MAY 2019: Spring’s Igniting

Spring has definitely ignited in Albuquerque with 70-80 degree days, blossom-laden trees, mural planning full steam ahead, and exhibits multiplying. Read on for more about the Orpheum Hub Mural progress, Mother’s Day Tour and Art Show in Huning Highland, latest news from Ghostwolf Gallery, and future dates to save in your calendar.

GHOSTWOLF GALLERY: First Friday, May 3, 5-8pm

2043 S Plaza St NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87104 • Open Daily from 11am-6pm

 Happy Birthday to Ghostwolf!

Join us in celebrating Ghostwolf’s third birthday!
The gallery will have a fresh face of artwork inspired by the season, cake, and other goodies!

Image on right: Doggles Birthday by Amy M. Ditto

Featured Hexagram this month at Ghostwolf

Without Darkness There Is No Radiance
30 x 30 x 1.5 inches, Mixed Media on Panel

This painting is inspired by the I Ching Hexagram 30: Lí (Brilliance).

“Brightness doubled brings the Bright Bird.
The great man illuminates the four regions
by his continuous brightness.”

In other words, be open, live in the moment, catch that inspiration and run with it.
What could feel more like Spring?

 

May 12: Mother’s Day Tour in the Huning Highlands Neighborhood

Denise will be exhibiting art with a special Mother’s Day sale at Whole Women Inc., 418 Central Ave SE, right next door to Artichoke Cafe as part of the bi-annual Huning Highlands’ Mother’s Day Tour.

Tour 5 homes and gardens and 2 commercial/residential buildings, all from the turn of the last century. For a bonus, make a reservation for lunch or brunch at any of Albuquerque’s best restaurants which just happen to be located right here in the neighborhood—The Artichoke Cafe, the Standard Diner, The Grove, Hartford Square, Whole Hog Cafe, and Holy Cow. Walk the streets, peek at the houses, learn a bit of this neighborhood’s history. Imagine life 120 years ago. See how contemporary style joins our neighborhood. Visit our community garden. Huning Highlands is Albuquerque’s first subdivision, built for railroad workers moving here from the East. Its style reflects their preference for homes like the ones they left behind. Today it is an eclectic mix of homes and people of all ages, at a variety of income levels and ethnicities, students, retired folks, young families, gay and straight, renters and long-term residents.

BUY TICKETS ONLINE
$12 per person until 5/10 at 10 pm OR
$15 online 5/11 until 10 pm.

OR IN PERSON
$15 In person at Preservation Station on 5/12. (NE corner of Coal and Walter St SE)

Featured at the Mother’s Day pop-up show: Eight of Infinite Love, Mixed media on paper, 26x40 inches

About Eight of Infinite Love

The horizontal eight looks like the infinity sign and was the starting idea for this painting. The background layer contains an image of a tumbler who forms a continuous circle with his body and is the father of the family in the painting. The painting was inspired by the Geb and Nut scenes that are common on ancient Egyptian coffins. In this painting the mother, in the form of the Goddess Nut, is protecting her family as she forms an arc over them. The two figures of Isis, the goddess of mother and children, are in the corners and represent the Grandmothers keeping a watchful eye on the family. The sons are riding through life on crocodiles since life is a thrilling and dangerous adventure. The traditional Geb figure has been changed into the younger son who is holding onto the tail of the crocodile while anchoring his older brother who has his head and hands reaching up to the sky. Meanwhile, the tumbling father has his watchful eye on the head of the snake slithering in from the right of the painting and the sky mother is poised to grab the snake’s tail. Eight swords point from the edge of the painting into the center where they meet and revolve creating the spokes of the great wheel of life.

Orpheum Hub Mural Planning and Research

As you can imagine, creating a mural in a public space takes a great deal of consultation and planning including:

  • attending a Barelas Neighborhood Association meeting
  • getting paperwork ready for the articulated boom lift and barricades that will be rented
  • collecting ideas and images from the residents of the neighborhood for the film-cell portion of the mural
  • visiting the NM Steam Locomotive and Railroad Historical Society, who are refurbishing the steam engine, whose image will be included in the mural
  • visiting the Wheels Museum on 2nd street and looking at more models and photos

Many thanks to Roe LiBretto for her assistance on this project — couldn’t do it without her!

Next, Denise will redesign the mural to match the existing windows and include neighborhood feedback and images.  Stay tuned — we hope to start actual work at the wall on May 13th!


Also, Save These Dates!

August 15-20—ABQ Arts Showcase

Denise will be showing work with both Tortuga and Ghostwolf Galleries during the 2019 Albuquerque Art Showcase, showcasing 100 artists at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Presented by The Albuquerque Art Business Association (The ARTscrawl Folks).
For more information go to: abqartshowcase.org.

September 6—Gallery for a Cause at the NM Cancer Center

Denise is honored to be participating in The Architecture of Beauty: Works by Prominent NM Artists, which will run September 6 – November 22.