El Dia De Los Muertos Collaboration with Cal Duran

You ever have a moment where you felt you've done this before? Where you're intuition takes over and you feel a pulsating light from inside you beckon your soul to follow you're dreams or work hard or to battle the deepest emotions that lay within you? Those are the moments I feel our ancestors are roaming in our blood channeling us to be stronger and hold strength in what they created and lived. Dia De Los Muertos is the ancient holiday dated back to the Aztecs 3,000 years . Originally a celebration for the godess Mictēcacihuātl "Lady of the Dead Her role is to watch over the bones of the dead and preside over the ancient festivals of the dead. She was the the ruler of Mictlān The aztec underworld. With this altar created by me Cal Duran and in collaboration with Grace Noel we wanted to pay homage and honor the ancient roots of Dia De Los Muertos to connect the dots to then and now. So we wanted to create a space that took you to a different realm. With 300 hand carved and hand printed prints like papel picado it gives guidance to our ancestors, 100 handmade clay skulls to represent our ancestors, 300 strung fresh flowers to honor the past ones, 200 hand stamped and cut butterflies to show transformation, 50 hand made clay hands to show warmth from the living, 2 handmade clay sun and moon portals , a monarch butterfly nicho altar with pieces from the museums collection and to honor the Aztec origin a Giant hand made Aztec Calendar. With this installation I hope you can feel the light and guidance that holds such reverence inside us , that with this ancient holiday you can see the value of remembrance that this life in this realm must be cherished and when we leave we just transform and our legacy will be remembered. The universe is inside us and we create our paths and our ancestors are guiding us we just need to listen. "We are all made of sunshine. Sunshine makes the plants grow, the water flow, and the wind blow. So now it is time to go on a magical journey through the rainbow." Grace Noel Much thanks to the Museo for the space and much thanks to the spirits of our past ones guiding me every step of the way. Entrance altar installation Made by Cal Duran: Artbycal.com and Grace Noel

Australian Art Tour 4 of 4

On Nov 30, I flew to Auckland New Zealand with not much of a plan and only a place to stay.  As the trip progressed my limited planning led me to adventures around the port town but kept New Zealand’s natural treasures barred by expensive travel arrangements and tours.  Tours, renting a car, or buying a car are the way to see New Zealand with its very limited public transit. So, I made the best of my 4 days in Auckland on foot by visiting the oldest buildings, fantastic Japanese restaurants, walking the city park, and visiting the Auckland art galleries.  I stayed at the Base Auckland Backpackers which I was grateful to have a place to stay do not recommend it.

My first night in Auckland was Friday night when I stumbled across a collection of food vendors in a parking lot.  This was similar to what I found in Perth the week before. New Zealand has terrific mussels and oysters freshly sourced, prepared and sold at an affordable price.  Friday food markets pop up in New Zealand and Australia during the fair weather months and are a great way to sample the foods from the people of both countries.

Auckland is a rainy city in the southerly December spring and I was reminded of Portland, Oregon with its low lying hills and vibrant Pacific Islander culture.  I was in town for the Christmas Parade on the sunniest day of my stay: Dec 2, 2018. The parade was the largest representation of cultures coming alive as parade floats spreading confetti and throwing candy to the crowd.  The event lasted 3 hours including set up with enthusiasts lining the streets eager for a good seat in the shade. That night I found an amazing Japanese restaurant called Tanuki’s cave. This was a yakitori grill in the basement of the sushi restaurant upstairs and the grilled fresh seafood put a nice ending to an already good day.

Ultimately, Auckland is a small city with a downtown that is easy to navigate on foot since the only other option is to rent a car.  When my hostel was not an inspiring place to cook, Auckland’s restaurants were a good option. I found one of Auckland’s oldest hotel’s called the Occidental.  They had good specials and happy hour at the Occidental along with reliable wifi. Truthfully, it was home base when venturing around this expensive rainy Auckland.  My final noteworthy restaurant for review was Industry Zen for their fried lotus root, sushi, and appetizer sampler. This Japanese country style restaurant had friendly service, beautiful wood interior, and iconic tastes to remember.

My final day was a rainy Monday which meant the Auckland Gallery and surrounding galleries were open.  The Auckland Gallery had golden wood poles and ceiling crafted by Maori carvers in the islander style. This was an addition connected to the Victorian building which was the precursor to the current structure and had a lovely coffee shop.  In the main room was a rainbow and metallic blobs crafted from polyurethane foam, aluminum, and spray paint. The adjoining room had an installation that was interactive instructing visitors to build their dream house, small scale, from cardboard and craft materials.  The room was filled with magical small buildings linked together with string and popsicle sticks built one on top of each other. I joined the gallery tour group and got the backstory on the various exhibits. I found the Maori portraits to be some of my favorite artwork on display.  I also enjoyed the Auckland Gallery displaying the art of minority people and provided prestigious recognition for the artists who pushed the boundaries of thought and style. The final noteworthy exhibit was of the first photographs documenting the tourist traps and hidden gems of the New Zealand countryside.         

Dec 3-Dec 7

Up to this point, Grace Noel Art’s Australian Tour had traveled thousands of miles: from the center of the United States to the Australian Red Center and from the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean, and two countries in the southern hemisphere.  It was time for the tour finale in Melbourne, Australia for only a four day stay before departing to Denver, CO USA.

Arriving in the warm and sunny Melbourne with plentiful mass transit and fairless square shown through the rainy, slow days of Auckland. I was excited to see my friend Kathleen who I met while backpacking western Europe in 2007.  We traveled for two weeks through Paris, Swiss Alps, and Spain, as a group with my friend Sophie Allen from Boulder High School. Kathleen grew up in Melbourne and knew the town well. My first stop was to visit the beach at St.Kilda, one of Melbourne’s artsy districts next to the beach divided by a bike path, skate park, and open fields. People were walking, running, cycling, climbing, skating, and relating all backdropped by the Melbourne skyline as it opened up to the bay.  The waves at St Kilda weren't for surfing but there was an incredible dog, patrolling the beach for seagulls and keeping them honest to their intentions. This dog ran up and down and bounded into the water endlessly and he outlasted my attention span for chasing seagulls.

Downtown St Kilda is a bohemian mecca with every square meter covered in art, and buildings are tattooed with vibrant painted colors that into the sunset as I walked through town. I was charmed to no end with the St. Kilda Community Garden which grew from deep roots, aged and bearing fruit.  Fresh seafood restaurants teased my tight dollars knowing it wouldn’t be as good back home. Melbourne’s hostel was a much better experience than the Backpacker of Auckland, NZ. Affordable, friendly, and central location next to the train station and fareless square. The next day I celebrated my last beach day at Edithvale Beach under brilliant Australian sunshine rays.  Lunch was at a dim sum cafe where each dumpling was hand crafted daily!

Edithvale beach waterline was laced with oblong clear gel snail eggs, the strangest thing!  Chilly ocean water pocketed with jelly fish made for quick dips to refresh from the heat. We were an hour by train east of the bay seeing only Melbourne’s tallest buildings in the bright midday light.  After a few hours it was time to head back to prepare for dinner with my cousin Julia and her husband Arman. The last time we met was at a family reunion two years ago and only a few months after their wedding.  A beautiful couple who smiled often, worked hard, and lived in a paradise, it was great to share a meal with Julia and Arman at an elegant Japanese restaurant in Melbourne Australia. We ordered the five course meal and argued over paying for the check.  Arman drove back to the hostel in his new dodge challenger which cost far less in Australia than America. Car ownership works much different in Australia that its better to research it instead having me recollecting details that may not be relevant. The following day was devoted to the final showcase of RAW Australia Oasis, but would not be complete with an adventure to meet up with Kaltheen in another one of Melbourne’s art districts called the shops on Brunswick.  We reunited after 11 years at Grace Cafe.

Since last traveling through Europe together and keeping in touch on Facebook, Kathleen had received her nursing degree and had traveled the world.  She was graduating from medical school the following Tuesday with her medical degree to practice as a doctor for Doctors Without Boarders bridging her love for helping people while getting to travel.  Kathleen helped me get to the Melbourne Pavilion and I was able to set up with plenty of time before the show. The RAW Melbourne showcase was the last event of the tour and my bag had grown lighter from patrons pouncing on the premier limited edition Chinese Zodiac artwork.  I liked the crowds of artists setting up for each portion of a RAW showcase, drag queens, crystal beings, stitched together screen prints, and fluid poured paintings.

Before the showcase began but after the photo shoot, dinner was a rare find: an Australian taco stand! I was obviously missing Colorado’s tacos and tamales.  My last night in Melbourne was festive and memorable as Melbourne was so warm and welcoming in reception of my art that I felt so honored. Julia and Arman made the event even more special, by taking time from their anniversary celebration to attend and witness my best stage performance of the tour!  I knew I would eventually get it right, whew, stage fright is a real thing yo! Performance by Sly Skeeta along side the fashion show cat walk. The fashion show was so strong, bold, innovative, I definitely found my favorite designers of the tour at the RAW Melbourne showcase. Pink cotton with yellow and baby blue blotches and drag queens is what sticks out most in my memory.  As the night wound down to just the artists and their teams, we traded artwork and social media accounts. I brought home some beautiful original work from the tour, thank you to all the artists I met along the way!

A late night trolly was on its last ride for the night and I didn’t have wifi so blessed be that I caught that ride and made it home alright.  The neighborhood around the hostel stayed up later than any other part of my australian urban experience. Gratefully so, and why I say I love NYC, is dinner was available at midnight for the working artist.  Artist schedules fall on weekends, late nights, and holidays. I went to bed with a belly full of sushi and ramen for a few hours of restless sleep in anticipation of a 24 hour journey home.

The next morning was the familiar meditate, relate on social media, eat, and hustle to the train and airport.  Then Sky Bus to the United terminal, check in, security means take everything out and search with crying babies and overcrowded lines. once cleared by airport security, I walked through duty free shopping and Australia tees, to pick up snacks for the flight to Los Angeles.  

I had my sights set on attending First Friday in Denver which was the same day factoring the time changes.  That same night arriving home from Australia I first stopped by my Auntie Vi and Uncle Tom holiday party at downtown Denver’s Cactus Club.  First Friday was a blast and everyone thought I was crazy and I slept for a few days after to recover.

Being in Denver is really a treasure.  Reflecting and reading back on Grace Noel Art’s RAW Oasis Australian Tour was magical and unbelievable, totally never expected it. The life and team I have in Denver has helped me grow more than I thought I could and for that I am grateful for you and your glow to be reading this now.  

So now let's go on a magical adventure through the rainbow.  There’s ups and downs wherever you go, so remember balance is the arrow of focus flying fixed through the valleys and peaks we go.  Magic and dazzle reflect as stars beneath our feet as transport dimensions of galaxies and stars of sunshine as beautiful as yours and mine. For the stars have always inspired me and they still do.   

Gratitude & Acknowledgment

This is the beginning of Grace Noel Art’s Australian Art Tour with RAW Artists and the production was called Oasis: RAW Australia Oasis.  The tour was made possible by so many patrons around the world and RAW Artists. Thank you to those who made Grace Noel Art’s Australian Tour unite the world through a magical rainbow journey or art.  Production of this tour began in Jan 2018, when I was preparing for my first RAW Denver show. During that time, I was preparing for exhibition also at My Hair Trip Salon, Spectra Art Space, Englewood Library, and Denver Art Society.  RAW shows are ticketed at $22 and the artist must sell 20 tickets to reserve a spot at RAW. Once the Artist sells enough tickets, they receive one free RAW showcase nationally or internationally. Thank you to those who purchased tickets and art for the Feb 2018 RAW Denver Show which led to a successful March booking dates in Australia.  Thanks to Kristen Wehlow of RAW for helping me book show dates. April onward meant airplane tickets, logistics, and promotion until a launch date on Nov 10, 2018. This tour premiered the Chinese Zodiac Four Element Series (metal prints) while the originals premiered in Denver Nov 1, 2018 with RAW Denver.

