Pam Holland Designs and Productions

Seeing with new eyes.

The film course I attended in the past week has given me a gift. Of course anything new we do does exactly that, it depends on how we implement the new knowledge.

First of all I shared experiences with  other students and instructors who left me with no doubt that there are different ways of seeing exactly the same thing. We, as a group were three different nationalities and cultures.

We were not just a group of people learning a technique.  For just a short time in our lives we became part of a much larger 'group', the village of  Teotitlan.

The people we filmed live their art, it's who they are, their art is their being, their livelihood and their heritage. 

Virtually every home is a showcase for the talent of the artisans. Brick and adobe homes on rough cobblestone streets. Decoratively painted walls, rugs hanging from the doorways and bright painted signs offer a hint of the delights you will find inside. Generally a series of rooms surround a central courtyard. Most we encountered have cement or tiled floors, sometimes neatly swept dirt. The walls are painted violet, orange,  yellow and inspire you with their choice of color.

In the courtyard of the Arte de Sega family is a huge tree which shades the surrounding verandas. Amid the sound of turkeys, chickens and smell of wood fire is the sound of the looms click, clack, bang.

We filmed the process  of growing silk worms, harvesting the cocoons, the dying of the garment and the weaving.

Our film was shown to the community in a gathering on Thursday evening and I was a little nervous about their reaction to our endeavors.

The reaction was one of emotion from several of the participants, the subjects of the documentaries and from the community in general.

A man we had met casually at a restaurant, stood and expressed his thoughts with deep emotion, thanking us for sharing the talents of village with the world. It was rather a shock to me because I figured we needed to thank them for allowing us to film and be in the village.

Seeing with new eyes has been their gift to me.

Tired

I arrived home rather late this evening and I'm falling asleep at the computer...

I've so much to share and I will have time tomorrow...

Things I need to tell you.

The hamburger shop in the middle of a small Mexican Village.

The magnificent embroidery that takes 6 months to complete... and sells for $150.

The blind potter. Paintings and art to set your creative side alight, and dozens more things.

The Divine Jane

I wanted to share this video with you.

I love the composition and  content. I have new plans for my video production... and the beauty of this video says it all.

Share what's interesting to you The Divine Jane: Reflections on Austen from The Morgan Library & Museum on Vimeo.

A New Post

It’s 6.00 am and I’ve been up working for the past hour.

The news from home is the first thing  I look for when I open the computer... I can’t even focus yet and I smile as I remember telling secrets to 3 year old Tilly over Skype last night. We both got up close to the camera and whispered across 1000’s of miles. Our secrets just for each other.

The sounds of a waking village blanketed by the dawn light is intoxicating. 

Chickens, burros, turkeys, dogs  join in chorus and just as you settle into the feeling of superior wholeness a barrage of fire crackers pierce the air.

OK, so now everyone is up. The animals even more vociferous in their forced start to the day.

I can smell the smoke of the comal and our host Magda, her large  scarf wrapped around her to keep out the morning chill is working silently preparing the fresh maize tortillas that she made earlier, kneading them dexterously with her hands

The nature of being a traveler is a sense of unreality on waking each day... Where am I today, what are the tasks to be?

Well it will be a little different today.

I stood for half an hour on a hill waiting for the sunrise yesterday. It was freezing cold and I stood like a statue, camera in hand waiting for the clouds to part... But it alluded me and I was forced back down the hill to film other segments of our documentary.

Thick, strong coffee, eggs and salsa wrapped in tortillas is on the menu before we begin our real work.

My Video buddy Sheri and I spent most of the morning finishing our video. I watched in awe as a gray compound ground in a mortar and pestle transformed into brilliant red cochineal dye.

 

 

A cream silk garment boiled in dark blue indigo came out of the pot a delicious green and turned a vivid blue before our eyes.

I don't speak Spanish and with the help of friends we managed to complete an interview with the family who are the subjects of our small documentary.

The day ended with a lot of brain power being used fueled by coffee and home made chocolate and a magnificent sunset.

Podcast, Teotitlan Mexico.

I'm afraid the sound is a little echo.....eee I think it's the room I'm in.

Download Mexico week three.

Challenge block from Mexico

via pamhollanddesigns.typepad.com

I'm working on the next challenge block.

Bright Bras.

I fell asleep last night to  the strains of a wonderful party in process, the music was incredible.

I was too tired to do the blog, too tired to do the podcast and too tired to show you the latest challenge picture....

Were on location filming all day today, but I do hope to do it all tonight, but then again you never know

I had a tense day waiting for some news from home all day yesterday which took it's toll. The news is great to I'm jumping today. In fact three wonderful events occurred yesterday so that's even better.

I just have to say that living in a village like this is a privilege, I have never seen so much art and culture in one place.I'm learning so much on my course.... we are working hard, but it's valuable experience.

Bright Bras, too.!!!

I hope you got a chance to view the Gallery in the previous post, I just had to pinch myself being in the environment.

It's time for coffee... it's pure and the grounds are boiled on the stove in a big old pot. It's certainly a heart starter...

The burro is (making a burro noise) braying I guess it's called.. the turkey is in fine form, the roosters have been quiet today and the school band is drumming up a storm of enthusiasm.

Thrum, Thrum, no doubt it's to march the children into school.

Photo gallery.

     

Gallery - visit the market with me

Frist day of film school

Download DM420013

It's been a long day today. The first day of my film course.

I woke to find a wonderful image had appeared on my yellow wall. The promise of a sunny day.

Bands began playing at 5.00 am, then again at 6.00 and there was a procession through the streets at 7.00.

Breakfast is at 8.30, so I walked with a friend down to the market just a couple of blocks away. It's like stepping back in time.

Fresh bread, flowers, fruit, everything you can imagine...the smell of coffee, hot chocolate and burning wood. We were greeted with 'Hola' and 'Buenas dias' by everyone we encountered.

I bought homemade cheese and yogurt and went back to the B&B to sit on my balcony in the sun.

I became an observer to the daily life of the neighbors... Their mud brick house had a large room full of corn, the washing hung on the line like flags over the chicken coop.

The well is far from the house and they pump the water at regular intervals. The small square building in the center down the back.

We learnt a lot about filming, and making a documentary. It's not unfamiliar territory for me, but there's a lot I don't know.

Lunch is the main meal of the day and is served at 3.30 - 4.00. (I'm almost ready for tea at that time)

Our Host Magdelina, is the most delightful lady, tiny, about 4.2" or even less, I couldn't guess her age, but....... she arrived from the market with fresh corn husks to make tamales for lunch. Everything is fresh here, even the chicken was .......... this morning....

Lunch being prepared.

filming

and I'm so tired... I have to go to bed.

Images

Take a walk to the market with me.