Back from South America

"Elizabeth"

8 x 10" oil painting on canvas

WIP

I just returned from Cochabamba and LaPaz, Bolivia, and am still mentally processing the trip. Even though this was the second time I had travelled to Bolivia to do work on an orphanage project, it's still a difficult mental voyage as well. Such poverty and beauty in the same setting can never make sense.

Our group worked hard this year on projects such as sanding, painting, staining, laying sewer pipe, laying tile and a lot of back breaking clean-up. We all tapped into old and new skills to reach our goals.

One of our best days was when we were able to invite the local village families to come to the orphanage home and receive some gifts from us. At the same time we completed a simple census to count the children in the area. My job was to photograph each an every child, which I was happy to do. We counted and I photographed 112 children ranging from teenagers to a newborn 4 days old and still without a name.

Every day, while we worked, many of these children would come to the orphanage site and hang out to watch the gringos work, many of them white women, at that! Unheard of of in their world and, to watch their faces, was also extremely funny to most of them. But we made time for all of them, played with them, hugged them, held them and they stole our hearts.

These children live in such extreme poverty that a used pair of shoes is equal to the best Christmas present. They were so happy with their new gifts; what a joy to be a giver of goods!

My painting in progress above is of a little girl named Elizabeth who wore her traditional clothing every day and who easily won us all over.

I guess my way of processing and reliving my journeys to Bolivia are best done through my art. I'm sure you will see more work inspired by my trip to the southern hemisphere.

Art for Orphans

"Market Day"

2.5 x 3.5" ACEO

colored pencil drawing

Another ACEO drawing to be sold to the highest bidder in order to raise funds for an orphanage in Bolivia.

This is drawn from my own photo taken last year at a festival when a group of us journied to Cochabamba, Bolivia. I love the hats and the colorful wraps the women wear. They carry EVERYTHING in the wrap, even their children. I think it should catch on here. I have one of these cloths, maybe I'll give it a try.

Art for Orphans

"My Own Crayons"

ACEO 2.5 x 3.5"colored pencil on Stonehenge paper

I will donate 50% of this sale to the K'illallaray Orphanage Project

SOLD

Once again, I am offering an ACEO on eBay to benefit the fund to help build the orphanage home for children in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

And, once again, I have made a commitment to travel to Bolivia to help with the building and to build good relations between the "gringos" and the native people.

The drawing above was taken from a reference photo taken last year of one of the orphans. We had just given them all their own crayons and coloring books; many of them thought we would take them back when we left. This beautiful little girl had just had a bath, found a warm spot of sun, and began her coloring project. I just had to share this in a drawing. She touched my heart.

If you're interested in finding out more info, check the website here or my original post here. Thanks for your help.

A Cochabamba Concert

"The Shepardess"

Art for Orphans -

50% of sale will go to benefit the Bolivian Orphanage Project

ACEO Original Colored Pencil Drawing

2.5 x 3.5"

SOLD

Overview: In March, I had a fabulous opportunity to journey to Cochabamba, Bolivia, to work on building an orphanage. While there, I made many new friends: the Americans whom I had travelled with, and many Bolivian people who, because of the great need to raise and shelter the epidemic numbers of abandoned and orphaned children, conceived and began the orphanage project.

In a very short time, I became very enamored of the people, the culture, the land, and the children and came home with the need to do more; hence, "Art for Orphans".

One evening, after working all day at the orphanage site, our new friends and hosts, Felix and Flora, invited us to a "concert" by some local musicians. Needless to say, we were all eager and excited to see and hear any local entertainment - and the real deal, no tourist stuff here.

We were escorted into an open courtyard in a small apartment/home/business place (some confusion on my part here, as it could have been all three). The black "ceiling" in the picture is actually open sky since the weather in Cochabamba is very temperate and lovely (think San Diego-ish).

Before the show, Felix explained the traditional clothing the performers were wearing and what each piece either represented or its purpose. (I believe the small bag is for Coca leaves.) But the colors, oh they are so rich and vibrant and are not adequately reproduced in these photos; but the Bolivian people, even in their daily clothes, do not shy away from color. Also, the men who are wearing fringe on their hats to cover their eyes are traditionally the single men. (I like to think it's so they can peek out at single women without being caught making eye contact - but that's just my idea.)

