Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Design Outside the Lines, Getting There


Getting to DOL in Taos is half the fun. I don't fly much these days, so maybe I'm just not remembering, but I think my early morning flight to Albuquerque was one of the most beautiful I've ever experienced. Sunrise over the Sierras (it is the Sierras, right?), amazing cloud formations over the desert. It mades the invasive airport scan (hello, there!)... worthwhile.

The primary reason I choose such an early flight is because I've never been to New Mexico and I wanted to allow as much time as possible to check out Santa Fe. Landing in Albuquerque and driving to Taos is a 3-hour trip, and Santa Fe is just about in the middle of that drive, so I had to take advantage of the opportunity.

I squeezed my Santa Fe experience in about 4 hours. First I checked out the mother of high end RTW boutiques, Santa Fe Dry Goods. This is the place where you can grope a petrified Great White shark tooth necklace (by Monies) for over $1k. (Seriously, about the size of the palm of my hand - I had no idea a Great White shark tooth could be that huge.) Among other things, this store carries a very nice selection of Trippens and, yes, Trippens were tried on, drooled over and petted, but not purchased.

I also enjoyed a (more affordable) boutique I stumbled into that does not have an online presence, Zephyr. In there I found a scarf that needed to come live in San Francisco. I had a quick, but delicious lunch at The Shed, a historic restaurant recommended by the very nice people at Zephyr, and famous for its chili. So of course I had to have some and, burn it did. The meal was delicious.

After a quick tour of downtown Santa Fe, it was off to the fabric store, Santa Fe Fabrics. What a great fabric store! From current novelty knits, to gorgeous Pendleton wools, from Japanese brocades, to African hand dyed pretties, I was very impressed. It was a bit overwhelming, so all I purchased was a very nice organic cotton canvas in four colors - they had quite a color selection. I thought I might use some of these at the retreat for stenciling, screen painting, or the like.

Finally, I wanted to quickly check out Canyon Road, which Marcy recommended on her Facebook page. Canyon Road, about a mile from historic downtown Santa Fe, reminds me of Carmel, but southwest style. A street packed with side-by-side art galleries, it is a visual feast for the eyes - loaded with wonderful sculptures in front of most every gallery.

I, myself, prefer Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock

When I look at these sculptures, Bonnie Raitt's "Let's Give them Something to Talk About" plays in my head.

Mother...

... and Daughter

Having experienced "The Condensed Visit to Santa Fe", I rushed to Taos. It begins as a long drive through flattish desert, then you ascend into the mountains. This is when the drive becomes quite scenic. My GSP lost it's mind for a bit, so I arrived late for dinner, but not too late. We had a wonderful group meal and then moved to our "classroom" for our first gathering to learn what's what and who is who. I can already tell that this is a group of impressively creative folks.

And maybe this is the time to mention what I packed for DOL. In the end, I brought very little. After meeting with Diane Ericson in Ashland, I decided to go minimalist. The best advice she gave me was to "bring what excites you." That made a lot of sense to me. I brought a few pieces of basic, unadorned fabric, some interesting findings, and beads. I brought a few pieces of FabMo samples that are part of a collage project I want to make. I brought the beginning of an Alabama Chanin project. I brought 4 or 5 TnT patterns. But I have no definite plans on what I want to work on.

After our gathering, we retired to our rooms and I enjoyed talking with my completely delightful roomie, Gwen, who had some very impressive projects to show me. I'm hoping she'll let me post a picture or two.

I'm not sure I can post much during the retreat, especially as my room does not have wifi, but my insomnia kicked in tonight. And I am very happy to report that Gwen is not a light sleeper. ;)

27 comments:

  1. You'll have to sneak out and find wifi to keep us all up to date with your adventures ...

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  2. It all sounds fabulous. Have fun and regale us with your creativity when you come back!

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  3. Sounds like a wonderful beginning to a fabulous adventure.

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  4. Sounds awesome and that inflight picture is spectacular! Yay for adventures :)

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  5. I cannot wait to hear all about it. I love your travelogue.

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  6. Oh, thanks for the tour. I LOVE Santa Fe,but its been a while since I was there. Enjoy your adventure. Look forward to hearing about every detail!

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  7. So good to hear from you in the midst of it! Enjoy!

    Brenda

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  8. Such a beautiful part of the country! You will be so inspired with all the natural beauty and DOL goodness inside. Did you see the Santa Fe Weaving Gallery? A must-see for me, next time!

    Looking forward to your reflections on DOL! Have a fab time.

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  9. Oooh, I love Taos and Santa Fe. What fun!

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  10. Have a wonderful time!!! Taos is gorgeous this time of year, and there's a fabulous fabric store there, too. (Uncommon Threads).

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  11. Thanks for the delightful travel post, Shams. I can't wait to hear all about DOL. I'll bet it'll have an influence on your creativity for years to come. A few years ago I had the opportunity to attend a 4 day workshop put together by a local group of craftsment/artists (http://ncsw.org/index.php/2012-workshops/) and it was amazing. Check it out, especially you folks from the Northeast...they do these e/o/y and there is always something for fiber artists.

    Anyway....it still is very vivid to me and even thinking about it is re-energizing. Hope DOL willhave the same effect for you!

    Helen

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  12. Have a wonderful time. You certainly made the most of your 4 hours in Santa Fe.

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  13. Great post and I think a trip like this, a treat for yourself, is a great thing every once in a while - just makes you realize that in addition to supporting your family, job etc everyone needs something just for themselves once in a while. indulge and enjoy.

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  14. I'm so excited for you going to DOL. And I love hearing about my neck of the woods from a traveler. You hit some of my favorites in Santa Fe, esp. SF Fabrics! I actually have never been to SF Dry Goods! Only lived here since 1952. It's on my list now. If you get a chance, try the shoe store on Bent St. Plaza and the chile relleno at Doc Martins in the Taos Inn, also close to Bent St. I'm enjoying all the warm, creative feelings all over again from my DOL in Taos a few years ago via your experience. Thanks!

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  15. Thank you so much for sharing these photos with us!

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  16. It sounds so yummy already, and that's just the appetizers! I think I'll be enjoying every bite of this meal, albeit vicariously! :)

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  17. Live in the moment and have fun! Thank you for sharing the pictures and your experiences!

    Rose

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  18. Welcome to NM! I live just south of ABQ. So glad you gave the chile at try. Our state question-red or green! Green is my choice. Can't wait to see and read about everything you do outside the line.

    Debora

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  19. I'm so happy for you, that you got to make this trip. So far, it sounds wonderful. I can't wait to hear more!

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  20. Thanks for the report on your travel and first day. I'll be following closely and hope you get access during the WS.

    Karendee

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  21. So exciting! We are (I am) living vicariously and enjoying it all -- thanks so much for taking us outside the lines with you!

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  22. Yea to you for stepping over the line -- and staying there!

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  23. (Sorry - that last one is a comment on your 9/27 posting.)

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  24. What an exciting and fun time! I hope you enjoy yourself and get drunk on all the creativity and artistry you are surrounded by.

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  25. Fun post! i love all the photos. I bet the time will fly and it is good you are keeping a travelogue here. Have fun!

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