Stephanie's Studio

Upcycling Sketches

2012-03-05T08:39:00.000-08:00

Learned the meaning of a new word that I’ve seen kickingaround—upcycling. Apparently, it istaking something that is ready for the rubbish heap and turning it intosomething more valuable than it originally was. Since I starting this blog old sketchbooks have been turning up in mylife and I have been studying my older work. The most recent sketchbook contains blind contour, vine charcoalsketches of my garden, which are 9” x 12”. I usually do them as exercises to increase myhand eye coordination and as a right brain exercise—leaving it at that, hopingit will prove useful in terms of increasing my skills as I develop on myjourney. I found one of these drawingsthat were fleshed out in color and it gave me the idea to turn them all intomixed media full color abstractions. This image I am posting today is an upcycled drawing that began as vinecharcoal on paper, in black and white. It is now done with vine charcoal, pastel pencils and oil pastels. It remains landscape-like in orientation andoverall effect but now it delights in organic shape and expressive line as wellas expressive color. Just as these drawings are in a state of transition so toois my art generally. I’m going from veryprecise renderings for mandala art to much more free-styled, expressiveabstractions. It feels like sweet release! Looking forward to making these sketches larger and finishing them oncanvas. Meanwhile, I plan to go throughthis entire found sketchbook of blind contours and upcycle each one instead ofhaving them languish in nothingness and dust.

Glory of the Snow

2012-03-02T06:39:00.000-08:00

Even though I live in the suburbs it is pretty urban here asI am right on the border of the city of Chicago. My little urban garden suffers the ills andblessings of being near the expressway. The blessing is the garden itself; I have seen people stop and pausenext to it, as it offers a respite so close to the expressway. The other wonderful blessing is that it isvisited by many birds including birds of prey attracted to the expresswaypossibly because it is very canyon-like. The ills of an urban garden are obvious. Trash blows all too frequentlyinto its small space adding clutter. This particular drawing from my sketchbook reminds me of the blessingsand curses of my urban garden. There seemsto be trash blowing about in this drawing, landing in odd positions but thereis also beauty in color, shape and texture, just as these contrasting elementsexist in the actual space of the garden. Even though it is not spring yet, I enjoy the spring-like colors in thissketch and in some of the debris that has landed within it. I do have flowers coming up in the garden—Gloryof the Snow, for one, is in full bloom. I love that little plant because it is a sure reminder that spring isright around the corner.

Body and Spirit

2012-02-25T06:47:00.000-08:00

Sorry I’ve been away from myblogging for a little while. Like mostof us, I have had a lot going on in my life and it became overwhelming. I have wrestled with health issues as some ofyou are already aware, catching several types of flu in a row and then worryingabout my internal organs. Health is so important and when it becomes fragile oriffy it is scary. It seems as though alot of my worry and fear were for naught because I am actually pretty healthyaccording to the recent tests. I havebecome more attentive to all the messages from the universe and ether abouthealth issues. I started on some supplements that are supposed to fight offcarcinogens (always a fear for the painter) and recently bought an intiguingbook on health that I heard about from an art therapist. It is called “Your Body Speaks Your Mind,”Decoding the Emotional, Pyschological, and Spiritual Messges that UnderlieIllness,” by Deb Shapiro. It is verycompelling and really reinforces the body-mind continuum so central to holistichealth. In my studio I continue to create mandalas. I was beginning to feel however as though theformat was somewhat limiting, that is until I received my book, “Mandala:Luminous Symbols for Healing,” by the recently departed Judith Cornell,PH.D. This book is filled with gorgeous,spiritually illuminating mandalas that Cornell created. After my initiallook-through of the book, I feelinspired to continue down the mandala path. I even have my students making little 10” square mandalas. There mandalas are on paper and colored withtissue paper. They are turning outbeautifully. Children have such a greateye and natural inclination to be creative, if they could just keep theirmouths closed long enough to let the creativity in their minds manifest on thepaper. Speaking of creativity, Ihave been nominated for the Circle of Moms top 25 blog award. You can vote for my blog here: http://www.circleofmoms.com/top25/Top-25-Creative-Moms-2012-2012?trk=t25_Top-25-Creative-Moms-2012-2012 (just scroll down until you find Stephanie’sStudio). This Circle of Moms Top 25 Creative Moms Award is for mothers who blogbut not necessarily entirely about motherhood. It is a way of honoring creative moms. I don’t actually know why I amposting “Woman with Pig” today, except that she is so playful and filled withjoy. She is holding the space I want toexist within, happily with her animal companion.

Full Snow Moon

2012-02-09T04:07:00.000-08:00

Last night Full Snow Moon was outstanding. I couldn’t quite believe my eyes. She was luminous, and there is no other wayto say it—huge! The yellowish cast was glowing. I didn’t want my drive to end because I wanted to stay outside with herand just stare, and yes, I was slightly afraid I’d run into something. That name prominent in some Native Americangroups and in the Farmer’s Almanac seems slightly out of place though thismonth—Full Snow Moon. We have been in aphase I call Perpetual Almost Spring. In the Chicago we have set many recordsfor warmest winter months and lack of snow in comparison to what we usuallyget. We have had so little snow and ithas been very warm by Chicago standards. I listened several times to climatologists speak on NPR and PBS aboutwhy this phenomena has come to be but it still scares me. Don’t get me wrong, I’mnot crying over warm weather but there is a since of dread for the future thatdoes arise when something so unnatural persists. I am from the East Coast andlived in a wetland that flooded a lot. There were times when we took a row boat to get to waterless portions ofthe road, to get to the school bus and we lost our yard numerous times tofloods. I have heard a lot about how thewarmer temperatures we are experiencing could lead to the rising of sea levelsworldwide and this could have such a huge negative impact on all coastal areas. Then too, there is the polar situationand our beloved polar bear’s entire way of life is threatened as well as thatof many other creatures and life forms. Our world is changing rapidly and in somany ways that it is dizzying. Thisimage I am posting today is a colored pencil drawing done with Prismacolors andit is a reflection on nature and on change.