Thank you to my family for the foundation your provide, so much is made possible because of you.

Blessings and,

Grace

Australian Art Tour 3 of 4

Grace Noel Art’s RAW Oasis Australian Art Tour was an incredible experience. The last blog post, 2 of 4, shared adventures through the Australian Red Center, Uluru and RAW Oasis showcase in Perth along the Indian Ocean. The morning after the showcase, mom and I shared a delicious breakfast buffet and then was off to the airport. I had the day to explore Perth.  I started out on an adventure to find a bag of potato chips and a lighter.  I began with a walk along the Swan River where I saw the black swans native to Perth and people taking camel rides in the strong November winds.

From the river, I turned right then walked through magnificent gardens in the parks surrounding the Supreme Court.  I felt the rumble of downtown as the lunch rush crowded the streets. I was hungry and started scouting my options on my way to the Hay Street Mall.  Hay Street Mall is a pedestrian only mall with several blocks of shops stacked stories tall. It contains fantastic public art and was all lit up for Christmas.  I made my way to the Bus Station where I met back up with Jason DCuna who had spent time in Perth’s Chinatown chasing down street art. Born and raised in the Perth, he knew all the great spots and led me to Old Shanghai, the Chinatown of Perth.  I was in love with this part of town! Dumplings, stir fry, boba tea, and bowls are everything I love to eat. We enjoyed dim sum and beers at a food court full of different nationalities of Chinatown.

Jason and I parted ways and I found my way to the Perth Arena. I had driven past this building and was amazed by its architecture each time!  I really wanted to get a photo because the architecture was so unique. From the arena, I wondered up King Street, the high class part of town.  King Street flashed stylish eats and drinks, classy cars, and a line outside the Gucci store for Black Friday sales! The spectacle was fun to experience and I learned that Black Friday is celebrated in Australia as well; no wonder Hay Street Mall was so crowded!

I began my walk back to the hotel, in need of a recharge by the pool and yoga.  After evening meditation, dinner was my excuse to enjoy the Friday nightlife of Perth under a full moon.  My intention was to find a busy dinner spot back at the Hay Street Mall and I set out into the night. Expecting Perth to stay up a bit later, I started out at 8:30 pm only to realize restaurants were already closing! I arrived at the mall to find the crowds I was looking for, now where was I going to find dinner?  As I walked through all the late night shoppers of Black Friday, I followed the flow of people to a street food market, lucky me! Foods from all over the world were prepared by 50+ booths. Most of the booths were selling out quick and there were thousands of people dining under a full moon. I ate at Vietnamese, Tibetan, and Central American vendors.  Right after I finished my meal the vendors closed and were sold out of their food for the evening. Thank goodness I made it just in time! I walked home under the Taurus full moon excited to leave for Sydney in the morning. As mom left the day before, John Noggin was enroute to Sydney arriving the next day to help with the second half of Grace Noel Art’s Australian Art Tour.

The morning of Nov 24, I enjoyed a full buffet breakfast at the Hyatt Regency in Perth.  I packed a sandwich for the airplane and caught a taxi to the airport. Worried the intense winds would delay my plane, I arrive at the airport to find a seamless experience.  I have enjoyed the reduced security of Australian Airports, a lot less hassle than the USA. Qantas has been my airline of choice while touring the country. The airline still feeds customers meals with complimentary beer and wine, what service!  The flight from Perth to Sydney is nearly 5 hours with a 3 hour time change. These frequent airplane rides have been a great time to write blog posts and learn the Adobe Creative Suite on the new iPad Pro I purchased before the trip. The iPad Pro, Apple Pencil, and keyboard are a perfect travel studio for a freelance artist such as myself. Couldn’t be happier with my purchase!

Nov 26-Dec 2

Today is Nov 30, I am leaving for Auckland, New Zealand.  Last night was RAW Sydney at the Orion Function Center, accessible by the Campsie station by rail.  I met back up with my friend Sly Skeeta, a rapper from Winnipeg who is doing a similar tour as Grace Noel Art, minus Perth.  We will reunite again in Melbourne for our final showcase on Dec 6. The entire tour is documented on social media through Facebook and Instagram, please like, friend, and follow @gracenoel.art.  

The showcase was full of up and coming artists made up of visual and performing artists and fashion designers.  I had success making connections and leaving Grace Noel Art’s mark on Sydney.

My first day in Sydney, I visited Chinatown and walked through the shops, finding hair clips, fried fish, lip gloss in a llama shaped holder, and good luck ornaments for the house.  I enjoyed a meal and looked for the oldest bars in Sydney and it turns out bars are called “hotels.” That afternoon, we found my way home to Wolli Creek, a “New China Town” with wonderful dumplings, asian restaurants, markets, and cafes.  On the way I traversed through a crowd just getting out of the cricket game with a win by India against Australia. The train led us to a common area of a dense housing complex at Wolli Creek. I was one stop from the International Airport Terminal and two stops from domestic.  The accommodations were booked through Airbnb based on affordability, location to public transit, and the beach!

Day 2 of touring around Sydney was time to dive into the art scene.  As for creative districts, I couldn’t find any designated art districts but found an exhibit at the Carriageworks exhibition space by American Born Artist, Nick Cave.  The exhibit had a massive chandelier decorated with everything you’d find at a second hand store and prop room. The chandelier could be viewed from either below or above on fifteen foot ladders to look on top the massive hanging sculpture (the images are all documented on Facebook and Instagram).  The installation also had a forest of spinning wind chimes that filled a large exhibition room with tall ceilings. There was a video installation in another room. This used 8 projectors and 4 speakers to create moving sea foam on the floor and dancing bird mask with dolls on the walls. There was a large lifeguard platform in the middle of the room built from 4” x 4” wooden beams. Our final room was a grand installation of plastic pony beads woven into nets stretching back 200’ with 40’ high ceiling.  The art installation also had in this room a large 8’ x 32’ panel with streamers blowing in the the wind and spelling the word FLOW. Next to the FLOW was a beaded net of pony bead on black shoestrings knotted together. These nets were suspended from the ceiling scaling 15 feet and backdropped with cement walls. The final stop at the Carriageworks was Awavena, a virtual Reality film by Emmy and AACTA award-winning artists and director Lynette Wallworth. This special showing started the month of November and ends Dec 19, 2018 and was fully booked so I hope to see it on its journey through the United States whenever that may be.  The Carraigework’s impressive exhibition space occupied a refurbished industrial warehouse where train cars were maintenance. It’s located in Red Fern, where “its different” than the rest of Sydney in the way the artsy part of town goes.

Walking back to the train along the main road there were shops, cafes, and dim sum, inbetween artist studios as.  Murals projecting the Aboriginal voices of the neighborhood lined the bridge to the train station. From here, I headed to Darling Harbor in search of Sydney’s oldest hotels (bars) as a way to understand Sydney’s people’s history. As a side note, my uncle Tom Noel, Dr. Colorado, wrote his PhD thesis on Colorado’s Liquid History, documenting how bars were a place to get refreshed, get up to date information, and rest after days without services. The Fortune of War was first on the list, I snapped a few pics of the Sydney Opera House across the harbor from the Fortune of War which claims to be the longest continually licensed bar in Sydney given its short walk from the water. I enjoyed a few drinks and admired the visitors on a Monday spring afternoon: watching the locals alongside travelers from the United States and down under.  Argyle Street provided the Argyle Hotel, another continually licensed hotel in Sydney. As I passed a collection of bars and restaurants, I took pictures of the grand bridge, the “Coat Hanger,” connecting hundreds of Sydney’s commuters traversing Darling Harbor not by watercraft.

From what I could gather, the Argyle Hotel had been been renovated to house newer eateries of the last decade.  The Lord Nelson felt and looked like an old castle was the next oldest bar that was a short walk down Argyle street.  The wood floor was well worn stone walls and period chandeliers. At this point I realized the advantage to the “schooner” sized glasses which are smaller than pints, and cheaper.  I sampled Australian beers on tap since you don’t get much of a price break buying beer in the liquor stores. Truly, Australia is wine country, wine is cheap in the liquor stores and while dining out.  My allergy to casein kept me from exploring much wine so I stuck to the beers and cocktails. My favorite Australian alcoholic drink was an ginger beer by Brookvale Union. It tastes like a handcrafted ginger beer and hardly any taste of alcohol which makes the drink refreshing for a traveler’s stomach, gluten/casein/dairy free, and provides a nice buzz.  

After the Lord Nelson I returned home to Wolli Creek but not before walking through Sydney’s CBD.  High end retail shops were still promoting the sales from Black Friday the previous weekend and early evening shoppers were on their way home from work in Sydney’s financial district.  We window shopped amongst skyscrapers and crowded sidewalks at rush hour. We walked the streets orienting ourselves using the landmarks of the Sydney Mint, Parks, and Churches to find a train station.  Google Maps and all apps that use data were only available on WiFi (which was another reason to research Sydney’s liquid history). Directions could only be downloaded before heading out but I liked the adventure of going with the flow to immerse myself in Sydney’s day to day.  It was not hard to find my way around the Sydney’s Central Business District and, in fact, public transit is free in every CBD in Australia.

During the week, Google kept warning of bad weather on Wednesday so this meant hopping around the city and beaches would be for Sunday through Tuesday.  Day three, Tuesday, was spent on the Manly Ferry which went from Darling Harbor to Manly Wharf and Manly Beach. I was excited to spend the day surfing at Manly Beach.  The Manly Beach Corso reminded me of my first visit to Australia in December 2000 for the end of year holidays with the Australian family.

At Manly Wharf, I walked the Corso passing souvenir shops, restaurants, cafes and swim shops to arrive at Manly Beach.  Tuesday was the best weather day with a high of 25 degrees and sunny. I rented a surfboard on the beach for $30 for 2 hours and there was no need to rent a wetsuit since I brought my own Hurley colored blue, the 2015 model I had wanted since it came out.  This tour was designed to practice one of my favorite sports: surfing. Manly and Scarborough beach are the two spots I surfed this trip. The waves and surf were great and my wetsuit kept me warm in the southerly seas. After surfing, lunch was at Jipang, this Japanese country style restaurant which had been in Manly since 1993 and it was friendly and delicious!  Later I took a walk to the St Patrick’s Estate of Manly, the college high on the hill of the town of Manly. By this point the clouds rolled in and it was time to head back to Sydney to see the town at night. Choppier seas and wind gusts whispered of the bad weather predicted for Wednesday.

Sydney’s darling harbor deserved one more visit and this time to the Palisade hotel, which was a few blocks further from the Lord Nelson.  The Palisade hotel had beers for a good price on tap and a 2 for 1 dinner special on Tuesday night. After enjoying drinks, fish and chips, I walked by the gardens on the way to the train station. Sydney shuts down by 9 or 9:30 during the week like the rest of Australia and the skyline shimmers like stars in the harbor next to the cream colored seashells of the Sydney Opera House.

Day 4, Wednesday was a storm to remember.  The bad weather predicted by Google turned out to be once in a 100 year event that flooded Sydney’s streets, killing one, and resulting in a loss of power in some areas.  I stayed home this day feeling grateful for my Air B&B’s location for food and necessities to weather the storm.

Day 5 brings circles back now to the beginning of this post with RAW Australia: Oasis in Sydney.  Ultimately, the night was a great success and its been an honor to premier my new Chinese Zodiac Series throughout Australia! Thank you to all my friends and family for their support to make this tour possible.  Thank you to all the friends and followers I have made along the way for your support and enthusiasm for artwork by Grace Noel Art, LLC.

