UNTIL NEXT YEAR, DECEMBER NIGHTS!

UNTIL NEXT YEAR, DECEMBER NIGHTS!     WHEW!   I am exhausted from all the activities at our annual December Nights! Brandon, my poodle buddy, Erika the rag doll cat, Franklin the arachnophobic rat, and I are basically immobile from all the goodies we have eaten from hand outs and crumbs on the ground. This is just Heaven! We still haven't covered the whole Village for overlooked goodies!   This year, we had so many guests walk into our Village and enjoy the decorated, cheerful, colorful, ambience of the Holidays. Twinkling lights, trees decorated with Christmas packaging & balls, booths lined up and down the patio displaying and selling their artwork, the aroma of food from the food booths, every studio spruced up and decorated for the holiday event....every year, this event happens, and every year, it is a place of magic, old time memories, and charm.   Soon, my cousin 'Miss Molly' will be visiting me...can't wait for you to meet her. In the meantime, I need to knock off a pound or two before she comes....(she's a silly, vain, creature and I couldn't have her slimmer than me).   Come visit us in Spanish Village Art Center...we're open 7-days a week, 11AM-4PM, and we have 37 working studios for you to see, and perhaps purchase a handmade, original, piece of art. We are family and pet friendly, free to come and visit, usually have live music for you to enjoy, and the vintage and ambience of a village in Spain.   Time for a nap, again.... Happy Holidays!     Love, Bella

ROXIE (aka Bella) 13 + Years of Wonderful Life

MISS ROXIE and TOM merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream! RLS   A cool, slight breeze, lifts my fluffy fur, pushing the fur from my face. I am running in a field of dew covered clover, fragrant, singing, flowers are turning their heads toward the warm sun. The sound of happy, barking, dogs join me as they greet me, and frolick. I have never felt this happy. I think I am home.   Something rouses me. I hear someone calling my name, offering me a slice of pizza.   Not this time.   I lay my head down, returning to this magical, beautiful, place, where I run, play, bark, and feel an indescribable joy.   In this dream, I'd rather stay.   And so, Miss Roxie AKA: Bella the Blogging Dog, passed away at the ripe old age of 14 years. A joy, a twinkle, a love, an intrinsic, beautiful, 4-legged, vibration in Spanish Village....through the years.....leaves her footprints in the memory of so many villagers who will miss her.   Author's Note: Bella will still live on in her blog. I think Miss Roxie would want it this way, and besides, she adores the notoriety.   So, good-bye good girl.....next time I see you, I promise to rub your tummy, bring you a brand new pink bow, and a big slice of pizza.   Until Later, Love, Lai

BLOWN GLASS and IGUANA SKIN

The Glory Hole at Studio 19 Spanish Village Art Center - Balboa Park

Andy, in studio 19, has a working art studio at the back of the village in an alcove. In her studio, you can see the results of her glass blowing, purchase them, if you like, or stand outside and watch her demonstrate the art of blowing glass or teaching a student the steps to blowing glass. Because of the nature of her equipment, the high temperature from the glory hole, and molten glass, safety is equally important as the actual learning of glass blowing....and having the skin of an iguana, because of the need for high tolerances of heat....

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling

 

It is amazing how small grains of sand-like material melts with high heat, and allows itself to be blown, with human breath, into different shapes and sizes.

Andy brings to life, an old, respected, craft, and shares the skill to her students.

 

                                                     Andy and Kevin - Studio 19

 

On weekends, and some weekdays, you can drop by and watch her demonstrate.

As for me, heats makes my fur frizzy, so I prefer to keep a distance, preferably near someone eating....who likes to share.

Until Later My Loves,

Bella

AFTER OPEN HOUSE

Art Interpreted in Flowers, Oil Painting by Joan Nies

Yesterday was a sunny and fun day for the yearly Open House. The courtyard was covered with booths displaying paintings of all ilks, jewelry, photographs, organic baskets, custom clothing, doo-dads, and much more.

