Foundation

Yo.

Some years ago I was a rock musician. No kidding.

I still like music--all kinds of music and sometimes I even get the urge to write a song! Also no kidding.

(Well doesn't everyone?)

So. though you have come to expect, and get, words about crafty projects on this blog--today I hope you will enjoy reading the words to my new song. I am getting a cool tune for the song with the help of my ukelele and may sing it for you sometime--with a LOT of help from my geekish better half, Tanya.'

Of course I drew a cartoon accompaniment for the song and will display it here too! (It is a little pale, but looks better if you click on the picture.)

The song is called:

FOUNDATION

And here is my draftsman-like drawing of a real foundation--built, as you see,  on bedrock..

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Days of the Dead

Yo.

The climate here in Paso Robles is very good for papier mache work. What would take a couple of days of indoor drying in Eureka takes a couple of hours in the sunlight on our apartment porch.

I like it!


You know that way down south (not so very far away) in Mexico, one of the celebrations most enjoyed by the people is El Dia de los Muertos--the Day of the Dead--a celebration honoring the dead--sort of like our old "Memorial Day" or "Decoration Day" when it was customary to decorate the graves of family members and friends which had passed away.

Here Memorial Day has been pretty much taken over by patriotic fervor for military personnel killed while in the service. Not such a bad idea, of course, but since all of us will die and since not all of us are military people, I think it would be a good idea to celebrate Dia de los Muertos here in the USA for everybody. Perhaps we could also call it the Day of the Dead. As long as we are at it, I think it would also be a good idea to celebrate our dead for a nice ten-day period every year--say from October 23 to November 1 (The traditional DOD is November 1 following "All Hallow's Eve--or Halloween.)

Without being too gloomy about it, death is a rather serious matter which should be seriously considered--though I really enjoy the cheerful mood of the Mexican Dia de los Muertos celebration. Probably the subject of death should not just be kept quiet and not thought about like some taboo subject.

Papier mache masks and decorations--including a traditional altar--are very often set up in village churches or markets and I think this is also a good idea. I have seen some examples right here in southern California in Escondido and in Petaluma, for example where temporary altars have been decorated with crepe paper and papier mache figures and photos of the honored dead--even pets honored by the family children.

Anyway.  I plan to celebrate the Days of the Dead or Dias de los Muertos this year and invite you to do the same.

And also, my dear readers and friends, I wish all of you a very long and productive and very happy life!

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Bird Masks

 Yo.

One of the gift-shop managers in our new  Paso Robles "hometown" said she would lke to see some papier mache bird masks--so I have been trying my hand with the birds.

I have done a bird or two in days long ago, but I have not done a REAL bird for ages.

So--here goes:--some:

BIRDS by Tomasito

Baseball Bird

Blue Bird

Speckled Bird

Hey! Making birds is FUN!

You guys are the Best of the Best.

 

See you again soon.

 

Tomasito

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Cooperate

Yo:

Every day I have been making a few little calaveras for the coming Dia de los Muertos celebration.

The climate here in Paso Robles is great for papier mache and dough sculpture--hot day and cool nights and a good drying wind every afternoon, so I am in my element.

Here is a bundle of my finished necklaces---or pendants, if you like:

Most of the masks we carried with us are still unhung (unwept and unlamented too!) but they look sort of cute jumbled into a corner:

Everything seems to go a lot better when people cooperate instead of compete--so I drew a cartoon to illustrate this idea and sent it off to my big brother, Joe, who is family reunioning with his kids and grandkids in Guatemala so  I'll share it with you internet viewers too::

See you again soon.

Toamsito

Pendants

Hello.

Welcome back!

It is SO nice to be blogging again after our long journey south from Eureka!

We are now completely moved in and our Paso Robles apartment is nicht schlecht--as they say.

In fact it is very good!

Today I started my almost annual papier mache project--making little dough calavera pendants for this year's Dia de los Muertos celebration.

I'll show you what I am up to , but first I would like you to see a couple more photos of our new little town--then a couple of shots of us and then the project.

Here is the cool little Andrew Carnegie library in the central park which is now the town history museum presently featuring locally made and historic patchwork quilts:

Next we have this telephoto of "P" Hill,  which is visible from downtown, by Tanya --it was "P.R." Hill a generation ago now half restored by a local old boy.

Here's Tanya posing in a farm tractor we found in an equipment supply parking lot.

And here is me clowning as usual. As you see, I could use a larger size in gnome hats.

Now what you have been waiting for--the calavera pendant project.

Here are pendants from 2008, 9 and 10, and then some of the dough pendants which are now drying in the sun and which I will paint for this year's Dia de los Muertos.

Thanks for stopping by and best wishes for all YOUR projects!

Tomasito and Tanya

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Paso Robles

Tanya and I are movers if not shakers!

We love to live in new places and learn new things and we have moved again--this time to Paso Robles in central California--in fact almost exactly between LA and San Francisco.

Tanya chose the location--I knew El Paso de Robles (Oak Pass) existed because I have driven the 101 freeway north and south in California a lot, but I never stopped to see the town.

Turns out to be a very nice place.

Days are warm, bordering on hot, and nights are naturally cool. Just right for grapes and I love it so much Tanya claims she married a grape and I guess she did.

Here's a view of the countryside:

The little town has everything we need. WalMart, Food 4 Less and, best of all. a very nice, clean apartment.

I have not done and papier mache work here yet, but hope to get started again this week.

Thanks for checking in with this blog and we'll see you soon.

Best wishes, you guys,

Tomasito and Tanya

Ouroboros Bowl

Hello again,

We have finished another papier mache project .


I think I was living in Flagstaff, Arizona in the '70s when I first read about the "Ouroboros " symbol--that  "cosmic snake" or dragon shown in the act of eating it's own tail.

Ouroboros is a very old symbolic representation of "eternity" or perhaps "endless return and repetition", cyclic renewal--or perhaps the ancient idea of samsara.

The snake on the rim this bowl is about to swallow it's own tail

On one side of this large, tipped bowl there is a snaillike figure--a spiraling symnol which may also represent "endless growth and development"--the idea of evolution.

The whole thing is made of recycled materials--newspaper and colored magazine pictures.

 Side View Showing Spiral.

 Top View.

The bowl is pretty large--about 15 inches in circumference by 12 inches in height and it weighs a couple of pounds--a sturdy construction.

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