Sunday November 2nd 

 

 Spent a beautiful Saturday with Chris, Mary and Jax roaming the Camelback Corridor.  We popped into a lovely little gallery and art show called Shemer- featuring local artists, food, music, and art.

Mary, Mary quite contrary....my talented photographer /cousin by marriage. 

 

Entrance to Soleri - an experiment in eco-culture by the renouned Paolo Soleri, whom still resides here with his wife and many others still living the dream that people and earth can live in harmony.

 

  Uhhhmmm- horizontal stripes are a bad idea even when you aren't pregnant Chelle-belly!!

The above photos are from a very special place hidden away in Scottsdale called, Arcosanti. Paolo Soleri

came to AZ to work under Frank Lloyd Wright and began his own studies merging architecture and ecology back in the 60's.  This community is built completely by the hands of volunteers and tree huggers from all over the world. The pouring of the copper and bronze bells is what funds the entire project.  (The bells run from $100 to upwards of $10,000 and beyond!)  

Some handpainted tiles. (Soleri has branched out a touch from bells to include tiles and olive oil for sale.  however, it is the bell sales that fully fund the projects.)

 

Bells are poured daily from 8am-noon, mon-fri.  It is a very interesting process.  Here are some of the molds used.  All the equipment seems very old fashioned, molds, kilns, tools etc.  We really enjoyed the tour- it was like a step back into the hippy days where love and peace tolled on the hearts of many, and the smell of patchouli reeked loudly to cover the burning pipes of hemp :-) To read more about this mystical little commune and the eco-culture ArcoSanti that is still in construction some 35 years later approx. 50 miles from here, go to: www.arcosanti.org  

- Bella