Headresses

Magnificient headdresses on the people of 

Kyrgyzstan

Several days ago one person asked how all these artists could afford to attend this market and here is my reply: I pulled out my publication on the event and found two pages of individual Donors: World, Continent, Country, Region, Village, and Community. In addition here are more facts about the event: 1,500 volunteers make this event happen in Santa Fe and over the ten years--the market has involved 650 artists from 80 countries across six continents,  1 million lives worldwide have been positively affected, more than $16 million in artists' sales, most artists earn at the market 10x what they might earn in one year in their own country and 90% of the sales have gone home with the artists and their organizations to improve livelihoods across the globe. It's an unforgettable event. Crowded but worth the experience; lots of wonderful merchandise to buy!

More Artists: Mali and Niger

These men really stood out in the crowd at the International Folk Art Market. If you would like to see more of the artists' photos, go here and  here.

Linking to ABC WEDNESDAY

South African Dancers and Musicians - "A" ABC WEDNESDAY

The South African dancers and musicians were the runaway favorites of the entertainment at the International Folk Art Market.  The crowd was so dense and the dancers moved so quickly that it was difficult to get sharp images or any at all!

Linking to ABC WEDNESDAY.

Artist at International Folk Art Market

The International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, NM, is an enormous event involving artists, craftspeople, dancers and musicians from 60 different countries.  This event that celebrated ten years of bringing the world together was held on Museum Hill, and hundreds of volunteers must work year round to make this festival operate with tremendous efficiency.  Provided free were shuttle buses from downtown, red umbrellas to shield from the sun's rays to free drinking water for the people who spend hours visiting all the white tents. Some countries had their crafts displayed for sale in several tents.

The Haitian woman above worked on her representative artwork under the eyes of the pressing crowd.  

Bastille Day in Santa Fe!

I may not be in France, but I certainly can celebrate Bastille Day here in Santa Fe!

RAIN

I think it is pretty remarkable that I can see rain in the distance. That phenomena surprised me when I first came to Santa Fe. The Southwest skies are a constant source of fascination for me, never tiring of the marvelous vistas.

An Icon

It would be impossible to visit Santa Fe without taking a photo of The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi.  It has a long history with the city and is part of what makes Santa Fe what it is.  I wonder how any times a snapshot has been taken of the exterior with its statues and park as well as the interior altars, windows, and murals.

Joyful

I met Joy at the "Music on the Hill" outdoor concert at St. John's College in Santa Fe. Now living in this city and working as a librarian, Joy and her family have sojourned back and forth from the Midwest for generations. Beginning with her grandmother who crossed the Missouri River from Iowa at the age of 9 months to settle in the 4-corners region, her grandmother eventually returned to Iowa. Her daughter, Joy's mother embarked on the same sojourn, making the same circuitous journey. Joy grew up in Iowa but eventually returned to the Southwest as a permanent resident in Santa Fe. The concert weather was blessedly cool, but the music began with a sprinkle of rain drops, eventually ceased and rewarded us with a rainbow!

Chocolate Delight

This young man with his family from Houston, Texas was enjoying sweet snacks at the Santa Fe Farmers Market last Saturday.  Have never seen anyone so happy while devouring a very dark chocolate cupcake.

Nightfall

Nightfall at mi casa.  I love the layered look of the mountain range in the distance.

This photo is definitely NOT photoshopped.  It's nature in all its glory, needing no outside help!

Meet Randy. . Again!

On January 3, 2012 I introduced Randy for the first time on this blog.  Today I again needed some help with an attachment for my camera so I went to the same camera shop on San Francisco Street in Santa Fe for guidance. To my delight Randy was there helping tourists, and he remembered both Jim and me from our first visit to the store. We had a brief chat because there were customers waiting for his help, but I was happy to learn that he is in his last semester at school. How terrific!

