Now Showing at La Junta Galeria in Bernalillo, NM 

I have my watercolors showing at this gallery. There are some with gems in them and also cards and matted prints of my other work. 

There are a few other RRAA artists showing at this same gallery. 
Paula Scott-encaustic
Tom Popp-oils
Cyndy McDonnell-metal work

Visiting art galleries is a lot like going to garage sales...the more time you spend there the more things you see that you may have overlooked by just a cursory visit.

Looking for Gift Ideas?

Check out the local artists. There is so much locally you can buy for friends, family, co-workers.
Art comes in all shapes, sizes, and varieties. These are things people put their heart into...

galeriadecorrales.com
idaliaroadmarketplace.com
http://www.cafebellacoffee.com/

These are local places that hang the art of my friends but there is also art hung by the Rio Rancho Art Association all over Rio Rancho and surrounding area. Places like the Westside Lovelace Medical Center and O'Hare's grill and Joe's Pasta House.  You can step into the New Mexico Bank on 528 and Southern and the Esther Bone Library and visit art galleries...artists are everywhere and giving art as a gift is giving something that lasts longer than most things, and you don't have to upgrade every year.

ART-Rageous Event the Best Ever!!

Well, maybe not in sales exactly since the economy is a bit sluggish, but we had a great time!! In spite of reduced set-up time the artists were able to assemble and beautify their booths in record time.

The reception was well-attended and the food ran out (boohoo), but the music by Tony Russell was good and the Raffle for St. Felix Pantry was a big winner. We raised $305 for them and had 14 entries.

We had the Kinkaids and Bear Martinez playing for us on Saturday and Tony Russell came and closed the show on Sunday afternoon.


This was the biggest thing I have ever been involved with and it took magnanimous amounts of praying to get me through. However, the team was fantastic! Kudos to our chief, Carol Sanna, who kept us on target and so much thanks goes to Naomi Hanauer who was our graphic artist designing the brochure, postcards, and signs. Wendell Unzicker did a splendid job with the advertising and Bob Crowley worked and worked to get the room and artists synchronized so we all fit. The effect was amazing!

The volunteers who sat the RRAA booth were both entertaining and knowledgeable about RRAA. They all encouraged the visitors to buy raffle tickets and point them to specific artists that they wanted to see.

Thank You's go to the Greengards who provided the sweet grapes from their vines for all to enjoy!

Carol Sanna brought her really cool camera to show customers and I have to say I was really impressed with how it works. Naomi Hanauer set up her paints and worked on a piece that she has going and Cristina Diaz-Arntzen did a punch-quilt and finished it over the course of the show.

Customers who came through were surprised at the quality of art in Rio Rancho. Few of them even heard of us unless they were friends of the artists. So we had a whole lot of exposure and even picked up about 5 new members.

We loved Sister Claire and Marge who kept the St Felix booth for us. It was great to meet people from the Pantry where we love to donate both food and money.

Carmen Taylor did a great job on compiling the exit surveys. It sounds like the artists had a great time too!


Sue Hanauer

Boys and Girls Club Rio Rancho

Wow! these kids really love to build things. They are like small energetic architects who don't need glue or tape to build fantastic structures. Like the Taj Mahal or a drive-in movie theater complete with popcorn.

I took about 1/2 of my stash of recyclable material and let them explore and experiment. There were about 50+ kids all together and we worked in two separate stages. I didn't even have to prompt them on what to do with the styrofoam and cardboard. I DID have to prompt them not to tear it apart or use it as weapons on each other's heads...lol

Just check out the videos and photos...one photo on the right and others will follow

Invisibility Factor

“My goal in life is to be invisible...and I am very good at it” (Princess Mia, “The Princess Diaries”) My favorite movie quote of all time. This is what I have aspired to in my life. But all good things must come to an end. *grin*

Most artists want to be known to art patrons around the world. They work hard and market themselves and they join associations and groups, and take classes and get degrees, and teach and...well, you get the picture. They want to be “known”.

Me, not so much. I have lived my life to be invisible to the outside world. Marketing myself has come really hard, because of this attitude.

I love making art, and sometimes what I do astounds me because I don’t get tired of looking at it. When I get tired of looking at a piece of art it makes me want to toss it out or put it in a yard sale. Or just gesso over it and do something else.

I have more art in my head than I have produced. Often, I lie awake at night and piece together the parts that I know I have stored. And on waking up and sorting through the parts I am always surprised by something I’ve forgotten I have. It’s an adventure. My tag line is “Where every day meets surprise”.

But the putting myself “out there” is the hardest part. I want people to see my art, but not me. I love when someone sees something I did and gushes over it or stands there with the chin in hand studying it. I like the way they see it.

I am learning that it’s not a bad thing for people to notice me. The artist. The one who comes with the art. It’s all a part of the whole. Acceptance of this fact is slowly (but surely) dawning on my psyche. People will see me.

I find many artists have this problem. It’s not just me. Rio Rancho Art Association and all the people in it have shown me over and over that it’s ok to be noticed. Thanks for that.

Sue Hanauer

Maggie Cordova's Kids ROCK!!!

I just finished up showing a class of fifth graders some of my art. I have to say that I am amazed at how well behaved and intelligent they were. They asked some great questions and loved my art. I am deeply humbled by that last fact.

Mersad, the art teacher, was very generous letting me talk for almost an hour about recycling objects and learning to design with them. Her class is going to be making a dragon sculpture for the front of the school out of recycled aluminum cans. She has asked me to help her with this project. I think it will a lot of fun working with these little rapscallions ( that's another word I use like "Yea big" to describe something or someone).

Talking up my art really gave me motivation to finish other projects that I am working toward. I feel energized and excited to get back to creating. I have enough styrofoam to do just about anything I can dream up, and enough molds to make everything I can imagine.

Imagination is a great device for producing something wonderful. Even if it sits inside your head for years and years. You can build it up layer by layer until the finished project is completely imagined, then begin to create it in reality. Sometimes you will need outside help to finish a project if you don't have all the understanding and tools at hand. Many times I have had to ask someone for help with something I want to create so I can make it just the way I see it in my head.

There is a lot of trial and error involved in the creating process, but if you try something and it doesn't work, don't throw it out-it may work for something else later.

The biggest problem with recycled art is storage. But thankfully, I have a storage shed out back. I am not worried about anyone stealing my stuff...it's all trash anyway ;o}

Thank you kids for making my day! Can't wait till we start on the dragon.

Thank you Mersad for calling me to work with the kids.

Thank you Melissa Martinez for helping me schlepp all the stuff in and again to the kids for schlepping it all out again (that's another word that fits what I have to do with all this stuff).

Thank you God that You have helped me overcome my intense shyness!

Flickr site is below...check it OUT!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/silversaddlearts/