Imbolc Meditation

2012-02-02T08:55:00.000-08:00

For a brief few moments my mind emptied of endless chatterand thoughts. I saw an empty space atfirst and then out of the hollow came first a soft whistle and then just thevoice of the Goddess. It had to have been Brighid. It is almost time to come out ofhibernation. Soon you will be feelingthe vibrational energy of the sun’s heat, as I warm the earth. Stay quiet and still for now but realize thedormancy is about to end; new life, warmth and beautiful colors are waiting tocome to the fore, for today is Imbolc!

Healing Herb Mandala

2012-01-30T07:22:00.000-08:00

I started this mandala last week and finished it yesterday.It is one foot square so my scanner was unable to pick up the entire image butthis is a decent representation of its essence. I’ve been feeling under the weather again, this time with a bad chestcold. Working on this painting brightened things a bit. I was thinking about plants, morespecifically herbs, and the healing powers they possess. It’s very interesting and most likelyintuitive that I gravitated towards this type of healing subject matter justbefore I got sick. Our subject matter choices are so broad and widely variedthat what we settle on working with has the potential to deliver important messages,if we are open to listening. I worked with a compass, ruler and was heavily dependenton the French curve. I have a large oneand a smaller curve. I’ve been curious about them but haven’t used them a greatdeal in the past. It was interesting toform an entire composition around the curve and its many possibilities. Organic abstraction has a soothing quality andI have always gravitated towards circles and curvilinear shapes. There issomething about this particular mandala that also reminds me of a PennsylvaniaDutch hex sign. Because I grew up close to Pennsylvania I remember seeing thesesigns here and there. I think I willlook into them more closely now and see how I can work their compositionalstyle and meaning into my work as I move forward with the mandala as a form ofhealing and expression. Meanwhile, the plants making my life more comfortableare green tea, ginger and lemon. Honey is also very soothing. Though as I writethis post, I am thinking I need to search out my pantry to see if I have anyslippery elm for my throat or horehound for my cough.

Fast Forward

2012-01-26T05:57:00.000-08:00

I have been in fast forward. I thought when I wrote the previous post about preparing for Imbolc thatImbolc was today, instead of next week. I had projected forward in time and actually believed the beginning ofthis week was January 30^th. Then, I woke up this morning sure it was Friday. What on earth is going on? My internal clock is usually so accurate thatI don’t need to set an alarm. I guess Ijust got really excited that a new Sabbat was coming up. Yesterday was a day ofpositive messages. I received a greatdeal of positive feedback about my teaching and my classes from a variety ofsources. When something like that happens, not only do I feel great but I takeit is a spiritual message. I know messages are sent to us all the time from therealm of the spirit. It is up to us tointerpret them but first we have to slow down long enough to receive thesemessages. I have been moving fast and in fact I have been projecting myselfinto the future. Yesterday was areminder to slow down, be highly observant and to listen to all that the spiritrealm puts in front of me. One of the messages about this that I heardyesterday came through the radio. Aneconomist was talking about how we need to live in tuned with today. He said economically we’ve been borrowingfrom yesterday and tomorrow rather than living within the circumstances oftoday. As I listened I was painting. In the studio I am working the mandalaagain. I started two new ones. They are not ready for showing thus I am notposting an image just yet. One wascreated with gouache and it is a disaster. I will draw over it and re-paint it. The other is being done in acrylics and I am pleased with it so far. I drew it primarily using the compass, rulerand the French curve. I love my Frenchcurves. I am using a small and large one. I am experimenting with all the possibilities they have to offer andthere are many. The ruler and compass serve as positioning tools, to center theimages derived from the French curve. Notsurprisingly, the image I am working is a continuation of themes I have beenworking for years. The mandala is aboutthe magickal energy emanating from plants. For soul food and inspiration as I work, I have revisited by heartseries. Not quite Valentine’s in spirit,I wanted to see if I could make landscapes out of the single repeated motif ofthe stylized heart shape. These took many hours to create from coloredpencils. With Valentine’s Day coming upsoon it is fun to look at the playful shapes and forms that can be suggested byhearts.

