Thursday, January 8, 2009

Blue Sky Unmasked


This is so exciting for me! I am going to be interviewed by my favorite, Willow of Life at Willow Manor. I will answer her five questions and then I will invite you, my blog friends, to be interviewed as well. The instructions are at the end of this post.
1. What one thing most fuels your creativity?
If it were just one thing then I might then turn it on or off but it's everything in my world...it all seams to ignite my creativity. My imagination, the natural world, ancient history, my dreams, my spiritual inquiries ,all speak to me and urge me to self expression.
2. How long have you been painting and what spurred you to start?
I began in kindergarten at the easel with poster paints. As an adult I would take art classes, craft classes and later college courses and workshops. I studied other artists and I painted. My family spurred me on, as my father was an artisan, my mother and sister taught me how to use my dreams and imagination. All my life my mother insisted on dream recall and discussion. My sister had a childhood game of imagining whole lives in our minds, sitting very still and living in another realm. My first husband encouraged me to rent studio space and in the 80"s take my art to the next level. I've always had friends and support groups for encouragement.
3. How did you and Pablo meet?
My name on Yahoo personals was "leap o faith". Yes, Pablo and I met on the Internet. We began as strangers meeting for coffee at a coffeehouse in Santa Cruz and after two hours talking , we moved on to dinner. We met in Jan and we began living together in June. I had been a widow from a 26 year marriage and he ended a 34 year marriage...we were looking for our last best love. I will get his permission to post his poem about our first meeting.
4. If you could chose just one historical figure to have dinner with, who would it be and why?
Wouldn't it be great to ride in a wealthy caravan on the Silk Road?! A caravan with Marco Polo! I would like to step into that time, walk and ride with the pampered women, wearing silk and gold. The music, colors of the tents, fire torches, wine...I would eat the delicious food, listen to the stories, I would see first hand the craftsmanship of the time and be there to witness the great religions being born.
5. What do you consider your greatest extravagance?
I have lived a gifted life, receiving gifts of rings, stayed in a castle in Austria, ate wild extravagant dinners in both New York and LA but they were gifts, extravagant but gifts. My greatest extravagant gift to myself was to buy for cash a small home here in Santa Cruz...all mine! On a lighter note, I bathe everyday only with Vita Bath for the past 30 years. It is a European shower gel $100 for 128 oz. and it feels wonderful everyday!
If you would like to be interviewed by me, leave me a note in the comment section. Give me a day or two to send you 5 questions. Read below!
Here's the instructions:
1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me".
2.I will respond by emailing you five questions. (I get to pick the questions).
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
art work is a mixed media collage inspired from a vivid dream.

24 comments:

  1. I really enjoyed this post Mary Ann. It's nice to learn more about you! Thank you.

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  2. Mary Ann - fun, fun, fun! wonderful interview! and how cool that Willow got to ask you the questions!

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  3. Yes please - interview me - one of my dreams is to be on 'Desert Island Discs' (on BBC Radio 4) one day! So this is good practice! What a great idea - I never fail to be awed by the creativity of the blogging community - thank you for sharing more of yourself

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  4. This was wonderful, Mary Ann! Thank you! I posted a link to your blog so others can read, too. :)

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  5. Lovely responses. What you said about kindred spirits finding each other..sometimes invisible, then suddenly there! I too was gifted to discover Willow..

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  6. Great to see that the internet brought you and you partner together. It restores my faith in this medium. Well done, willow.

    Greetings from London.

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  7. how sweet to meet you through willow, you sound amazing..

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  8. Leslie, Thank you. I was so so excited, I put everything on hold, even dinner so I could answer her questions!

    Jeane, Very cool to have Willow ask the questions and they were great questions.

    Rambling Rose, Oh, wonderful! send your email address to marnya@cruzio.com and I'll prepare the questions!

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  9. Willow, Thank you so much, great questions and thank you for creating the link! I read the other ones interviewed and they were awesome!

    Lyn, I have always believed we meet the ones we need to meet and I couldn't agree more about meeting Willow. This blog business is fascinating.

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  10. OK...I'm jealous of the Vita Bath ritual!

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  11. A Cuban in London, Hello and thank you for stopping by...I agree, Willow's questions were great!

    lejardingirl, This blogging business is just amazing...glad you found me through Willow.

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  12. Wonderful to read these questions and answers. I love your extravagences! Well, love it all. This is a fun challenge.

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  13. Interesting answers! Love the dream image painting! Talent...talent...talent, simply.

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  14. I came back to read again. How wonderful the way your family influenced you. Talked about dreams, taught you to imagine different lives. Wonderful that your first husband was so encouraging. I love reading that everything fuels your creativity. You sound so responsive to life and the world around you. OK I'd like to be interviewed. i've read a few of the others on willow's blog. Fun.

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  15. How lovely to read your answers and visit your blog - I called round via Willow, I've just been interviewed too!

    I'm looking forward to visiting again when I've more time - it's 1am here and I'm looking at the Interviews before getting some sleep!

    What you say about dreams and creativity, is so interesting. Thank you.

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  16. You sound like happiness personified!

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  17. Hello Blue Sky,

    Yet another visitor via Willow's interview list!

    I was intrigued by the picture you have used for this post. At first glance I wondered if it was the three kings! but then saw the birdcage. What is it?

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  18. A great idea! I thoroughly enjoyed reading your answers, Mary Ann. So intriguing about the dream recall and your sisters visualization game.

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  19. Mary Ann! I'm glad to read your amazing interview. Thanks for this sharing.

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  20. Loved your interview, your blog and the Oasis series.

    Wonderful!

    Cute tea cup too!

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  21. loved reading about your art and your charmed life - you truly have been blessed

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  22. I came back to re-read your answers. Today, more and more people are meeting each other...I should say finding each other through the internet. I know of several of these relationships and its so nice that you have your own "You've got Mail" relationship. Your creative process seems to have been supported your whole life-your family, your first husband, and even now you are supported. What love you share through your work.

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  23. nice to read your willow answers as well...especially liked #3. what a romantic story.

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  24. I haven't visited in a couple weeks and I've missed so much! I LOVED the interview and I love getting to know you better every time I come visit your blog. xo ID Chris

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