November 2018

“I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy.”

John Adams

Usually November is our “Art Issue”. However, in one of our Eye meetings, our discussion evolved to offering our opinions of Trump’s ‘America First’ campaign; it was decided that November’s theme would be ‘Mexico First’.  We discussed Mexican inventions, such as color television and The Pill, and I envisioned the November cover with the words “Mexico First” emblazoned across. When the submissions started to slip into my inbox they mostly dealt with art and I realized that we hadn’t communicated or committed sufficiently to the theme. Continue reading Editor’s Letter →

By Julie Etra

Mexico is first in the world for avocado production. It is hugely important to the Mexican economy, and its production represents 45.95% of the world’s international export market according to the Agriculture Secretariat (SAGARPA: La Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería, Desarrollo Rural, Pesca y Alimentación). Continue reading Mexico:  Number 1 in Avocadoes! →

By Marcia Chaiken and Jan Chaiken

Last winter, after we left Mexico, we returned to the US and stayed a week in La Jolla, California.  We were there primarily to visit our granddaughter, who was in her final year at UC San Diego.  Since she had obligations other than entertaining her grandparents – such as classes and work – we had time to explore the area.  One afternoon we headed to the San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park.  We had fond memories of the permanent art collection and wanted to refresh our acquaintance with some of the old masters from Spain such as El Greco and Goya. Continue reading A Serendipitous Finding: Roberto Romero-Molina →

By Alvin Starkman, M.A. J.D.

Tour guides are generally the most expensive way to see the sights in the central valleys around the city of Oaxaca.  The second class bus system is the most economical. But there are other choices, and budget should not be your only consideration when wanting to visit the rug village; an alebrije workshop; the big Tule tree; archaeological sites; mezcal factories; a weekly marketplace; makers of black, green or terra cotta pottery; or a selection from the umpteen other options available during a visit to the state capital. You might want to consider hiring a driver or cabbie, hopping into a colectivo, using a tour company, or even renting a car. Each basically provides a safe alternative. Continue reading How to Visit the Sights near Oaxaca City: Guide, Driver, Colectivo, Bus, Taxi, Tour Company or Rental Car →

By Deborah Van Hoewyk

Think lobster, and your mind leaps to the right side of the menu, where it’s going ker-ching, ker-ching!  A luxury dinner out, right?

That’s where my Uncle Whit thought he was taking my Aunt Marian in some fancy San Francisco restaurant years ago. Originally from Massachusetts, then from Minnesota, they were so happy to get to an ocean they ordered Maine lobsters. And what showed up on their plates? Fierce looking, spiny and ochre-spotted burnt-orange creatures with no front claws, officially named Panulirus interruptus, better known as the California, and sometimes the red, spiny lobster.  It has none of the gorgeous, tomato-red curving claws and rounded carapace of Homarus americanus, the Maine lobster.  No one from New England would ever mistake one for the other.  Which is why, according to family lore, the restaurant said, “Well, no one here knows the difference,” and invited them back the next night for a complimentary lobster dinner flown in from Maine. Continue reading Lobster – From Maine to México →

By Leigh Morrow

Nature’s autumn artist has skillfully painted the vineyards outside my window in Canada, where I write this, and I hear the sound of geese doing practice flights above my house. They will repeat their flights until that unannounced day when they suddenly leave and the sky is filled with their distinctive V patterns. Their migrations can be as long as 2,000 to 3,000 miles (up to 4,828 km), and the geese are capable of flying up to 1,500 miles (2,414 km) in a single day if the weather is good. Continue reading Undocumented Hearts →

By Kary Vannice

Sometimes the unseen is what makes art so powerful, what’s been covered up, cut out, or intentionally eliminated from the frame.

A few weeks ago, at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, I noticed a significant, wall-sized painting, with several large pieces missing. It was obvious the main event had been intentionally cut out and discarded. The absence of … the void … the unknown drew me in. Why would an incomplete painting warrant such a prized placement in a world-renowned museum? Was it the subject matter or the painter that justified its esteemed location? Continue reading The Powerful Pull of the Unseen →