LA NANCY D Visits Orient

Ok, I know I'm biased, but I do think she took a great head shot! But then again, what can you expect from someone living in la-la-land so long? Of course, she took a great head shot. A great chick deserves a great head shot! I'm so glad she's coming to visit us here in the boonies! It will be so fun! Watching the documentary with the producer/writer, and being a part of something way bigger! Watching the film, and also celebrating my October people birthdays with my big sis will be lots of fun. Here is her pic and bio, hope you make it to Orient at the end of October for Lalo Guerrero: The Original Chicano!

The following is her bio, and yes, she looks a lot younger! But then again, so does everyone in LA!

Nancy De Los Santos is a Los Angeles-based writer with a number of credits including the MOW Gotta Kick It Up! for The Disney Channel, and scripts for both the Showtime drama series Resurrection Blvd. and the PBS series American Family. She’s co-writer and co-producer of The Bronze Screen: One Hundred Years of the Latin Image in Hollywood Cinema, a feature documentary that aired on Cinemax/HBO. She teaches a course based on the documentary at California State University, Fullerton.
She is the co-producer and co-writer with Dan Guerrero, of a documentary on the life of legendary Chicano troubadour and composer, Lalo Guerrero. Lalo Guerrero: The Original Chicano, will air on the PBS network this fall as part of the new series, Voces.
Nancy is the Associate Producer on the feature films Selena starring Jennifer Lopez and Edward James Olmos, and My Family, Mi Familia starring Jimmy Smits.
Born and raised in Chicago, Nancy began her career as Assistant Producer and continued as Producer for Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel’s film review program At The Movies. She received her degree in Radio, Television, and Film from the University of Texas at Austin. She holds a Masters in Communications from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.
Nancy De Los Santos has written for Hispanic Magazine and Latina. She is a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the Writer’s Guild of America, West and the Latino Writers Committee.

Los Angeles Documentary Producer Visits Orient Elementary School in October

Orient, Washington -- From October 23rd-26th, Nancy De Los Santos, producer and writer of the newly released documentary film, Lalo Guerrero, The Original Chicano, will be presenting an informational hands-on arts workshop on the Mexican cultural celebration, “Dia de los Muertos,” (translation: Day of the Dead) which is held every year on November 1st, for Orient Elementary School students as part of Orient’s arts and music program. Ms. De Los Santos’ visit is funded in part by a Washington State Arts Commission Grant. Lalo Guerrero, The Original Chicano, co-written and co-produced with Dan Guerrero, will also be screened on Friday evening October 27th at 7:00 pm, at the Orient Elementary School Gymnasium. (For more information on the documentary film and the filmmakers, visit their website as http://www.originalchicano.com/)

The screening is free and open to the public, with a suggested donation of $2.00 for adults, and $1.00 for students under 17 years of age. Ms. De Los Santos will give a short talk on documentary production, and what skills are needed in filmmaking and careers in filmmaking today. She teaches a course based on the documentary at California State University, Fullerton. We are honored to have Nancy visit our school, and share her love for filmmaking. Orient Elementary wishes to invite the community and anyone interested in a career in documentary filmmaking to attend the screening and join us for this special visit.

Born and raised in Chicago, Nancy began her career as Assistant Producer and continued as Producer for Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel’s film review program At The Movies. She received her degree in Radio, Television, and Film from the University of Texas at Austin. She holds a Masters degree in Communications from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.

The film will be aired on PBS stations throughout the country beginning in September. Ms. De Los Santos has extensive experience in writing and producing for television and feature films. Her filmography includes the TV series, "Go, Diego! Go!" “Gotta Kick It Up!” and “American Family.” She is the Associate Producer on the films Selena, and My Family. She also co-produced and co-wrote the documentary film, The Bronze Screen: 100 Years of the Latino Image in Hollywood Cinema, which aired on HBO.

Bobcat Boosters, Orient's PTA, is planning a Mexican-themed dinner that evening from 5 pm-7 pm, the cost for dinner is donation-based.

Time to Drive

Driving everywhere it seems these days, the hot, hot, dog days of summer. The Northeast Washington Fair is up and running, with cows, pigs, sheep, dogs and cats on display. Sometimes it seems a bit overwhelming! There is so much to see, and that's a good thing. The kids are back to school next week, and whew! What a summer it was. Beginning the administration job again at the school, and that will be a fun year, I hope. Seems I've been driving a lot, to town and back, and then to another town and back home. Pick up this child, drop off a child, go to a drawing class in Colville for six days. Whew! Glad that I have my old faithful Toyota. She is so great on gas, manuvers well, and is small! She fits in tight places and she'll always be a friend.
Well, got to go now, as it is my open house weekend! WHOPEE!