Here is the first post:

And here is the narrative on it:

Randy is a rarity in Santa Fe...a native New Mexican.  Born and reared in Albuquerque, I met him in The Camera Shop across from the historic La Fonda Hotel on San Francisco Street.  I just got a new Canon Rebel camera and was having some difficulties with some of the new, unfamiliar settings.  Within a few minutes Randy had solved the problem with skill, expertise  and graciousness.  He spends half of his time in Santa Fe and the other half in Albuquerque, working and attending school where he is majoring in Interior Design and Photography.  Because of his personal characteristics.  I predict success for this native New Mexican!!

PS.  This is NOT our Randy on CDP!

Downtown Farmers Market

I was very surprised to see baskets imported from Ghana being sold at the Farmers Market.
I thought that all produce would be locally grown (and I think it is) with the same requirement for crafts.  But since the tag on each one indicates that  it's for a "Rurel Womens Cooperative" I guess that's okay. They're really quite expensive, and I wonder how much they cost in Ghana!

Mi Casa

Yesterday, after a sleepless night, I flew to Albuquerque, took a shuttle to Santa Fe to the La Fonda hotel where friends picked me up to drive me to get my rental car, shopped at the Eldorado Farmers Market, bought some groceries at a local market, partially unpacked, went out for dinner, and discovered that I was too tired to go to the Art Crawl or visit any Canyon Road galleries.  Tough life, huh? Sooooo. . .off to my trundle bed.  After another sleepless night, I am ready to go to the Santa Fe Farmers Market, a colorful event.

I discovered that all my SF archived photos are on my other computer at home so I had to take a picture of the fireplace in my casa's living room. In the next few days, I'll be out-and-about finding images that might interest you.

Another beautiful day in New Mexico!!

Tia Sofia's Restaurant

Shortly after I arrive in Santa Fe  I'll probably go over to Tia Sofia's restaurant for lunch.  Wonder if they've changed these wall decorations?

Spanish Beauties Celebrating Their Heritage

These photos were taken during Spanish Market several years ago.  I'm arriving tomorrow...Yea! and I'll have current photos for you to see toward the end of the month during this year's Spanish Market.

Picnic Table

Not exactly Santa Fe, but if you're in the area you really need to drive to White Sands National Monument.  When we were last in New Mexico we took a road trip and were awed by the park.  Go visit.

I'll be in Santa Fe from July 5 to the 31st and until I arrive I'm going to post photos from previous trips. Come back for new photos after the 5th!

Quintessential New Mexico

I took this photograph of the painting at an outdoor art fair in July of 2010.  M. Ferran is a gifted artist. Visit her website here.

Facade-Theme Day, July 1, 2013

One small section of  the multi-story dwellings in Bandelier National Park in New Mexico.

I haven't been in New Mexico since the winter of 2011 and am very excited to be returning on July 5 for a month-long stay.  Be still my heart! Until I arrive and can take more recent photos, I'll be checking my archives and posting photos from that collection. Come Back Often!!

To see more FACADES from other CDP bloggers, go here.

Sunrise-Sunset "Adios, Amigos!"

Since I returned from Santa Fe to St. Paul, Minnesota more than a week ago, I guess it's about time to say "Hasta Luego" to this blog and concentrate on Visual St. Paul instead. Please come visit me in St. Paul! The sunrises and sunsets are glorious in New Mexico.

 I shall miss them!

Camera Critters--An Artistic Horse

This piece of painted metal artwork was hanging on a wall in one of the rooms in the Ranchos Plaza Grill that we visited before.  It's not exactly my style of art, but it is certainly different.

To see more photos of camera critters that have been posted by bloggers from around the world, go here.

Alvaro Cardona-Hine Gallery #2

Our friend, Marty with Barbara McCauley, DH, and Alvaro during our brief visit to see these two talented artists who live in Truchas, New Mexico.  I introduced you to them yesterday with a bit of background information. The photographer seldom gets into the photo!

Cardona-Hine Gallery in Truchas, New Mexico

These two talented artists moved to Truchas, New Mexico about 2 decades ago from St. Paul, Minnesota.
When you take The High Road to Taos, be sure to stop at their gallery because you will be enthralled by their art and will be treated graciously and with hospitality by both of them.

