A wonderful weekend with Bob Ebendorf

April, 2010

Since I met Bob Eberdorf 3 years ago when he came to teach a workshop at the Southwest School of Art, I felt in love not only with his work but with him as a person. From that moment we have been in contact and he has been a great support for me and my work.

I am so thankful for all his wonderful words and for always being there for me when I need him. My family and I are particularly thankful for his support during a difficult time, he may not know this but his letter was a BIG help during the application process to obtain my permanent residency in this country. He was one of the wonderful people who helped me during this process and as soon as I ask him for help he did not hesitated to give me a hand.
Thank You Bob, you will always be in my heart !!

During these years of communication with Bob, I had the opportunity to meet so many wonderful artists that were his students, one of them is Laura Wood. Bob let me know she was coming my way and I was more than happy to meet this wonderful lady.

Laura worked for a year at the Southwest School of Art and also she started working with another fantastic artists here in San Antonio, Alejandro Sifuentes, at his gallery. Equinox Gallery was a new beautiful place and Laura working with Alejandro was the perfect match. They have accomplished so much and have given the opportunity to so many incredible artists to display their work and have exhibitions. When Laura told me she was planning in having an exhibition for Bob I was more than happy, I could not wait to see him again and have the opportunity to see more of his work in person.

May, 2013

Finally, the moment for his exhibition arrived and I saw him again after 3 years. I organized a casual dinner in my home the day he arrived to the city. Seeing him again was wonderful and finally I was able to thank him in person for all his support.

I invited a small group of people to my home to join us, one of them I knew he will be very happy to see; my wonderful mentor and first metals teacher Claire Holliday.

Claire was Bob's student when she came to this country in the 70's and they have a beautiful connection. Claire is also a very important person in my life because she gave me my wings to start creating my work, she was a wonderful teacher and a great mentor.

Wonderful company: Bob Ebendorf,Claire Holliday, Kathleen Sommers,Alejandro Sifuentes, Laura Wood, Claudia Rush, Nancy Wood, Peggy Potts, Louise O., Tara Locklear and my dear husband Jorge.

The exhibition at Equinox Gallery was the following day of our dinner.

"Keep it in the can" was a fantastic exhibition, Bob worked making this new collection for a year and every single piece is full of detail and sentiment. Having the fortune to be able to see and touch his pieces is something I will never forget. He is a great inspiration to keep creating but also to take our time to be with family and friends and to connect with the art community.
In this beautiful event, we also surprised Bob with " The Bob Ebendrof Commemorative Pin Exhibition" featuring 75 invited artists who created a pin for Bob. I was luck to have been invited to be part of this group of artists by Equinox gallery.

This is the pin I made for Bob.

I am happy to be the owner of one of Bob's pieces finally, my dear husband gave me as a gift one of Bob's brooches and I will wear it with such pride and honor all the time. Thanks Jorge !! ♥

Keep it in the Can Brooch with White Costume Bundle
©Robert Ebendorf
Mixed Media
4" x 3" x 1/2"

My last day with Bob was during his "Brush of Creativity" workshop the following day of the exhibition. Equinox also organized this workshop in La Villita  where the gallery is located. Bob started the day with a slideshow following by a creative day making brushes from different materials and objects.
Being surrounded by so many creative people and having Bob guiding us was just the perfect day for me. I had the chance to be with friends I have not seen for a while and after having a couple of very challenging months and days after my diagnosis of Thyroid Cancer, this was just what I needed to fill my spirit with good energy and great friends.
I made some brushes and end up giving Bob one of them because he liked it and I was more than happy to give it to him. I do not have a picture of my brush because I did not have time to photograph it but I liked it a lot. It was something new for me to be able to put together a piece using a natural seed, part of a small brass brush I had in my studio and a coil I made with copper wire and red coral beads.

After this wonderful weekend full of laughter, friendship, love and art I can honestly say I am more than ready for my future surgery and recovery.
THANK YOU for this great weekend to all of the people who made this possible !!!!!

Hope I can see Bob again very soon !!

Thyroid Cancer: I am READY !!