Letters I've Written

Never meaning to send... love that tune! Love art, and going to EUROPE! Still and all, Europe is the way to go, the best place to see the art of antiquity, the incredible paintings of the masters, and everything that is art.

This is where it all began, perspective included. The Fibonnacci sequence, Leonardo, all of it. I'm not really interested in Orca whales frolicking off the San Juan Islands, although that's very nice. In my lifetime, I hope to visit the Mona Lisa in person, soak in the culture, life, love, and ART that is Italy and France.

Drawing Again

Taking drawing seriously is a tough business. Try standing all day at an easel. It's not for the weak. Although you might get a nice drawing out of it. I felt like I was back in my college days. Whew! I'm really dating myself. It was good to really use charcoal to its greatest advantage. I don't much like the drawing, but the thing was, it was worth a lot more than $25.

That was quite insulting that the owners of the restauranat where we were drawing (they rent the space too!)--told us "kids" that he would buy a drawing the one he liked, the best one, for $25. Well, mine wasn't for sale. I told one woman, you know, if you pay yourself $10. per hr. that comes to at least $160. per hr. figuring on an 8-hr. day!

She replied, "well, not when you've got a barn full of paintings". I felt sorry for her, as women to tend to de-value themselves and their work. I thought it was quite demeaning, when the teacher stated so emphatically that some of her students sell their paintings for $20K.

It was kind of insulting. Like I really need a ZZ Top look-a-like with a baseball hat to judge my drawing and offend me by telling me that it was only worth $25.00.

I have to say something tomorrow to the class, as I thought it was a class, and NOT a competition. It was extremely rude to make the class into a competition. Not to mention the folks that came by with their inane comments and stupid photos of past paintings they did in the previous classes.

Talking to my friend Jane, I wondered out loud to her, "why do women de-value themselves and their work"? Me, included of course.

My faithful friend and husband, Dave always tells me this in so many ways. Sigh, that's why I love him. He always tells me that I'm better than I think I am, and I should charge accordingly!

Grand Forks Summer Showcase: "Crossing the Line"

NEWS RELEASEfor immediate releaseJuly 14, 2006Contact: Paul Crawford, Director / CuratorGrand Forks Art GalleryPhone: (250) 442-2211E-mail: gfagchin@direct.caWeb: www.galleries.bc.ca/grandforksThe Grand Forks Art Gallery Presents - Crossing the Line – A Regional SurveyExhibition Opening Saturday July 29th 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Artists will be in AttendanceExhibition Runs from July 29th through August 26th

The Grand Forks Art Gallery is proud to present the exhibition Crossing the Line, an exhibition featuring the work of 13 artists residing and working in the Boundary region of British Columbia and North Central Washington State. This annual exhibition is intended to act an ongoing survey of this regions diverse and varied visual arts community.
This year in an effort to better reflect our region the Grand Forks Art Gallery has extended an inviting to a selection of artists living and working in North Central Washington State exploring a wide variety of medium’s including painting, photography, sculpture and ceramics. The artists featured in this summer’s exhibition include:

From North Central Washington: Chris Kroupa from Curlew who is represented in the collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Ellen Picken from Republic, Gloria de los Santos from Kettle Falls, Charlene Payton-Holt from Republic, Gary Belcher from Orient and Elinor Distler from Colville – From Grand Forks and the Boundary: Ken Flagel, Shirlie MacLean, Doris Albert, Doolee MacDonnell, Ingunn Templeman, Melon Durrand and Dustin Lacroix a recent art school graduate and past winner of the Richard and Beverley Reid Scholarship for graduation students.
Our hope is to have this develop into an ongoing series of exhibitions and exchanges exploring the contemporary arts scenes of both Washington State and British Columbia and in doings so help build bridges between our two arts communities. It sad to think that this once strong and vibrant bilateral artistic relationship has become less and less over the past 20 years as the physical barrier between our two nations becomes that much more pronounced.

These North-South artistic and cultural associations are not new and the exchange and flow of culture is as old as there have been people inhabiting these lands. From the early exchanges and the established trade routes used by the First Nations, to the movement and explorations of the Spanish and the fur trade through the move Northwards to the Gold Fields, this history of these cultural exchanges is well documented. It has only been in the last twenty years this bilateral exchange has slowed to a standstill and the barriers imposed by the arbitrary border along the 49th parallel have become more acute. It’s a shame to think that since 9-11 the barriers both physically and emotionally have made this division even greater and the border more impenetrable. Sadly it is the residents who inhabit the communities along the 49th parallel who suffer the most.