Preparing for Imbolc

2012-01-22T11:38:00.000-08:00

I’m excited about the upcoming Imbolc holiday and I’ve beenpreparing my home for the presence of Goddess Brighid. Many people celebrate February 2^ndas Groundhog’s Day but in many parts of the pagan community it is Imbolc. Imbolc asks us to pay attention to home andhearth. We welcome the deities closelyaligned with those sacred spaces so intimately tied to our lives. I particularly adore Vesta and am making wayfor her as well. Since I’ve been sick I’vereally become mindful of cleanliness, especially since it is suspected that Ihad or have stomach flu. I have beencleaning and sanitizing all morning though I have little physical energy I haveplenty of psychic energy. Thearomatherapeutic benefits of the types of cleansers I am using are also giving mea spiritual boost. I am doing spiritualfloor washes using lemongrass essential oil, while also burning very sweetsmelling red and white candles and will finish up with a juniper smudge. Thenfor a longer term effect, I will light pine incense. I’m not kidding. These herbs are really energizing, even whenyou are not feeling well! In addition tothe cleaning I am also making a humble split pea and veggie soup while bakingin honor of the hearth and home goddesses. I have made corn bread and am working on some pumpkin mini-loafs becausethey are both quick and easy and their grains honor the hearth goddesses. Some years I let the Sabbats slip away butthis year I am going to try to be more diligent about celebrating each andevery one of them. The Sabbats, soclosely connected to the earth’s movements and her ways really speak a sensiblelanguage with which I can relate. Thesespecial days keep me focused on what is very real but what our society oftenignores in its hurry and focus on what is commercially viable. Imbolc remindsus, that in the heart of winter, spring is around the corner and it also asksus to make way for changes to come. Thatis why I am so excited. With the frozen,tundra-like landscape outside I can relish the time within my home andespecially around the hearth. Cooking, clearing,purging, and banishing what is unwanted while welcoming and planning for themoist, colorful, fragrant, verdant days of spring. This image I am postingtoday is of an ATC that has been traded featuring the Great Goddess. Yeah! Atest with a broom straw from my beloved Appalachian besom proves my minipumpkin loafs are finished--time to sign off for today.

Snow and Illness

2012-01-21T04:26:00.000-08:00

If we allow it to happen, snow will awaken the innerchild. There is a since of childish wonderand awe that can come with the snow, when you don’t think of shoveling toomuch, that is. Temporarily shutting downthe noisy adult and instead releasing the inner child enables snow to onceagain captivate. Snow makes atransformative impression on the landscape. We have been having a great deal of snow over the past few days and Ihave been sick with stomach flu which gave me a lot of time to sit, think, curlup in a blanket and dream. As an artist,winter is one of the most important times. It can be a very productive and stimulating period in the creativecalendar. Everything is in a state offlux, changing day by day and the snow makes everything in the landscape seem brightand new. There is a lot of mystery, somuch lies beneath the surface of what we can see. Dreams become powerful—there is no denyingit--winter is the time I get the most done. The snow makes it visually stunning but typically in Chicago winter isvery long, cold, icy, and gray. Thistype of visual deprivation makes you turn inward into the realm of imagination,memory, spirit and dreams. You can also become a more nuanced visionary,searching for nuances in tones, shades, values and within the landscape. Unfortunately, I am still feeling ill with theflu. Thanks to the Goddess, it is notsomething worse. This will soon pass;meanwhile, I will use the snow and the illness as vehicles to open some memorybanks, rummage for new ideas and to think. This is a good time for art journaling and working on my lap with a smallsketchbook and colored pencils. The image I’m posting today is a little 5 x 7art card I made not long ago using embossing, stamps, painted paper, coloredand fabric.

Spears

2012-01-18T05:27:00.000-08:00

I love sculptural containers such as amphora, urns and evenboxes. I’m especially fond of the mixed media boxes of Joseph Cornell and Greekamphorae. The ancient Egyptians also made a fascinating assortment ofcontainers for things such as unguents and ointments. In my series about shields and modes ofshielding I created this drawing with Prismacolor pencils on colored pastelpaper with the idea of containment and safety in mind. The shapes are containedand shielded from a menacing spear. Iwanted to have an overriding sense of transparency on the frontal plane andmore of a notion of opacity on the secondary plane. Delicacy plays its rolehere as well and so does the sense of movement. The rounded shapes are quite fragile and are reminiscent of balloons.They are juxtaposed against the angular spear shape that twists and movesthrough the composition. The balloon shapes are being shielded yet they arestill threatened by the presence of the arrow-like spear. Several years before Idid this drawing I had my first interaction with shielding and spears. Prior to that I had only thought of spears aspowerful objects that existed primarily in a museum. When I stayed on Elcho Island or Galiwin’kuas it is known locally, in Arnhemland, Northern Territory, Australia the Yolngupeople where still hunting and defending themselves with spears. They were also used as weapons. It was a transformative moment in my lifewhen I witnessed spears being used in the present day, in an attempt to attacka friend and my husband. The spearyielding man was drunk and angered beyond belief. He had lost all sense of self-control and allof his anger was being aimed along with the spear at the dwelling that myhusband and his friend were inside of. They were captive for what seemed likehours but they were never harmed. I wasoriginally drawn to the island by stories of how people in the community still huntedand fished with spears. Never did Iimagine that an angered individual would take up his spear against a lovedone. Gradually, the community elderswere able to mitigate the situation and it slowly dissipated. I had learned anunimaginable lesson—spears aren’t just objects in a museum; they are still currentlybeing used by many different cultures. They are beautiful, powerful, and potent and yes, they can still be veryscary!

