Mary and Sand Art

Sometimes, art takes the form of a painting, so perfect in its strokes and determination that is appears to be a photograph, a technician's creation at painting, and then, there's the colorful strokes and suggestions of an expression performed on canvas, without the technical, but busting out the seams with creativity....however the artist's presents, one hopes for reaction, emotion from the viewer, without it, the artist has failed....
I enjoy going from studio to studio in Spanish Village Art Center, investigating the new artwork, paintings, baskets, sculptures, woodwork, blown glass, pottery, Ramon's guitar playing, and the sound of refrigerators opening and closing....it was all art to me....I was trotting down the main patio, noticing the day was overcast. The art village was sleepy, not quite awake, with few visitors.
I scoped the main patio and noted Ramon and Barbara with their jewelery, Scott and his paintings, Debra with her fused glass barrettes, and a few more patio artists. On such a sleep day, I paused, arched my body from my head to my tip of my tail and shook every hair into place...Oh to be so beautiful!
I spotted Mary, studio 16A, carrying a grocery bag into her studio. ''Hi Bella. Come on over here girl. I have something for you''. She didn't have to say much for me to trot into her studio...
Mary's forte is sand art. Throughout her studio, she has formations of leafs, animal reliefs, 3-d cups & saucers, ornate containers, Egyptian and Asian designs, and so much more.

Mary sits quietly, almost in a meditative form, and sprinkles lightly, thin layers of colored sand over glue, building layer upon layer, on a flat or 3-d surface, to form her picture or 3-D object. It is time consuming, takes fine motor skills and tremendous patience....it is a seldom practiced art. Her work leaves the admirer in awe over how each grain helps create such beauty. Along her walls are small containers of different colored sands, some finer than salt, and some more coarse. She says she collects sands from all over the world. Bella enjoys the stillness of Mary's studio. ''Ready for some left over meat loaf?'' She didn't have to ask me twice. I sat down, like a good dog, and waited for my food. Woof!