It is our hope that though exchanges such as these, the Grand Forks Art Gallery will come to represent a true snapshot of the history, development, uniqueness and diversity of this regions artistic vision, its past and though exhibitions such as this it future.
For further information, please call the Grand Forks Art Gallery at 442-2211
Or visit the Gallery at 7340 – 5th Street, Grand Forks, B.C. (Under the Blue Awning)

The Art Gallery

Grand Forks, B.C. is a great place. Love that town. Love it even more because I'm showing my work there now. Which is a lot of fun. Went to the opening, saw a lot of friends, met some nice people, and all was well. Met some folks from "Shop The Frontier". A great organization.

Paul Crawford and his staff at the Grand Forks Art Gallery were very nice and helpful. They had great food as well.

The gallery is great, great atmosphere. Wish the show didn't have to end, but all things must pass.

Looking forward to the next show. Here's a picture I took of a patron looking at my work on the wall. Don't know who she is, but she looks interested.

Art is THE WAY

I've been thinking that artists look at other artists' work, or do they? Do they consider other artists' works? Do they visit other artists' studios to see how they're doing, to see what they're selling? My studio is a pack-rat's haven. That's NOT a good thing. But I'm trying, at least you can see the beautiful paper-bag floor the hubby did a few years ago.

It's absolutely marvelous. But I've found I'm NOT my own best salesperson. I really have to psyche myself up to 'sell'. Not a natural born salesperson. Selling other people's work is fine, I have no problem with that.

Wish I could hire a manager/salesperson. Sigh.
Seems the only folks coming up to my studio are OTHER artists wanting to know how/why/what/ and how much she's selling it for???

North Country Artist Trails

Well, folks are stopping by to see the artwork, see the studio and get "stamped". That is, when someone visits a studio, they receive a unique stamp and if they can collect 6 unique stamps from six different studios, they'll be able to get their stamped card into a drawing for origina art. This wonderful feat will happen on September 1st at Studio Five!
It'll be fun, it'll be educational, and always a surprise.

This cyanotype here is from a collection that I began three years ago.

Cyanotypes are fun to make in the summertime, and summertime is not complete without producing a few cyanotypes. It's supposed to be BLUE not ORANGE. I just hope you're looking at a tru-blu Cyanotype.

The Boy Scout Trip New Chapter

After witnessing a blowout on that rocky mountain road, I caravaned with some other Scout folks to Priest Lake, ID on Saturday. A long, hot drive, but it was relatively cool in the morning, with a lot more heat to come on Sunday, when I returned home. Going through beautiful Loon Lake, we took the shortcut to Priest River, locating ourselves at the Beaver Creek Campground on Priest Lake. There, Hayven squealed with delight as we swam in the lake. We setup our tents, with the help of the two oldest boy scouts, Eli and Cedar. Fun! The campground was completely filled up, so our tents would have to be right next to each other making for a familial coziness! We awaited the first boys scouts completing their 30-mile hike through grizzly and black bear territory. It was a long wait! Finally, at 5 pm, Dylan and Marshall showed up, Tim, Marshall's father having picked them up at the trailhead. The logistics of the trip were quite complicated to say the least.

Mary acted as camp cook for that first night at the Beaver Creek Campground in Nordman, ID and I was her helper. Finally, we heard that Jason had a flat tire on his boat trailer, and that some boys stayed with him. His wife, Laurie, had some blisters on her feet, but was OK. The boys straggled in: Jake, Justin, and Garrett. We waited and waited until at 7pm, as everyone wondered where the rest of the boys were, finally, Jerry showed up with his wife Ruth, and a very badly sprained wrist. Cary was with him. They had taken a wrong turn and ended up 1 1/2 miles down the wrong trail. Matt was with them.

All was well, everyone accounted for, and we could have our delicious spaghetti dinner, with chocolate cake for dessert!

Dave and the Drywall

Here's how Dave looked after drywalling our "mud room" two years ago! Look, hon, it's DONE! Remember your past projects and how much you've improved the place. IT looks great, and it's getting better all the time!

What a Wierd Strange Trip it WAS!

Driving the Boy Scouts. My son, Dylan is in a Boy Scout Troop, and that's nice, but sometimes, it requires the patience of Job and a lot of guesswork, emotional and physical stamina--on the part of the parents! I offered to drive them to the trailhead of the planned "50-mile hike". Getting there was an ordeal when I woke up, got the kids up, and the two boys (Dylan and his friend Derek) noticed the Jeep had a flat tire! They quickly changed it, with help from Dave via the telephone, and we were off, albeit one-half hour late!. Getting to the Union Hall in Kettle Falls, we sorted through the gear, got ready and off we went. Hayven went with Mary to spend the morning with her and her two daughters, one of which is Hayven's age: Cassie.