Gratitude & Acknowledgment

This is the beginning of Grace Noel Art’s Australian Art Tour with RAW Artists and the production was called Oasis: RAW Australia Oasis.  The tour was made possible by so many patrons around the world and RAW Artists. Thank you to those who made Grace Noel Art’s Australian Tour unite the world through a magical rainbow journey or art.  Production of this tour began in Jan 2018, when I was preparing for my first RAW Denver show. During that time, I was preparing for exhibition also at My Hair Trip Salon, Spectra Art Space, Englewood Library, and Denver Art Society.  RAW shows are ticketed at $22 and the artist must sell 20 tickets to reserve a spot at RAW. Once the Artist sells enough tickets, they receive one free RAW showcase nationally or internationally. Thank you to those who purchased tickets and art for the Feb 2018 RAW Denver Show which led to a successful March booking dates in Australia.  Thanks to Kristen Wehlow of RAW for helping me book show dates. April onward meant airplane tickets, logistics, and promotion until a launch date on Nov 10, 2018. This tour premiered the Chinese Zodiac Four Element Series (metal prints) while the originals premiered in Denver Nov 1, 2018 with RAW Denver.

Thank you to my family for the foundation your provide, so much is made possible because of you.

Blessings and,

Grace

Learning the Chinese Zodiac Class

Chinese Astrology is a celebrated system used for thousands of years helping guide people towards success through more informed decision making.  Here, I will explain what drew me to Chinese Astrology, focused my attention to master the art form, and travel around the world with the artwork I created from my studies.  I will be teaching a class on Chinese Astrology at Spectra Art Space (1836 S Broadway, Denver CO), Sat Mar 2 1-3p. We will learn our lunar, month, and hour signs then create a collage of the traits from the reading.  Tickets can be found here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/learning-the-chinese-zodiac-tickets-55266053253.

I began by reading Theodora Lau’s the Handbook of Chinese Horoscope.  Lau is a gifted teacher and illuminated the truly magical connections between each zodiac sign and their real world equivalent.  The synchronicity and beauty of the system combine to create traits that harmonize in cycles of 12 and 4. Each year, month, and hour have specific energies recognized by the system of Chinese Astrology which harmonize with Chinese Medicine and a person’s health. There is an element for every two years beginning with years ending in 0 and 1 are metal, then water, wood, fire, earth for years 8 and 9.  My latest series which premiered on tour through Australia in Nov 2018: The Chinese Zodiac Four Element Series takes a deeper look into the elemental nature of the zodiac and the harmonious combinations of Fire, Earth, Wind, and Water.

Through my studies, I began to see trends and connections which made my vision clearer and inspired me to begin memorizing Lau’s book.  Over several months in the summer and fall of 2017, I memorized Theodora Lau’s Handbook of Chinese Horoscope cover to cover. I practiced the system and used it regularly to memorize what I was learning. Repetition makes it real.   

For example: I was born year of the Earth Dragon, associated with the sign of Aries is a powerful and strong visionary made consistent and a pillar of her community by way of the earth element. Next, I was born in the month of the Rabbit associated with the sign of Pisces to be creative, sweet, and ubiquitous.  Finally, I was born in the hour of the Dog associated with the sign of Libra and the sign of balance, service, and honesty. Dragon and dog are opposite but when combined they form a bridge between East, Dragon, and West, Dog. Honestly, I dove so deeply into Chinese and Western Astrology to achieve a deeper look as to who I am and the world I create given the decision making abilities of my signs.  The system gives me access to the flow we all know is the right way to go.

I am excited to teach “Learning the Chinese Zodiac” class on Mar 2 at Spectra Art Space. This class provides a general comprehension of the 12 sign Chinese Zodiac: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. Each student will receive a reading according to their astrological sign calculated by the birth year and month.  Using the information from the reading, we will create collages of the traits of each student’s sign.

As common as astrology may seem, it is a skill and art to read each system.  Astrology is part of nearly every culture because people have always sought to bridge the earth and stars.  As a young girl, my mother taught me to make tamales and read the stars. Our conversations developed into who we are, strong women and builders who navigated our journey according to our lucky stars.  As the ups and downs of the waves of life distracted and confused us, we learned to surf and grow better than our previous selves. Life is meant to be enjoyed. The Chinese Zodiac 4 Elements Series is Grace Noel Art’s latest series inspired by the accessibility and usability of Chinese Astrology to help female entrepreneurs grow their businesses as Grace and her mom did.  Thus empowering native chicana women to achieve their dreams and rise above life’s challenges.

The Chinese Zodiac 4 Element Series had its international premier in November 2018.  The originals premiered at RAW Ovation and then toured Brisbane, Perth, Sydney, and Melbourne Australia with RAW Australia Oasis for four weeks.  Thanks to this series, I completed hundreds of readings for art patrons world wide and have grown to be an international artist with a presence on both coasts of the United States, Canada, and Australia.

The universe is where it all begins, literally and artistically.  I am inspired by the stars, and always has been. The stars brought the family together, as I learned astrology from my mom who would talk endlessly about Western and Chinese astrology.  At a very young age mom taught me the different constellations and planets looking into the indigo night sky. Mom knew the magic of the stars from constellations, astrology, identifying planets, and the old Chicana folk stories.  They all flowed together like the electric yellow Milky Way. The stars have always been a place of magical traditions where anything is truly possible. Space: the final frontier and unknown, gives way to science fiction and stories of heavenly beings.  The only other place similar in vastness is the ocean, which has less recorded knowledge than that of space. Similarly, the ocean births beings of light where not thought possible.

The vastness of space is where dreams come true.  The stars enchanted me as a child and they still do.

About the Artist:

The vision behind Grace Noel’s artwork is the human connection to something larger than ourselves in our fundamental connection to the universe and stars.  The mission of Grace’s Artwork is to express that we are all made of sunshine, sunshine makes the plants grow, the water flow, and the wind blow, so now it is time to go on a magical journey through the rainbow.  Grace is a born and raised native Coloradoan whose family dates back farther than pioneer days. She is the niece of legendary Professor of Colorado History, Tom Noel, Ph.D: Dr. Colorado.

Her first series in 2015 depicted the constellations of the northern hemisphere. These works gave way to the HAWK series 2015-2017: A magical adventure of Hawk and her dogs as they traveled through space and time. In Spring 2018 Grace released:

“We are all made of sunshine. Sunshine makes the plants grow, the water flow, and the wind blow.  So now it is time to go, on a magical journey through the rainbow.”

Grace Noel

Now, Grace turns sunshine into star signs with the Chinese Zodiac 4 Elements.  Grace has been learning Chinese Astrology alongside western solar astrology her whole life as it was part of regular astrology lessons with mom.  This 4 painting series combines the fire, earth, wind, and water groupings of 3 signs (trines) to complete 12 signs. Grace explains she likes Chinese Astrology for its ease of usability, relatability, and depth of inspiration.  Anyone who meets Grace knows she is an expert Chinese Astrology and she always wants to know your birth day! “Birthdays are so special and significant, because they make a very special moment in a person’s life,” Grace says, as she explains her interest in astrology.  

My vision for this series it to celebrate the magic of life with the Chinese Zodiac 4 Elements.  Discover your star sign and and let it shine like the sun.

Grace Noel Art's Australian Art Tour 2 of 4

Nov 18-25

On Nov 18, we set out for a rock that rose from the earth as a bridge to ancestral realms.  Uluru was a 5 hour car ride through the Australian Outback. This adventure had been a dream of mine since I was young and first learned of the sacred site. Much of the road trip was through remote ranch land with cattle, desert shrubs, dried creek beds, and puffy titanium white clouds for miles.  The car ride grew hot as the Australian center reached 30 degree Celcius in mid November 2018. The extreme environment and remoteness kept towns to a minimum however truck stops, known as road houses, offered everything from snacks tourist gifts and gasoline, to camel rides and accomodations. Every road house we stopped at along the way had a farm with emus, camels, and stock, classically Australian.  All sorts of travelers caravaning around the desert stopping at each oasis. HWY 87 connects Darwin (north) to Adelaide (south), and coast to coast.

Along our road trip, we saw the other landmarks surrounding Uluru.  The first prominent feature was Mt. Collins which fooled all of us into thinking it was Uluru.  Uncle Ned and I kept our minds occupied betting nickels and dimes on various math games gauging distances and applying the conversions from imperial to metric measurements.  Mom got into the games too so we ended up passing nickels and dimes around the car until we reached our destination. We checked into the Emu Walk Apartments at the Ayers Rock Resort.  You can imagine this being the only resource in hundreds of kilometers of the Australian bush, its incredible the Aboriginal people found a way to survive and thrive in the Australian Outback for many generations.  

Uluru (Ayers Rock) is on Aboriginal land and owned by the Aboriginal people. The resort offers artist in residence programs to continue the cultural celebration of the monolith and magical mystical desert landscape.  It is tradition to respect Uluru as a sacred site and feel the spirit of the place. This spirit speaks soothingly during dawn and dusk when the monolith glows a vibrant red for 15 minutes. We watched the rock change from orange, to vibrant desert rose, then deep burnt sienna red and finally purple with a desert backdrop, while a deep blue night sky curtain fell trimmed by a vibrant ocher horizon eager for the coolness of night.  

Visiting the site and learning the ways of the aborigines was beyond magical.  I felt connected to the land and culture on a deep level, I felt nothing other than humbled and grateful for the experience.  As I learned the way of life of the native people, I was amazed how similar it was to the native ancestors of Colorado, North America, and the Pacific.  The roles of men and women, tools used, stories told, all had a familiar to my own family. Of course, we are all made of sunshine. Sunshine makes the plants grow, the water flow, and the wind blow.  Now it is time to go, on a magical journey through the rainbow. I have been amazed by the similarities and differences on the adventure. There seems to be a foundation for life to root and as it grows, the rainbow of diversity unfolds to sustain and provide a platform for the cycle to reside.

Point of reflection: Balance maintains the exchange of energy and growth providing boundaries, highs and lows while focus provides longevity.  This beauty is cosmic yet common, and that’s what makes life extraordinary.

The soundtrack for the morning of Nov 19, was Bob Marley’s Legend to celebrate the world and all its beauty.  The beauty of family and unity through love provides the endurance to experience the wonders of our elegant Earth.  We burned the candle at both ends, waking up in the early morning sweet dew desert perfume and enjoyed the sunrise on Uluru’s east face.  A lavish buffet for breakfast and then back to take a closer marvel at the cave paintings of the ancestors on the delicate sacred sandstone of Uluru.  We took a short walk to a watering hole at the base of a waterfall that flows from the top of Uluru during heavy rains. Dry water lines were marked by a black iron oxide stripe flowing from above to a pool were saw crustaceans swimming and doing daily chores in their exotic home.  These creatures looked like scorpions and must be ancient ancestors given their isolation and unique habitat.

As we departed for the car, there was a folk tale on plaques of a rainbow serpent who graces the watering hole.  The story is as follows with credit to the Uluru National Park exhibit at the Mutitjulu Waterhole:

(Story on plaques)

“Wherever you walk around Mutitjulu Waterhole you are surrounded by the presence of two ancestral beings - Kuniya the woma python woman and Liru the poisonous snake man.

Minyma Kuniya the woma python woman came from the east near Erldunda. A bad feeling grew in her stomach - something was wrong.  She had to go to Uluru. Kuniya created inma (ceremony) to connect her eggs together. She carries them to Uluru in a ring around her neck and placed them in Kuniya Piti.

Meanwhile, Kuniya’s nephew arrived on the other side of Uluru.  He was being chased by a war party of Liru (poisonous snake) men from near Kata Tjuta.  He had broken the law in their land and they were sent to punish him.

The Liru men threw spears at Kuniya’s nephew. One pierced his thigh and many others hit the side of Uluru.  One Liru warrior, Wati Liru, was left to care for the injured python man. But he did not do his duty and left the injured man on his own.

