Simple Pleasures

After a grueling two weeks of Simposium--work, eat, party, work , eat, party--I went to Rosa's house to have dinner. After, she and I went out into their backyard/garden/farm/orchard. There I was awarded the wonderful experience of picking plums from the trees, a handful of sour cherries, some avocados, another fruit similar to a plum, and blackberries (basket-y and the size of my thumb). It reminded me of the pleasures of the garden I had in Wisconsin. I recharged my wits and found peace under the trees, amongst the artichoke plants, and in the scratchy bushes along the fence at Rosa's house.


(plums and blackberries from Rosa's)

Bugs

One of my friends has an infestation of bed bugs. Maybe it's the change of seasons, but there are a ton of insects everywhere. Some are small and some are enormous. Logically, there are many spiders. Of recent note, in Rosa's house, dead on the floor was a cricket the size of my middle finger, plus legs. In our bread bowl, earwigs. In the sun room too are hoards of insects, some dead and some alive. A fumigation is planned. The champion, though, goes to the bug I found half dead on the bathroom floor at my friend's house. The bug was the size of a plum or apricot, a little bit fuzzy, black and a pale shade of yellow. The bug was "set free" off the terrace and into the garden below.

(my friend and landlord, Lilo)

Simposium

(the sign I made for the Simposium)

The Simposium ends on Wednesday morning. The art this year is fantastic. I am very impressed and excited with the entire thing. All the artists are more professional and their works are impressive! Maybe someday I will include some pictures of these things.

I made posters to celebrate the simposium with my new serigraphy set-up. So, now I can print like a fiend...and spread art propaganda at will.


(Coto, Chilean artist, re-slaying a slain sheep for the weekly Simposium roast)

Spiders

So, it turns out that there are three types of poisonous spiders here. One, the Rincon, is particularly deadly and depending on the person it could kill in two hours. Happily, I got bit by a much nicer spider. A good sized mark appeared on my leg that hurt and was hot as hell. So, I went to the consultorio. They were really nice to me (seems to be everyone here is really nice to me) and set me up with the doctor later in the afternoon.

I returned later and saw the doctor. His office/examination room was right on the walkway into the consultorio. Unlike the States, I dropped trousers right there in the window to show him (and whomever else happened to be walking by) my spider bite. He asked me a bunch of questions, like did I hear any weird screaching in my ears when I got bit or didi I see a Rincon bite me. No and no. The doctor sent me off with a little bottle of anti-allergy syrup and a prescription for antibiotics.

Two things surprised me. One, the entire thing, including the prescription I had filled at the pharmacy was free--free even for me the gringa. And, syrups got tastier in the past 15 years, or their syrups are better here.

Anyway, the mark is gone.

The next morning I cut my hand with a kitchen knife and an avacado. It bled for a few hours. I thought I was going to have to go back to the consultorio. But, I convinced myself it was no worse that any of the printmaking/woodcarving injuries I have survived over the years. I'll heal. So, I stopped bleeding and rode my bike over the mountain and into Navidad.

It's Spring, Love is in the Air

(leftovers from the Texas wedding: Paul & Sabrina, Megan & Phil, Amanda & Kathy)

I am in the middle of a two week international simposium of art. There are people from Chile, Costa Rica, Uruguay and the U.S. working in art and sharing opinions on ALL things. They are all sweet people, with good ideas and sentiments that are present in themselves and their art.

Other than that, I have been walking the beaches more, meeting people from Europe who are here to surf and speak no spanish. Here, is one of, if not the best, surfing place in the world.

Sunscreen is imperative.

Back to the studio to create like a madwoman.