Wednesday, October 24, 2012

To Taos, NM & Back by Artist, NORA KASTEN

Artist, Laura Robb in her studio, 9/26/2012

"If anyone is noticing it has been a month now since I've posted on this blog.  Two days before Earl and I flew out to NM on American Airlines (Everything went wrong because of the pilots calling in sick),  I had closed on my new home.  It's a beautiful condo.  I'll share all the good news about that in my next post but now it's time to tell you about Laura Robb's wonderful workshop in Taos, NM.

She not only paints beautiful flowers and still life, she is quite beautiful, herself.  There were 10 of us artists in attendance and it was one of the best group of artists that I have ever been with.  Laura was so thorough in her teaching and she shared everything with us, always going the extra mile for each one of us.  The night before our last workshop day, Laura invited us all for a pizza party at her wonderful, unique home and studio in Taos.  What a privilege for us and it was really special.  Before going to NM I only knew Laura from her published, beautiful works of art but now I am honored to count her as my good friend.  Did I mention that she has a keen wit and great sense of humor too?

Have you noticed yet that I have not published notes from Laura's workshop?  Well . . . . . . the reason is I was SICK. . .  . through it all and it was a big effort just to function for me.  The weather, the scenery, the season, the mountains, EVERYTHING was perfect and I couldn't enjoy it.  Two weeks before the trip, I was fighting a sinus infection and one week before I was struck down with a horrible vertigo attack, dizzy, headaches, vomiting, the whole nine yards.  With massive antibiotics and a trip to our Naples hospital to receive the Epley maneuver, I thought that I was well enough for the trip but I was WRONG!  The air flights always give me terrible problems with my ears but this time it was just too much.

Today could be the first day that I am feeling somewhat back to normal and Oh, I'm just remembering the author, Joan Marie Ambrose, who sat next to Earl and I on our flight home.  It was well worth the discomfort that I was feeling to meet this dear lady.  I think so because she is one of the very few people I have encountered that has also realized "The Power Of Now" in her life.  Her book is 10 years old and out of print now but I was able to get it through Amazon and it has been a blessing to me.  I can whole heartily recommend it to you.