Pam Holland Designs and Productions

Doors on my shed

Spent the morning planning the event for the next few days.

I left the hotel early and when I returned there was no electricity...

Now I'm staying with friends Yoli and Victor.

I worked late into the night on my presentation and I'm looking forward to going to the Tuesday market this morning.

I would like doors like this on my "shed" Please!!!

Images of San Miguel Allende

The Gallery of San Miguel Allende is posted

Tokyo International Quilt Show

I think you will enjoy this link

Link to the Tokyo Quilt Show

Podcast, Mexico.

Download Sunday evening in San Miguel Allende

 

The day is over and I'm about to retire... I've chatted tonight instead of written and hopefully I can get the photos into the Gallery tomorrow......

Just got back from taking photos.... I just have to share the last two photos I took on my walk.

 

An Interview on The Art of the Quilt.

I thought you might appreciate this link.

KWGS: "Modern Materials: The Art of the Quilt" at Living Arts of Tulsa (2010-02-04).

On my way again

I’m sitting in the bus station, the bright light from  the expansive windows silhouette the  figures sitting in the waiting room. The marble tiles are polished till they gleam and reflect the shadows from the windows.
The automatic door opens and shuts behind me with regular annoyance and as I look round the room I’m pleased to see at least a few gringos. One lady has been doing her exercises.... It’s just a four hour trip honey, what would she do to prepare for a 15 hour trip. !!

I pleasant voice announces an impeding departure or arrival, it’s loud, but I don’t understand a word she says.... of course, I’m in a foreign country... sometimes I forget.

It was rather sad leaving the B&B this morning, the week has flown and I have wonderful memories... There is a friendship amongst quilters that is intense, familiar and comforting.
The ladies from Canada, at the B&B so interesting, so nice.... the resident artist who came in to see my work this morning and complimented me with emotional feeling for the work I do. Then there's Lorraine,  a very special lady, who runs a superb B&B. Esteritas

It made me think, where do the boundaries between art and quilting begin and end. 

All these years, I just do as I do.... and somehow, being involved in an Art oriented community has made me look a little differently at what I achieve.

I think of those quilters who consider themselves only as “Art Quilters”  why do my quilts inspire artists but not “Art Quilters”  What is the definition of an “Art Quilt”, who are the quilt police in Art, who makes the rules.?

An hour later, I’m on a bus that would equal business class in the plane.    
I have Bach playing softly and the rhythm of the bus socializes well with the music.

Rural Mexico is passing as in an interactive movie screen.

                                     Small villages

A cloudless blue sky, voluminous mountains overshadowing small stone villages. The foliage is foreign to me, but then again there are similarities with home.

                                      Juggling stones

More later, I'm going to a Cuban Concert.

Link to an online interview.

Link to an interview online

Tonala

Photo Gallery of Tonala, Mexico.

Classes are over for this week and now it’s time to explore. The rain has been relentless and the locals tell me “it’s most unusual, even in the wet season, it generally only rains in the evening”.

I slept fitfully. Waking constantly to the sound of the rain as it streamed off the tiles on the roof hitting the floor below with an exaggerated splash, as water on slate naturally does.

The bright red furniture and purple walls looked sad under grey skies. The weather is the topic on everyone's lips and our breakfast discussion was no exception.

I was fascinated by the rain streaming over the cobblestones it was a wonderful sight. “Rivers of rain” was the conclusion.

The phone and the Internet have been affected and our B&B proprietor is in a quandary, things don’t get repaired quickly here. I, on the other hand have to use my trusty Iphone to get emails and answer the urgent ones.

I breakfasted with some of the ladies from class and then Martha and I took off for the town of Tonala, some 30 minutes drive from Ajijic.

The rain stopped and I could see patches of blue in the sky. My childhood belief, filled me with hope as the skies began to clear. “If there is enough blue in the sky to make a sailors uniform, then it will be a nice day”

We stopped to view a wonderful Mural made by Efren Gonzalez I had to take 7 photos to get it all in.

Efren Gonzalez was born and raised in Ajijic, a student of the Santos Degollado, Secondary School, at the top of Encarnacion Rosas. Never did the artist dream he would be the painter commissioned to adorn the huge wall facing the main entrance. He's 28.

Martha is the most wonderful guide and  my questions didn’t seem to faze her, in fact she relished my exploration of a subject.
We wound our way through the hills, the lake behind us shimmered and reflected the surrounding mountains as the sun re-appeared after 3 days of solid deluge.
By the time we arrived in Tonala, there was enough blue to make a 1000 sailors uniforms and I knew the day was going to be bright.

