I received a very sweet note from Bernice Strawn the other day. B and her husband, Mel, stayed in the Gallinero during most of the month of February and the first few days of this month. Mel is an art professor emeritus and B is a lifelong sculptor who builds fantasy boats which could grace a pharaoh’s tomb.
Here’s their joint website: http://www.strawn-art.com/strawn-art.com/Mel_%26_B_Home.html. And here’s what B had to say:
My husband, Mel, and I have stepped out of the cold February weather of Colorado to enjoy the sun on the little deck to draw, work on prints and sip a little afternoon wine. The view across the valley to the south dips to the River Genil and then up the steep terraced hillside carpeted with green and glowing with blooming almond trees. The Booths have cultivated an exotic garden here which immediately captivated me. The local nopal, prickly pear cactus clumps, are fascinating and I did several prints based on those forms. In Maureen’s studio you can try out different approaches to printmaking and with her help you can find one that relates to the direction of your art. Maureen and Mike are very generous in their concerns for your comfort and the success of your art goals. We couldn’t have asked for more caring and attentive hosts.
Bernice and Mel Strawn, March 2011
That’s B sitting outside the Gallinero in the winter sun sketching the patch of prickly-pear cactus below.
Printmaking Courses in Spain 