Minyma Kuniya realized that her nephew had been injured and was not being cared for properly.  She raced to Mutitjulu Waterhole and saw Wati Liru high up on the cliff. She called out to him about her nephew, but he only laughed.

Minyma Kuniya placed her wana (digging stick) upright in the ground in front of her. Kneeling down, she picked up handfuls of sand and threw it over her body singing and making herself stronger. She was creating inma (ceremony) to help her confront Wati Liru.

Kuniya moved towards Liru singing and dancing akuta - a dance step used by women ready to fight.  Kuniya hit him once over the head with he wana. He fell down but got back up. She hit him a second time and killed him.

Kuniya then went and found her injured nephew. She picked him up and dusted him off and carried him to Mutitjulu Waterhole.  She created inma and combined their two spirits into one. They became Wanampi, the rainbow serpent, who lives and protects the waterhole today.

This story teaches a traditional form of payback punishment - a spear to the thigh.  The punisher, must then look after the injured person until they are well enough to care for themselves. It also teaches about women’s intuition and that a woman may use force to protect her children.  This is a powerful story, Kuniya is a powerful woman.”

In less than 24 hours at Uluru, we had to turned around and go back to Alice Springs.  Nothing other than poor planning contributed to such a short stay. For next time, a direct flight to Uluru would provide more time at the monument,  Retracing our steps on the car ride home we grew closer telling jokes, conversation and taking care of one another on a 6 hour car ride. We stayed one more night at the Desert Palms hotel which had a lovely swimming pool to escape the heat.  Reflecting on the three day journey through the outback, the local culture of Alice Springs, roadhouses, and Uluru brought a unique perspective to the Australian experience.

The next morning, Nov 20, Mom and I flew to Perth.  We stayed at the Indian Ocean Hotel, a place mom had romanticized over for months. She liked the rosewood in the photo of the lobby.  The Indian Ocean Hotel was in Scarborough, a seaside town with a hip sister city called Fremantle.  These towns served as ports for trade in the Indian Ocean and had long sandy beaches with waves great for getting back to surfing.  Unfortunately, the spring time winds encouraged us to explore the surrounding areas more than the beach, the water was too choppy for any rides or paddling out.  We explored Scarborough and Fremantle where we made friends with Jason and Jessie. We were grateful to have their local prospective and they showed us around Perth and Fremantle.  Our last full day in Scarborough, mom treated me to a two hour surfboard rental at Scarborough beach. I surfed the full time because it had been two years since I had been surfing and I wanted to make the most of a beautiful day and waves.  Truthfully this tour was inspired by a dream of doing a surf tour in Australia and seeing my family. I enjoyed tumbling in the beginner sized ways and sandy beach with no sharks and the perfect Hurly 3 ml wetsuit.

The morning of Nov 22, mom and I moved to the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Perth CBD (Central Business District).  That afternoon, we installed for the RAW Oasis showcase at the Rosemount Hotel. To my suprise, I met Kristen Wehlow, RAW’s producer who helped organize Grace Noel Art’s Australian Art Tour.  I was so excited to meet her in person and Perth’s showcase was a blast. Perth has amazing artists who impressed me with their talent and the guests were hot for the Chinese Zodiac and Dakota limited edition leggings.  I will remember the Rosemount Hotel as one of my favorite venues of the world. First, there was free WiFi, crucial while traveling in a foreign country, there as food, an outdoor patio, and coves with beaded curtains to play video games, eat snacks, and chill.  The art patrons of Perth were generous and encouraging of my artwork. Perth felt like the a version of Boulder the Southern Hemisphere, again it felt like home. Thank you to Barry Anderson and family for your sponsorship of Grace Noel Art’s Australian Art Tour!

The next morning, Mom and I shared our last breakfast before sending her to the airport.  This is the point in the tour when we split ways and mom went to visit my cousin Julia and her husband in Melbourne before flying to the USA on Nov 25. Mom was so happy to be on holiday and relax in the wonderful Australian Spring weather.  Together we saw things we could only image and read about. She was an excellent helper at shows, finding “S” hooks in Brisbane and taking enormous pride in her daughter’s hard work helped with sales.

Gratitude & Acknowledgment

This is the beginning of Grace Noel Art’s Australian Art Tour with RAW Artists and the production was called Oasis: RAW Australia Oasis.  The tour was made possible by so many patrons around the world and RAW Artists. Thank you to those who made Grace Noel Art’s Australian Tour unite the world through a magical rainbow journey or art.  Production of this tour began in Jan 2018, when I was preparing for my first RAW Denver show. During that time, I was preparing for exhibition also at My Hair Trip Salon, Spectra Art Space, Englewood Library, and Denver Art Society.  RAW shows are ticketed at $22 and the artist must sell 20 tickets to reserve a spot at RAW. Once the Artist sells enough tickets, they receive one free RAW showcase nationally or internationally. Thank you to those who purchased tickets and art for the Feb 2018 RAW Denver Show which led to a successful March booking dates in Australia.  Thanks to Kristen Wehlow of RAW for helping me book show dates. April onward meant airplane tickets, logistics, and promotion until a launch date on Nov 10, 2018. This tour premiered the Chinese Zodiac Four Element Series (metal prints) while the originals premiered in Denver Nov 1, 2018 with RAW Denver.

Thank you to my family for the foundation your provide, so much is made possible because of you.

Blessings and,

Grace

Grace Noel Art's Australian Art Tour 1 of 4

Gratitude & Acknowledgment

This is the beginning of Grace Noel Art’s Australian Art Tour with RAW Artists and the production was called Oasis: RAW Australia Oasis.  The tour was made possible by so many patrons around the world and RAW Artists. Thank you to those who made Grace Noel Art’s Australian Tour unite the world through a magical rainbow journey or art.  Production of this tour began in Jan 2018, when I was preparing for my first RAW Denver show. During that time, I was preparing for exhibition also at My Hair Trip Salon, Spectra Art Space, Englewood Library, and Denver Art Society.  RAW shows are ticketed at $22 and the artist must sell 20 tickets to reserve a spot at RAW. Once the Artist sells enough tickets, they receive one free RAW showcase nationally or internationally. Thank you to those who purchased tickets and art for the Feb 2018 RAW Denver Show which led to a successful March booking dates in Australia.  Thanks to Kristen Wehlow of RAW for helping me book show dates. April onward meant airplane tickets, logistics, and promotion until a launch date on Nov 10, 2018. This tour premiered the Chinese Zodiac Four Element Series (metal prints) while the originals premiered in Denver Nov 1, 2018 with RAW Denver.

Thank you to my family for the foundation your provide, so much is made possible because of you.

Blessings and,

Grace

Nov 10 -17

Today is Nov 14, and we are four days into Grace Noel Art’s Art Tour through Australia.  Of course it takes 2 days to arrive in Australia with the time change, 14 hour plane ride, and 3 hour commute from Denver to Los Angeles.  I had quite the adventure getting on the airplane in Denver however. When I arrived to check in, I learned of the electronic travel visas needed to enter into Australia.  No one could check me in until the visa was purchased, in short, thank goodness for smartphones! I was able to purchase an expedited travel visa, leading to a successful flight check in and bag drop, then off to the Southern Hemisphere! Of course I thought I was going to miss my flight but thankfully made it to the terminal with time to spare.  To my great luck and surprise, the plane to LA was full of artists! Wearing my limited edition leggings, I hit the ground running networking and making friends.

Mom was with me on this first two weeks of the trip.  We went through the rigors of checking in and the strange part was our email confirmation had mom and I were booked on the same flight through Los Angeles and then to Sydney.  Some glitch in the system made it so mom was booked through San Francisco and I went through LA. Nonetheless, we were close to missing our flight so we proceeded to security. Mom went to her gate and I went to mine.  We flew separately and met in Sydney Airport at the gate for Canberra. I reflected on the logistics and amount of airplane rides to this point and realized the tour totaled in 12 flights for me and this four week tour Down Under!  

When booking this trip, it was important for me to see all the attractions I had missed the last two times I had visited my family in Australia.  I wanted to see Uluru, Ayers Rock, and New Zealand for an itinerary as follows:

Nov 10-14 Depart Denver and see family in Canberra
Nov 14-17 Brisbane and RAW Oasis Brisbane Showcase on Nov 15
Nov 17-20 Alice Springs and Uluru
Nov 20-24 Perth and RAW Oasis Perth Showcase on Nov 22
Nov 24-30 Sydney and RAW Oasis Sydney Showcase on Nov 29
Nov 25 Mom flies to Denver from Melbourne
Nov 30-Dec 4 Auckland and the North Island of New Zealand
Dec 3-Dec 7 Melbourne and RAW Oasis Melbourne Showcase

I feel so blessed to be in Australia to see my friends, family and show my art.  We arrived in Canberra Nov 12, my Uncle Ned welcomed us and brought us to his wonderful home in Wamboin the bush outside of Canberra.  My Aunt Diana and Uncle Ned had recently adopted the most wonderful puppy, Dibbs, an blue heeler cattle dog mix, who turned out to be my dream dog serving as sweet medicine for Sage’s passing eight months prior.  Uncle Ned, Anty Diana, Dibbs and I went for a hike down the rural road from their house. We climbed a hill that gave us great views of the undulating eucalyptus forests and savanna grass. The cell phone towers placed prominently into slate hillside streaming in the November late spring winds.   

Mom and I truly enjoyed my Aunty and Uncle’s off the grid visionary home and there’s nothing like staying with family and friends when traveling.  Our power was supplied from solar panels and water collected from the roof. Drought times in Wamboin have balanced the bills in favor of the water supply truck which fills the cisterns at the top of the driveway.  Diana’s childhood recollection of waist high kangaroo grass and flowing farm ditches attest to climate change, just in her lifetime. Now looking at young spring grass but no need to mow due to depleted groundwater and hungry kangaroos well, I guess there’s always a balance and change motivates growth which motivates...change.  It’s a cycle.

My family graciously showed mom and I around Australia’s capital city, Canberra.  We saw the parliament and embassy buildings decadent in the traditional architecture of each nation.  Later we met my cousin Will for a family dinner and our final night together. It had been years since I had seen my cousin but once together, I couldn’t tell any time had passed; we shared the same connection. We enjoyed a dinner at the Elk and Pea restaurant in central Canberra and on our way home, saw dozens of Kangaroos hopping around the indigo night, stomping out a creamsicle sunset for in a dry and hot place, that is only becoming more dry and hot, its best to be active at night.  Nov 14 was particularly uplifting given our pending departure from a comfortable home with family, kangaroos, cocatials, and pink parrots. My Aunty Diana has asked for my consultation in creating her new garden bed. She has a fantastic 5 acres in Wamboin outside of Canberra. We surveyed the three locations she was considering and decided on a suitable spot close to the house and swimming pool. This is an ongoing and exciting project for me because I get to use my permaculture, chemistry, biology, and landscaping knowledge to design a garden to feed my Aunty and Uncle’s off grid prairie palace, hopefully for years.

It was hard to leave Wamboin; night time and early morning are beautiful in the sounds they make. While the stars seared bright and fluffy pink clouds emerge dripping golden sunshine of morning’s rainbow dew drop tears. Aunty and Uncle treated mom and I like royalty! On Nov 14, Mom and I left for Brisbane where Grace Noel Art was presenting in the first of four showcases of RAW Australia Oasis.  Aunt Diana and Uncle Ned dropped us at the airport, staying with and touring the installation art of the Canberra Airport. We said our Goodbyes are always difficult at the gate until it was time to board our flight. Mom and I knew we would see them again in Alice Springs and Uluru in a few days on Nov 17.

