceyhomer.com/
v Brenda Semanick http://www.brendasemanick.com/
v Sarah J. Webber http://www.sarahjwebber.com/
v Robert Goldman http://www.robertgoldmanfineart.com/
v Martha Braun http://www.marthabraun.com/

http://www.tucsonartistcolony.com/ http://www.placitadelaluna.com/ http://www.tucsonartiststudio.com/

contact Susan Alexander with questions: 520-270-6351
email: placitadelaluna@live.com

Saying Good bye to Otis

2008-11-11T13:41:00.000-08:00

It's been three weeks since we had Otis put to sleep. And I can just now talk about it. This picture was taken in May before he was sick. It was always so hard to get a good picture of him. Black dogs are like that.

William worries that Otis may already have been reborn and that his new owners are not being good to him. What a child I have there.

I explained to William that if Otis has come back then it is as a Buddha because he was such a perfect soul. He was my Golden Boy.

Thanks again to Justin at the Southern Arizona Humane Society. He made this journey so much easier for Otis and for me.

Fall Day in Tucson

2008-11-11T13:19:00.000-08:00

It's a beautiful fall day in Tucson. This is why we live here. The little finches are busy in the backyard and William is running in and out the front door and playing with the neighborhood kids. The sound of boys laughing and shouting is as bright as this Tucson blue sky.

Tonight we will light a fire outside and drink a nice red wine.

Life is good.

Blessed are the meek.................... I'm going to Hell!!!!!: Dear President Elect Obama,

2008-11-11T12:40:00.000-08:00

So I'm just chillin and surfin the blog stuff today. I swear I'm behind the times and don't know what all the little widgets and things mean....but the important stuff -- the thoughts people share....I'm having a good time with that.
Here's a good read.
Blessed are the meek.................... I'm going to Hell!!!!!: Dear President Elect Obama,

Fall Color

2008-10-25T19:53:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those rare days for the Alexander family in that we decided to blow off work and just do something fun.

Destination - Around the top of Mt. Lemmon where you can see the Aspens turning.

We loaded up the paint boxes - this was the first time in awhile we had painted as a family and so that was a big chore. Greg made sure everyone's box had brushes and paint and he rounded up all the paraphanelia it takes to make a plein air painting.

I've been working long hours this week and so I hadn't been to the grocery store so our picnic supplies had to come from the the Circle K on the corner -- we were not to be detered by this.

After all, we decided, it's not about the food but the experience. And we had places to go!! Besides, the kids weren't that upset that I had to pack chips, candy and cokes for their lunches... And of course there's the quick stop at the art supply store to pick up panels.....and then the long drive across Tucson to the Catalina Hwy.

William was sure we'd have to stay in a hotel before we got there because it seemed to him that we'd been in the truck forever.

But finally we are on our way - we'd stopped and paid the day fee and met a lovely woman who admired our dog, Cookie and had a chat with her.

And then the truck died. ON the highway as we were CLIMBING up the grade. It just sputtered and quit. This can't be happening! Our luck wasn't all bad as there was a pull out we were able to crawl into.

Got the truck started again but couldn't turn around at that tight spot and so we went a bit further and stopped at a picnic grounds.

Greg decided that we should let the truck cool off and go ahead and have our junk food picnic.

The kids were wonderful and didn't complain as I explained to them that there was no way we could go on up the mountain today. Maybe the Snickers and Hersheys bars helped or maybe it was that we realized it was a beautiful picnic spot.

We were no where near the Aspens but hey - we'd been in the low desert all summer and here there were pine trees and oaks.

William, who had been looking forward to seeing real fall leaves decided to go look for some. So we hiked a bit and sure enough there were bushes and small trees - I didn't have a field guide so I won't try to name them - that were turning red and yellow and orange. He had found what he'd come for.

And so we set up and all painted. Nothing as pretty as those leaves. We didn't even keep our paintings but went ahead and wiped them off while they were still wet. But I think the kids will remember our fall leaf adventure for a very long time.

My brother in Afghanistan

2008-10-15T21:05:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd share an email from the frontlines in Afghanistan.