Shields

2012-01-15T08:15:00.000-08:00

After spending a lot of time considering the notion ofshielding, and shields as physical and psychic protection armaments, I createdthis piece using watercolor pencils on watercolor paper. I wanted to portray the fragility of ourphysical self, portraying an abstracted version of the body with a specificfocus on its important internal organs, placing all of it behind a transparentyet powerful shield. This painting is roughly 8 x 12 inches and was done aboutfive years ago. When I worked at the Art Institute during my lunch breaks Iwould visit the collections, lingering over the armor section. The armor collection is compellingly strikingand it evokes awe and wonder. Feeling vulnerable physically, psychologicallyand psychically, about five years ago I decided to learn to make differenttypes of armor, using the materials at hand. I also made an intense study of armor and then created a large varietyof shields as works-on-paper that also coordinated with a heart series. My plan was to take up blacksmithing. I have written quite extensively about themagickal connections between mysticism and magick with blacksmithing in Africaand the Americas. Blacksmithing was especially important as a trade to earlyAfrican Americans. I have wanted to makethe jump from research and writing about blacksmithing to actually engaging inthis craft that held such importance to my ancestors. In a city with the depth of Chicago, thoughtscan become actions quite readily. Afterthinking about blacksmithing for a while, I ran into an old friend from artschool that actually opened his own blacksmithing studio in the city. This weekendI ran into another old friend who was wearing chainmail jewelry she hadrecently created. These events are tooauspicious to be coincidence. They callto me to return to shields as an area of artistic exploration. This is probably going to be the year that Igo from respecting and reflecting on actual armor to making some 3-d pieces atthe very least using silversmithing techniques. In Hoodoo and other spiritualtraditions metal plays a very important role, especially with talisman andamulets and there seems to be some kinship to shamanism within some WestAfrican cultures. Metal filings areparticularly potent and useful, as are coins when making power objects. Lookingat this rather personal painting is an inspiration to return to its theme of shieldsand modes of shielding. Shields andarmor are areas that are rich metaphorically, visually and physically. Shields offer all sorts of spiritual benefitsas well, to the viewer and artist. Great! This is just what I needed; somethingnew to add to the ever-growing to-do list.

Conception

2012-01-14T07:15:00.000-08:00

Something’s afoot in the studio and outside. It’s still cold outside, snowy even but I canfeel the quickening of conception, growth and the birth of new ideas and newlife germinating beneath the frozen surface of the earth. For many months I have worked hard on a fewdifferent series of ATCs. Now it is timeto trade those and put aside the making of the cards. The cards have stirred many ideas for othermedia and formats. I may even beteaching it in an afterschool enrichment program for children. ATCs are a way of working I hold dear and Iknow I will soon return to them. I haveblogged about how they remind me of working with metals and how that similaritymakes me yearn to return to cloisonné. That is one of the new mediums it hasspurned—something I am eager to explore in 2012. I also want to return to one foot squarepatterned mandalas. This time though I am going to use some of the ideas Ilearned about in a workshop on aqueous media while attending the Illinois ArtEducation Association’s annual conference. I will try the mandalas with gouache instead of acrylic on some newAmpersand Aquaboard I just bought. Ilove how gouache lends itself to water so beautifully yet it holds its opacity.Gouache is a media I explored on the surface in college in graphic design but Ihaven’t taken it very far yet in the studio. I want to see what can be done with it, in relation to pattern andmandala vibrancy. What are its blessings and its limitations? I mightincorporate casein as well. I have beengoing through my creative resources and inspirational sources, readyingpatterns for integration into this new work. I am looking hard at repeating patterns from the period of 1100 to 1800. Eggs are reappearing in my blog imagery, inpart because they symbolize this idea of germination, conception, growth anddevelopment I am experiencing in studio practice. This Prismacolor pencil drawing on colored pastelpaper I am posting today was done a while ago. This morning I was called to revisit it. I was immediately struck by its subtlety and delicacy. As a very luciddrawing, it holds space well and has a lingering quiet spirit like a whisper.There can be such strength in silence and pauses. I respond to how it grows out of ether,revealing some things but still very much a symbolic vessel for what is tocome.

Dealing with Rejection

2012-01-12T07:37:00.000-08:00

This morning I woke up with rejection on my mind. As an artist and writer this is one of themost difficult things to deal with yet it is inevitable. Why is it inevitable? Well, if you are putting yourself out there,to multiple markets, groups, curators, publishers, whatever, you are bound tobump up with those who do not “get” your work. For short periods of time, sometimes admittedly longer, I find rejectiondebilitating. This happens when I loseobjectivity. This morning, for somereason or another, rejections I have encountered over the last couple of weeksballooned in my mind and made me feel empty and hopeless. Then as I was drivingto get gas I started to deconstruct those negative feelings. Being rejected is not a reflection on aperson it is a reflection of various people. The thoughts of others about your creativity, is only that, thoughts andthoughts are not facts. I ran into thatparticular quote for the first time on Twitter and it really resonates,especially on a day that began gray like today. At first a rejection letter can feel like a cold slap in the face but itcan also be provocative. Rejections canbe flipped away from you and your creativity and can be a statement by theperson or people who have not accepted your work. You can begin to wonder…what is their taste,their stance, their take, their need or motivation? You can reflect back on thework you selected for a particular outlet or group. Did it really fit? Was it the best choice forthat particular venue? Was it your best effort? If you know you did your best and feel confident in your statement thereis only one thing to do—more work. Either work on submitting to more places or go back to the drawing boardand strengthen your statement. My book, “AHealing Grove” was rejected several times before it became a publishedbook. It continued to transform, growand develop through its critiques and eventually it found a home with the rightpublisher, and it was a big step for me to go with another publisher. My book, “Sticks, Stones, Roots and Bones,”also originally had a different title and direction. The older rendition was also rejected byseveral publishers of varying sizes. Inever lost faith in that book and eventually it found the right home. I refused to give up because I had a strongvision. As I work to re-launch my artcareer, I am again encountering rejections of various types. Rather than letting it get me down, I amgoing to my artistic inspirations and back to the studio, even though the studiois in a state of renovation. I am going to start drafting and compilingideas that expand on those that have been rejected. I believe strongly in myvision and also in the idea, if at first you don’t succeed… I will keep tryingand trying and trying until I met my goals and my work is situated how andwhere I want it to be.