Upon arrival in Brisbane, Mom and I took the train to South Brisbane.  The public art at the station was a large scale grid of flapping metal plates.  This shimmer and wave effect translated the physicality of wind while welcoming a heightened visual of really what was just a parking structure.  The train ride to south Brisbane was really my first exposure to Australia’s street art and murals. I was impressed and moved by the styles around me as they followed us to the ninth floor of the Arena Apartments in South Brisbane.  The view was spectacular from the balcony and we were definitely in the hip part of town. Bohemian coffee shops, book stores, people from all over the world and students eating at restaurants. So many beautiful murals danced along our commute to the Arena Apartments along the train ride from the airport and we continued to see them over the three night stay in South Brisbane.  In an effort to save money, sandwich supplies were purchased at Coles, the national grocery chain. BLT’s were the theme meal if we weren’t eating out. Passion fruit, bananas, mangos, papayas all in season and part of each meal. The night of the showcase was rocky for me and it all started with making some assumptions that did not come true and the last minute scramble to find supplies.  Thankfully, the artist displaying next to me, Eri Yamaguchi, was friendly and helpful and yes, mom saves the day! Bringing mom on tour was so helpful, fun, flowed. On her smoke break, she went walking around Chinatown and found “the cheap store” kinda like a dollar store and magically she found the much needed “S” hooks for purchase. I had not brought with me but the limited edition aluminum prints only hang by french cleat or “S” Hooks.  They were crucial to hanging the metal prints of the Chinese Zodiac series. A highlight was for the first night of the premier tour of the Chinese Zodiac 4 Element Series, RAW Oasis by the Met Nightclub in Brisbane which is located just outside China Town, Nov 15, 2018 on Wickham St. Rookie mistakes still happen from time to time and for this showcase, they kept happening. My lack of price tags came through in sales but I had many meaningful conversations.

The night of RAW Oasis Brisbane was spectacular always showcasing local and international artists, fashion designers, makeup artists, musicians, and performers.  I was not the only international artist on tour, Sly Skeeta (instagram handle is one word: @slyskeeta) is a hip hop musician from Winnipeg Canada who was also on tour, showcasing the same Sydney and Melbourne dates as me.  Skeeta performs lyrically conscious hip hop with a nod to native roots and culture. He always made an incredible connection with the crowd as hip hop is still new to the Australian music scene. Freestyling flows virtuously told to friends, families, and followers supporting artist they love, the was RAW Oasis Brisbane.  Other performers were four piece indie rock/folk band, flamenco dancers, and salsa diva with an unbelievable voice. So cool! A highlight from the night was I had a spot on stage to talk about my work to the audience. It seemed my daily challenge of growing my public speaking skill paid off and my message amplified felt right.  Closing out the night was the fashion show. This show included robot and rave wear to balance the wedding dresses and casual professional clothing.

Tearing down the show ment disassembling the display.  To begin, the four aluminum digital prints of the Chinese Zodiac were wrapped in thin foam wrap, then tied with cellophane.  Then the paper prints were organized by fire, earth, wind and water element then placed in their box. Leggings and a scarf printed by Redbubble streamed rainbows on a silk like polyester across metal fence paneling.  Everything fit into a suitcase along with my clothes and surf gear. I custom designed a skirt, dress, and bikini for the trip to promote Grace Noel Art’s vision of “We are all made of Sunshine.” Nicely packed up for the night, mom and I got a taxi into the neon city starlight night bedding down on the 9th floor of the Arena Apartments.  We made it home safe, mom was tired and we had a big day.

The next day we woke up to the familiar sounds of the city; air condition airs and construction reigned a morning nearly lost to last night.  Breakfast was at the corner cafe and we debated going to the Gold Coast. Australia’s late spring warms up quicker to summer given drought conditions and mom didn't want to be uncomfortable at the beach.  Instead, we spent the day exploring Brisbane’s restaurants, museums, and river walk. It was a beautiful day, sunny and hot for learning the city, I handed out stickers, cards, and social media handles like a trail of breadcrumbs so we could find our way home.

The morning of Nov 17 mom and I retraced our way to the Brisbane airport.  Murals painted along twenty foot retaining walls lined our path to the airport to go to Alice Springs.  We were on our way to see Uluru, a famous landmark and icon of the Australia, center of the outback and sacred sight to the Aborigines.  We boarded the airplane and were on our way to the red center, a place I remember learning about as a young child which budded dreams of a a sacred pilgrimage to witness such magical land. Arriving in Alice Springs ahead of us was Auntie Diana and Uncle Ned who graciously coordinated a rental car and accommodations for our adventure through the outback. Our first night was spent in the Desert Palms Hotel surrounded by palm trees.  We took a walk enjoying the southern hemisphere desert flora and fauna of the botanic gardens then see the town. The road to Alice Springs is marked by a dry creek bed. These creeks show up on maps as blue flowing rivers but in actuality, are dry river beds serving as public domain for camping or “sleeping in the rough.” The dry river bed weave along the dessert roads lined with two meter measuring markers informing aquatic vehicles of safe passage.  We followed the road and the longest trail of ants I’ve ever seen to art galleries displaying local art of indigenous talent. Dinner and beers were served at Epilogue Cafe and we finished our adventure at Woolworths where mom bought iconic australian postcards while I stocked up on $2 passion fruits, my favorite fruit so golden and juicy, a flavor burst that puckers cheeks with a sweet tropical perfume after taste.

My Hair Trip Salon

I think a number of you can relate, November 2017 was the beginning of some intense times!  A number of us took some big losses and now that it is Sept 2018, we are realizing those losses, as painful as they were, needed to happen.  We are freer and more expansive so long as we survived the transition.

In November 2017, I was living at the Denver Art Society working as the Interim Executive director and building my reputation as an artist. I had a successful night at Pancakes and Booze and was applying for more showcases and exhibition spaces. I hadn’t been in a salon for nearly 15 years, I figured I’d cut my own hair to save money and since swimming was my main sport throughout high school and college there was no reason to dye my hair.  However, during the summer of 2017, I began getting my eyebrows waxed for the first time; I figured I was a professional and needed to look more the part.  My Hair Trip Salon has been across the street as long as I have been at the Denver Art Society.  It is an all organic and waste conscious salon, my kind of place.  The stylists, artists, and body workers who create there are so positive, supportive, and uplifting, it’s a true gem of the Art District on Santa Fe Drive.

In December, I made it into the salon to keep up with my eyebrow shaping treatments and inquired about exhibition times.  They display artwork for three months at a time.  I inquired about availability and Kyle signed me up for March-June 2018.  I was excited and felt there was something special to the space.

As the year came to a close, the Denver Art Society Board of Directors demoted me, slandered me, and harassed me well into March 2018.  Heartbroken and devastated, I tried to fix the situation the best I could filing an incident report against the President of the Board and the coop members who were attacking me.  Denver Art Society was my home, my reputation, my work place.  I knew all our neighbors and LOVED living there.  Others members were being treated unfairly like I was so we all did our best to hold our ground.  Ultimately, it was one of those situations where I knew I was fighting a losing battle.  Once I realized this, I gave it all up, resigned and moved out.  I almost relocated my studio during this time but my reputation preceded me and I didn’t want to lose touch with my studio, its location, and reputation.  I had seen these political melt downs happen before at Denver Art Society and rarely saw the members who were effected by it afterwards.  While I was holding onto my studio and dealing with persistent harassment from the admin of the Denver Art Society, I was even more energized to look for new exhibition spaces.  My Hair Trip Salon was one of these spaces; I was able to be in a positive environment and regain the confidence that had been harassed and slandered out of me. 

Thankfully, when my show went up in March, it was well received, I sold a piece the first week!  I received such a warm welcome and lots of compliments.  The owner, Nichol Zamora, really liked a painting that I hung in her studio.  We cherished the painting, Space Whales, together adoring the little doggies with scuba gear, a kind of hidden detail.  During such a challenging time, the positive environment of My Hair Trip Salon and everyone’s admiration for my art, put wind in my sails to continue making art and promoting myself in Denver. 

Over the three months my artwork rotated through the salon, I continued to build a relationship with the stylists there.  I decided to get my hair cut for the first time in 15 years!  Melissa did a great job honing in on my hair style, providing me an edge I never would have tried on my own.  By June and the end of my exhibition, Nicole offered me to be her model for the salon photo shoot in June.  Humbled and honored, I accepted without question.  She also offered me the option to trade the painting Space Whales for hair styling.   Again, I was humbled and honored, and accepted without question.

I have found such support in the Art District on Santa Fe.  During those traumatic times, the Art District offered me a seat on their Board of Directors regardless of the slander and harassment that made its way around.  My Hair Trip Salon is a beacon of light and a place to learn professionalism and healthy working relationships.  My art aligns well with Nicole’s personal and business mission statements.  Throughout the time I have been going to My Hair Trip Salon, I have found the value in supportive friends and how to build a community with those who share a similar vision.  My Hair Trip supports so many local artist and artisans with love and positivity.  Please consider their services next time you are treating yourself and your friends. You wont be disappointed!

In Loving Memory of Sage Ponderosa Noel

Its nearly been six months without my dear Sage and I adore every Catahoula Leopard Hound I see, plus she is still the wall paper on the lock screen of my phone. I adopted Sage in the summer of 2010. I found her on pet finder while visiting my family in Boulder. I had resisted getting a dog during my early 20s because I was in college and renting rooms, but I after 4 years of feeling that way and my boyfriend getting a dog, I wanted one of my own.

I went to visit Sage at the Boulder Humane Society and regardless of my second and third choice picks, Sage was the one. She was off-standish and obviously heartbroken, pining for her family to come back and take her home. One of the volunteers saw my reluctance and explained he had taken her for hikes and she was a totally different dog outside of the Humane Society. I took her for a walk and he was right. She won my heart when I threw a rock into the creek behind the Humane Society, and like a dork, she dove head first to find it. I took her home for 50% off her adoption fee, coupons for Avoderm dog food, collar, leash, and bowls all for $100. The next day, Dad, Dave, Pete, and I took our dog pack: Loki, Blue, Hank, and Sage, for a high alpine hike up James Peak, just outside Rollinsville. Sage did so well off leash, she and I were bonded the second we left the Humane Society the day before.

Mid August rolled around and it was time to drive home to Corvallis, Oregon to start school in the end of September 2010. My boyfriend at the time, Dave, had a dog named Loki he rescued from a craigslist ad. Loki was the bravest dog ever, kinda. She had never been socialized and was afraid of everything, like bridges! She just couldn’t cross them without being picked up and carried. Loki also had Thrombocytopenia, an autoimmune disease that would not allow her blood to clot. On our way home to Corvallis, Loki became super sick. We had taken her up a 14,000’ ft mountain, Castle Peak, with my Dad on our way out of Colorado. The whole trip to Corvallis, Loki was bleeding out of every opening in her body. We arrived in Oregon to our veterinarian at Albany Animal Hospital only to receive the bad news that Loki was dying.

Dave was experimenting with a “money free” lifestyle and had been exchanging veternary care for labor on the farm the owner and head veterinarian, Ken Fletcher DVM, owned. Dr. Fletcher advised us we had two options: to put Loki down or provide her a blood transfusion and giver her more medicine to hopefully save her life. Dave and I decided on the latter option and Sage was the blood donor for Loki. We left our two girls at the vet that night and returned the next day. Loki was so weak, while Sage was lively and curious about her new home. I was so proud of Sagie that I bought and cooked her the nicest stake I could afford and despite being a vegetarian for 15 years. Having been fed well at the vet, Sage was not hungry but I forced the food on her anyways. She finally took a piece of stake and walked off with it. Promptly there after, Dave yelled down to me from our bedroom, “Grace! Your dog is the BEST dog ever!” I ran upstairs and Sage had taken the piece of stake and dropped it in front of Loki, hoping to help her recover. Just incredible! Sage was always like this – thoughtful, protective, and nurturing of all the animals she came to live with and raise. Unfortunately, Loki died that night. We buried her in a plot of land we would often take her on walks to. As time passed, her grave grows the darkest, richest, emerald green grass with an amazing view.

