The Goods on Tucson

I've been living in Tucson since 1993 (with a break from 1997-2000 when we lived in Florence Italy, my husband's hometown)

the center of Florentine life: the Duomo

I guess the biggest compliment I can give is to say that we moved back to Tucson, from Florence Italy willingly... seriously, we chose to move back to Tucson from Italy. WHY?

I'm not crazy....Tucson and Florence are vastly different for many things, but for ease of living, Tucson has the win. Florence is absolutely stunning and filled with life, it was really hard to live there, day to day ( without the typical big family support that many Italians live with- that not only help emotionally but also directly plugging one into the sea of social and economic possibilities) FIRENZE does NOT do convenient.

Tucson City Hall

Tucson is really easy to live in: the houses have big lots of land for gardening, we always have a parking space (a massive plus for any urban area) and with the internet and our small but mighty airport we have access to really, anything.

Tucson is artistic: so many great murals! The public art! The galleries! Open studios almost every weekend! Festivals! Workshops! I'm a Jeweler, so the giant collection of Gem Shows are incredibly enriching (as long as I can resist spending too much at the shows....believe me, it's tempting!) And of course, I can't forget the tremendous All Souls Procession ( the first weekend of November)

Politically, it fits me.
Tucson is BLUE and Funky.  It's comforting to me that we don't live in the BIG RED parts of this state. I appreciate not being surrounded in traffic by giant Luxury SUVs filled with blonde Barbies and Kens with their 2.4 giant athletic kids, pedigree dog and Tr@mp bumper stickers. They are alien to me.

Nope, in Tucson (aka the Olde Pueblo) I'm more likely to be driving by moms / dads on their customized bikes, heading to drop off at school (or the slightly ramshackle yet beloved Tucson racquet club). People who don't care that I choose to sport funky colored hair. Their kids with impressive personalities busy with unusual hobbies ... hybrid rescue dogs in the back seat of dusty, slightly dented Subarus with a lime green "Be Kind" bumper sticker from our Ben's Bells Kindness project.

I do believe we will probably move back to Italy to retire ( who wouldn't want to do that?!) but- at least until the kid graduates High school- Tucson will remain our beloved dusty desert home.
Pass the sunscreen 😜

Tucson Artist interview: Rameen Ahmed

For a new subject, I thought it would be interesting to introduce a few of my Tucson Artist friends!
The following is a short Q&A with my friend Rameen Ahmed.

MBZ: Rameen and I met while working at Krikawa, a local indie jeweler here in Tucson- where we worked as goldsmiths together for a few months. We have kept in touch over the years and have been able to enjoy time together recently as roommates at the 2012 SNAG conference. I consider her to be a good friend, and a fine metalsmith- her designs are whimsical, architectural and modern.
Here is her interview:

Me and Rameen at the SNAG conference in Scottsdale last spring

***************************************************************************
MBZ:How would you describe what you do as an artist?
RA:I take what I have learned in art and architecture and give it a 'wearable form'.

MBZ: what inspires your designs?
RA: Ideas, materials, mental acrobatics with form

MBZ: how long have you been involved in this type of making? (how did you start?)
RA: 10 years. Recent recollection of a long ago question, "What do you do with dolls?" Answer, "Play with them!" Mystified and proceeded to take apart my metal belt and making doll jewelry at age 7!!

MBZ: where are you located?( email if you want to share, or city/town that you live in)
RA: Tucson, Arizona. rameen@rameenahmeddesigns.com

MBZ: do you have a website?
RA: yes, it's at  www.rameenahmeddesigns.com

MBZ: what other ways do you market your work?
RA: Trunk Shows, Art Shows, Juried Submittals, Galleries, Membership(ADC, SNAG), Online Membership (LinkedIn, FaceBook, Crafthaus), Snailmail Postcards... working on making FB work page! (MBZ aside: Wow! that's great Rameen! you have to help me get more organized!)

MBZ: do you teach? if so, where?
RA: Mostly visual arts, architecture/landscape design. Part-time at Tucson Museum of Art, elementary & middle school - local Montessori & Rameen Ahmed Designs.

MBZ: Rameen, do you have any sage advice for newcomers that you would like to share?
RA: Yes! Let your passion lead you...

MBZ: where do you envision your work going in the next year? (artistic direction)
RA: Fearless deliberation, I hope!! By that I mean pushing ideas that are/have been percolating.