Art Interpreted in Flowers, Pastel and Oil Painting by Dot Renshaw  

Live music drifted through the air, lines of hungry visitors waited for a scoop of ice cream, or a spicy tamale, while others enjoyed bidding on village artwork from the Silent Auction, or floral arrangements from The Art In Bloom...

Until Later, take care....Love, Bella!

ART in BLOOM and OPEN HOUSE

Susan Ludwig  "Art In Bloom" this weekend

Do I have a house to open? Perhaps, a dog house? It occurs to me, I have no house...alas, neither does Erika the rag doll cat, Brandon my dog buddy, Franklin the arachnophobic rat, and many other 2-legged and 4-legged Village friends. HOWEVER, this Saturday, July7, 11AM to 6PM, Spanish Village Art Center is celebrating its yearly OPEN HOUSE! EVERYONE IS INVITED! All 37 working art studios will be open, including a walking tour of the studios, refreshments and live music! COME WATCH painters interpreting their artwork in flowers for the Art In Bloom activity. And, if you are looking for good deals on interesting and varied pieces of art, come join the SILENT AUCTION !...in any event, come rub my tummy. Okay, okay, so I don't have a house to have an Open House.....but, you know what? I have my health, a tail that wags, the warm and cool breezes through my fur, good village friends, and tasty treats. I guess it's how you feel, rather than what you have, that is important.... Until Later, woof woof, bark bark, and all that stereotyping..... Love Bella (aka Roxie)

SQUIRREL GARDEN (Studio 26)

BEAUTIFUL SUNFLOWERS ARE IN BLOOM

Summer is here with its long warm days and mother earth celebrating. Erika, my rag doll cat companion, and I were lying underneath the sunflowers. Emily, the squirrel, and her friends must have planted this beautiful sunflower garden.....we enjoy the beauty now, and as it grows older, the blossoms will produce sunflower seeds for Emily and her friends to eat......the garden is in the alcove where studios 24, 25, 26 & 27 are located....drop by and enjoy the glass art, photographs, jewelry, baskets, and paintings in the alcove! In studio 26, there are doggy milkbones for my friends, and near the sunflower garden, fresh water for thirsty wagging tails. The village is open 7 days a week from 11am to 4 pm! Hope to see you! Love, Bella

If your in Balboa Park today, stop by our village and see "Squirrel Garden" yep that's right "Squirrel Garden" SUNFLOWERS planted and well kept by our 4 entertaining Golden Red Tails squirrels. They are very vocal by chatters, growls and screeches. They love to chase each other up and down their handmade ladder built by artist. Find them at Studios 24-27.

Enjoy the sunflowers while they last!

LOVE BELLA! 

Have a safe 4th of July.

SAN DIEGO POTTERS GUILD SPRING PATIO SALE

Hello Everyone! It's another sunny day in Spanish Village. This past weekend was the Potter's Guild Sale held throughout the courtyard of the village. Lots of people enjoying the original pieces of claywork such as vases, sculptures, coffee cups, dishes, sushi plates, and so much more....and, very interesting assortments of glazes. Brandon, my poodle buddy, and I dug a nice, cool, hole under the blooming Jacaranda tree, enjoying the cool breezes, and the occassional tummy rubs. The Potter's Guild, open daily, has a large workshop/studio in Spanish Village, where dozens of artist display and sell interesting objects de arte, or utilitarian clayworks. A nice coffee cup would make a great FATHER'S DAY gift!

WELL WISHERS from the WISHING WELL

LAI and Bella (aka Roxie) at the Wishing Well

Memorial Day weekend at the village was a sunny day in paradise.....Visitors meandered through the 37 working art studios, listened to live guitar music, while the aroma of hamburgers on the grill wafed through the air from The Village Grill Restaurant....this is a photo of me and Lai in front front of the wishing well.....behind it is Studio 27, Jane's jewelry workshop, where you can check out all sorts of original jewelry, some made out of crystal, gemstones, natural stones and even fossils. I bet you can guess what I am wishing for.....A Village Grill Hamburger, for sure!