Sage has so many stories, I could write endless blog posts about her and she will always resurface. As a rescue, she needed my constant attention and another dog to be present with her at all times, so we did everything together. When Dave and I split up and he took his dog Hank (Hank was Dave’s Dad’s dog who needed a home) Sage couldn’t be left alone, so I took her everywhere I went or found a suitable sitter if I absolutely couldn’t bring her with me. Working in Boulder, I could leave Sage with my family. Sage loved my folks new dog Dakota and Blue until he died at the sage of 14 in March 2013. I could leave her with my folks while I worked cleaning houses or landscaping for clients who wouldn’t let me bring her to the job site.

Sage dictated so many details of my life, was my rock, and constant companion. I trusted her to keep the peace and she did just that. She raised countless puppies and kittens of my family and various roommates at all the houses we lived in over the 8 years I cared for her. All Sage really wanted was one solid home to protect and live in, but I ended up being the only consistent home base fore her. Since the day I got her, we were always on the move and in constant state of adventure. This is where the inspiration for my artwork came from. My paintings were the, “Magical adventure side of reality. Come along a magical adventure with me and my dogs as we travel through space and time!”

Sage and Dakota (our second family dog and inspiration for the Dakota painting and leggings) went on countless hikes with Dad, Pete, and I. So many paintings and the foundation of my color pallet were discovered and inspired by these high alpine hikes. Sage made it to openings, First Fridays, gallery shifts, and helped me run the Denver Art Society as the Interim Executive Director. I met all the neighbors wherever we lived thanks to the daily walks Sage demanded to keep her territory dialed in. We started two small businesses: Everything Under the Sun Odd Jobs Service and Grace Noel Art, LLC.

This date Jan 13, 2018, Sage turned 11 years young. Leading up to my birthday, March 19, Sage had some mild stomach problems of which I had taken her to the veternarian for. No one really knew what was up with her and figured it was from eating alley food behind the Denver Art Society or a soured bone from Mom and Dad’s back yard. Sage’s acupuncturist of 6 years had no idea either; Sage had received acupuncture per recommendation from Dr. Ken Fletcher to treat her urinary incontinence. Sage and I had been living in Boulder after moving out of the Denver Art Society in Jan 2018. Mom and Dad would take her for Sunday hikes and meet me for breakfast afterwards; I usually wanted to sleep in Sunday mornings since I usually had worked events Saturday nights and had been out late.

The morning of Mar 24, 2018 I was meditating and planning to meet my parents for breakfast after their morning hike. Midway through my morning meditation, mom called me. I ignored the call and kept meditating, since my folks don’t always respect my “no-interruption rule” while meditating. By the third call I answered and mom was frantic, screaming: “Sage is dead! She died on the trail!” She was crying and apologizing, “I am so sorry Grace,” and just kept crying. Mom and Dad brought Sage home and I gave her all my love. I held her one last time and wrapped her body in a shroud with Shiva mantras all over it. I burned cleansing herbs, incense, and rang my meditation bowl saying mantra as tears rolled off my cheeks onto her deceased body. I put flowers all around her and drove her to the Gunbarrel Veterinarian to be cremated.

No one knows what happened to Sage. That morning, my parents described her as running and chasing prairie dogs. She made it to the bottom of the mesa and seemed tired. Mom and Dad coached her to the top of the hill and when she crested, the view took her breath away and she died right there on the trail. I could not have asked for a better exit of my beloved, and that’s who Sage was. She was so nurturing and thoughtful, always staying focused on the big picture and leaving the details to figure themselves out. I am so grateful that I did not go through extreme life saving measures that would only end in pumping her body with enough poison to end her life. She died the way I would want any loved one to go, doing what they love.

Coincidentally, Klondike, Leigh the Llama Lady’s dog, died the next day. Sage and Klondike had been friends 6 years and saw each other every week. Leigh and I had the fortune of grieving together. I have experienced many doggies transition from their bodies. As Sage was carried off to be cremated, her tail fell out of the cloth I had wrapped her in. I realized at that moment, who I loved was no longer in that body and that I was not attached to her at all. The experience was disorienting for both Sage and I. After a few days of grieving, I remembered my baba’s advice when dealing with death, “channel loved ones through the heart.” Every time I thought of Sage, I did just that and instantly felt reunited with her. The experience was so extraordinary, I gained a new appreciation for the light that is behind every living being’s eyes. I know now, “these bodies are like the cars we drive,” something baba always says. The part of us that truly matters, the spirit, the soul, the self, brings life to the body. The spirit occupies a body until it is time to transition to another reality. This is one of my big learning experiences of 2018 and Sage’s parting gift is a renewed appreciation for the spirit, the soul, the self.

This lesson has evolved the theme of my artwork. I created the perfect poem while reflecting on it all in Brooklyn, NYC. As my art is the, “magical adventure of me and my dogs as we travel through space and time,” it is now:

We are all made of sunshine. Sunshine makes the plants grow, the water flow, and the wind blow. So now it is time to go, on a magical journey through the rainbow.

The Path of the Artist

My journey as an artist has been nothing short of amazing, my name wouldn’t be Grace otherwise.  Trusting myself to pursue art regardless of the resistance has been a self evolution. Upon graduating High School I had received first and second place awards annually for my artwork.  Having heard that pursing an artist life was hard and not lucrative, I started as a pre-med student on a trajectory to be a medical doctor with art as a hobby for my first year of college.  After two years of study as a Biology major, I was burnt out and found respite and rebuilding in art. I have always been an artist, won competitions as a child, and found its healing and inspiring powers through a dramatic childhood.  I changed majors and completed a Bachelors of Fine Arts Degree in Painting, Printmaking, and Drawing by Dec 2011. 

Upon graduation, the same notion of being an artist is a very difficult means of making a living, and it’s a hard life - encouraged me to pursue high paying part time work.  I began a massage therapy certification program through the Colorado School of Healing Arts.  I learned so much about the body and importance of self care through massage.  Ultimately, I burnt out before completing the program.  I also realized, being a massage therapist was as difficult a path as being an artist, so why would I pursue two challenging careers?  I might as well dive into the arts!  I had maintained my art as a hobby and dazzled my classmates and friends with my creations. 

I began showing in the Art District on Santa Fe at the Denver Art Society Feb 2013.  The Denver Art Society is a rare and valuable gem.  I joined at $50 a month with weekly volunteer shifts on Mondays and Tuesdays.  I enjoyed the space and its radical self reliance principles.  I helped to build the Underground studios starting in Feb 2014.  As a collective we agreed to bring the basement up to code and parcel it out as studio rentals to help pay the rent and bills of the Denver Art Society.  The collective is an all volunteer team of artists of all kinds.  Winter and Spring of 2014, I helped haul ruble and hang drywall to build the Underground that houses my studio and hosts patrons who visit everyday DAS is open. 

April 2014, my dear friend Sara Visvader and I completed a backpacking trip to Waipio Valley on the Big Island of Hawaii.  We also completed a month long yoga teacher training in Kona, Hawaii through Konalani Ashram, part of Shambhava Kundalini Yoga, where I currently practice.  I found the training to be first of all: life changing; one of the most insightful, inspiring, and eye opening experiences of my life. We finished our journey on the family island of Kauai, getting tattoos at Kulture Tattoo from Samual Shaw.  Samual designed and crafted the tribal piece on the right side of my body incorporating the artistic styles of both Southwest Puebloan art and Pacific Islander. This piece is an expression and appreciation for my native ancestry and growth in Colorado and Hawaii.  From ages 5 to 27, my family went to Hawaii for Christmas and New Years with my Japanese Hawaiian Auntie who would go home during the holidays to see her family.  The images of my tattoo speak towards my ancestral Puebloan and Spanish roots dating back to the 1700s when Colorado was part of Mexico.  The hawk, is one of my spirit animals: a being of both the land and heavans, the hawk’s vision and power bridge the gap between the physical and metaphysical, just like me.

 
After completing my Yoga Teacher Training, I returned to Boulder and Denver for the summer.  Upon arriving home, my boyfriend of 5 years ended our relationship. This was devastating for me, we were practically married and the break up felt like a divorce.  Soon everything else was to crumble in the span of 6 weeks, mid-May through end of June 2014.  Both of my brothers were on hard times causing Mom and Dad stress. My third friend in 18 months committed suicide; I was working full time landscaping; the lease of our rental house was ending in June; my boyfriend was graduating from massage school with family visiting and and we were going our separate ways after years. 

I move into my new studio I had just started renting at the Denver Art Society.  My studio was in the Underground which I helped build earlier that spring.  It did not have any electricity or lights, all were installed in July 2014.  My first First Friday in my studio was lit with shop lights with my art on Mexican blankets on the floor while I painted the walls.

My schedule was so packed with hosting, moving, helping my family, working full time, and starting my new studio.  I channeled all the loss and grief through the meditation practice I gained the month before in the yoga teacher training. I was meditating 2 hours and doing an hour of yoga every day to stay focused.  By the end of June, I still didn’t have a place to live or move to.  Dave was gone and it was up to me and my brother Ned to move everything out and clean the house.  Both of my brothers Sam and Ned were also on hard times. Thankfully, my friends Mark and Eric Ciccone of the local band Rastasaurus, had a place for my belongings in their garage until I found a place to live.  I couldn’t be more grateful, I truly needed their help!    

Summer of 2014, was spent working, taking care of my brothers, mom, and dad. This summer was heartbreaking as more bad news unfolded.  As my foundation crumbled, I surrendered my life and everything.  I realized that the rubble that was my broken reality had all been assembled by no other designer than your’s truly.  All this instability and heartbreak had manifested in one way or another by my own doing, I accepted my responsibility in it all.  To this realization, I gave everything up to god and universe.  I had nothing left and no direction except to practice kundalini yoga at the local Shoshoni Ashram, the sister Ashram to Konalani.  I continued my yoga teacher trainings, gaining certificates in Ayurvedic lifestyle therapies, and level 1 meditation teacher training.  I did a lot of mantra and meditation, I opened up to all possibilities and learned how to be present with each moment.  My surrender intuitively guided me to revisit my astrological chart.  Now that I was free of attachment, I could begin working on the guidebook drafted the day I was born.  In my chart, the stars all align to be an artist, its all right there!  That is my karmaic role on this earth and for this life time as Grace Noel.  Empowered by this realization, I began the journey through the jungle of my consciousness and karma.  After trying so many different paths, the path of the artist began to unfold. 

By the end of the summer, I went to Taos, NM to the Earthship Academy.  This was a month long course, living in an Earth Ship and learning how to build one.  Earth Ships are super cool, I highly recommend looking them up!  They are self sustaining homes made from recycled materials.  They can withstand fires, winds, and floods, keeping the inhabitants comfortably alive inside by generating power, growing food, storing and processing water.  These homes are low emission homes with utilities up to $300 annually.  I learned about them while I was taking a Permaculture class at Oregon State University (I completed the course with a permaculture certificate, yay!).

While I was building Earth Ships, my team and I were all so inspired and created a supportive fun community together; some of these friendships will be rekindled upon my Australia Tour in Nov 2018.  Everyone was pining for a job with Earth Ships, and amongst all the excitement, opportunities were presented to me for any number of adventures and collaborations.  I remembered my mission and karma in life is to be an artist.  Ultimately, my spirit, my studio, and everything I had begun to build in Denver helped me to realize, I needed to focus on art. 