The performance was wonderful, strange and mesmerizing! They used a collection of flutes (the large items on the table that look like chair legs are actually flutes), pan flutes, drums and stringed instruments. The young woman also sang in a high, quavering and somewhat eerie voice. But it all worked so wonderfully together!

Our translator and leader, Connie, told us that the performers were very excited and nervous to be playing for Americans and that they had been rehearsing for months! That almost made me cry. To be so honored just because of where you were born and to have that fact alone carry such pretige was pretty overwhelming for me. Though I had never taken that fact for granted before, it was enlightening to experience it first hand. It made me realize what a huge responsibility that honor carries with it and that I should always do my best to use it well.

Here are some of the other audience members from that evening's performance. I'm not sure, but I believe they live in the building.

They, too, like the performers were very gracious and greeted us with kisses and then gave us the best seats in the house. But that's just typical Bolivian hospitality.

Back from Bolivia

"After Her Bath"

ACEO Original Colored Pencil Drawing

2.5 x 3.5"

SOLD

(50% of sale goes to Bolivian orphanage fund)

I've been back from Bolivia for about a week now. But I'm still sorting though everything I experienced and it's been hard. Lot's to digest and to figure out. I know there's more I have to do.

From the start, I knew this trip would not be a vacation, but a working journey. It was that, physical labor including pickaxes and shovels and altitude. But, being fairly strong, I did fine; I was prepared for that. I was prepared to see some things that would be difficult to see, and I did. I knew I would see and meet needy children, and I did.

That being said, I was not prepared for the emotional side of this kind of work. It's very hard to describe and to share, too. There were moments when I felt sheer joy and others when I felt extremely sad; and sometimes both emotional extremes at once.

Such was the case when we visited an already established local orphanage in Cochabamba close to where we stayed. We walked over hoping to meet the director and give some gifts to the kids. We ended up spending several hours playing, bathing and, most of all, touching the children. They so wanted to be held and touched. It was hard to leave. Joy and sorrow.

The child in today's ACEO drawing is a little girl of about 2 from that orphanage. She was fresh from her bath and just beautiful.

I know that I am fortunate in so many ways. For those to whom much is given, much is expected. I buy into this 100%. Therefore, I will be donating 50% of any work inspired by or depicting the people or places I saw in Bolivia to raising more funds to finish Phase I of the orphanage we worked on. I will be posting a "Bolivian" piece at least once a week.

A piece of my heart stayed behind in Bolivia. I'm going back as often as I can.

Change the World a Little Today

Next Three Stages of a Work In Progess

"Glowing Cathedral"

8 x 10" colored pencil on Ampersand Pastelboard

Today, Bloggers have united to talk about good deeds we have done and promoted on our blogs, so I will, once again, share my Kiva experiences with you.

Check out their website for more info here. Feel free to check the background information, the press coverage and validity as well. I think you'll be impressed.

"If you give a man a fish, he eats for the day. If you teach a man to fish, he can feed himself and his family." This is a philosophy I buy wholeheartedly and have always wondered how most of us could "teach a man to fish". Here's the opportunity to do just that.

The micro loan you make (I have done as little as $25) could change one person's life forever; many of these third-world entrepreneurs are asking for less than $1000. They live a life I can only imagine. But, I so respect and admire resourcefulness and feel it should be championed. You can check out my lender page here; of this I am proud.

(If you really want to feel like Santa this year, a Kiva gift certificate makes a wonderful gift for that person who literally "has everything".)

I also want to share that I have just applied for my passport as I will be going to Bolivia in March to work directly with some local artisans and merchants and to physically help to build an orphanage. My job, before I go, is to collect as many new and gently used art and school supplies as I can before I go; I hope to ship a ton! (Artists, you know you have a lot of "good intention" art goodies laying around that will never be used - by you! Let me know if you decide to part with them.) As an artist and an overly blessed American, I think its the least I could do. I'll keep you posted on this news, you can bet!