artist, instructor, organizer, ethical meat advocate
Mexico City has gone to Red Level based on the Covid threat, and while I understand it means a high level of precautions must be taken, it’s an absolutely surreal time to be in CDMX, especially as a newbie. So I will do the things that help keep me sane: biking, art and my dogs. Oh and sketch in the Zoom Sketch Sessions with a dedicated group of artists, a good way to ride out this ongoing pandemic, focused on art.
Stay safe, be well.
Today I grabbed an Ecobici and rode down to Coyoacán to see what’s happening; it’s definitely quieter and less crowded which made it easier to navigate, but there’s a looming fret in the air due to the Delta situation; I suspect no one knows what’s in store — for any of us. I’m pretty mindful as I maneuver my way around, being on a bike helps, but I spent my time in Coyoacán on foot (no ecobici docks), and even had some time in the mercado because it was so sparse. Gorgeous mercado but limping along (no carnitas and chicharron guys!! Well it is Tuesday…). I ate a delicious Chiles en Nogada standing at a counter (first time I actually liked it because it was not sweet). Of course I went to Museo Frida Kahlo although I didn’t go in, I sat on the curb and drew it. I talked to the mango sellers; they’re from Puebla, their wives were on the corner selling Frida masks and dolls and they are quite nervous about the lack of tourists, the ripple effect is in full ripple. Most of the Centro Plaza with the coyote fountain was roped off, but I enjoyed a refreshing Nieve de los Dioses while taking it all in. I know it is a precarious time to be in Mexico City, and it feels as though I’m seeing and experiencing a moment of great transition of which we’re all uncertain — this could be said of the entire world, but there’s something about the reality of life and death in Mexico that smacks you across the face and asks you to snap out of it. The festiveness of Mexico is on MIA and it appears everyone is holding their breath. But alas there’s still some dancing in the streets! Godspeed to Mexico xx
ooooooMmmg real ramen!! If ya know the Japanese guy who teaches salsa in Parque Mexico, you’d know he puts out a list of his favs + most authentic. This Condesa restaurant is half Asian kitchen/cooking supplies, half restaurant — and it’s riquisimosso
Ramen Sairi ラーメン 彩理
https://www.facebook.com/ramensairi2019/
Sidebar: my transportation is the Ecobici, I ride it wherever I go, unless I’m walking with my dogs. Today was the first day I said to myself, “ohhhhh I won’t be gone that long, I won’t need my raincoat nor any other rain gear.” Well naturally the hugest rainstorm blew in just as I finished my ramen and I decided to blast on home for the 13 minute bike ride — and what a treat that was NOT! Literally strikes of lightning and thunder, I was completely soaked to the bone and in hindsight it was a pretty stupid thing to do, but I was fueled by a powerful broth, hiiiiiijole
Sunday in Mexico City, after a long bike ride up el Paseo, I stopped on the edge of Chinatown to capture some chaos with my Sharpie pen and fluorescent highlighters, inspired by my Zoom Sketch Sessions #kaPOW
My first morning in Navarte, I knew exactly where I wanted to have coffee: Cafe Cafe CDMX. I did my research and wanted to visit the cafes that did their homework, and their research. Oh and I also needed some good neighborhood aesthetics for my early morning coffee sketch!
I’m really enjoying the Continuous Line practice, it feels like a grand roller coaster and I cannot get off until the end. It helps for me to push through the fear of not knowing what to draw next; it doesn’t matter becasue I’m on my way. I’ve incorporated it into my Zoom Sketch Sessions and I hear a number of participants comment that it’s helping them to break through fears as well.
My morning sketches, which I give to the cafe:
Soooo much amazing architecture in Mexico City; today I chose to draw La Casa de Las Brujas, an incredible building with an incredible history. The building looks like a witch’s hat and the story goes some high-ranking witches used to call this home, and their high-ranking clientele used to visit!
For me the travel sketcher, I threw down some pencil lines to frame it up, then went at it with my sailor fude fountain pen to create a continuous line, a little white crayon then the watercolor. I forgot to add people, I was so in the moment, but I’ll be back to sketch The David, who was right behind me, wooooH0000 Buenas Noches Witches!!