Sorry for the interruption.
I actually have fetched a couple of patients from the gate since I left off. Their stories are not that unusual. The first guy was shot 6 days ago in the upper leg and the xray shows a nice size caliber bullet still in there. It is probably an AK 47 round. He is a security gaurd at a hospital over the mountains in the next valley. He has had some initial treatment and the wound looks surprisingly clean. So he is a lucky guy. We just gave him some antibiotics, tetanus, and packed the wound. You leave the round in unless it is compressing vital structures. The body will wall it off. So he will follow up with us for simple wound care on our clinic days. You dont sew up gun shot tracts. Just keep shoving dressings in the wound until it starts to heal down.
The second guy is elderly and he was hit by helicopter fire 3 days ago. He has a nice open fracture of the left lower leg. Ofcourse we have already had our SF guys over here and they have "interviewed" him and his buddies. Their stories check out so they are probably not bad guys. In this case just at the wrong place at the wrong time. The guy is pretty old anyway. I doubt very much he is a fighter. It is hard sometimes to guess ages. They have no idea how old they are. They don't keep up with it. The life expectancy is 45 for males and even less for women. So what would pass for a 70 to 80 y/o man in the States may be only 50 or so over here.
So we get lots of fresh wounds and lots of older wounds. Most have not been treated. We had one elderly gentlemen this summer who rode his donkey for 6 days to see us. He was hit by an RPG in the right arm. It basically blew the whole back part of his elbow away. He was open from about the top of the arm to almost the hand. Pretty impressive even by our standards. Especially considering being on a donkey for a week. These folks are tough.
So our old man is going to surgery and my partner who will be with me for a couple of more days is going to do his anesthesia. So I am just relaxing and waiting for the next phone call.
The interpreter and I did go browse through the bazaar while we were waiting for this last casualty and his cohorts to be searched. We don't touch any of these folks until they have been searched thouroughly. We have a bazaar every other Sunday here. It is safe to go to cause it is on the Dutch side of the base. You don't go to bazaars off base. That is where people get blown up. Mostly junk over there. I guess I could buy a burka or one of their hats, but naw, I have better things to spend my money on. The Dutch make pretty good milk shakes on their side of the base. Nothing like Brahms or Dairy Queen though.
Our interpreters are invaluable. We could not do our job without them. We have several and one is assigned to us but sometimes we have used all of them. They go out on SF missions and our "terp" under our tutelage works traumas with us. He will start IV's and do whatever is needed. He is trying to get to the States. He would do well over there. Especially with his language skills.
Well it is about 3:30 on Sunday afternoon and that has been my day. I am on until 8 in the morning and we will see what happens. I like not knowing. I guess that makes me kinda weird. LOL
Hopefully I will watch some NFL tonight. Doesn't start until 9 or 10 and is on all night. I am hoping to get a couple hours sleep. Since my partner is here for a few more days I can sleep tomorrow unless something really big happens. But you do what you do. I am home in a couple of months and then I will sleep well.
Love to all
Gregg

Otis at the park

2008-10-14T23:16:00.000-07:00

The new morning must....walking Otis at the park. Today I had to think very seriously if this would be his last one. He's stumbling badly and just isn't all into the park and its smells and sounds.

I'm not sure anymore that he's not hurting.

The DECISION must be made soon.

Tucson Artist Colony

2008-09-25T21:56:00.000-07:00

We have been busy putting together the concept of the Tucson Artist Colony and are pleased to see it actually happening! Brenda Semanick is the first to move in to the Placita and now Phil Starke and Chauncey Homer are following.
Greg and I will be busy getting the space ready at 2409 Castro which will serve as instruction and open studio space. We will also be making available 2 more private studio spaces and of course the courtyards at the Placita will host painting classes.
This is a dream come true for me and Greg.

Whew!

2008-08-23T23:29:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm sitting here and that is good. We've made it through the sealing of the floor at the tattoo shop.
Whew! Those were some strong fumes.
And for some reason I've chosen tonight to figure out this blog thing. I think Greg is asleep at his desk and the kids are droning in front of computer games.

Ten years at the shop and boy was it looking ten years worn in. The place needed a new dress and it will be done by the end of this week and we will be proud.

The past ten years of being shop owners has shaped (maybe even warped) our lives. Sweet Maggie forgets that her last name isn't Maye. She has always been Maggie Maye - the namesake. Her teachers constantly remind her to add Alexander to her papers.

What does the next 10 hold????