MBZ: anything else you would like to share? (your choice-how we met? What you wish for as a holiday gift? any good jokes? you can even put your flickr/twitter/blog links here too)
RA: One of the best parts of working at Krikawa was connecting with you and other 'benchers'. I do appreciate the opportunity to have improved my technical skills quite a bit at the bench there.
What else, let's see... I'm terrible at punch lines! But, here's one of my favorite quotes from the Dilbert Principle, "Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep."
MBZ: I love Dilbert! Thanks Rameen! :-)
Ciao, and May the Flux be with you! - Maureen

ps- yes, it was funny to work with someone who has a name that sounds like an echo of your own...Rameen, Maureen! LOL it's all good

Bountiful desert garden

How can I tell that it is fall in Tucson? Our Pomegranate bush is filled with HUGE ripe fruits. I like them- always feel like I am "doing something good for my body" when I eat them. My 10 year old son LOVES them, and can devour an entire Pom in 10 minutes. I think that is why he has such amazing eyelashes...:-)

a Garden behind the house

Guido and Cosmo a few years ago with some peaches from one of our trees. YUM!

Just recently I've come to realize that I've become a gardener. I mean, I've always loved to be outside and dig in the soil- have had aspirations of living off the land...but didn't think about it becoming reality until lately. Actually, my husband (Guido) is the real gardener: I simply waltz in and do a bit of weeding watering and harvesting. (I have an excuse, not really able to do much because of my injured neck)

Me and Daisy in our back yard- the garden is behind me
and it's looking appropriately shaggy for monsoon season.

 

I'm one of those people who really enjoy raking and pruning and digging. In fact- my current injured status was in part due to a "freak gardening accident" where I over did it one day, making the garden look nice for an up coming Open Studio...and ended up stressing my bulging discs in my neck so much by the vibrations of the weed whacker that my discs decided to pack up and move out of alignment with my spine. oh, and just for fun pinch the hell out of my nerve on their way out.

anyways... we garden.
W live in Tucson, so we are a bit limited to what we can grow. Currently we are harvesting tomatoes daily, our Nectarines are just finished and our zucchini is on it's way out. We have at least 10-15 cantaloupe in the near future (break out the Prosciutto!) and delicious watermelons close after. Also our pomegranate has about 50-70 fruits ready in late August. I'd say we do pretty good for a mini urban veggie patch.  You just don't want our water bills- trust me. (it is truly worth it)

My sister is the one with the great soil- in Hood River OR. I think they have about 30 acres- mostly fruit orchard. and those cherries I've been talking about lately? like nothing you have ever tasted before.
Magnificent!

How about you? do you have a garden? (ps- I believe potted plants indoors counts as a garden too! I know what it's like to have no yard as an apartment dweller. It's one of the reasons why we live here, instead of Florence Italy, where the family home is smack in the center of the city and NO balcony, let alone a yard. I just can't do that right now. I NEED DIRT PEOPLE!! LOL, mini rant, over and out)
Tell me about your garden- do you have a favorite crop? (don't incriminate yourself of course)
I'd love to hear your garden stories!

Musings...

Heading to the hand/shoulder
expert on Monday-
cross fingers they will figure this out
ASAP.
Meanwhile, it's ice
every night and most of the day.
I believe I am turning into permafrost
or the tundra,
but where are the stinkin' reindeer?
*









Maureen Brusa Zappellini
Creative jewelry for creative people
http://cosmosmoonjewelry.etsy.com

Metalsmithing Class- register now!

Anyone interested in taking a Metalsmithing class with me can sign up now for the next session of classes through Tucson Parks and Rec.**

I teach a Metalsmithing Basics class at Randolph center (on Alvernon, just S of Broadway)

Start your week out fun! Class is held Monday mornings from 9-12. 

The session starts on March 11th and ends May 5th.
sign up now, here at the Parks and Rec website- http://cms3.tucsonaz.gov/parksandrec/
I hope to see you there!- Maureen

a Horse a Horse

My kingdom for a Horse! or Queendom, if you want to be picky..:-)

I've now listed a pendant design that I am resurrecting
http://www.etsy.com/listing/83957419/jumping-horse-pendant-in-white-bronze
It's a piece I originally designed in the early 90's- I used to make these as pins- (well, similar to this, I've done a bit of subtle refining on the design. ) but now I'm re-working them and making them as pendants (because I tend to wear pendants more than pins now- not very many jackets and pins needed here in the sunny southwest- plus, I think pendants are much more popular)

