Edgy landscaping infuses salvageable, recyclable objects & some fascinating Folk Art to create:
A landscape to live in
Antique cowbells adorn a garden gate at the Sonoma home of Kenny Clayton and Louise Salvador.
Christopher Chung / The PDFor a large piece of otherwise dark oak forest, Kenny Clayton and Louise Salvador's Agua Caliente property is unexpectedly inviting.
From the willow entrance gate to the gravel paths that make traversing the gently sloping hillside in the upper Sonoma Valley easy going, it is a landscape that is both wild and tame. Whimsical sculpture art is tucked under the trees and everywhere there are sets of chairs and benches, places where the couple can sit, seamlessly becoming a part of nature.
Longtime collectors specializing in Mexican folk art, Clayton and Salvador have spent the last few years creating this welcoming environment — both inside and out — and filling it with the things they love. Rustic Mexican furniture, African masks, pottery, playful sculpture.
Because they spend most of their time outside, they said it was especially important to, as Salvador said, “invoke harmony of nature with the beauty of using abandoned materials and furnishings and make them into functional art pieces.” The objects include: The fancy hanging birdcage painted periwinkle blue that sits empty but eye-catching on the back patio. The 18th-century Quaker wood-burning cook stove that Kenny wire-brushed and painted the same shade of blue, turning it into a piece of garden furniture. A collection of floral, painted, wooden plates from Mexico marching across the outside wall under an overhang.
The pair did most of the work themselves or by trading services with friends and acquaintances, so the whole landscape so far hasn't cost any more than $10,000, a bargain given the size of the lot.
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http://www.internationalfolkart.org
Great food, museums, galleries & the opera, Santa Fe is noteworthy.
We always wanted to visit the International Folk Art Museum. The Folk Art Museum has one of the largest & diverse collections in world. It was by far, one of the many highlights of our trip.
We never saw so many art galleries and museums located in just one block. Also, worth seeing in the Georgia O’Keeffee Gallery, which exhibits, her art and photographs. A very inspirational woman of both art and character
"Where I was born and where and how I have lived is unimportant. It is what I have done with where I have been that should be of interest."
— 
http://www.okeeffemuseum.org
We had the privilege to visit Ellen Koments workshop. An experienced and talented artist with superior knowledge in her field; Ellen invited us into her workshop and later took us to Box Gallery where her art is exhibited...... another highlight of the trip.
After an afternoon sitting in the square and observing all the afternoon activities, we realized why Santa Fe has such a unique style of its own
Mexican Masks:
La Guelaguetza
Summer is here and hopefully planning a trip to La Guelaguetza " Fiesta de los Lunes del Cerro" is an annual indigenous cultural event in Mexico that takes place in the city of Oaxaca. An incredible showcase of various regions in Oaxaca, come together for dance, food, art & Mezcal tasting. We look forward to this event every year. Also, in line, a few visits to museums, churches, friends and my favorite: the open markets, eating chapulines, or grasshoppers, as a quick snack. They are delisciouso!
It's been a few years since our last visit, but if the tickets are booked and the time is right stayed tuned for more pictures and videos.
VIVA OAXACA!