Winterscape of Body and Soul

2012-01-11T08:24:00.000-08:00

Working the negative space is a natural move if you are anartist that enjoys landscapes during the winter. The blank spaces left from fallen leaves,between branches and stems leave a poetic opening of artistic opportunity. At the same time negative spaces, like winter’seffect on the landscape, give us a chance to imagine what was there and what isto come. We can either complain or be disappointed over what is seemingly notthere or delve further into these seemingly blank spaces and delight in theshapes, geometric interplays and markmaking possibilities with which we arefaced. This drawing taken from my sketchbookis a still life of a vase filled with variety of blooming Dutch bulbs, mostprominently tulips. Absence of the usualintense colors of tulips is filled with enticingly rich graphite, creating itsown conversation in shadow, shape and depth. The stark winter landscape whichmany of us will be facing for many months to come, invites us to step into thedomain on the spirit, as the branches and the negative spaces around them,weave intricate patterns from plays of light and shadow guiding our thoughtsand visions towards the unknown. Absenceof color is like a conversational pause and it can be just as powerful atpunctuating numerous formal and expressive elements of a drawing.

Whispers of the Trees

2012-01-08T06:58:00.000-08:00

A couple of years ago, I wrote a book devoted to the healingenergy of trees called, “A Healing Grove.” Way before I wrote that book, Icreated this drawing in situ at the Oak Park Conservatory. I remember it was to be a gathering of localartists to paint and draw, using the conservatory as an open studio. It was a cold night outside and it was quitedamp, dark and cool inside since we were there after regular hours. I was a little disorientated at first becauseof all of the different tree energies and plant life pulsating in the ecosystemthemed rooms. I settled in on the tropicalroom because it seemed to speak the clearest language. I’ve always loved palmsand banana trees as well as other fruit trees. They give us so much in terms of sustenance, shelter, art and craftmaterials, spiritual resources for healing, ceremony and ritual. I enjoy usingbanana papers in my studio, as well as palm waste paper and fig bark pressedinto paper. I have used these in avariety of projects over time, as well as recycled papers within the packagingfor my two product lines. I think thetropical room spoke to me clearly because of my ancestry. I know my ancestors came from hot,tree-filled environments in Western and Southern Africa. The main place I havespent time in the tropical regions and rain forests has been in Australia,during my time studying Aboriginal Art as a Fulbrighter. When Ilook at the right side of this drawing I am reminded of the time I was invitedto get painted up, in earth pigments, and dance the Bird Dance of my clan’smoiety, during a funerary march. Our feet movements were intensely bird-like,while our hips swayed like palms. I haverelated trees and dance throughout my life because they do seem to dance intheir upper regions if you observe carefully. They also have a language referred to as Tree Whispers that a TreeWhisperer can understand. I would notcall myself a tree whisperer yet the trees have definitely spoken to methroughout my life and they ask me to dance for them. As a child when I first heard the call I wasfacing off to a wood, on the other side of the lake and I gladly pirouetted. Outbush, in Australia’s Arnhemland, when I stayed in the Galiwinku community ofElcho Island I was moved by the Ghost Gum Trees and watching the artistsretrieve and treat its bark, making it ready to receive dreamtime stories. Because of the unique ability of trees tospeak and their physicality they have always been intimately tied to ourstorytelling, after all where would books be historically without them? Withpersonal history in mind with my connection to trees I set out to do thisdrawing with pastels, vine charcoal and a large box of colored pencils. I wanted to capture the movements,vibrational energy and healing potential held in the tropics and within manytrees elsewhere as well.

Mermaid and Angels

2012-01-07T06:09:00.000-08:00

This ATC features a woman from a Botticelli paintingtransformed into a mermaid with two angels behind her. While I was working on it I was transportedto my childhood and began pondering my connections to mermaids, the lake andthe sea. When I was growing up I spentmany hours swimming in a lake fed by freshwater springs. I would encounter all sorts of wetlandcreatures as I swam, like small schools of fish, turtles and even otters. Sometimes I would get tangled in the seaweed. Swimming and rowing were respites from asometimes stressful life inside the house. I always found wonder and a sense ofpeace from observing the tides, floating and swimming deep down towards thesandy bottom of the lake. As I grewolder my uncle introduced me to the Ifa path of the Yoruba people and that wasmy first time of reflecting on the diverse types of mermaids of the spiritualworld. At first he thought I was a childof Oshun, but eventually it was revealed to him that I was child of Yemaya andOlokun, the two water orisha of the upper and lower seas. The notion ofconnection to Yemaya/Olokun, male/female energy of the sea has always madesense. I revere the sea and have spentmany hours when I lived in New Jersey at the shore and many additional hours bythe ocean in La Jolla and Del Mar California, I was even married overlookingthe sea. I have done seascapes anddrawings of the sea, fish, and shells alone and in combination withself-portraiture. I feel an immensepleasure, satisfaction and sense of peace when I am next to bodies of water,large or small—even streams. When I sawthe mermaid images offered by Art Chix Studios I knew I had to have them towork into my art. Mermaids aremysterious and have held a power over our psyches historically. They seem to evolve and change within acultural and historical context but they also always seem to pop up in ourvarious art forms. I find it interestingthat in parts of Africa, mermaid spiritual beings, Mami Wata are depicted asbeing White and they are believed to be foreign beings that travel mysteriouslyinto the African waters. I enjoy theidea of bringing together angels and mermaids while contemplating the spiritualnature of each in a single piece. Inthis ATC, the angels are looking out towards the mermaid with the same wonderand awe and that many of us feel towards them.