I love this Horse- and I find that I can "read" it as a few different characters- the Event horse, coming off a drop fence during cross country, a Cave drawing horse, a frolicking pony in the paddock, a bucking rodeo horse, a Lippizaner performing airs above the ground, a reining horse setting up for a sliding stop.... It is the essence of an exuberant equine- and for me, that's one of the most beautiful things in the world

I wore one in brass today when I went to the TRAK fall festival. that's a really great place to bring your kids, by the way. (TRAK, by the way is short for "Theraputic Ranch for Animals and Kids", and is located at 3230 North Craycroft Road, Tucson, AZ 85712 phone #(520) 298-9808 info@traktucson.org

My favorite part of the TRAK event was the "horse apple bingo"- the paddock was sectioned off in a grid, you bought a ticket for the section, at 2 pm the horses were let out in the paddock and where the first "horse apple" was "deposited" the owner of the square won a flat screen TV! I've never seen so many people excited about horses pooping! LOL , no I didn't win :-P

Tucson, we have a problem

well, I have a problem. This past year I've been struggling with pain issues due to a couple of ruptured discs in my neck. It has forced me to rein in my activities some, and I've dropped a few projects (Box a Month was one casualty).
At this point I've done everything non surgical to try to get relief from the pain that is coming from a pinched nerve(s) on my left side. It has made my left arm numb and increasingly painful. After exhausting all other therapies it is evident that I either live with constant nauseating pain or I go under the knife for a discectomy.

my "good side"

I have an appointment with a pain specialist this week, and surgery scheduled for early December (which may get moved up if they can't find a way to make me somewhat comfortable between now and then)
I just wanted to let you know what was going on- I know I haven't been posting much on my blogs lately, and this is the reason why.
I'll be fine I'm sure- but until then- I've got to rest and take care of myself so I can be a good mom for my sweet kiddo.
ciao- Maureen the ruptured disc queen

Put a Skull on it!

click on image to go to listing for this Skull pendant

It's the end of summer, and around Tucson the creative community begins to conjure up their creations for the annual All Souls procession for Dia de los Muertos (day of the dead, a Mexican holiday honoring loved ones who have passed away) It's a big deal in Tucson- and it also marks the time of year when we are finally able to enjoy cooler weather- essentially, Late October is our "Spring is sprung" time- when everyone rejoices in being able to spend some time outside after a very long scalding hot summer.

While NYC is the "Big Apple", Boston has chowder, and Portlandia creates "put a bird on it!", Tucson is a Skull town, with a rich Mexican traditions that permeate the hardened dusty soil..... Put a Skull on it Tucson! :-)

the hissing of summer lawns

Well, it's monsoon season again in Southern AZ- last week we had a series of storms every afternoon- it was exactly the thing that us Tucsonans long for at this time of year- Clouds and rain!

I know, it's strange to love clouds and rain- especially if you are from another part of the planet- I remember when I moved here from Boston (almost 20 years ago)that I thought I could never get enough sunshine...and the old timers would shake their heads and give a knowing laugh...
"Oh, just wait , little Yankee Girl..that sun will get you!" And they were right.

It's almost cumulative- those first few years here I think I was still thawing out from my years in New England. I was outside all summer long- be it 100* or more- riding my horse- hanging out with friends by their pool (they were in the shade)...and enduring each drive in my non-air conditioned 66 Plymouth Fury with a sense of adventure. Hey, I was innocent! I had yet to arrive at the crossroads- I was still thawing out.

Around 3 years in- I finally had enough. enough heat, enough HISSSSSS of the cicadas hanging out in the mesquite trees, enough of being burned by my steering wheel. Enough already of the heat! I was ready to move on- go back to New England- and perhaps get a Masters degree. So- I lined everything up- get tickets to fly to Boston to scout out living possibilities-  and you know what happened? Two weeks before I was scheduled to fly, I had a chance meeting with a very handsome Italian Physicist. He worked for the U of A- we were married within a year, and have now have been listening to the Cicada Symphony for 16 years together.

I have to say I still mind the heat- 100+ degrees - even if it is a Dry Heat- is still 100+ degrees. an oven is and oven is an oven. I even "cooked" a kid  in the Tucson summer- Cosmo will turn 9 on July 24.

But there is a certain weird camaraderie between Tucson's summer society. we give each other "knowing" looks as we scan the skies for clouds.
It's a Tucson thing, you may not understand......however.....
You May be from Tucson if.....................

