MARRUGEKU: BURU

Today I attended the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts...OrigiNation: a week-end long festival which celebrates native cultures of Arizona, Australia, and New Zealand through music, dance, and art.

The highlight of the day was seeing a performance by the very young dance group  MARRUGEKU performing their new work BURU.  Through hip-hop music and stilt dancing a story is told of the six Yawuru Seasons and the indigenous people of Western Australai.

Note to self:  Forget the old Buns of Steel workout video, take up stilt dancing for a very toned and firm butt. :-)



Scottsdale's 100+ Journals Project

Today I participated in Scottsdale's 100+ Journal Project. I saw the exhibition of journals at The Gallery @ The Library a few weeks ago, and spent some time there reading entries.

They turned the Gallery at the Civic Center Library into a creative work space.  They have areas where you can sit down and create an entry for one of the 100 journals.  They provide glue, glitter, paper, colored pencils plus a lot more for you to use to create something special in one of the journals.

They have stations there that give you an idea what to journal about in case you need a creative inspiration.

I came across the table that read, "If you could invent a new holiday what would it be...how would we celebrate?"  Okay, this was it!!!  This was what I wanted to journal about more than anything. 

The holiday which I wrote about in my opinion is something that will actually be a 'real' holiday someday, and we will all celebrate it with great appreciation because it will awaken us to who we really are.

Here is a clue to my new HOLIDAY.

Giraffes ~ Stingrays ~ Butterflies

I had the BEST time on Tuesday going to the Phoenix Zoo.  The last time I was there was in November of 2010 to see the Koalas.  This time I made sure to get in line for the 2:00 Giraffe Encounter where you get up close and personal and feed the giraffes.  There were five giraffes there all waiting to get some treats from me, but the animal handler chose which giraffe would get my treats, and all the other giraffes stood back and let the chosen giraffe receive the treats without any interference.  These four other giraffes displayed absolutely no jealousy, nor fear of scarcity.  WOW!  Now if humans can raise their consciousness to the level of these giraffes...then the world would be a better and more peaceful place. 

Next it was time to go to Stingray Bay and pet the gentle stingrays.  This exhibit was not yet open to the public the last time I was at the zoo.  They are just so gentle and some actually swim up against your hand so you can stroke there backs. 

After spending a few hours at the zoo headed over to the Desert Botanical Gardens to see the Spring Butterfly Exhibit.  The springtime butterflies have no problem landing on you...your head, nose, arm.  This time I didn't see any butterflies landing on anyone, even though they were flying around like crazy.  But just before I was going to leave the butterfly pavillion, a small orangy-red butterfly landed on my purse and stayed there for a little while.  Funny because for my art class today, I had already sketched out on a canvas and was ready to paint an orangy-red butterfly from a photo from the butterfly pavillion.  This little butterfly did give me some wonderful creative inspiration...and for that...I am grateful.

Lend Me A Tenor @ Fountain Hills Theater

On Sunday I went to see Lend Me A Tenor at Fountain Hills Theater.  It was a last minute decision to go on Sunday, but am I glad I did!!!   The show was extremely entertaining, and I laughed out loud with one of those great big belly laughs a few times.  One of my absolutely favorite shows at Fountain Hills Theater was The Producers which starred Scott Hyder and Michael Stewart in the lead roles.  So when I heard both of them would be back to star in Lend Me A Tenor... well it was not a matter of...if I was going...but which day.

GREAT SHOW AND OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES

 

Titanic 3D: Rose's Journey to Her Creative Heart Center

I have seen the film Titanic in a movie theater more than any other film.  So it's no surprise to people who know me that I went to see Titanic 3D too.  I was a Leonardo DiCaprio fan way before Titanic came out...actually the movie that made me a fan of his was William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.  The reason I love Titanic and saw it so many times had nothing to do with him or his performance in the film...sorry Leo :-(     I love this film so much and saw it so many times solely due to the character Rose, and her journey.  No matter where you are in your life...a good place, a hopelessly bad place, or just a short term ugly place...you need to get off the door and blow the whistle just like Rose.

Rose is laying on top a door floating in the middle of the freezing Atlantic Ocean, but instead of giving up and dying there, she awakens to realize that she and she alone is worth living for, and then she gets the inspirational idea to get off the door and swim over to the dead guy and blow his whistle in order to save herself.

Get off the door and blow the whistle.

Last month at our neighborhood Bunko get together, all of us who attended knew of someone who in just the past several months committed suicide.  My husband's former real estate broker/owner killed himself at 53.  My neighbor's gynecologist killed herself at 39, and everyone else there knew of someone who decided life is too hard and hopeless and killed themselves.  So my prayer, my wish for humanity is that no matter how hopeless things get, you awaken just like Rose.  You get to a place where you feel that you and you alone are worth living for, and you connect to your creative heart center to get inspirational guidance that helps you out of whatever predictament you are in. 

Since I first saw the film Titanic, I have been saying a very simple prayer every night for my fellow brothers and sisters of Earth..."Get off the door, and blow the whistle."

I always get teary eyed when Rose is blowing that whistle so determined to save herself.  The only other part of the movie that gets me choked up is when they are panning Rose's pictures at the end of the film.  When they come to the picture of her on the horse at the beach in front of Santa Monica Pier...I always start crying.  But I am crying because I am so happy for her, not sad. 

This is the face of someone who is happy to be alive...so you can only shed happy tears for her.

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters,

compared to what lies within us.

RALPH WALDO EMERSON

Sunday A'Fair

Sonoran Jazz

Sugahbeat

I spent a glorious afternoon soaking up the sun and listening to Sonoran Jazz and Sugahbeat at Scottsdale's Sunday A'Fair.  It also turned out to be a great people, kid, dog and duck watching day as well.  During the first 1/2 hour when the crowds were smaller, three ducks were walking around through the crowds looking for people to feed them.  They were quite amusing to watch.  Then they made the mistake of waddling over towards the band, where the little kids who were there dancing their little hearts out...saw them...and starting chasing after them.  The ducks couldn't out run the little kids and then they all flew away. 

Painting Classes

I started this past week taking painting classes that last for the next several weeks.  The first class was a 3-hour lecture on how to make our paintings look better.  This week we get into actually painting from a photograph we are to bring in with us.  So far so good...can't wait for all the rest of my painting classes.

Mother's Favorite Child @ el Pedregal

Went back to the el Pedgregal for their Carefree Sunday Concerts.  Unfortunately last week's Marmalade Skies concert was cancelled due to bad weather, but is rescheduled for May 20th.  So it was great to get outside today to hear Mother's Favorite Child perform.  I first heard them last October at the Fall Concert series, and I thought they were great.  They are still great...and they even picked up a 4th singer.  This time they played songs mostly from their new CD.  (Note to self next time I see them in concert:  Look for Paris Toon in the audience.)

Today I was one of the women in the audience who received a rose from Mother's Favorite Child lead male singer.  :-)

Fine Art in the Garden @ Shermer Art Center

I have been looking into taking painting classes, so when I heard about the Shermer Art Center's Fine Art in the Garden, I thought I would check out their art festival and also their art classes.  I talked to some of their teachers and students, and also saw their beautiful works of art.  A very nice man even stopped me before getting into my car, and offered to show me the studios where the classes take place.  This is definitely a place where I will take some painting classes...if not now...then some day soon.

Trio Three-Eighty

I don't always blog about everything I see or do during the week because I have done it, seen it, or heard it before.  I don't feel the need to repeat myself in my blogging diary with every Artist Date...especially repeat ones.   But not this time.  I heard once again the fabulous Trio Three-Eighty perform at the Mayo Clinic this week.  I heard them just this past December, but they are definitely worth mentioning again in my blogging diary of Artist Dates.  They are just sensational, and I could listen to them play every week. 

They told us how they got their start and their name.  The three of them started playing at Norstram Department Store in Scottsdale Fashion Square.  When asked what name they go by...they just used the Norstram's store number at Fashion Square which is #380.

Mesa Festival of Creativity

Ventured to Mesa for their Festival of Creativity.  The BIG attraction there was MIRAZOZO by Architects of Air.   Roaming around inside of this was a total trip.  Now I only wish I had gone in there after dinner and a few cocktails.  It would have been even trippier.

We also heard Mass Ensemble perform on their giant Earth Harp which was strung to the Ikeda Theater.

Unfortunately Joseph "Sentrock" Perez, the guy who creates large painted canvases while break dancing wasn't there the day I visited.  Last week I saw a painter who paints by kissing the canvas, now a guy who paints by breaking on a canvas...I guess using an old paint brush is dead.  That's why it's called the Festival of Creativity.

The Phoenix Lights 15th Anniversary Celebration

I attended for the first time The Phoenix Lights annual celebration where they screen the documentary and have special guests speakers from the cast, and have a Q&A session.  I actually know someone who is in the documentary, and who was there at today's celebration.  It's truly a 'celebration' because events like this help awaken the sleeping humans to higher levels of awareness.  Kind of like when we as humans learned the Earth is not flat, and the Sun doesn't revolve around us.  This is just another one of those wake-up calls, but hard for the unaware to swallow.  I am WAY beyond 'are UFO's real.'   I am one of 'those' who is trying to figure out which star system I am from originally.  :-)

                   

Scottsdale Arts Festival

What a fabulous weekend for an art fair.  I had a great time walking around this weekend with this wonderful weather soaking up the sun plus all the great works by talented artists, and listening to some of the areas better bands.  Sun, Art, Music...who can ask for anything more.

Now that I have been painting myself with just ordinary paint brushes, I found Natalie Irish...the Kissing Artist to be phenomenal.  She puts lipstick on her lips, and then paints a picture by kissing the canvas.  WOW!  Something you need to see for yourself.  Truly remarkable.

More Music ~ More Art ~ More Fun

Paula Provo

Sculpture Courtyard
Celebration of Fine Art

This week I heard Paula Provo play the harp at the Atrium Music Concert and went back to The Celebration of Fine Art. 

Crazy for You @ Fountain Hills Theatre

I spent another delightfully entertaining afternoon at the Fountain Hills Theatre seeing their latest production, Crazy for You.  The stellar cast sang and danced their hearts out.

I have seen now so many local community theatre productions with so many talented actors and actresses that I now play a game...where have I seen you before?  I'll wait to read the program with who's in the cast until the intermission.  This way I can play...where have I seen you before?    From the 20-person cast, I have seen 16 of these actors/actresses before perform in local community theatre productions. I was stumped on a few where I went...oh yah...I saw you in that one.