Hey there!

Yep, it’s April 9, and I am just now writing my first blog post for 2019. Whoops!

Anyhoo, I’m doing it now. And that’s what counts, right? It’s not like I can go back in time…

One of the big themes for the first part of 2019 was SNOW. Say what?! Yes, that’s right, on rare occasions, even Tucson gets some of that fluffy white stuff. This year, the mountains got dusted, capped, and coated so many times that I lost count, starting on New Year’s Day itself. The highlight, though, was February 22, when even the city of Tucson itself saw white flakes falling from the sky. My friend Ursula and I made sure that this rarity didn’t go to waste, and had a wonderful time playing in the snow at Saguaro National Park East. I even built a snowman!

I continued to exhibit my artwork at Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop. The first show of 2019, “Año Nuevo, Obras Nuevas,” displayed three of my larger landscapes I created in 2018. I sold “Cactus Cartel,” a scene from Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, to a collector from Portland, Oregon. I have another set of paintings on display there currently in their “Common Ground” exhibition (a tribute to Cesar Chavez), and have reportedly sold "Tomato,” a piece featuring the architecture of tomato roots (see below in my art round-up for image). I’m very pleased with the response to my work through these opportunities, and so very grateful to this non-profit gallery for all of their hard work.

Aaron and I took a couple of trips these past few months. We stayed in Choya Bay outside of Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, Mexico, at the end of January, enjoying the sounds and the smells of the sea, as well as some beers and Mexican food at JJ’s Cantina up the road. In March, we visited a different body of water, spending a long weekend at Lake Havasu City, where the Colorado River is dammed to form a beautiful desert oasis.

February and March both brought some familiar faces to Arizona. In February, we enjoyed a visit from my sweet mom, and I had a great time touring her around Tucson. It was fun to give her a more in-depth experience of the area, visiting several local eateries, Tumacácori National Historical Park, Tubac, San Xavier del Bac, Desert Botanical Garden, Saguaro National Park, and part of the Tucson Gem Show. My dear friend Allison visited for about 48 hours in March, and a whirlwind tour of Mexican eateries, Saguaro National Park, and Ironwood Forest National Monument ensued.

The snow and plentiful rain did their job this year, and wildflowers have abounded this spring. For the past month and a half, swaths of the desert have been covered in yellow, pink, orange, and blue. They popped on the hills around Lake Havasu, ran down the slopes of Picacho Peak, and prettied up the route to Ironwood Forest National Monument. It’s a good thing that digital cameras exist, because I hate to know how many rolls of film I would have devoted to capturing their precious petals.

Ursula and I hiked in the Superstition Mountains mid-March. This trip turned out to be a foreshadowing of things to come, as the Superstitions are located just east of the Phoenix metro area. Two weeks after our beautiful hiking adventure, Aaron and I relocated to Tempe, which is immediately adjacent to the east of the city of Phoenix, so that Aaron could pursue a new career opportunity. I’m adjusting to a slightly faster pace of living, more traffic, abundant Indian restaurants (if you know me, you know this makes me HAPPY!), and slightly less amazing views. I’m excited to have a new place to explore, new opportunities, and a closer proximity to places like the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff, Lake Havasu, Sedona, and my friend Kalisha! I’ll certainly miss Tucson, but luckily it’s still only an hour-and-a-half drive down I-10.

Last but not least, I cranked out 28 paintings over the past 3 months, including several commissions. I also marked down all paintings created prior to 2019, and sale prices will remain in effect until those pieces find a new home. All of my January, February, and March 2019 creations are featured below, with availability at the time of this blog posting indicated.

I’ll try to do better with next month’s blog post! Cheers to 2019!

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