It was around 11:30 am on Friday, April 5, when I was waiting in my endocrinologist office to talk about the results of my thyroid biopsy. When she got into the office and she did not have the usual smile in her face I knew something was not right; well I knew something was not right when they called me the next day I had my biopsy to tell me they needed to talk with me.
She sat next to me and asked me how I was feeling and I told her I was great. She then continue to tell me she received the results and that she had some bad news to give me, I knew then what it was. She showed me the paperwork and I saw the word, Papillary carcinoma, and I knew right there I have Thyroid cancer. She said, I am sorry Lorena they found cancer and you need to go to surgery very soon to take it out.
I am not going to lie and said I was okay, I was very confused and in shock even though I got the feeling that will be my diagnosis.
I have always been concerned with my thyroid because I noticed it looked enlarged, I always asked my doctors to check my thyroid but they only did a regular blood work and it always came back normal but this time I was not going to accept only a blood work, I asked to have a sonogram to be more sure. Thanks to this they found I have lots of nodules and one of them was more than 2 cm big. Anything that is bigger than 1 cm needs to be check out and they told me I will be having a biopsy.
I know I am blessed because this type of cancer is not as bad as any other type and I have faith it all will be okay after the surgery and future treatment.
I am writing this very personal moment because I have always been a person who likes to share my experiences, good or bad. I am very passionate about my family, my art and my life and I will go through all this with the same passion I have for all the important things in my life.
Am I scare? YES I am
Am I concerned? YES I am
I am only human and it is normal I feel like this, mostly because of my kids and my husband but I know it all will be OKAY.

                             Thyroid Cancer, I am READY to say Good Bye to you very soon !!!!!

I am BACK !!!!

I can not believe I have not been able to post in my blog since November of last year! I was so overwhelmed with different projects that I just did not had the time to come here and share what I was doing.
I missed it too much but now I am BACK and I can not wait to start posting all the adventures I will get myself into this year, 2013.

How are you all been doing? Are you starting this year with new goals?
I am starting this year with lots of blessings in my personal life and with lots of goals and dreams for my work and my life.

Last year was a very excited and challenging year for me and my family and I have to thank so many wonderful people who were always cheering us up and giving us all their support. To each one of you I want to say THANK YOU !


This year also brought us a new member in my family, we decided to adopt a beautiful cat and bring her home with us. Luna has giving us so much happiness and love and we are happy to have her with us.


She loves to come visit me in my studio and sit in the window while I work.
My kids are so happy with her, specially my daughter Veronica.



On the other hand, I am very happy to have my work in the wonderful Mariposa Gallery in Albuquerque, NM. I have always wanted to be able to show my work there and when I had the possibility I was SUPER HAPPY.

So what have you all been doing? I want to wish each one of you a fantastic 2013, with lots of blessings, health and work.

Love,
Lorena

The Bracelet show at Kathleen Sommers, 2012.

I am happy to be part of The Bracelet Show at Kathleen Sommers this year again. This is the fourth annual collective show and every year this event gets better and better. The reception will take place on December 6th from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm at Kathleen Sommers located in 2417 N. Main St. in San Antonio, Texas.

The show will have over 100 designs by more than 60 artists

Bracelets will be on display and available for purchase until December the 15th.
10% of all proceeds will be donated to the Scholarship Fund at Southwest School of Art in San Antonio.

These are my bracelets that will be in the show.

Folk Bird
©2012 Lorena Angulo
Sterling PMC; hand sculpted and carved.

Paloma
©2012 Lorena Angulo
Sterling PMC and LOS patina; hand carved and sculpted.

Dia de los Muertos: La Ofrenda at SSA

I am getting super excited about putting together the altar this coming Saturday at SSA. It is a great honor to have been invited to be the lead artists this year and I will do my best to represent this wonderful tradition from my country, Mexico.

My "Angel" is born

Angel
©2012 Lorena Angulo
Goldie Bronze

I am extremely happy to finally be able to create this angel that has been in my heart for a long time. I have always loved the traditional folk art angels carved in wood from Mexico and I wanted to have my own interpretation of them in my metal work.

Angels have a beautiful symbolic meaning, they can represent love, faith, compassion, renewal, protection, courage and much more. In my personal case they have been a great inspiration of faith, protection and love in my life.

I really hope I can transmit these feeling when you see the angel, when I made it I was thinking in all those moments in my life where I knew my angel was with me and my whole family.

This is just the beginning of a whole collection I will be creating with my "Angel."

Hope you like it!

Angel
©2012 Lorena Angulo
Goldie Bronze

Contemporary Metal Clay Rigs by Hattie Sanderson

I just got the Contemporary Metal Clay Rings book in the mail. I have to say this book in incredible and full a great information. Hattie Sanderson did an incredible job putting together the book with such great projects.

Three of my rings are in the book and I am very honor to be with so many great artists and friends in this book.