My one-minute movie:
I’ve been wanting to see this church since I arrived; Saturday was the first time I was able to slip in between communions and baptismals, yowzah.
It’s a ginormous concrete of a building, and their website offers a lengthy history, but here’s the final gist:
El Purísimo Corazón de María is a parish which is located on Gabriel Mancera Street between Torres Adalid and Luz Saviñon, where Division del Norte, Amores and Colonia Del Valle avenues converge, in the neighborhood of the same name. The total height of the Parish is 65 meters with its 20 meter high polyhedron dome topped by the image of Mary with semi-open arms that together with its base measures 10 meters and can be seen from a great distance; It is a unique church thanks to such a figure that is at its peak. Few know his name and think that the great figure that crowns its dome is a Christ instead of the Virgin Mary.
I have my own urban sketchers’ club, since the Covid situation is doing anything but improving, and it’s super important for me to be mindful of what’s happening in Mexico City. I will continue to walk with my “club” members, capture scenes in my sketchbook, and will hope there’s some esperanza for those who can endure through these strange pandemic days (happening all over, not just Mexico).
I think without my art, I would have lost my mind ages ago…. it’s my greatest meditation tool (#continuouslinedrawing #ftw), it helps me connect with people (they stop to say hello to my dogs or look at what I’m doing), and it marks a time and place in my life that’s the greatest and coolest memoir EVAH. Stay safe, maneuver mindfully not insatiably, and help keep your community safe.
I met up with the URBAN SKETCHERS CIUDAD DE MÉXICO on a Sunday afternoon and did a continuous line drawing from the terraza of the Museo Kaluz looking over at a very craycray CDMX intersection whewww 
Gracias #uskchilango-s, estar bien, hasta la proxima
July 2021 Roma Norte
I’ve been doing a lot of Continuous Line Drawings these days, as a way to calm myself and get lost in the line making. I drew “The David” on location — that was HARD and I’m not even referring to the fact that it started raining. It takes a lot of inner calm to not worry about the people, my abilities, my materials, my phone, my anxiety — and just lean into the drawings which are honestly so much fun. Red Square and Midwest Carnival done in the Zoom Sketch Sessions, I’m making everyone try this meditative art practice OMMMMMMMMmmmm #dropsmic
Drawing the David, see how I did it:
July 2021 Mexico City
Delicious coffee explorations continue, and my coffee sketches are being shared by the cafes I’ve visited! Today we went to Mercado Lazaro Cardenas in Del Valle; no pets are allowed in Mercado, but ask nicely and the Señora selling bancos to the side of the main entrance will kindly watch your doggies while retrieving a delicious swan-topped coffee. Not possible to sketch this one, so I’ll look for another opp 
Deeeeeeeeelicious coffee!!!
CAFÉ Passmar serves up a damn fine cup of coffee, and I bought some to have on hand.
Adolfo Prieto s/n Local 237 Col. Del Valle Norte, Deleg. Benito Juárez, CDMX
IG: @passmaroficial
I moved to Mexico City’s Colonia Navarte in July, 2021, with Chiquis and Bunner in tow, just a tad south of Roma Sur— and so far I love it!! It’s a tranquilo residential neighborhood full of people walking their dogs, quality coffee culture and a high ranking neighborhood for taco aficionados. I’m looking forward to becoming a local —and sketching it along the way (temporarily lost my sketching mojo, will trust that it’ll find its way back — we’ve got work to do!!).
Although we should be looking at what we can do every day in order to live more responsibly in the world, today that conversation may be louder due to global protests and profound activists. The vegan message is loud, but that’s no solution because massive amounts of industrialized soy and corn are needed to make those fake meat burgers, which is enormously damaging, as is all industrialized farming.
I see lots of people rave about cheap food in Mexico; food is cheap for a lot of reasons, and the industrialized methods are just as prevalent in Mexico as they are with our neighbors to the north. You can eat at Pollo Feliz and watch truckloads of fat, diseased chickens drive by on their way to slaughter, it’s that viceral.
