Here I am with Arizona's first Poet Laureate, Alberto Rios. He came to Sedona to give a poetry reading, and I made sure to be there.He was kind enough to pose with me. A nice man, as well as a talented writer.
Poetry has been a passion of mine, seems like forever. I started writing it as a kid. I especially like to hear it read aloud. One can visualize along with the voice.
With all the talented poets in our state history, it was not until 2012 that the governor signed Senate bill 1348 into law, establishing this Poet Laureate position.
Rios was raised in the border town of Nogales, next to Mexico. His poetry reflects the influences and events of his Hispanic family, and their lifestyle. He is a college professorr, and talked about words.The same word from a different culture, has a different cadence. Speaking Spanish, I like the sensual quality of that language. I was transported. Taking your listener on a voyage. That is good writing.
I'm glad Arizona chose this poet as our first Poet Laureate.
Here I am in Tijuana, across the border in Mexico. Staying in San Diego, it seemed enticing to enter the country where I've spent many happy visits.
Using my Spanish is important to me. As I tell people, study in your favorite classroom. For me it is shopping; discussing everything in their language; trying to get a good price. I had a desire to buy some leather goods. That made it a quest. Even better!
My partner and I had to take a taxi to get the main street with the stores. It was morning. Not every place was open. I saw this metal door, with stairs leading down. Intrigued,and following the way down, I came into this cavernous room filled with metal creations. I have done some welding. I like the ability to work in a grand size , and the freedom you get to always add on to the preceding piece.
The owner took us out to the back, where several men were welding gates and other items. Anything you can think of made from metal was in that building. All made in the alley outside. Lots of it shipped to our country.
What an adventure to see artists in another country creating. We are all different. We are all similar.
I sold a ceramic cross similar to this one today. It also had a piece of turquoise on it, and measured about eight inches in height. The cross was a sacred symbol in many ancient religions, consisting basically of two intersecting lines.I think this history inspired me with the shape of the curves that I like to use at the end of this piece and others. This well known Christian representation is a part of our culture and others all around the world.
I got into making the cross as an art form after my last trip to Mexico. There it is taken to higher dimensions of making the common uncommon.I saw them made of wood; ceramics; bottle tops hammered onto two crossed sticks. There was a total variety of how to take a known form and give it a whole new incantation.
I work in clay so that is where my imagination went. How to make something that has beauty in its form and color, and yet is a bit different? I like to use the low fired colors because they seem more modern than some of my high fire glazes. Like my masks, the cross is fired in the kiln, glazed in the brighter low fires colors, and then given a primitive final firing to get that antique crackle look. I like to add some decoration, or an adornment, to what I create. This is my style, according to some who know me. It's true. I do like to add an embellishment to make the clay sing out to the viewer.
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