I have been focused on the path of the artist ever since.  Each event that unfolded, I approached from the perspective of a yogi: “a yogi neither accepts nor rejects;” I still live my life this way.  All things that come my way are blessings and I will live long enough to do the work I came to this Earth to do.  As the years have passed, my focus has been rewarded with less day jobs and distractions so I can work full time as an artist.  I have taken significant blows, been through the densest and darkest times, to arrive at Happy Dragon, the mural I created for the Englewood Block Party Sept 8, 2018.  As 2018 has unfolded, I have gained so much of what I lost.  I am grateful for my journey and will continue it, so long as there is work to do.  Thank you to my Guru and Sangha for being a consistent place of inner peace, reflection, healing, and direction forward.

Englewood Block Party

Englewood Chalk Mural

Titled, Happy Dragon. This mural was commissioned by the Arts and Culture department of the city of Englewood for the 2nd Annual Block Party on Sept 8. I enjoyed every moment of creating it regardless of the being fairly new to chalk murals.  When I arrived at the sight and opened the boxes of chalk, something from my youth welled up to the surface and I remembered the excitement that has always motivated me to create art.  I knew then and there, I was on the right track, doing great work that will sustain me and bring art to many people. 

I had four hours to create this mural and upon arriving, David Carroll the director and commissioner, gave me a large outdoor common area to work in near 3400 S Broadway.  I approached the project understanding I had a 10’x10’ space to work in and once I was given more space, I couldn’t resist drawing a dragon like a river, directing the imagination of viewers.

About 2 hours into the event, the crowd doubled and all the children wanted to collaborate.  They were welcomed to so long as they kept the chalk colors collated and didn’t step all over my Happy Dragon. Children drew dragons, rainbows, flowers, friends were all drawn around the dragon.  I was so impressed with the inspiration my Happy Dragon provided everyone of the Englewood Block Party.  Despite being told not to, the dragon was danced and stepped on.  Dragons are such a phenomenal energy, everyone wants a piece I guess. 

How did I decide on a dragon?  Dragons are powerful, mystical, and magical.  They inspire all others to achieve such a fantastic state.  Dragons have treasure and a vast network, they even exist in all cultural heritages!  They symbolize vision and powerful self expression, so much that others desire to have even a piece of a dragon scale or feather. Of course dragons breath fire that strikes fear and intensity.  What a dragon’s fire burns down, clears way for new beginnings and a better rebuild for the future. One final detail is the dragon’s pearl of wisdom, which they guard the pearl with great responsibility.    

I was born year of the Dragon, Earth Dragon to be precise.  Being such an intense energy to work with, most people born under the Dragon sign slowly grow into their role later in life.  As I have matured to the age of 30, I realize my dragon nature.  I no longer wish to resist the responsibilities and reputation such a sign possesses.  Since March 19, 2018, my birthday, I have been creating a dragon series and honing my dragon powers.  This has brought me so much happiness and gratitude for the dragon spirit.  Once I opened the box of chalk and realized I was paid to create the chalk mural for the Englewood Mural, my happiness could not be contained.  The mural is called Happy Dragon as an expression of my gratitude for such a magnificent and magical energy.  That day taught me success comes from happiness, and that:

 A great work of art inspires us. A great artist takes the risk to express what is inside of all of us.

Mitchel Park Mural Aug 20-25

Maria Lopez and I have been collaborating to create a mural on a retaining wall in Mitchel Park, east side Pueblo. I went down to Pueblo on Aug 20 and Maria and I work Aug 21- Aug 25.  Southern Colorado Paint Recycling provided us with a 25 gal paint donation once they heard we were doing a community mural commissioned by Eva Montoya.  Eva is an elder of Pueblo.  She taught many children over her 20 years as a grade school teacher. She sat on city council and has done countless volunteer hours of service towards the growth and betterment of Pueblo. My auntie Avalina lives six blocks from the park, and when I asked her if she knows Eva she replied “everyone knows Eva,” just like anyone else you might ask in Pueblo. The while the rest of my family live in Rocky Ford and my Auntie Sally and Uncle Sam came to visit day three of painting the mural. They treated me to a delicious meal at Red Lobster, I am still so grateful for!  

The mural called: “Our East Side Story of Community Unity,” was inspired by the retaining wall at Mitchel Park often tagged by youth finding refuge with different gangs locally and nationally.  The park is in the “rough side of town” according to the locals.  East Side Pueblo is rich with the native population and heritage however.  The neighborhood would all visit us as we were working, most everyone friendly and grateful for us “to take the time to care” and do something that would clean up the neighborhood.

I struggled with this though.  If people wanted to express themselves and create art, how was that different from what Maria and I were doing?  I asked Sancho, the owner of the barber shop where I used the restroom.  He explained the “taggers make the neighborhood look dirty,”  and the mural that Maria and I were doing, “was art, and set a positive example.”  I felt better after consulting Sancho, his shop is on 8th and Monunment, the park is on 12th and Monument.

The week of painting were successfull and we have another couple of days scheduled for the end of September.  The section we did in August was the universe with swirling tribal designs and celestial constellations.  A scene of children making tortillas with a mountain backdrop precedes the universe of creativity.  Preceding that, is more to come.  We decided to start at the end of the story and move our way backwards to create: “Our East Side Story of Community Unity.”

Maria and I are volunteering our time in hopes we can make a difference in the community and we have our partners Eva Montoya, Pueblo Parks and Recreation, Southern Paint Supply, and the East Side community to help us! 

Frida's Birthday weekend

Frida's Birthday weekend was a blast! It began with First Friday, getting to seeing all my friends and making new ones.  Denver is so supportive of the arts, and for Denver, the Arts are collaborative.  We are stronger united then divided.  Perhaps that is why we all live here or so many wish to live here.  I am reminded of Frida as I write this post, she was a strong believer in the chicano spirit of collaboration and a united people.

Of course, there were multiple galleries and museos to celebrate Frida.  For First Friday, Museo De Las Americas had a beautiful display of Chicano Culture with the icon of proud and strong female artists to lead the way.  The next day was my first Demo Day at the Denver Art Museum.  I had also signed up for the Frida Kahlo Look Alike contest at the Celebration of the Life of Frida Kahlo event July 8 and had one of my nichos hung in the art show.  I really was looking forward to dressing like Frida,  I knew I would look good.

Looking ahead for the day, the model sign in was at 3:30 at the Westwood Food Coop off Morrison road between Federal and Sheridan.  I was done at the Art Museum by 3 pm.  With timing looking the way it did, I decided to go partially dressed as Frida to the Denver Art Museum.  Everyone loved my flower crown and Maria Lopez said it invited people over to see me.  Maria Lopez was such a huge help that day.  We visited with many art viewers, being First Saturday: the Denver Art Museum Free Admission Day.  

Once 3 pm rolled around, Maria and I headed over the Westwood Creative District.  I ate lunch while Maria drove and bumped the Mexican Polka music.  Between the music and my bad directions, our drive was something straight out of a comedy!  We arrived at the Westwood Co-op to a full crowd and the most incredible music.  The Westwood Co-op is super cool and radically self-sustaining.  The gardens in the back make up a large urban farm, classes for little kids and adults, art gallery, grocery store, and a warehouse scheduled to be artist studios in several months.

The Life and Celebration of Frida Khalo Festival was a fantastic event.  Many vendors and activities, music and food. By 4:30 pm, model sign in officially began!  I filled out the questionaire asking to explain my connection to Mrs. Khalo.  Frida has always been a part of my life.  Her iconic portraits stood proud in the library of Whittier Elementary in Boulder.   We studied her art at Casey Middle School and learned who she was and her name.  By high school I had several Tuscan books of her art, to study her story and technique.  Of course, I owned the DVD once the movie Frida came out.  Frida, like myself, was a such a strong individual, she had patience, creativity, and courage.  Her struggles were not unlike ours, though ours may not be identical, she is a beacon of love and creativity to heal the most incredible pain.  This is universal and she is a pillar of that understanding.  

The judges called us all up, one at a time.  Based on last year's winner, I didn't realize ANYONE could enter into the contest!!! The competition got tougher with each little Frida, some young as 3 years, were explaining to a hot and crowded room of viewers why they were inspired by Frida.  Yes, Frida is that inspiring, the power of Frida Khalo!  By some miracle, as the judges began to call the winners, I took second place! I really looked so much like Frida!

All in all, it was a great day.  I am so blessed to be on the path of the artist.  This is my life, this is my karma.  I am an artist, a strong woman, and an icon of creativity, just like my heroine, Frida Khalo. 

Nichos at the Denver Art Museum

Sacred Spaces July 3-July 17 Denver Art Museum, Demo weekends July 7, 8 and 14, 15.  

Nichos are spirit homes for your home.  They are a folk art of new and old Mexico and provide a niche at home for spirits to live, protect, and bring fortune.  My nichos change up this folk art form which traditionally houses Catholic saints.  I create my nichos to house the astrological signs of Chinese zodiac and Buddhist and Hindu deities.  East meets West. 

How did I come by this art form?  Growing up in the southwest, I have seen these little tin boxes my whole life. November 2012, I was attending first Friday in the Art District on Santa Fe, Denver.  I went into Chac Gallery at 8th and Santa Fe Dr and noticed the nichos in the gift shop.  I was so inspired that I went home and googled "tin Mexican boxes."  As the search results poured in, I learned about the folk art.  I even found a place to buy the nichos: https://www.etsy.com/listing/492407474/10-large-nichos-and-10-medium-nichos; I placed an order and pondered how I would make them.  Once I received the shipment, I began creating.  I had done some shopping at Yeti Arts in Boulder CO and found wonderful post cards with different Buddhist and Hindu deities.  Wanting to know more about the deities, I used them in place of the traditional Catholic saints.  I have been making nichos this way ever since.  Creating a home for a spiritual energy takes reverence and consideration for these special energies.  They need the perfect home to feel comfortable to do their work.    

May 2014, I received my 200 hr yoga certification from Shambhava yoga at the Konalani Ashram in Kona, HI.  This 21 day intensive changed my life.  I fell in love with the practice of Kundalini yoga, Babaji, the ashram, and Sangha, finally I found what I had been looking for.  I was introduced to the practices and teachings of the deities I had researched for the nichos.   

I was drawn to nichos, not only for their uniqueness and beauty, but their connection to my own native ancestry.  My mother's family is native to Colorado from when it was Mexico.  Our family came from Spain in the 1700s and settled around Taos, NM.  We then migrated to San Luis, CO.  As the Spanish and American boarders shifted, we became American citizens.  Today, our family lives all over Colorado, and mom grew up in Rocky Ford, CO with 12 brothers and sisters.  We have always been farmers and artists, with a close connection to the spirits of the Earth and cosmos.  Even though Mom grew up working the fields, she raised my brothers and I in Boulder CO.  She rose out of intense poverty to become a Social Security Disability lawyer and appellate counsel for my Dad, James Noel, who is also Social Security Disability Lawyer.  Mom works with the Federal courts and Dad does cases at the state level.  

Back to the museum, I had such a great time making these treasures in the 3D studio of the Denver Art Museum.  Everything from painting nichos, telling the story of my family and the folk art, to putting glitter on 50 plus little kids made the two weeks unbelievably magical. 

Thank you to the Denver Art Museum for hosting me and my nichos!

Thank you to everyone who came to visit, you are a true blessing in my life.  

   

Visiting Family

I’ve done these drives my whole life.  This Memorial Day weekend, Dad and I went down to Colorado Springs from Denver, then turned on Platte Drive and onto Hwy 24.  With Desert Dwellers as the soundtrack, the expansive Colorado skies and open planes.  A place of my family: half land, half sky brought  me deep within myself.  I remembered being a 4 year old Dragon child, co-piloting the car with my mom, observing my surroundings. Oddly enough, HWY 24 hasn’t changed much, but I sure have. 

We arrived at the family plots in the cemetery at Punkin Center.  The family plot full of Montoyas with my Grandmother’s plaque on the wrought iron fence my mom and uncles put up a few years ago.  Dressed with white rock, the family plot stands proud.