I see people on the pro-meat side of the world encouraging meat eating to save the planet, and none of it means a thing if you source your meat or vegetables from industrialized chemical farms. There’s no easy solution, but maybe together we can help each other be more accountable to our choices.
It goes deeper than the label, deeper than the price. Head swirling with all there is to think about…. get grounded, go local, be present, cut out the middleman, think clearly. Peace out from this ol’Farm Crone #regenerativeagriculture
Mid-September is a gorgeous time on Cañada de la Virgen; fruits and vegetables are coming into full maturation, the days are a bit cooler and ending a bit earlier, insects are moulting into their next carnation, and the full Harvest Moon put on a grand show in the clear dark skies of Central Mexico. I love spending time on the farm and enjoying the fruits of the season, so incredibly special.
The unbearable heatwave in Amsterdam ended almost as soon as the Urban Sketchers Symposium’s closing ceremony, and I was thrilled to jump on a train and head to Belgium, with a stop in Antwerp, bound for Brugge. I’ll be honest I first learned about Brugge about ten years ago when the movie “In Brugge” came out, and knew immediately it was a town I wanted to see and explore, even though it was the butt of many jokes throughout the dark-ish yet hilarious-ish movie.
I was NOT disappointed! It was cloudy and cool when I arrived, and lucky me chose and Airbnb room equipped with a bike, which was the perfect method to travel about the area. I totally fell for medieval Brugge, enjoyed its history museum, the main plaza, the locally produced beer, and I will never, ever forget the incredible Belgium chocolate sold in about every third shoppe. Belgium has never really ranked on a “must-see” list, but now I’m scheming to find ways to return. It was lovely, delightful, gorgeous, so long as you stayed a step ahead of the throngs of tourists who arrive by the busload beginning about 10am, but by that time I was well on my way to see windmills and the beach-loving dachunds on the Netherland coast. Sunset in Brugge, which much like Amsterdam lasted about four hours, was a delightful time to watch the twinkling lights come alive in Brugge, as the horses clopped by, and the action turned local.
On my way to the airport, I stopped for an afternoon in Brussels, and as a good student of Rick Steves, I marched right into the Tourist Office to ask what should I see right here, right now. They told me the Royal Belgium Palace is only open to the public four weeks each each, and today was the first day, so they recommended I march right over — and oo-la-la I did march right over! I saw the Royal Belgium Palace in all its glory! After that, a quick handstand in the Grand Marketplace, followed by some mussels from Brussels and a gorgeous local beer, and then away I went.
Three days, that’s all I had, and I can’t wait to return. I see there’s an illustration workshop there early next year…. hey what a great idea, a sketch workshop IN BRUGGE … <3
July, 2019 I finally attended my first Urban Sketchers Symposium, this year held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands –and it was amazing! The only downside was that there was a historic heatwave throughout all of Europe, and made it quite challenging to endure the long days spent sketching out in the streets. I stayed in an adorable attic apartment, but it was sweltering as well, so it was a crazy-hot and bright week. Would I do it again? IN A HEARTBEAT. Next year’s event will be held in Hong Kong, and it’s my intention to get my heiney and my sketchbook in HKG next April!
My photos and sketches from my time in sweltering Amsterdam, where I took the following workshops:
Memories of a City, Reportage with Veronica Lawlor
Amsterdam Rooftops with Hugo Costa
Urban Portraits with Marina Grechanik
I could not be more delighted to be aligned with Central Mexico’s only certified organic cattle ranch and federally protected sanctuary, Cañada de la Virgen. I’ve been aware of this ranch and it’s owners from the first month I began making grass-fed beef, because their products went in the shelves the same month as the beef products I was producing. In the ensuing months, I watched as their products became more professional; their labels became more informed and I remember declaring to myself, “they are in it to WIN IT.” I studied their pricing structure because I was basically winging it and following prices in America, which made no sense to apply those rigors in Mexico. I searched the internets to discover more about Cañada de la Virgen, and although I found much information about their sacred pyramid and the tourism it supports, I found very little about their beef production. I was intrigued.