It was Market day. The streets bustled with people going about their daily business. The shops and houses open onto the street and the narrow brick pathways leave little room for personal space.

Every thing is bright. Bright houses, bright signs, bright attire and a cacophony of sound.
Even the gas man is singing the praises of his wares.

Look up, to see the beauty, look down to aid your footing, look sideways to be inspired and the adrenalin flows.

Martha was just as excited as I and we often pointed out the same things at once. The Tortilla shop with a crowd of people lined up to buy fresh sweet tortillas.

A painting, a pot and even the beautiful colored glass.
The entire city is like a huge art market. Store after store of hand crafted artwork. 

Martha chatted with everyone and I was privileged to be included. The friendliness of the people was overwhelming.

A young woman was decorating plates. Martha visited with her and translated my questions.

She explained that they handmade their own brushes. Some were made from cat hair, some from dog and there was even some that we couldn’t recognize. The hair was simply held  onto a wooden stick or an old biro casing with a piece of thread and a rubber band. I'm going to try that when I get home, we've got tow cats and a dog... I don't think they would mind a hair clip.

We were given a tour of the factory and it was fascinating to see the beautiful pottery in process.

We wandered down the street, stopping to chat to people in the stores.

You may ask, what has this to do with Quilting? Well, everything really, I find inspiration in almost all I see, a tile, the color of the sky, the face of a woman at our lunch stall.

Talking of lunch. We decided to join the locals at a street stall. Tables were set in a rectangle and there was even a covering of plastic to keep out the rain if necessary.

Those behind the counter were busy making delicious tortillas...

Meat, sauce, coriander, chili and sweet onion in a soft of hard tortilla. We ordered two each and then had another.

 

I chatted with the little boy next to me and let him look at my camera.....

We visited with a young couple setting up their pottery business. I  accidentally knocked over a pot.... so off course I paid for it...

We chatted for ages. he told us he was taken to this place at the age of 10 to learn to make pottery and has been there ever since.

His wife looked so young and Marthat told her I made textile art.... I shared some of it with her on my Iphone and she was just amazed. "I want to do your class" she said. As we left they asked for photos and I will send them one... the young man reached up and bought down two ceramic hearts and gave them to us....

Special and a poignant moment.

What a day, and that was just half way through... the rest of the photos are in the gallery.

I enjoyed taking them, I hope you enjoy looking at them.

Here comes the sun

Still no Internet so I'm doing this on the iPhone You can't imagine what I did today. I'll write it up and post it tomorrow.......maybe

Raining

The water is almost up to the ark door. We will be sailing soon here in Mexico ..... Sent from my iPhone.

I need to contact Noah soon

No Internet due to storms

Why did DF Lawrence hate Mexico.

D.H. Lawrence hated Mexico, but loved the light in Ajijic--so much so that he incorporated it into his novel The Plumed Serpent. Nearly 100 years after D.H. Lawrence immortalized Ajijic and the surrounding Lake Chapala area I imagine the light is still the same, but it has disappeared today and instead, grey clouds, and heavy rain took it's place. But there is beauty in the mist shrouding the Mountains and the water streaming over the cobblestones to the lake beyond the houses.

It was frustrating last night, after forgetting my cord for the computer  I had no entertainment... (I normally watch the news streamed from the USA) I had to go to bed and watch my ipod... that's a bit hard when it's so small, but you can put it under the blankets to keep warm. I woke up with the earphones imprinted in my ears.

We had a later start today due to an adventure with a power outage and lack of keys to open the gates... then the hall.

So we stood out of the rain and chatted till assistance came.

We finished the Monet project and began the collage... and I'm impressed with the quilts... what a talented group. 

Another small problem was encountered when one of the ladies lost the keys to the "Damas" down the loo...they jumped out of her pocket and clinked their way down the pipe. She was distraught... I'm really sorry, I laughed !!!!!!!

I had the most amazing lunch at the cafe on the corner of the Plaza.... but I can't remember it's Mexican name, I'll have to find out and write about it tomorrow. It was a culinary feast.

It's the first time I've ever taught with my red trench coat and scarf on... it was cold in the room because the top half of the windows are just mesh, no glass. 

Once again I competed with the bells and the roosters during a close and personal talk, but it's just plain charming and the ladies are just the best.

It's 11.00 pm, I've caught up on the business I had to do last night. Had dinner with a charming lady called Marg who is staying at the B&B. We had show and tell for a quilter who just happened to be staying here too and then wandered down to Number 4 it turned out to be an excellent, upscale restaurant which is beautifully decorated and has an exquisite atmosphere, offering fabulous Eclectic cuisine and piano bar every night. The fire was blazing and we had a great discussion over beautiful food.