Thank God for HEAT!

I can't even get down to the pond today to show you the latest snow. This will have to do. This shot is taken out my kitchen sliding glass door of the table and chairs on the second floor deck.

Or, how do you like this one of our diving board? Anyone for a quick swim?

Many people here are without power. I am really grateful for heat, a fireplace upstairs as well as downstairs, and for electric blankets!!

A time for all Seasons II

I knew it wouldn't be too long before I could show you the 3rd photo of the pond at the bottom of the hill to our home in Wisconsin. It is 18 degrees and snowing. It is beautiful now, but soon, I will long for the warmer days of living outdoors.

A time for all Seasons

There is a definite advantage to living in Wisconsin to experience the distinct 4 seasons. These trees surrounding the pond at the bottom of the hill to our home just lost their leaves of brilliant colors. What glorious days for plein air painting! It seemed just a few short weeks before, the same pond area was this verdent green.

In a few more weeks I will show you the same pond in ice and blinding white snow.

While I admit, this Southern gal from Texas finds the winter months long, the other seasons almost make me forget about those cold months. I find myself wishing I could capture it all in little glass bottles, just to open and smell the green when the cold stretches on. But, then I remember that there is a time for all seasons.

The nesting has begun.

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; but remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”
—Epicurus (341BC-270BC); ancient Greek philosopher

to thine own self be true

http://rachelashwellshabbychic.blogspot.com/

This journal entry is taken from Rachel Ashwells beautiful blog. I respect Rachel's business savvy. She has always been her own person, without copying other artist's style. That is true integrity -to be admired.

Textile Art Challenge

My first challenge at K.C. Willis' Collage Camp. She called for a challenge-a textile wall hanging - all recycled! Of course, my studio is overflowing with recycled treasures.
I wanted to do something just for fun, so I started with a sweet little black and white photo of my Aunt, entitled "School Days - 1939".

She told me that the darling little coat she was wearing was made by a friend, and that she still has it in her "hope" chest.

I transferred it onto muslin, but wasn't happy with the result, so I painted the school days photo on a piece of discarded canvas, then added an old pattern tissue paper using Diamond Glaze. I also used recycled/vintage fabric, ribbon, buttons, unfinished quilt-top piece (from my now-deceased, mother in law), tatting, a single earring my aunt gifted to me that belonged to her Mother, and then used alphabet stamps to print "A Blue Coat" and "ABC".

The challenge was really fun, but more importantly, it
was dear to me and from the heart! I hope she likes it! Thanks K.C. for including me!

A New Retreat

K.C. Willis over at Lipstick Ranch has announced a new art retreat in her home in beautiful Colorado. K.C. is one of the most generous artists I know, and now you can actually saddle up next to her and pick her creative brain. Click on this textile piece by K.C. for the details.

freebie every month

This time I am giving you a heads up on a blog that gives monthly freebies! Check out the details at:
http://theartinyou.blogspot.com/

another give-away

K.C. Willis of Lipstick Ranch is giving away a $300.00 shopping spree of her work. K.C. placed several of her pieces in my shop, Nest, back when I lived in Ft. Collins, Co. several years ago. I recently happened upon her website. She is still doing what she does best. And YOU can learn from her now. Check out her collage camp here.

http://collagecamp.ning.com/

freebies

Look what I got !- this beautiful collage sheet for FREE from Kirsi over at Cute n Cool Blog Stuff.
She also has lots of other choices and you get to pick which one you want!


Get 2 free collage sheets here: http://www.digitalcollagesheets.com/free.aspx

scent of a rose

The beauty of Mother's Day lingers.

Mothers' Protection

A MaMa robin has been letting me know in no uncertain terms that I best stay away from her nest in the tree out our back door. Communicating with me in any method possible, she made it obvious that she would protect her babies at any cost to herself. Her devotion made me think about the inate sense of protection a Mother has for her offspring - no matter what species, nationality, religion or age.


I will leave you with a few images of Mothers' love at any cost.

"Nothing" doesn't exist

Have you every allowed someone to make you feel "small", feel like "nothing"? Sometimes less is more! Watch this.

First Gift - "Guide Me"

Shrine - "First Gift - Guide Me"

Baby's First Gift is a very special memento that I thought would take the place of the old bronzed, shoe book-ends that were once popular.

I would be honored to create a similar piece, commissioned by your specifications, using your own baby shoe in any color.

This sweet shrine was made by painting a 4 3/4" x 6 1/4" x 4" wood and glass box in a pearlescent color and adding gold Dresden embossed foil. Then scraps of net and velvet, beaded flowers from an old hat, along with white feathers were added on top. Since we want to give our children roots and wings, I thought the feathers seemed appropriate. The vintage photo of a sweet little girl was copied, then tinted with paint. She was embellished with a vintage, velvet posey and glass glitter, then the word "guide me" applied. The front clasp was adorned with dyed,silk ribbon. The vintage baby's walking shoe is removable and has several options for display. It is coated with pink, glass glitter and tiny hearts. White silk ribbon was used for laces. Inside and bottom of shoe was covered with paper depicting crowns of royalty.