We continued into Rocky Ford and had lunch with my Auntie Sally.  Born year of the Fire monkey, her house and food brought comfort, and so many cousins to play with, I was never bored. We enjoyed lunch and went to get coffee at the Coffea Shop, owned by my cousin Evan Bacca, sally’s son.  The Coffea Shop is the hippest spot in town: art, music lessons, organic coffee and treats.  Uncle Randy and I got iced mocha’s with cayenne and cinnamon; iced black tea for Sally.  Sitting in the coffee shop, the locals told stories of the business that had come and gone through downtown.  Across the street, the boarded up apartment windows caught my imagination: artist collective.  Rocky Ford has so much creative potential! Leaving the Coffea Shop, we played outside with all the little cousins, Evan’s kids.

That night, mom and I stayed in La Junta, like we used to when I was a little girl, co-pilot on our monthly road trips to visit mom’s family.  We stayed at the Midtown Motel and I got dinner at Mauricio’s while Mom slept off a day of activity.

Next morning, wake up.  The kids upstairs are bouncing a ball like they were the night before.  Mom’s been up for a while and I was making up for the hours I stayed up the night before.  Meditation then street cloths, we need to be at Uncle Greg’s by 11 am.  Mom hadn’t eaten dinner the night before and I needed breakfast.  Small breakfast at Lucy’s Taco stand and an errand to Safeway for cold medicine, I had the sniffles, and we took off for Uncle Greg’s house in Rocky Ford. 

Uncle Greg lives in my grandma’s old house, thank goodness! I would miss it too much otherwise.  Memories of eating Mission Deli and watching westerns on Grandma’s couch.  Her terrarium of a front room with plants and folk art.  Uncle’s house is more open now, the energy can pass through and it’s comfortable.  The kitchen is still the same though.  Lunch starting with Mexican wedding cookies, pork chops, hot dogs, Italian sausage, potato salad, beans, and I made squash succotash with guacamole. Auntie Maxine, a water tiger like my Uncle, brought her parents when they all finished at church.  Oreo, the puppy who’s feet looked like crushed up cookies, joined us for lunch showing off his intellect and good manners for 4 months old.  Raindrops and wind, but no big storms. 

It was time to see Maria Lopez, she’s and Artist and friend from the Denver Art Society and lives in Pueblo.  Since I don’t have a car, I like to visit when I am in the area.  On our way to see Maria, mom and I drove to the cemetery to place flowers and I read astrological signs of the relatives: many born year of the pig, snake, rabbit.  My great uncle Saqueo Montoya, buried with his brother – Maxine pointed out “Saqueo” is an Indian name.  Thinking that if I ever have a son or another doggy, Saqueo would be the name.

Off to see Maria in Pueblo.  Once we arrived, her house and family were warm and inviting.  Maria has been commissioned by Eva Montoya to do a mural on the East Side of Pueblo called the East Side Story.  She offered to collaborate with me so we talked details of the project. We decided to meet again in June to discuss our plans. 

Mom and I stayed for an hour or so with Maria then one last stop to see Auntie Abby.  She had been in the hospital due to a bad pneumonia infection.  Abby was resting and happy to have the company, no one likes being that sick!  We then began our drive home to Boulder for mom, and Denver for me.  I am so grateful to live close to my family.  Their support makes my dreams of being an artist come true.  

Sparks for healthy eating

My friend Sparks asked to write you a letter about healthy eating habits for Pehi, a movement towards bettering ourselves and others through happiness *PehiMVMNT*.  In this letter, I will let you in on my daily habits and how they have formed over decades.  Did I tell you that I kinda geek out on nutritional knowledge? Well I gained it over the passed 20 year being a vegetarian.  Yeah... I'm 30 now April 2018, so how did a 10 year old decide to go vegetarian around a family of meat eaters?  Well, growing up in Boulder, Colorado is the answer, all my friends and their mom's were doing it, literally!  10 year old Gracie thought, "I don't want to kill aminals to eat them!"  I also agreed that testing on them wasn't nice either.  So there you have it! My activism days start in fifth grade, primary target: cruelty towards animals, then later people and the planet. 

It did take me a while to figure out how to eat right though.  I usually ate the same thing, just, "without the meat please."  One time my dad made fun of me, "you sure you don't want to leave off the salad too?"  Well that's just it? What do I eat now and how DO I stay healthy?  This brings us to the rainbow, don't ya know?!      

To begin, follow the Ayurvedic Diet, which I learned from my yoga teacher trainings of 2014 at Konalani and Shononi Ashrams.  First start with the sweetness of fruit red delicious, oranges, bananas.  The fruit will inspire the digestive enzyme Amylase.  Amylase will be so hopped up on sugar, she will go and tell the stomach and intestines, "nourishment is on the way!" 

The stomach will then prepare an acid bath to take on the beets, meats, grains, and fats.  The small intestine will take on breaking down food to tiny molecules over miles of digestive tissue.  Leafy greens, blue berries, and leafy purple kale get the gall bladder going signaling the end of digestion and time to soak up some vitamins. 

Of course, variety is key and a routine of desert first, delicious home made meal with sweet ginger tea, and salad will make the belly happy.  Limit the dairy and carbs, they make it too easy.  Probiotics: Kimchi, Kombucha, yogurt, supplements! 

Finally, be mindful of the how everyone: the plants, animals, people, and mama Earth, all contributed to your meal and were their treated lovingly?  Give thanks and give it often, it makes your inner light glow.

eARTh Day!

Aloha!

I am running an eARTh Day promotion!  The first 3 prints of Expect Resistance of Expect Resistance sold by May 5 will be discounted to $50!  The funds raised will then be donated to The Arts District on Santa Fe Nonprofit to help match the recent $10,000 grant from the Denver Arts and Venues, woo hoo!  Thank you for your love and light!  

Always go to Jiu Jitsu

Went to Randoori yesterday at Easton's Boulder Gym.  I kinked my neck somehow, seems to be the trend amongst fam and friend.  When I got to the family brunch, my Auntie and Uncle were visiting from Denver, Auntie Vi just could not stop complaining about her neck and headache from being sick with a cold the last 3 weeks.  Seems Chiron's last visit through Pisces brought out some deep wounds.  I think my cousin Chris has felt it too - a neck ache so bad he bought a new bed, lol.  Granted he was sleeping on my old futon mattress with a crater that could kill dinosaurs.  Its time to get our heads on straight, do whats right for us I guess.

This brings me back to Jiu Jitsu Sunday Apr 15.  Ouch, me neck hurt from rolling.  Still does today, Monday.  However, the trade off is better posture, reinforcing my joints and activating under resourced muscles.  How?  using all those resources makes the neck ache duller!  Oh yes the pain is still there, and Pneuma Chiropractic will happen 1:40 pm Earth Day, followed by massage Apr 27 1:30 pm with Zap Zing Body Works.  Daily icing, topical analgesic, and restorative yoga as maintenance. 

Brass tax: these injuries make us stronger.  The wounds heal so long as they are treated with love, and always go to jiu jitsu.  I've been training since Jan 3, 2017 and it has done wonders for me.  I showed up to the Boulder Easton Academy after celebrating the New Year with my cousin Chris and three hours of sleep, not to mention terrified.  I knew I had to learn how to defend myself though, especially due to the current culture and political climate towards women.  When Trump was elected, I decided to start taking self defense lessons.  I asked around and the answer was one I definitely didn't want to hear: Jiu Jitsu.  Why not ninjitsu or karate, aikido or judo?  My chiropractor Dr. Adam Thom, of Thom Body Theory, put it simply, grappling skills are best for women in times of sexual assault.  Alright, time to sign up since my goal was so clearly outlined by Dr Thom's reasoning, oh and did I mention he's a brown belt in Jiu Jitsu... Yeah...

Jan 3, 2017 was a game changer though, I loved my first class so much, I kept training.  Yes, I still have that resistance to attending class, its a scary and strange activity to voluntarily go do with people. The benefits out way the anxiety and I've built a community who cares about me and my training.

Since I began training, I am a calmer, more relaxed person and have come to grips with my sense of fear.  My consciousness has expanded by way of better reflexes, clear mind, and patience.  In some ways I am more bold and feel like a super hero even though I am just a four stripe white belt. Ultimately my training has taught something most would find counter intuitive: aggression and will power will only get you in trouble.  Jiu Jitsu is a matter of strategy and a dance between two opposing energies.  The art? Go with the flow, slow is smooth, smooth is fast.  

I look forward to training with you some day, since I am not just an artist, but also a martial artist. Always go to jiu jitsu.

Back from NYC

There's a terrible longing in my daily actions for NYC.  Living in Brooklyn, training at the Renzo Gracie Academy,  all the Unicorns?  Its just that, all the Unicorns.  Denver is full of them for sure, just NYC has more of them!  I liked the crowds, bold speech, and fast pace from one thing to the next.  See, that's just it... Where is everybody in NYC going?  And why so fast?? All these unicorns are galloping too and fro, on their own time? I don't know...  We're all working for ourselves, so watch how our light surfaces and glows.  No one's there to drag us down, so its time to go, I guess.  This is mostly insight for myself, since many of you were right, "you're going to NYC? You'll fit right in!"  

On the airplane ride home, I read Faith Stone's Rudi and the Green Apple, cover to cover, surprisingly for this slow reader! The story had all my favorite characters, descriptions of incredible Hindu and Buddhist art, and took place in Manhattan and Rudi grew up in Brooklyn.  The book was a perfect ending for my recent trip to NYC.

Why though?  Well a theme powerful for me was loving the self amongst all the energies that distract us and dampen our light.  Persuading a horizontal exchange of energy, rather than vertical can leave one depleted, constantly reaching for more light externally, instead of internally.  Faith suggested (paraphrasing) to imagine a delicious fruit in your chest, where your heart is.  Every time you think of that fruit, a ripe papaya with lime after surfing in Kauai is what I chose, it reminds you life is to be enjoyed and your juicy sweetness comes from inside.  What is inside becomes outside and without it, the body dies. So when I look into your eyes, I see the light that resides.

Its good to be home, NYC can't resist me and all I have to offer so I know I will be back to Brooklyn soon.  Meanwhile, I am supported and loved by my colleagues in Denver and Boulder.  There is much to do busy with the Art District on Santa Fe Dr, a demo at the Denver Art Museum first two weeks in July 2018.  Spectra's 420 show install... pause... one shout out to Spectra: I have the best experiences there!  Such a great vibe, crew, and they have great taste in art!  Oh and Pancakes and Booze was wonderful to see familiar faces and meet new ones.  

As you can see, I'm a very busy Unicorn galloping from one place to the next.  Thanks for reading and being part of my adventures through the Rainbow.

Pancakes and Booze tonight

Back to Denver after two weeks of adventures through the NYC art scene.  My art stimuli are blown open wide and my vision much broader and slightly exclusive after NY.  Definitely savoring the experience and hungry for more.  Denver and Boulder are home however, and tonight is Pancakes and Booze Denver, 8 pm - 2 am, Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom.  See you there right?!  Waiting in the April sunshine made me glow like a gnome happy to be home.  P&B brings together so many artists from not just Colorado, but I've met Unicorns from Utah, Kansas, Nebraska, and Montana.  Its going to be a wonderful spring evening with free pancakes and toppings washed down with drinks and an affordable door price of $10!  

After install I had a lovely brunch at the Mercury Cafe, a Denver Institution!  My craving for Eggs Benedict had carried over from Thursday morning in Williamsburg.  Thankfully, the Mercury cafe's delicious hollandaise sauce quenched my craving.  Creamy and thick with homemade hot sauce.  On my way out, the door had my favorite poster about How to Build Community surrounded by the vibrant souls who have passed through the cafe.  Next to it was another poster I hadn't seen before: How to Build a Global Community.  Just so beautiful to have the two posters side by side met by barrels of spring flowers as the door opened to the sidewalk.