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Susan and Maryanne Change Plans
They planned their Spanish holiday months in advance. California printmakers Susan Lyon and Maryanne Nucci wanted to include a visit to Maureen’s studio in Granada, and stay for a few days in her Gallinero artists’ cabin, though they wouldn’t have time to do any printmaking. What little time they had available to spend in Andalusia would be in Seville and Granada and “visiting the olive-oil regions” (Maryanne’s business at home is an Italian restaurant, so she is an olive oil connoisseur.)
That was the plan. But when they arrived and saw Maureen’s studio and the work she was turning out there–after the usual How-did-you-do-that?! moment–they changed their plans and decided to get their fingers inky. Luckily they had both already seen the Alhambra on previous visits to Granada, because they spent the full four days they were here hard at work creating and printing solar plates.
They left delighted with the results they had achieved, anxious to get back to California and enjoy some “How-did-you-do-that?! moments of their own.
Susan Lyon and Maryanne Nucci–California girls from the Monterey area–spend four “stolen” days in the Gallinero and working with Maureen in her studio.
The New Improved Gallinero Kitchen/Herb Garden
It’s blossom time. I think I’ve told you about converting the little irrigation reservoir/swimming pool outside the front door of the Gallinero into a kitchen/herb garden, and how gratifying it was.
Last winter we got a neighbor to tip a couple of lorry loads of fresh soil on top and Mike prepared it with leaf mulch and sheep manure (the fertilizer of the gods…) In his enthusiasm he planted the plants a bit close together and then added two varieties of squash plants. Result: Amazonia. We can hardly get in there to pick the fruit. Still, it’s a lot of fun and we’ve been eating lettuce, onions and zucchini for weeks and we ate our first tomato yesterday. Such an event!
Meanwhile, in the end if we get some lovely butternut squash it will all have been worth it!
In the photo gallery that follows you can see some of the herbs in the garden. By the way, everything in the Gallinero garden is at the disposal of the artists who come here to work with me.
Morning after Rain, Everything Glistens
Granada, February 6, 2014–Even the eucalyptus trees on the opposite side of our valley. This photo is taken from the terrace.
I’m Extending My Printmaking Master Classes Videos Sale for Another Month
The 40%-Off Summer Sale of my Printmaking Master Classes video downloads was a surprising success. It seems a big discount is a big incentive. So I’ve decided to extend it throughout the month of September (till Oct. 2, actually) for all those clever people who didn’t look at Internet during the month of August. You’re not too late. You can now download any and all of the videos at a discount of 40%. So you can now purchase a single video, normally $19.95, for $11.97. And all six of them are just $71.82, down from $119.70.
I had a lot of fun making these printmaking lessons with video producer, Juan Carlos Romera, and they have received a warm reception from the printmakers who have downloaded them thus far.
To take advantage of this extended offer just follow this link to my Printmaking Master Classes site. When you reach the payment stage of the ordering process, just introduce the discount code when prompted. (It’s quicker to do than to explain!)
Autumn in Granada–Make Prints, Pick Your Breakfast from the Vine
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Autumn is a wonderful time to work in Granada. The summer heat has passed, the nights are cooler, the occasional rain has refreshed the atmosphere, and the days are delicious.
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I took the summer off this year, except for doing a bit of my own work, a few new liquid metal prints of the Alhambra and some editioning. I love the liquid metal technique for a dealing with a subject that has been done to death. The epoxy medium dries quite quickly so you have to work fast and working in gunk on a plate is necessarily loose, so the results always look fresh and original.
I’ve got another Australian artist coming to work one on one for a month–the last half of September and the first half of October–but after that I’m free to work with other artists. And my Gallinero residence is available from October 15. We’ve just painted the interior (with old-fashioned Spanish-style live whitewash, which not only gleams white but also sanitizes and imparts a squeaky-clean aroma to the place.)
The grapes on the arbor over the Gallinero terrace are ripening, so guests staying there can just reach out through the louvered doors and pick their breakfast. It’s a delightful experience, especially if you don’t have grapevines over your breakfast table at home.
Looking forward to seeing you and making some prints together!
“That’s Inked Up” Features El Gallinero
We just ran across this little feature on El Gallinero published last year on That’s Inked Up, a wide-ranging, thoughtful and attractive blog for printmakers published by Chicago-based Artist,Curator,Educator,Writer, Teresa J. Parker. This is her website: http://www.teresajparker.com/
And this is the Gallinero article on That’s Inked Up. Thanks so much, Teresa.
What’s a Gallinero? Why Should You Want to Stay There?
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A “Gallinero” in Spanish is a Chicken Coop
We called our new artists’ and writers’ residence “El Gallinero” because it’s located where our chicken house used to be. Sometime after the chickens had an unfortunate encounter with a weazel, we built my first painting studio there in the mid-70’s. When I got my new etching and painting studio 10 years later, the old one was relegated to storeroom status, and deteriorated over the years.
For a long time I’ve needed a place to accommodate the artists who come for my summer etching workshops and those who come to do collaborative work during the rest of the year. Then last fall we decided to get started on it. The plans were a bit vague: re-roof and restore the original studio, add a kitchen/living area in the available space behind it, and a little terrace with a view off the kitchen.
“Why Does This Casita Have to be Limited to Artists?”
Luckily our village builders are tolerant and creative, and they signed on for the project. Little by little the new artists’ residence began to take shape. We were delighted with the results, achieved in spite of five straight weeks of record monsoon winds and rains during the building work. At one point someone said, “Why does this casita have to be limited to artists? Wouldn’t writers appreciate it’s spaciousness, tastefulness and tranquil setting, too?” That’s how the Gallinero became an “artists’ and writers’ refuge.”
We’re Open for Business
We have now begun to accept reservations. Please take a look at the information and photographs in the pages of this site and see if you don’t think a shorter or longer stay in the Gallinero might not get your creative juices flowing. Of course, the appeal of this residence is not limited just to its own spaces and installations. It’s located in Spain, at the edge of a village nine kilometers (an easy 15-minutes) from the historical Andalusian city of Granada with both the Sierra Nevada ski resort and the Mediterranean shore within a 45-minute drive. If you haven’t been to Granada yet, it’s about time. If you’ve been here already, you know why you’ve been yearning to come back.
The Spanish say, “Todo es ponerse.” A rough English translation: “Just go for it!”
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"El Gallinero"--An Artists' & Writers' Refuge in Granada 