MONARCH BUTTERFLY at TORO PARK

I was dozing under the jacaranda tree when I felt a slight touch on my nose.....opening my eyes, I saw this beautiful butterfly looking right at me.....and then she flew off....what must it feel like to fly??? I can only imagine. During this time of year, you can see different colored butterflies gracing our plants and flowers in Spanish Village. Occassionally, I see Priscilla or Erika jump on them for sport. ...to each their own, I say....you wouldn't catch me or Brandon doing such a ridiculous stunt.

TOM AND ROXIE (aka BELLA)

TOM and ROXIE (aka BELLA) Do you like my hair style? I overheard my buddy Tom saying I needed a grooming. Here's me and Tom posing in front of 'The Warrior', a sculpture created from the Sculptor's Guild, here in Spanish Village. It is adorned with glass, rocks and glass.....did you know it is hollow inside? We have 6 guilds reresenting various arts and crafts.....such as the sculptor's guild; enamal guild; potter's guild; woodcarver's guild; glass guild; and the Southwest Art Association......many of them offer classes. If you see me and Tom walking about the Park, come by and say 'hi'.

THE GHOSTS of the TITANIC

TITANIC Do you believe in ghosts? Priscilla and Erika claim to see them all the time....perhaps a feline predisposition. However, humans remind themselves of the past by dressing up in period costumes, viewing old photographs, and collecting old memorabilia. Last weekend was the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, the doomed luxury liner. There was much excitement over the anniversary throughout the Park. From the Natural History Museum, where the Titanic Exhibition is being held, the captain of the ship, and a first class passenger, pose for a photograph, as they stroll through Spanish Village Art Center, helping to commemorate a wrinkle in time, where people believed they had, indeed, built 'The Ship of Dreams... .....little could they have imagined, less than a hundred years later, an international space station, floating out in another ocean of space. As for me, I would like to dream of an ocean of pizza and milkbones.

A WINDY DAY in the PARK

Here I am taking a short break to PEOPLE WATCH it's such a windy and blustery day in Balboa Park. Sigh!.

It's funny. You can't see the wind, but you can feel and see the effects of it.
My fur may appear a bit disheveled, an effect from the blustery, rainy, week.

Pricilla, our feral cat, who detests getting her paws wet, and Franklin, our overly anxious village rat, have found hiding places for warmth and shelter.

At night, on the weekend, the folks in the alley set up a party called 'Art in the Alley'....it was raining, but the artists and guests were having fun. Everyone was giving me taste treats (my favorite was meat balls), pats on my head, belly rubs (ahhh!), and compliments.

I love village festivities!


P.S. Is Love like the wind? You can't exactly see it, yet you feel and see the effects. What do you think?

Until later,

Bella aka Roxie

FYI! I am constantly walking up to those who smile, When Im not watching people, I love to rub up against them for a "petting-session".

Should I have my own Facebook page?

It's me Bella aka Roxie and meet Mr. Tom

Here I am with Mr. Tom one of my very best friends. Do you like my Pink Bow? Lai made that for me. Lai is an artist in Studio 26 at Spanish Village Art Center. She feeds me doggie treats.

I can't wait to go outside and see all my friends in Balboa Park today.
Hi All,

I didn't realize how much I love Spanish Village, until I nudged Pricilla, the feral cat, said 'hi' to Franklin the village rat, or visited my artist friends in their studios, where without shame, I rolled over on my back for tummy rubs, and mooched taste treats.

I love the freedom of being at Spanish Village.....watching art, of all kinds, being created, listening to the live music, and enjoying the happy visitors who come and enjoy the village.

Most of all, I love being reunited with my best buddy, Tom, who comes and takes me for walks throughout Balboa Park, and sometimes takes me to his home to hang out.