• You can pronounce”Saguaro”, “javelina”, “San Xavier”, “Ina”, “Tanque Verde”, and “Cholla”
• from June-October you can fry an egg on the hood of your car
• Bragging season? October-April
• Whining season? May- October
• You think someone driving wearing oven mitts is clever.
• You think 60 tons of crushed red rock makes a beautiful yard.
• Vehicles with open windows have the right-of-way in the summer.
• You no longer associate bridges or rivers with water.
• You know a swamp cooler is not a happy hour drink.
• You can hear the weather forecast of 110 degrees without flinching.
• You can make sun tea instantly.
• The best parking is determined by shade…..not distance.
• You know that “Valley Fever” isn’t a disco dance.
• Hotter water comes from the cold water tap than the hot one.
• You actually burn your hand opening the car door.
• Sunscreen is sold year round, kept right at the checkout counter.
• You put on a hat and fresh sunscreen just to go check the mail box.

:-) ciao ciao- Enjoy the Monsoooooooons- MaureenBZ

Open Studios

It's time for the Spring Open Studio tour here in Tucson!

to find a comprehensive list of participating studios please go to Zocalo Magazine online- where you will find maps and info about the studios that will be open to tour.

I will have my space open on SATURDAY ONLY-
I'm tidying up my studio today, so that it will be spiffy clean - believe me, you don't want to see it in it's normal unruly state!

 If you are in Tucson, come on by next Saturday (the 16th) from 11-5 to see where all the magic and metalsmithing happens :-) I'd love to see you!
ciAO- Maureen

still running

like a chicken with it's head cut off-
doing more than I should, working like a madwoman in my studio, and fretting about getting it all done on time! I know I've been neglecting my blog- I'll be hopefully finding more time available after next weekend's opening...so, until then.....
ciao- M

Tucson, keepin it subversive

Tucson is a really laid back place to live- ample space for studio and gardens- I think we have pretty cheap rent too (though I haven't rented in years)
we spend a huge amount of time outside- so those of us with Seasonal Affective Disorder have no problems at all- Here in southern AZ we have so much sun it's almost maddening.

When I first moved here (from Boston in 1992) I was told that the few white puffy clouds that were in the sky made it a "cloudy" day...and that one day I would be just like all the other Southern Arizonans, who plead for a drop of rain to eek from a feeble cloud.....they were right!

When it rains here it's like a party- everyone goes to the window and the porch and slurps in the smell of wet creosote bush and desert ozone. You should see the tweets about the rain- Tucson Tweeps all bombard their twitterverse with exhalations of joy.  The plants green up, and birds tweet merrily.....All is good with the desert world..for about 15 minutes. Then it's back to sun sun sun sun sun sun sun.......The rarity of rain can explain why Tucson is also the home to Rainwater Harvesting and our local RH guru Brad Lancaster.(check out his book and website here)

Tucson is unlike most of AZ also because it is a patch of Democratic Blue in a sea of gun totin' whoop it up red Republicans. (ok, I'm exaggerating there, got a bit carried away with my stereotypes,  but we are really a Democrat haven in a red state) There are often motions for Pima county to succeed from the rest of AZ. While Portland keeps it weird, Tucson keeps it subversive.

It's awful that Tucson got "on the map" this year from the acts of a lone disturbed individual. But it was heartening to see the community pull together in the wake of the tragic shooting spree. We all have a lot of healing to do- and us subversive liberal artsy fartsy Tucsonans are keeping it real down here in the Olde Pueblo.
ciao for now- M

healing

Tucson Arizona-
It's a beautiful day here today- blue skies and sunshine- and a peaceful sensation of hope and healing.
Last night, I walked to University Medical Center- less than a mile from my home- to visit the memorial shrine and to pray with my fellow Tucsonans for the healing of the victims and their families.

The president arrives in Tucson in about an hour - to attend a memorial service for the victims and to offer words and leadership to begin the path to healing and recovery. I pray that his words are heard by Gabrielle, and that they give her strength in her road to recovery.

*paz*-M

and another thing

As I continue to process all that has transpired here in Tucson, I search for reason and solutions.

It's plain to see that the young man who "allegedly" went on this rampage has a deeply troubled mind- and that his actions in the previous years have been clear indications of someone who needed mental health support.