I then found myself without a ranch and a place to do business. It was a terrifying time once again, as I had no idea what I was going to do and how I was going to support myself. I quietly crawled through this muck and mire of disillusionment, yet my determination to work in the cattle industry could not be extinguished. Somehow I was going to find a way.
A few weeks later, I received a message to contact Sophia Trapp, the owner and director of Cañada de la Virgen. I knew very little about her, she was this mysterious female cattle rancher living in Mexico, raising her children and carrying on her mother’s work. I had to know her.
I met Sophia and after some initial conversations, I learned her mission was to make and have available clean meat for the mothers of Mexico. Most of the good meat produced in Mexico is exported, leaving the sub-par cuts of meat here at home for the people of Mexico. Sophia has stayed true to this mission, as the meat is packaged for ease of cooking and consumption for mom’s making meals at home. I totally respect this mission and believe in it as well. On about our third meeting, she said, “Why aren’t you working with us? We love your passion and dedication to this industry, and where else in the world would I find someone that gets the spiritual side of sacrificing cows?”
It’s been an amazing education to work the Cañada de la Virgen team, and I will always think of them as my family and friends. We’ve done amazing work together, put the business on the national map, and we now sell organic grass-fed, grass-finished meat throughout all of Mexico.
I spent Easter weekend with the family at the Hacienda, and I absolutely love the opportunity to stick my hands and feet into the sacred and magical dirt of Cañada de la Virgen, and hope to return in the years to come.
“Cows have a hold over us, and once you develop a passion for them, it will never leave you.” —Werner Lampert, The Cow, A Tribute
For some time now, I’ve been searching for a way to get back to the Mother Country, back into the fold, to expand my business, my network, my craft and career. Yet I kept coming up against a big fat stupid wall, and could see no clear path before me. The work I’ve done in Mexico has been like no other work; I’ve had monumental experiences with cattle ranching, butchering, and ethical meat like I never would in America, yet it has all whet my whistle to want to experience more — and become a stronger advocate. I’m extremely grateful to the people and places that have presented and provided opportunities in the past few years, ay Chihuahua what an education!
Somehow along the way while in Mexico, I lost contact with the family I once knew, and it’s been quite odd to no longer have a home nor place in America — anywhere in America. I’ve never been okay with this lack of status. Thankfully, I’ve come to know a vital and strong local community, and continue to meet new friends and allies within my sketching and ethical meat communities.
I’ve had a desire to get back to America for some time now, even as the country marinates in a strange orange hue. My schemes and dreams have often awakened me in the wee hours of the night, because I’m not ready to live full time in a retirement town. There’s still much more to sort out, yet I found a portal opportunity in San Diego, California — and I couldn’t be more delighted to cast the net in that direction.
I’ve been approved to teach “Sketch Balboa Park” as an Airbnb Experience, and I begin in May, as I will be there for an extended Memorial Day holiday. I’m excited to stay at a friend’s house and dog sit her brilliantly bouncy dog, Belle. I’m bringing Art Leap Adventures with me, as it’s time to make it a legit business and expand my efforts into America and market to a larger audience. I’ll to continue to organize sketch tours to Mexico, partner with more top-notch instructors, and explore the fascinating and diverse country that is Mexico.
It’s good to learn how to sketch, and I’ll continue to encourage people to do so. We all need a break from our screaming phones, no?
I am not abandoning my ethical meat and cattle welfare efforts; in fact I feel as though I’ve gone as far as I could in Mexico, and now it’s time to take it home. I continue to stay current with the Regenerative Agriculture communities of America, yet it’s certain more will be revealed when I’m on the ground. Meat is so mysterious in America, mostly fast and cheap, as is much of the food these days. Now it’s my turn to follow my own advice to find a local farmer and hold him or her tight — because I’ll need a local source for good clean meat and bones.
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee I’m so excited to get back to America!