There is much to Love at Spanish Village!

felted purses, polymer clay faces & sylvia

The day after July the Fourth is a busy day. It's a 3 day weekend, with Monday being the last of it. Ramon's silver jewelry, Barbara's jewelry and paintings, Scott's paintings, and many more patio artist were set out, ready to capture the audience as they entered into our beautiful village...not much sun, and a cool breeze ruffled my soft fur...time to get up.
Gazing down the main patio, I saw Sylvia, just a red dot, slowly walking toward Studio 37. I got up, did my Bella stretch, ohhh! ahhh! feels so good! and shook my fur all the way down to the tip of my tail...every fur in it's proper place. I am perfection.
As I trotted toward Sylvia, her red dot began to take shape...at 82 and a half years old, (she always reminds you of the 'half') she holds herself high, for such a petite lady...
'Bella, is that you? Come on in. Are you going to keep me company today?' Sylvia still has her accent from years past. I wagged my tail as Sylvia patted my head.
It's a little studio, full of oil paintings, silk wearable art, and Sylvia's polymer clay faces and felted purses. Settling down for the course of the day, I watched Sylvia pull out skeins of yarns, all vibrantly colored. The soft piles of yarn quickly become uniquely created purses. She machine washes them to break down the fibers to felt, and adorns her felted purses into color whimsical works of art...quite similar to the colorful polymer clay faces, all uniquely characterized, intricate, playful and full of whimsey, created into adornments for clothing.
I walked up and put my head on Sylvia's lap.
'Would you like me to tell you a story?' she said gazing into my eyes.

I snuggled my nose up to her hand, encouraging her to tell me one of her South Africa stories...where Sylvia immigrated, stories long ago....and as she began to spin her story, I heard the 'ding' of the microwave and I wondered which I would enjoy more...warmed honey buns, or Sylvia's wonderful reminiscence.




NOTE: IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHT PROTECTED

Remembrance SCOTT KUHNLY, UFO's and PB&J

MEMORIES and MINUTIAE

SCOTT KUHNLY, a member of Spanish Village for over 40 years, passed away on July 27, 2012.   For as long as I've been with the Village, Scott would give me bites of his peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, long tummy rubs, and pats on my head followed by the familiar sounds of his voice. Scott displayed his watercolor and oil paintings near the entrance of the Village on the patio. The scent of Scott has disappeared, and the habit of seeing him almost every weekend makes me sad, now that he is gone. An overwhelming minutiae of feelings and memories leave me uncertain, but I focus on special memories with Scott....the minutiae dissipates to warm thoughts and memories I hold in my heart....recapturing my friend, Scott....and that feels good. Until Later, all my Love, Bella

SCOTT KUHNLY & BELLA (aka Roxie)

Sometimes, when the weather is sunny, I like to find an agreeable studio (with lots of goodies) to lie down, feel safe, and maybe snooze a little, but today I feel like feeling the warm breeze blow through my beautiful fur and schmooz with my buddy Scott.

He's a patio artist who sits on his beach chair on weekends, situated in the front of the village, near the entrance, with dozens of watercolors and oil paintings hung from A-frames. Representational paintings of landscapes from meadows to seascapes, and more. Scott shows up on the weekends, sets up his paintings, and paints the day away. He has been a member of Spanish Village Art Center for approximately forty years. I enjoy sitting next to him, watching the guest stroll by, and enjoying how each stroke of his brush is one step closer to a fantastic painting.


Occassionally, a conversation will strike up. ''Is that what I think it is?'' says an observant guest. And Scott will say 'yes'.....'yes it is an extraterrestial object in the sky of my painting'.....Scott sneaks in an occassional UFO, however minute, in his paintings....I am amazed at how many guests admit to having seen an UFO, as Scott has remarkably witnessed one. If you hang around Scott, you'll undoubtedly listen to some interesting conversations.
''Hey girl, ready for lunch?'
' ''Do you have to ask me?'' I wag my tail and gaze into his kind eyes.
''Ready for some peanut butter and jelly, and some string cheese, girl?''
''AM I?!'' Just one more thing to make this lunch perfect! I rolled over on my back and said ''rub my tummy!'' AHHHH!