My heart goes out to all who have been touched by this tragedy- I personally know more than one of the wounded. Fine people, going about their business, in their attempt to make this world a better place. In the coming days the shock of the events in Tucson will slowly diminish- and we will continue our lives as before-

However- My hope is that during the healing process we can also see and acknowledge that our services for the mentally ill are inexcusably underfunded - and that in the healing period that follows our priorities for funding are re-examined- with a concentration on helping our troubled citizens find the wellspring of healing that they -(and we as human beings and as participants in modern society)- so desperately need.

M

my thoughts on senseless acts of violence

I'm home again in Tucson- just getting our feet under us, we hear of our friend and congresswoman being shot by a confused and twisted youth.

I mostly blame TV- and it's power to influence minds in a hypnotic manner. What we have now (on Fox) amount to hatred pep talks- speeches and propaganda that twist facts and incite hatred and violence.
There is an amount of responsibility on cable news media that has been whittled away, using the first amendment not as a support of freedom, but a weapon of freedom.
 It is a sticks and stones mentality that needs to be re-thought. Names DO hurt people- we as a country (and the world) need to create a more respectful dialogue within our disagreements, otherwise senseless acts of violence will continue, with ugly words and ideas being the root cause.
As my son's Kung Fu teacher says at the end of every class- "Use words to uplift and create, not to destruct and put down"
-peace-M

OK, I love my dog

 

here's my sweet

little Pit mix rescue dog, Daisy- 

she's healthier and much more vocal than

6 months ago when she came into our lives, sick with Valley Fever , covered with Ticks

and with a cut on her pink eyelid that was making her miserable.

Now

She's on her Meds, recovered from Tick fever fighting Valley fever

 gained  weight and is eating willingly,

sleeping in luxury (yes, on my bed) and sports a pink argyle sweater in

the mornings when the desert air is a tad chilly.

I

couldn't imagine life without her

I

am grateful.

❤

Fall 2010 Open Studio Tour

I am having open studio this weekend- if you have been contemplating a piece in my shop you may want to act on it before Saturday...many pieces find new homes during Open Studios....don't want you to miss out!

( By the way, if you are looking for my listing in the TPAC website- it can be tricky..
my listing in the artist's list is under "M"- they alphabetized it according to the artist's first name for some reason....not sure exactly why.......)

I hope to see you there!
ciao- Maureen

a map to my workshop is HERE on Google maps,
My studio will be open from 11am-5pm 
both Saturday Nov 13 and Sunday Nov 14th. 

Special Offer!:

mention this blog post and get 10% off any item during Open Studio Weekend 

(online and in person)

(discount will be shown as a refund on paypal if you are purchasing on line. Mention this Blog post while ordering to receive your discount)

thanks- ciao- M

pretty and deadly

pretty and deadly
Originally uploaded by cosmosmoonjewelry

It's finally cooling off here in Tucson- enough to be able to take a little hike in the desert. We went to Catalina State Park last Saturday morning with Daisy to walk the Romero Canyon loop (a relatively easy scenic desert trail). Thankfully, I had my eyes open and I spotted this beautiful creature just crossing the trail. I knew that we have snakes that look like coral snakes (but aren't) here in southern AZ they are pretty common, called Kingsnakes...BUT what I didn't know was that we also have coral snakes here (apparently someone forgot to tell them that our coral is long gone)

I took this picture so that I could identify the snake when we got home and to my surprise I find that it is a Western Coral snake (venomous and potentially deadly). So glad my son and my dog kept their distance (I did too- used a zoom on this image)

Here's the little rhyme that is taught to identify these two critters apart:
"Red touches yellow, could kill a fellow"
"Red touches black is a friend to Jack"

I'll remember it now! :-)
Happy trails to you!-MBZ

Affordable alternatives

Yes, silver is becoming more and more expensive-
I'm watching the market price go up on a daily basis- it's almost to the point that I won't be able to replenish my stock of silver supplies without raising my prices on my silver stock! YIKES!

Anyways- I totally appreciate the being on a budget thing-
that's why I've just added a less expensive alternative to
some of my gear pendants- They are in Yellow bronze and are on "sliding clasp"
adjustable cord.

gear heart pendant in yellow bronze  with sliding adjustable cord $35(pictured here)

I will also have one of these tree huggers on a sliding cord listed soon-
just have to finish them up and take some pics- they are the same as this listing, but with a sliding cord (also $35) I can list one of these for you if you are interested- just let me know

oh yeah- I don't have the compass pieces in bronze just yet- will have them in stock most likely in December/January. Hopefully in December...early. That's what I'm shooting for- Bang!
:-)