Born in San Jose, Costa Rica, Cardona-Hine has lived in the United States since 1939.  He s a self-taught artist practicing three disciplines: painting, writing and music composition.  His work is in public and private collections world-wide.

Barbara McCauley said, " Here in New Mexico and in New England where I grew up, there is a reverence for the land by the people who inhabit it.  I paint that reverence.  This begins with an awareness of light, how light travels through space and falls on objects to create the illusive beauty of at the world." Her work is in collections all over the U.S. as well as abroad.

ABC WEDNESDAY-"H"- What a hat!

While shopping at Whole Foods in Santa Fe, I noticed this very large man with a wonderful Cowboy hat.  I decided to take a stealth shot, and it worked.  I was asked, however, not to take photos in the store by one of the cashiers. Since I was on private property, I decided to comply.

To see more ABC Wednesday photos for the letter "H"--check here!

ABC WEDNESDAY-"H"-Ross and Perry, Oryx Hunters

I met Russ and Perry in Alamagordo NM in a a breakfast room in motel filled with hunters who were trying to get one of the many Oryx in the 3-day hunting period allowed in that area.  Both of these men who live in the the Four Corners area had not known one another previously until they met that morning. Ironically, they live only about 10 miles from one another in their hometown. They told me about the history of the introduction in the 1960's of 9 African Oryx into this area around Alamagordo that has exploded into a population of thousands.  These animals are well-adapted to New Mexican terrain, and because the herds were not getting enough grazing food and had suffered starvation, hunters are now allowed to hunt them during a short time period of 3 days. Since Perry's wife holds the same negative opinion of hunting as I, we, nonetheless, had an interesting conversation about this hunting activity of theirs.

Here is some more information I learned about the beautiful Oryx animals:

The Oryx is a large African antelope that now lives in southern New Mexico. In 1969 the New Mexico State Department of Game and Fish decided to introduce Oryx to the Tularosa Basin in New Mexico. The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish wanted to establish a huntable animal population in an area where there were not currently huntable numbers of big game. Oryx are specially adapted to desert life. They can go an indefinite period without drinking water. They feed on desert grasses, yucca, buffalo gourds, mesquite bean pods, and tumbleweeds.


To read a fascinating article, "A Graceful Gazelle Becomes a Pest," go here!

And to see more ABC WEDNESDAY POSTS, GO HERE!

Musician or Entrepeneur?

Although the hat looks empty it gradually filled with many greenbacks as this young musician played expertly at the Saturday's Farmers Market.  Perhaps music may not be in her future, but her instincts as an entrepreneur will probably be fulfilled. 

The Rainbow Man

One of my favorite shops in the Plaza is The Rainbow Man on Palace.  In the back of the shop, the Curtis Room displays many Curtis photographs as well as old Native American and Pendleton blankets. Not to be missed!  If I lived here year round I'd lobby to volunteer at this amazing store.

Chanticleer! Camera Critters

My Father who raised Bantam Roosters as a hobby would have loved these paintings.  Geoffrey Chaucer who wrote the Cantebury Tales probably would have enjoyed them also.  As I was struggling with the Middle English language of Chaucer's 14th Century masterpiece, I fell in love with Chanticleer, the proud and foolish rooster.

The paintings are hanging in McLarry's Art Gallery on Canyon Road.

To see how other bloggers treated Camera Critters today, go here.

Old Adobe church in Abiquiu, New Mexico

DH and I are on our way back to St. Paul, Minnesota, taking the southern route.  We should be in Oklahoma City today, visiting the Cowboy Heritage Museum and the Memorial. I'll still be posting photos from Santa Fe for a week or two, though...so keep coming back 'til I tell you that I'm switching blogs again.

This gate opens into the courtyard of the old adobe church, St. Thomas, in Abiquiu, New Mexico.

Theme Day-March, 2012-Electricity

Electricity is a pretty challenging theme, and I didn't think that I would participate this month, but Eureka!  There are murals painted on many electrical utility boxes all over Santa Fe.  This one by the railroad crossing close to the Farmers Market is a perfect example.

Added later:  I swear that Randy and I did NOT collaborate on our photos today!

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants