Angel Dance

I just saw a video for a song called Angel Dance by Robert Plant.  It is a cover of a Los Lobos song. The video was filmed in the Pilsen Neighborhood of Chicago, where I grew up.

 

Some of the images brought back some really great memories I have of growing up there.  Pilsen was/is a predominately Hispanic neighborhood.  When I was growing up, over thirty years ago, a good percentage of my neighbors were straight from Mexico, barely spoke Engish, were Low-Income, but very hard working.  I felt that the video portrayed Pilsen in a very positive light.

I remember growing up in my grandfather's apartment building on a corner street.  We lived on the second floor with my Aunt, Uncle and cousins in the back apartment.  There was a tavern on the first floor and my grandpa lived in the back first floor apartment.  We didn't have a very big yard at all so the sidewalk was our playground.  We did have an empty lot across the street where we would play softball in the summer.  My cousins and I would play in the hallways and sneak up to the Attic sometimes.

My grandfather was considered the "Mayor" of 18th Street because he knew just about everyone in the neighborhood and would talk to everyone as he walked his dogs during the day.  He spoke broken English but had a smile with twinkling eyes that just made you laugh.  He always knew when we were up to something.  He would just give us that look and we knew we were busted.

In the summer time it would get so hot that the only relief would be when someone would open up one of the fire hydrants and all the neighborhood kids and sometimes adults would run in and out of the water as someone would use an old tire and wood board to create a spray fountain.

We would ride our bikes all day long to Harrison Park or even go as far as McKinley Park, which was two or three neighborhoods over.  I remember "pick-up" softball games, the ice cream vendors, the mariachi music, the penny candy store, the mouth watering aromas of the Supermercados, and just hanging out with friends until it was time to go home.

It wasn't the safest or cleanest neighborhood, but it was home and we didn't know that we were poor.  We just went to school, came home, played and went on with life. I think a lot of what I saw and did during those times makes me think back on how easier life was when we didn't have much.  I know that growing up in that neighborhood made me a tolerant, compassionate person. 

Although, some would argue that I have a hard and brash personality that might seem abrasive and distant.  I learned at an early age that you had to put up a tough exterior in order to survive. I guess I have carried that attitude with me throughout my life because it's a safe haven and I'm used to it. Very few people have seen through this exterior when I let my guard down.

For all the loud noise there is a gentle soul there and I know it's because of how and where I was raised.  There was love, strength and compassion.  I just hope that my children will be able to remember their childhood as fondly as I do.  More importantly, I hope they can carry my better attributes with them as they grow up and have kids of their own.

A Clean Slate

Every now and then I decide it's a good time to start over. A clean slate, a fresh coat of paint, new design for my website, clean my studio, clean out closets...whatever you want to call it. I think it might be part of my obsessive compulsiveness. Like folding my clothes a certain way so they fit nice and neat in my drawers with very little wrinkles. Or reorganizing my jewelry tools and supplies just when I have figured out where everything is. The sad part is that I forget the new place I have put stored things and end up making a mess anyway, c'mon you know what I'm talking about.

I was talking with another mom today at my son's soccer game and we were laughing how when we were young we had attention deficit issues and how they started to go away by the time we were adults. But as we got older, we started to decline again and having kids speeds up that process twofold. You know, short term memory loss, because there is only so much "room" to remember things for everyone else that your personal memory bank gets depleted. So you end up having to be organized or you forget where stuff is.

But I digress, in my journey as an artist, I am always looking for new methods, techniques, anything to bring out my creativity. I am part of a wonderful group of women that has started a new group, Illinois Metal and Jewelry Artists. We met through this awesome Art Jewelry class at McHenry County College in Crystal Lake, IL. It was like kindred spirits finding our way to the light. The "light" being what drives us to create art. It has really changed the way I look at life since I try to use different perspectives, not just what feels safe or easy. Our intent is to promote our art through a collective effort.

I also signed up for this online class called Homesteaders Metalsmithing by Stephanie Lee. One of my jewelry friends took the class this summer and recommended it to me. As I look at the different projects and style of Stephanie Lee's creations, I have a feeling I am going to love it!

On top of all this, I decided to redesign my jewelry website. A fresh clean simple look that still reflects what my vision is. So what is my vision? Hmm...that's a hard one. The best description I can give is eclectic artisan jewelry with an aged but treasured look. Kind of like how I would describe myself. I don't particularly like shiny new but a little sparkle or glint of light will do. I love to be able to touch and look at a piece to feel and see the work that went into it. You can look at my jewelry and know that I am passionate and enjoy what I do.

I know I promised earlier in the year that I would do a better job of blogging and putting down my ideas but somehow life has a tendency of getting in the way or moving too fast. Part of my Clean Slate theory is to wipe clean, start over and move on. My hope is that all this reorganizing and starting over will clear the path to a clean fresh perspective on my life and my art.