*Click here for pricing and ordering.

"I have begun to emerge" Shrine

I made this shrine in honor of a young woman who emerged out of what could have been a hard shell of a life into a rare pearl that has been polished to it's luster as a direct result of the harshness of life. The resulting strength as well as beauty is celebrated in this homage. I painted a 6" x 7" x 5" wood box with glass on each side to enable the viewer to see through.

The lid opens by way of shell and pearl with silk ribbon and a removable tag that reads - "Delicate and fragile, yet endowed with an inner strength that survived and defied the sea storms of life."

The top of the box is encrusted in shells, pearls, a vintage earring and glass glitter. Inside the box, there are more encrusted shells, pearls, glass beads and glass glitter, along with other bits found on the beach. An image was collaged depicting a mermaid reaching upward, as well as another mermaid watching in admiration. Unfurling from the largest shell is a message that reads " I have begun to emerge. I have begun to reveal myself". Most of the items in this piece are bits and pieces washed up on the shore where I collected them in Virginia Beach. I have left them just as I found them, using the natural elements to my advantage. i.e. no drilling of holes were necessary for attachments, due to natural holes that were already in the shells.

It should be noted that I have never met this young lady. I have only heard stories of her strength. In imagining her, this shrine took on a life of it's own. I hope that she is pleased. This piece is SOLD, but commissions are taken using your own personal specifications.

"Love Springs Eternal"

I have been creating more tin nichos/shrines.















This tin nicho is designed in the traditional cross shape. I whitewashed the entirety, then washed it with walnut for the appearance of more age. The glass front is hinged to open from the bottom, up. There are 3 separate compartments inside. I choose a vintage Italian Holy card of a Madonna in adoration of a rose that appears to have sprung up in the midst of nothing. I couldn't keep from thinking about how many times I have been surprised at finding beauty in the midst of what might have been viewed as ruins or despair. Following the rose symbol, I remembered some dried roses I had hung in the rafter in my studio from a bouquet that I couldn't bear to discard. With the baby's breath, a wash of bees wax and a sprinkle of glass glitter, I knew that the rose would now be encased for a loving memory. The milagro hearts, dripping with more bees wax seemed perfect for both the small compartments. I rusted, then cut metal filigree to embellish each of the 4 points of the cross. After attaching, they were then painted with bees wax. There is a metal loop for a hanger on the back, but I added another option for hanging with the ribbon. The ribbon is composed of old lace taken from a wedding veil, pink,vintage baby blanket binding and a hand dyed silk ribbon.

This beauty is gonna be hard to part with.

You can see more nichos and shrines on my website at www.sacredartimages.com

"From Heaven"

I want to share this incredible work by my friend, Marsha Stewart. She and her daughter, Kirsten have been such an inspiration for me. We have never even met in person, but have become kindred spirits. Isn't this world wide web an amazing vehicle for connecting like-minded people that we may have otherwise never had a chance to cross paths? For that, I am grateful. This painting, "From Heaven" is one of my favorite. You know how sometimes a piece just speaks to you for some esoteric, spirit-filled way that you can't explain? This gift of language without words continues to amaze me. Not all eyes have vision. Marsha certainly "gets it"!
Unfortunately, she does not yet have a website, so let me know if you would like to contact her about commissioning a special piece.



"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit."
~ Albert Schweitzer

more new shrines

More detail on my website:
http://www.sacredartimages.com/tin-container-shrines.html

Tin Shrine - "Prayer"





Tin Shrine- "Silence"












Tin Shrine - "You Are Powerful"

New Works

Announcing new works on my website. I completed some shrines.

http://www.sacredartimages.com/tin-container-shrines.html







I made this shrine just for myself. It encapsulates a constant dream I have about our daughter who went to heaven at the age of 2 years. She left a body of limitations for one that walks on clouds, one that runs among flowers, and even one that lifted her with wings to fly!!!!!! An old worn out chippy, composition doll leg is hanging and centered in the glass front, box. The quotes on the silk ribbons read "I dream you walk", "I dream you run", "I dream you fly". I also added vintage tatting and lace. The shrine and a photo is suspended and carried in a metal bird's mouth.

This shrine I shall keep, but I am happy to make a special one from your specifications.

Beloved

Beloved

Raymond Carver

And did you get what
you wanted from this life, even so?
I did.
And what did you want?
To call myself beloved, to feel myself
beloved on the earth.

Source: "Late Fragment"

What do we leave behind?

What Does Life Expect of Me?



Victor Frankl

Reflecting on his time in a Nazi concentration camp when someone was depressed and felt there was nothing to expect from life any more:

We had to learn and we had to teach the despairing men that it did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. We needed to stop asking about the meaning of life, and think instead of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life---daily and hourly. Our answer must consist, not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. What matters, therefore, is not the meaning of life in general but rather the specific meaning of a person's life at a given moment. Everyone has his own specific mission in life to carry out a concrete assignment, which demands fulfillment.

Source: Man's Search for Meaning
http://www.inwardoutward.org/

An American Prayer