The fall moon is full of rich bountiful energy. I feel my own energy going down and in, preparing for this next season.

This past week has seen a tremendous surge of activity as we put the finishing touches on our new creative haven, all thanks to a visit from Jeannie's brother. The downstairs spaces are gradually taking form, poised for the pursuit of various artistic endeavors like metalsmithing, letterpress printing, printmaking, clay wizardry, and not merely carpentry. The thrill of what's to come is tangible for both of us.

A man in a green shirt and shorts stands holding a red drill pointing to two door frames on while movable walls in a gallery space with a wood floor
Jeannie's brother, Robert, showing off the beatiful custom door frames he built for our gallery roller-walls. This was one heck of a task he pulled off very quickly. 

The grand inauguration party of our new Art-haven is set for December 7th. It will be a group show, a celebration of the concept of "home," and a celebration of the 12th anniversary of our relocation to Truth or Consequences, New Mexico as a place to build our abode.

A fiber art sculpture made of yarn and scraps of fabric in a rainbow of colors with a clay face nestled into it, hanging from a maple wood frame on a white wall
Years Entangled Fiber, clay, crystal and wood and Red Coral & Wool sculpture by Jeannie Ortiz with a painting by Kyle Cunningham

Last weekend was our super soft re-opening of the gallery. All of Kyle's newest paintings have made their way to to Sun & Dust gallery in Santa Fe, but Jeannie had a small collection of new works to share at 312 Main.

In the front windows of the gallery Jeannie put on display five woven works that flow outside of her normal fiber path. They are each explorations of different sorts, bringing materials into the warp to build new structures and flesh out ideas. These new works incorporate collected objects, hand-formed clay and myriad fiber materials into ideas manifest into physical form. You can find images and descriptions of each here, and they are all available in our online shop here.

She writes:

"In recent years I've found it hard to create things that aren't useful (wearable), I've felt as if the utility of an object is what gives it life and creates a space to reside within our lives. However I also know very deeply the power a painting or sculpture has to give us pause, reflection and just pure enjoyment in our lives. And so with both of these feelings I endeavored to create without judgment (of myself) a few pieces with sensuous playfulness and an open heart."
Handwoven wool, walnut wood and rusty nails wall hanging sculpture with long brown shaded fringe on a white wall
Atomization After Fruiting Bodies fiber and metal sculpture by Jeannie Ortiz
Handwoven wool, walnut wood and rusty nails wall hanging sculpture with long brown shaded fringe on a white wall
Atomization After Fruiting Bodies fiber and metal sculpture by Jeannie Ortiz
A detail of Red Coral & Wool Adornment hanging on a small oak frame on a white wall
Red Coral & Wool Adornment by Jeannie Ortiz
A fiber art sculpture made of yarn and scraps of fabric in a rainbow of colors with a clay face nestled into it, hanging from a maple wood frame on a white wall
Years Entangled Fiber, clay, crystal and wood sculpture by Jeannie Ortiz

Caspar Babypants

A friend of ours is a friend of Chris Ballew and told us years ago about his project Caspar Babypants. We listened to Stompy the Bear and have since always known bears as "Stompy's". Chris Ballew was the lead singer and bassist of The Presidents of the United States of America for those of you whom remember the 90's and those amazing songs.

Lately we have been spending a lot of time with our niece and nephew and getting them hooked on some Caspar Babypants. (We are hooked too on some of these amazing songs.) For your and your little ones listening pleasure we have included a bunch of our favorites below.