mARTa's Art

When I was a little girl the family always gathered together to welcome in the New Year. There was music, food, drink and much laughter. My abuelita (grandmother) would often make buñuelos for that special evening. I never learned how to make them but they have always been a warm memory of my abuelita.
Tonight we are gathering at my home. Just a few of us who are left from what once was a big family. They will soon be here and I am surprising them with my buñuelos! I am happy to say that I couldn't resist and had to try one out and they are just yummy!!!

I intended to take a nap in the studio today before preparing for the evening. But instead I found myself trying out a new 9x12 sketchbook with 65lb drawing paper. I just picked something in the studio, an old Kodak Brownie camera that used to belong to my husband's mother. The sea shell I don't remember where it's from and the luggage tag a souvenir from a cruise we took on the Queen Mary last December.

I took a few minutes before the performance began to do this quick sketch, adding color at home.  We went to see the Rocketts at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.  It was such a fun evening!  Those legs!!!!  I remembered when I was little and my sisters and I would pretend we were Rocketts; kicking up our legs higher and higher!  (I can still do it!)

Inspired by my friend Laura from Lauralines who painted a beautiful tribute to this charismatic lady, I too took comfort in the quiet of my studio and my graphite sticks.

Amy is visiting for the holidays. Today we went to the gym where she put me through some moves. Then Rudy and Aaron joined us for an afternoon at Borders, lunch at El Torito and to the movies to see I Am Legend. She bought a cookbook at Borders and here she is flipping through recipes as I sit and sketch her.
It was good to get back to doing some sketching. :)

Well if I have to spend my Christmas at work, at least it's with a good looking doctor. I brought a piece of my Christmas Tea ring for him and I to enjoy this morning. I make it for my kids for Christmas morning, left it on the kitchen table for them but cut a couple of servings for Doctor Jose and I. Feliz Navidad Doctor Jose, gracias for breaking bread with me; I wish you good fortune and success where ever life leads you.
and Feliz Navidad to all my artist friends around the world...I hope your day was filled with family, love and laughter....marta

Dianne turned out to be a great tamale maker! After reading the instructions in my new Tamale Book she put on an apron and got started! A true renaissance woman! The fun will continue tomorrow when we have our party and we all eat the tamales!

This is just a quick study I did this evening. I am not going to add any color to it now, perhaps later. The day was cold and misty with a bit of drizzle toward the end of daylight. I cooked the meat for the tamales today and began to wash the 'hojas' (corn husks). I also found some time late in the afternoon to bake my applesauce loaf which I have made every year since I was about 12 years old, while Rudy and Adam finished decorating the tree (wait till you see it!). Tomorrow begins three very busy days making tamales, baking, finishing up with housework culminating in the grand party on Sunday evening for family and friends. As for my holiday shopping. I didn't do any this year. I published my tamale recipe book and will give it to the ladies in my family on Sunday.  For my one year old grand-nephew we got a little people barnyard and animals and for my Annie (grand-niece) I bought her sketching supplies and a gift certificate redeemable to me for weekly art lessons in my studio.  You HAVE to get little kids a gift!  Now, back to warm myself by the fire.

I picked the last of the Our Lady of Guadalupe roses yesterday and brought them inside to enjoy in the studio.  The story of Our Lady is very beautiful.  Her day of honor is celebrated on December 12th in many places in the Americas.   The lovely pink roses help remind me of the miracles that abound at this time of year.  

The studio is now open.  The flow of creativity should begin soon as all supplies are close at hand, yet neatly stored.  In this space I can draw, paint, read, watch television, work on my computer, listen to music, do yoga, make sketchbooks, knit socks, make quilts, sleep and dream.  

This cloud is slowly lifting.  Yesterday I spent the day with my friends Dianne and Dawn shopping, eating, sipping champagne and eating chocolate while lounging in bathrobes.  We began the day by shopping the boutiques in downtown Riverside, then having a lovely lunch at Las Campanas and then finishing off the day at the day spa relaxing in the jacuzzi, enjoying the bubbly and getting total body massages with hand & foot treatments also.  As we were leaving to go home Dianne spotted a black cat sitting on a car hood in front of us.  I knew then that it must be a bad omen and the bad luck I've had lately was not going to go away soon.  But alas...today was a good day and I accomplished a great feat!  I tackled the studio and it's clutter; filling 6 trash bags with things I no longer used, wanted or needed.  Next a pile of art supplies that I hope somebody wants or else they go out too!  I eliminated 2 bookcases from the studio so I had to eliminate a lot of stuff!!!  I found that there is a lot of space under the sofa bed so that is where my large sheets of paper are going.  Larger boxes in the closet downstairs.  I am just about finished with it and it will soon be open for creativity and creative guests!

Lots has happened in the past week.  None of it good.  Must be that black cloud over my head.  The worst of it was my wallet being stolen from my nursing bag while at work last week.  I asked my friend Dianne if the Quilt Group Christmas party at her house last week, could be a 'pity party' for me but she said  "NO!"   I haven't been in the mood to draw either although I carry my pen, sketchbook and travel paint set with me everywhere; just in case the dark cloud lifts.  So today I decided to change my focus (poor me) and dive in and do some remodeling of the studio.  It's begun to get that cluttered look about it and I hate clutter.  I took everything off bookcases in the closet and emptied it out.  In that space I am put a little sofa bed which we bought at IKEA today.  I am going to make it a little haven for me and of course it will now double as a guest room as well.  I just need a hot plate and with the bathroom down the hall; it's right cozy!  So, anyone want to come visit me?

Around the beginning of December my mother would announce that there would be no Christmas tamales.  They were too much work for just one evening's celebration.  The rest of us would plead her to reconsider for it would not be Christmas without her tamales.  I think now she just wanted us to beg for there never was a year without tamales.  

I'm just going to come right out and say it:  I make the world's best tamales.  I make them only once a year for Christmas Eve.  It takes me 3 days from start to placing them on the table but all the work is worth it when family and friends sit to enjoy them.