Blog Hop Friday

2012-01-06T06:26:00.000-08:00

I'm trying out many new and different things in 2012. I'm a part of the Creative Every Day challenge started by Leah and now I'm trying out this blog hop Friday's where you link to each other's blogs. http://www.thedomesticpagan.net/2012/01/follow-friday-2.html?utm_source=BP_recent Hope I'm doing this correctly, not sure about Mr. Linky and how he works. Anyway, this image is another in my series of ATCs. I think I'm up to about 50 cards by now. I'm ready to participate in a mail-in swap in Canada that is for women only, and an in-person swap in Barrington, IL in a few weeks. I've been working steadily on this ATC edition and have had a recent focus on a rock art/petroglyph type of theme inspired by my time in Australia, living in various Aboriginal communities, and also a Goddess theme. Yesterday I also started working with combining the petroglyph imagery with the Goddess theme and began to work dragon energy. I've always been fascinated by dragons and feel their energy in my life and creative work. They are full of opposing energy forces, water and fire, hot and cold--all at once. They seem very massive and heavy yet they also fly. Truly fascinating. Over the next few weeks I will meditate on dragon energy and report in on this blog on what is revealed. Would love to hear comments about dragons.

Vanilla: a Vessel of Promise

2012-01-05T05:07:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, with ego bruised from my failed technicalexperiments with walnut ink and stamping, I spent some time away from thestudio and instead worked in the kitchen. I was making one of Barefoot Contessa’s recipes for baked chocolatepudding. It called for some freshvanilla bean. As I peeled away the seedsand pulp of the bean I was put in touch with the magickal allure of the GoddessGaia. It was over a decade ago that I discoveredGoddess Spirituality. Over a short time,I came to realize the power that the divinely feminine goddesses would have onmy life. For nearly a decade I wrote a column for “Sage Woman,” magazine andthis column was a vessel at the time for my spirituality, now that shift hasmoved more towards the garden, artmaking and writing books and articles. I mention the garden because I see andexperience the Goddess and goddesses in nature most prominently. When I hold and smell any of my favoriteherbs I am immediately put in touch with earth goddesses and earth elementals.My work as a magickal herbalist is deeply spiritual and tied to the divinelyfeminine faith I hold dear. Some herbsare great facilitators for the journey into the spirit realms. I will get into many of those later but fornow I want to pay homage to vanilla--an expensive herb to purchase in bulk butwell worth it because of its intensity, scenting, flavoring and staying power.I actually use vanilla beans more in my botanical blends, particularly the winterand spring potpourris, than in cooking, though when I find a recipe that callsfor it in my kitchen I am happy to use it. Vanilla is musky and deep yet it is asweet-smelling herb as well. It has a nice balance of yin and yang as well asmale female energy. Its appearance isphallic and it holds countless seeds, suggesting fertility; yielding promise. Deeply earthy, transcendent burnt umber incolor, this is not only a great herb for putting one in touch with Gaia, theearth goddesses and elementals, but the earth gods as well. This ATC featuredtoday is the usual 2 ½ by 3 ½ inch foundation, on which I’ve created a tributeof earth goddess Gaia with a focus on her ability to inspire and sustaincreativity using collage. After workingthe vanilla, with the recipe, which came out fabulously, I returned to mystudio for several sessions of work with the walnut ink and stamps. This time I had much more success with thenew materials partially because of experimentation with both mediums. The otherelement that really helped was the fact that I make contact with my beliefs andspirituality—all through the little seed vessel, we call vanilla.

Failure is an Option

2012-01-04T05:26:00.000-08:00

I felt pretty good about my studio endeavors recently. Bumbling along, working intuitively had beenpaying off. My work ethic has been goodand I’m putting in about 25 hours per week on my art. Then yesterday, I had this seemingly brilliantidea to go to Michaels and buy some new stamps. The rubber stamps weren’t marked down like I thought they would be so Iwas on to other things. I checked outclear stamps and acrylic blocks but that was pricier than my budget. Then I gravitated over to stampingembellishments and found some walnut ink sprays. I have worked a lot previously with walnutink in the manner of watercolor with my mixed media work and thought the sprayswould be convenient for ATCs. I did buyan almost filigreed design of a tree that is quite delicate. I thought I followed the directions the waythey were presented. I stamped with thespecial quick dry ink called Versa, and then sprayed on the walnut ink. I was left with a tar-like color and the stampink never resisted the water-based ink so the image was lost. Not one to give up easily I did three more,all to no avail. I was left with a brownishinky mess on my little ATCs that had started out as wonderful collages. Now,I’m wondering what the lessons in yesterday’s foibles are. I’ve tried googling the walnut ink sprays buthaven’t found any additional directions to what I already have. I feel a little hesitant to return to thestudio to face yesterday’s mess. I’vealready thrown away the four ATCs and created one new one that roughly doeswhat I wanted, sans walnut ink. I enjoymy intuitive style and fast pace of working but I am still mystified by what Idid wrong with the inks. Maybe today I’ll try a hardier style of stamp thatisn’t filigree-styled or return to my mandala paintings. When all else fails, experimentation is agreat option. This art card, which I call, “In the Pink,” uses someexperimentation. I have been playingaround with overlaid transparencies for a while and this is one of my first timesof using that media with collage. I alsoused die-cuts, shaped scissors and stamping. In addition, I tried glue dots forthe first time.

