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| McKittrick Canyon, Guadalupe Mountains National Park Photo: C.M. Mayo |
As those of you who follow this blog well know, I am at work on a book about Far West Texas and, as part of this work, back in May of this year, I was the artist-in-residence at the Guadalupe Mountains National Park. About an hour and half drive east of El Paso, the Guadalupe Mountains are little visited, especially outside of holidays and weekends in the fall and spring seasons. Although I was there for the crush of Memorial Day weekend, it wasn't much of a crush; for the rest of my stay I often had trails all to myself-- except for the rattlesnakes. I happened upon two rattlesnakes in my two weeks, one curled up in the middle of the trail; the other darted out right in front of me, rattling loudly, from the brush. It's not Disneyland out there.I'll be writing about the Guadalupe Mountains at length, but here I'd like to share a photo of my official donation to the park. All artists-in-residence give a workshop, and donate a work or art-- in my case, it will be a framed letterpress broadsheet of seven haiku, "In the Guadalupe Mountains."
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| The first haiku from "In the Guadalupe Mountains" by C.M. Mayo |
This letterpress printing was done by Matthew Kelsey of Saratoga, California. Poets and others, I warmly recommend Matt Kelsey, he is a master craftsman and a pleasure to work with. The frame, being made here in Mexico City, is in-progress.
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| The seventh haiku from "In the Guadalupe Mountains" by C.M. Mayo |
> Visit my poetry page here. I'll be posting the haiku there.
P.S. Last fall one of the artists-in-residence in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park was one of my very favorite painters, Mary Baxter of Marfa, Texas. Listen in to my interview with her here. Check out her landscapes, many of the Guadalupe Mountains, here.
> Your comments are always welcome. Write to me here.