Later, we made several stops, picked up a boy, dropped off a car, and made our way to Colville National Forest's Sullivan Lake Campground. At the Ranger station, we sorted through the meals and placed them in bear-proof plastic traveling bins. On to the trailhead. Connie was driving in her big white Chevrolet Van, with eight adults, and Jerry with himself and two other scouts, Marshall and Garrett. Another hour into the woods on a very narrow forest service road and we were there. The sheer dropoff was quite stunning, the scenery extraordinary.

After eating a brown bag lunch prepared by Mary, THANKS MARY--Connie headed off with her daughter, Johanna, and I in Jerry's Chevy pickup. A little more than one-half of a mile down the narrow mountain road, Connie's tire back left tire hissed and BLEW! She kept driving, unbeknownst to her. I beeped and beeped the horn behind her to no avail, she kept driving--oblivious to it all, as the tire got lower and lower and started to shred. Why didn't I flash the lights? Because I didn't know where they were! IT wasn't my vehicle, and not having driven manual transmission for three years, had to re-familiarize myself with the process!

I kept beeping the horn. I thought, "either they know they have a flat and she's trying to make it down the mountain to the ranger's office, or they can't hear me". It was the latter. The music her teen daughter was playing was so loud, she couldn't hear me beeping. Finally a piece of the tire shredded and flew off and she saw a piece of blackness fly up, and thought it was mud!

She finally stopped as the tire started to smoke. She had felt the bump, but thought it was the rough mountain road. I stopped the pickup behind her, but didn't know where the hand-brake was. I started to roll into the back of her van--not good, as her daughter screamed "put the brake on!". I couldn't find it! Finally, somehow I stopped, right before I went in a ditch and hit the back of her van.

The Chevy Pick-up was inches away, I had already got the lug nuts off the rim of the shredded tire (after much heaving and hoing!), and we were in the midst of reading directions, when suddenly--another car came up behind ME! A white car from Idaho. Two good-looking guys stopped, got out, helped us change the shredded tire to the spare "donut" tire and also moved the truck--that was almost in the ditch. They were on their way to Canada, and their wives were teed off that they took this mountain road, as you had to travel soooo slow and probably they were as petrified driving on the 'edge' as I was!

Fortunately through a lot of prayer and positivity, we made it back to COLVILLE AND LES SCHWAB!

Some of my Favorite Quotes

Psychotherapist Anthony de Mello puts the responsibility squarely where it belongs: "It's an illusion that external events have the power to hurt you, that other people have the power to hurt you. They don't. It's you who gives this power to them."

or, how about:

"Painting isn't a question of sensibility; it's a matter of seizing the power, taking over from nature, not expecting her to supply you with information and good advice." (Pablo Picasso)

Googleing

Just wondering if the CPC and the ADWORD I created for the "trail" will work--who knows? It's quite a puzzlement. Living is a puzzle, it seems you figure it all out (one aspect that is!) to find another aspect of your life is shutting down.

Wierd...just wondering if others have that same experience. Maybe it's all a wash--in the end we all end up with the same faculties, the same everything.

Feeling quite diabolical today, and have to force to get out of this funk...but I do have a lot to be grateful about. No one is going to read this stuff anyway, so it's kind of therapeutic for me. Also helps me to realize what a great speller and typist I am!

Wonderful Day

Today, just regular stuff. Getting ready to hit the "trail". Clean up the studio, get everything out of the studio, THROW IT ALL OUT. My pack-rat-i-tis is coming on strong today, but I'm fighting it.
At least I got my website cleaned up. Dylan's going canoeing with Boy Scouts tomorrow, and Dave is leaving. Tomorrow will be busy, but manageable. Just have to remember to use the Hamilton on-ramp when driving Dave to the airport!

Tried and tried to 'ftp' this blog, but it didn't help -- so I've resorted to using blogger.com's free blogspot. Who knows? Maybe I'll be the next blogger on TV. An e-celebrity! Fine, big, audacious hairy GOALS!

That's me, always on to the next dream!

Hi world,

all is well.

no, it's not.

A friend kind of day

It was a great day today, just enjoying July, set up and playing her tune, like Cat Stevens used to sing. Enjoyed having some friends over, who I've been meaning to invite for six years! Yes, folks, it's been six years since we've moved to the great Pacific Northwest from LA. I had told a friend that we moved on Independence Day, July the fourth, and he replied, "Yeah, your independence from LA!"

Yes, my thoughts exactly. Making art is a full-time job, but I just read a great quote from our crazed friend, Vincent Van Gogh, "I have realized that loving people is the greatest art". (I'm paraphrasing here!

Little Hayven enjoys having friends over and so do we. We had au-gratin potatoes, two kinds of pies, Apple and Cherry-Peach, and delicious Chicken, roasted on the grill and cooked to perfection! Gary and Cher brought over a great salad with red, ripe raspberries in it!