2012--Time for New Beginnings

2012-01-03T06:43:00.000-08:00

New beginnings can be scary. I remember so many first days of school, both as a student andparticularly as an educator, and how the unknown factors of what would eventuallycome together to be a class, was incredibly frightening. As a teacher, you are the facilitator, the onewho makes things go smoothly, and hopefully the one who creates an encouraging,open, safe learning environment. I alsoremember the new beginnings of life in my belly. Being pregnant is such an awesome experiencethere are hardly words to describe it. Eventuallythough, the experience grows old and you can’t wait to give birth. After the excruciating pain of a naturalchild birth, you are presented with a most precious gift, a new human being andalmost right away this experience, at least for me, generates intense feelingsof love. I had this immense pleasurefour times and find that within my children’s lives there are constant newbeginnings that make their lives and my inclusion in them, rewarding andsatisfying. I don’t really get excitedabout the New Year because I know that it creates an enormous clean slate thatI don’t always feel ready to fill or even address. I know myself well enough toknow that whatever the New Year will become, it won’t start on the 1^st. Today is the 3^rd of January andfinally I feel slightly ready to at least start planning what the year will beabout in terms of growth and changes. Weare completely renovating our home, outdoors and inside, one room at atime. My studio is first on the list,for the indoor spaces, so that is completely covered in plastic and drop clothsas we work on it. I can’t wait until it’s finished. We’ve been working on it so far for a coupleof months. I am filled with anticipationand awe, as the space transforms and changes. With the trees stripped bare of their leaves outdoors, I am filled withequal anticipation for the return of green growth, new leaves and flowers of2012’s spring. Like the studio, we arealso planning to totally revamp the front garden and parkway garden. Those who follow my writing will know thatthe gardens started barren, became an incredibly fertile and full garden thatwas organized but slowly it has morphed into a wild and crazy prairie,wildflower garden. Now, totally out ofcontrol, it is more like a thicket. Ilook forward to its re-organization in this New Year, filling it with antiquebulbs, wild grasses, aromatic, magickal and medicinal herbs, non-invasive wildflowers and perennials, as well as setting it all in a good, structuredhardscape. The birds love the space, as-is, and arefilling it with life as I sit here and write, chirping and singing. I might make a mosaic bird bath for them andcreate some concrete and mosaic stones to lead the way through the garden. Ialso intend to paint some gourds to become bird houses. So, when I was creating this ATC, picturedtoday, I was thinking about spring 2012 and the promise it holds for our home,studio and gardens. This ATC contains anacrylic skin I made during a workshop from fiber paste, with added grasses and naturalfibers, stamping, embossing, mica paint and acrylic with polymer medium.

Kuumba (Creativity)

2011-12-31T05:49:00.000-08:00

Today, the sixth day of Kwanzaa, is dedicated to theprinciple of Kuumba (Creativity). Thisis one of the most important of the seven principles to my daily practice andlife generally. Some of my earliestmemories involve creativity. I rememberwhen I was about five, making mud cakes and plaintain sandwiches with grasstrimmings with my little friend Joan behind our house in East Orange, NJ. Iremember the first day of kindergarten being struck by a beautifully creative fallbulletin board of autumn leaves at school. Creativity has been a sustainingfactor in my life since I can remember. Recently, I joined a challenge to create something every day on a blog www.creativeeveryday.com. I have already been doing this but it will bevery nice to be involved with a community of creative people as I work. My creativity has typically touched everyaspect of my life including hairstyles, cooking (though I plan to leave thevegetable dessert pies alone), exercising (love to belly dance), doodling(particularly during lectures when I should be paying attention), writing,magickal practice and of course art making. One of the reasons I choose Hoodoo as a spiritual path is because itinvites and rewards creativity, at least the way I practice it. Earth-based spirituality generally, opens thegates of creativity, as you engage the elements in numerous ways and honor theearth and cosmos. When I wrote, “Sticks,Stones, Roots and Bones” and its companion, “Four Seasons of Mojo,” I felt suchexcitement because both embody creativity and as I wrote I was also on ajourney of discovery in so many different ways. I am still creating the dream pillows I giverecipes for in those books, as well as various types of mojos, sachets andpotpourris. I think when some peoplelook at my potpourri at craft fairs they just see a bag of botanicals but thereis so much creativity involved in making a batch of potpourri and some magickalintent as well. I was describing myprocess of making potpourri to my mother-in-law and it reminded me of itscomplexity. I start by grinding uplavender, juniper berries, and the preservative scents of cinnamon, clove,allspice, and anise stars. I add theseto a corn cob mix that will hold their scent. I call that the mother batch, once I add the essential oils. The essential oil blend involves a great dealof complexity and skill in its mixture as well because I usually like tobalance the top, middle and base notes, like a perfumer. Then after the perfumery, comes another funpart of selecting a multitude of dried botanicals, herbs with specific magickalintent and scent qualities, berries of various colors, evocatively shaped podsand leaves. After I bless and mix themother batch of scent with the botanicals they sit for a few weeks, usuallyabout a month in a sealed container. Eventhe interest in perfumery goes back into my memory bank. I remember outside of Salem, NJ, there was alittle defunct factory and I dreamed since I was a child that that would be thehome of my perfume business. Now, Icreate the perfumed botanicals out of my home but I still dream of having asmall industrial space, most likely in a rural location. Creating magickal botanicals and soapsactivates my gift for healing because you can imbue each step of the creationprocess with magick, if you are so inclined. I am so excited that today is devoted to Kuumba. As I light the sixcandles of Kwanzaa today, I revere this gift bestowed by the Goddess, calledKuumba in Swahili or Creativity in English. Today's image is an ATC, with elements of collage, including a Xerox film transparency, drawing, stamping and embossing.

