Last week we took a family camping trip to Taos. Which turned out to be a very Northwest style camping trip with a pleasant and constant drizzle of rain. Usually this would dampen campn' for even the heartiest of campers but when you live in the Southwest, wetness is a gift from the gods!
Of course we visited the Ranchos De Taos Church that Georgia O'Keefe made famous in her work. So famous that it is the most painted church in all the world!
But as for me, I just took photos from the car and then briskly set out for breakfast at Ricks.
Below is all you need to know about the church to sound like a proper pontificating art fag.
(Thank me later).
"The Ranchos de Taos Church is an old adobe Spanish Mission church a few miles south from central Taos, New Mexico, and is one of the most painted buildings in the world. While the front is a beautiful example of Spanish Mission architecture, it is the back of the church that is the subject of so many paintings. Void of doors and windows, the leaning and curved lines of the adobe walls provide a simple form of freeform shape against a big sky background. The image changes dramatically throughout the day and season. O’Keeffe paints the church twice on her first trip in 1929 and again the next year.
Formally called the The Saint Francis of Assisi Church at Rancho de Taos, the church is made of sun dried mud bricks with a layer of mud stucco. While this style of building is durable in sunshine, during the rainy season it suffers significantly. The annual mudding requires an army of volunteers who apply a new outer layer to the entire church. This gives a secondary theme to the painting: a religion that is constantly being built - a church as a living architecture dependent on members to continually maintain the physical, community and spiritual structure."
Swiped from DaveBerryArt.com
Our trip was wonderful, the natural beauty is inspiring, the food was awesome and next time I'll tell Dennis Hopper you said "howdy!".
Tough photo to take of the tinest gourd of all, 2 inchs across
Popcorny gourdy, unfinished.
Today is my 32nd birthday! 
A tiny photo of a moment when I truly felt miniscule and free experiencing art.
Thanks, Maria for this official exhibition photograph!
The full, bird's eye view right before the ceremony.
A view of the hall from above. Like an angle would see it.
The groom and a large flower bouquet at the hall's enterence.
Rosa gussies up her table center pieces before she gussies up herself.
Branches place around the hall to bring the outside in in a fantasy garden kinda' way.
Some kisses were shared under the cherry branches.
Little girls love paper flowers (and cake)!
The branches marched in then when all was said and done they marched out!
Me with my work during the artist meet-and-greet.
The night of the opening
Curator of the Custom Kokeshi part of the exhibition, Chris Conway and I talking shoppe and enjoy the sake.
The big banner for the big show.
I cannot say that this banner is not intimidating. I think print that large is just dizzying to me.
Maria Kwong curator of the show at the Japanese American National Museum, founder of the Los Angeles Toy Doll Amusement Museum and extraordinary woman says a few words.
Group picture of both the Contemporary Artists and the artists that participated in the Custom Kokeshi Show, as well as curator Maria Kwong and Custom curator Chris Conway.
Above, a snap of my work, better pictures from the museum's documentation of the exhibition to come in the near future.
Entrance to the show, both sculpture by my new best friend, artist James Watts of San Diego.
Above, Neon Kokeshi art in the packed house.
Above, Baby Ruby does what I want to do- touch the art! Just kidding!
Above, local designer Annabel Inganni enjoys another mixed media painting on canvas.
Above, me with my old friends.
Urban Light, sculpture, by Chris Burden and me at L.A.C.M.A. 
Above, two images of the wondrous Happy Happy by Choi Jeong-Hwa hanging in the Grand Entrance.
Happy Happy made me happy happy.
Rosa gets lost in happy.
Detail of Welcome by the same artist.
With Welcome in the background, I ran into Soap Opera LEGEND Susan Flannery who was there too to enjoy the art. She was so sweet and gracious. Even being complimentary about MY opening at J.A.N.M. Such a doll! Hi Susan!
Above, outside The Japanese Pavilion.
Me getting eaten by modern art.
The sun sets in the city of Angeles.
Big Pink Poodle neon sculpture in the Old Bank Building. 
The dark vampiness that is downtown L.A.
Not really art, but more about the scene. 
Not really art either, cherry blossom decorations inside the Little Tokyo Mall in the Little Tokyo district. More pink light art (a trend?).
Above, horzontial painting that will be in Kokeshi Show at J.A.N.M.. 
Above, vertical painting that will be in the Kokeshi Show at J.A.N.M..
It always feel so cool to really get to see where your art goes after you sell it. To see it living outside of your own studio. To get insight in how other people end up living with a piece, where they hang it, where they sit to how enjoy it. So to get this photo of a the youngest of art collectors, loving her painting which hangs above her bed, it really made my day.
Above, street art in old town Dubrovnik
Nola and I at the Museum of Modern Art in Dubrovnik or Umjetnicka Galerija Dubrovnik enjoying a reproduction of my great Uncle Gabro's art.