Creative Inspirations

2011-12-29T11:17:00.000-08:00

After a recent interview on whohub.com, that asked me aboutthe origins of my creative expression, I started to think more deeply about thequestion posed. What drove me to want tobe an artist? The question is simple yetthe answer is more complex than I can articulate. To start, I grew up in a creative householdwithin a truly inspirational natural environment. My mother loved art and was quite creative aswas my father. The two had their owncraft store called M & R Handcrafts. They made and sold ceramic plaques and sculptures and other craftsincluding decoupage and repose. Their most popular lines dealt withastrology—the Aztec calendar and the zodiac. I spent many hours with them, working in a log cabin, painting theseplaques along with my brothers and sister. There was a fireplace to keep the space warm and a kerosene stove andknotty pine paneling. We had thepre-requisite stuffed deer head over the fireplace and a mounted trophy bigmouth bass in this homey studio. Myfather especially spent many hours in this space pouring plaster andtrimming. Outdoors there was a smalllake and a wood, as this cabin, which was next to our house was in the wetlandsof the Pine Barrens in southern New Jersey. Across the lake, off a swampy part of the lake, there lived an elderly,African American landscape painter. Ispent many hours watching her paint and attending her openings in nearbyPhiladelphia. My uncle who was a musician, playing drums for a time with Sun Ra,came often from Manhattan, staying in a small house near the painter. He would bring down his creative friends toparty, under the moonlight, on the lake. My parents, the painter named Mrs. Kennedyand my Uncle Carl were my earliest influences. I can’t underestimate the powerof the lake and surrounding woods. Themagical sounds, year round, emanating from the lake were very powerfulinfluences, as was the ever changing tides and thriving wildlife, includingdeer, otters, eels, snakes, bull frogs, turtles, fish, tadpoles and ducks. Following Mrs. Kennedy’s lead, I spent manyyears painting renditions of the lake, or at least shall I say, attempting topaint the lake and trees. I also had anexcellent, multi-talented art teacher in high school named Mrs. Bilderbach whotaught many different media and techniques. It was a very special gift to have these people, and that particularlyvibrant natural environment, in my life as an early artist. There were so many creative people around inthose woods. There was a poet named Mrs.DuBois who led a poetry reading group in Mantua that I joined, and of course Ispent many hours involved with dancing. Mrs. DuBois’ poetry group stands out in my mind. In her home, she had very Victorian tastes(we had high tea every Sunday) yet she was African American and especially fondof the 20^th century Black poets. In a splendid environment ofartistic production in a home studio, an unrivaled natural environment in thePine Barrens and wetland, inspired by musicians, poets and dancers, I embarkedon life as a painter. Now after manydecades of studio practice, I look back on the foundations of my creativity andam considering reviving my early interests in silversmithing under the tutelageof my high school teacher and am planning to create some nature-inspiredcloisonne enamel works. Until I get tothe facilities for such an endeavor, I am continuing to work on mixed mediaATCS, which are continuously surprising. Today's ATC is a reflection on creativity and childhood.

Self-Determination

2011-12-27T09:25:00.000-08:00

Today I’ve lit two red candles, for the blood of our peoplein honor of the two Nguzo Sabo considered so far. Today’s red candle is for Kujichagalia orself –determination. In many aspects ofmy life I have instilled and considered self-determination, especially duringthis past year. I visited self-determination during my extensive jobsearch. As all of you know, this is nokind of economy to be on a job search but eventually with some intenseperseverance I did find a few jobs. The first job really stretched me. It was with an internet up Start-up Company. My job was to help build a metasearch engine,specifically related to the topic of health. I was stretched at this job because it did not feed my artistic self. Working 40 hours per week, I found myself too tired to draw or write whenI was off from work and relatively obsessed with ways to integrate artmakingand writing back in my life when I was at work. It was comforting that many people working with me were also writers butthat was not enough of the food my soul was seeking. Several months in, I became terribly ill andthat required me to not only quit that job but also to do some soul searchingon how I came to be so ill and how I could correct the illness with which mybody suffered. I became ill slowly andby the time I went into hospital I thought I was dying. My fever was 103.5 and I had incessant bowelmovements, probably every 20 minutes. Terribly anemic and dehydrated I spent many hours hooked up to IVs andeventually had several blood transfusions. Come to find out, I have one of the irritable bowel diseases calledUlcerative Colitis. It took weeks andweeks and two visits to the hospital before I recovered. I can’t remember being as sick as that in myentire life but finally, ever so slowly, I did recover and am inremission. I began to think of the things that reallyfeed my soul and brighten my spirit--things that have a positive impact on mysense of holistic health and well-being. Determined to get well and stay well, I changed my diet, studied up on Ulcerative Colitisand joined some online support groups. Ialso knew in my heart that I needed to re-activate my studio and begin some newart work for the healing to root. I alsoneeded to envision and land a creative job that was closely connected to thegoings-on in my studio. Fortunately, Iwas able to find such a job, teaching elementary and middle school childrenart, five days a week. This drawingfeatured today is one I did a few years back, using colored pencils. It reminds me of the state I found my colonto be in--perforated, abscessed, swollen and bleeding—when I was diagnosed withUlcerative Colitis. Still, there arebeautiful, flourishing parts to my internal organs to match the drawing. I am determined in the coming year to have myorgans heal and then remain whole and sound with the vibrant organic wholenessthat exists in this Prismacolor pencil drawing.

Harambee!

2011-12-26T05:20:00.000-08:00

Today is the first day of Kwanzaa. I like this celebration a lot because it iscultural, family and community orientated. There are the seven principles to revisit and consider each year, sinceeach year their significance and meaning can deepen or vary. Today that principle is unity or Umoja. Our son works for an organization calledUmoja, which helps underserved urban youth, so it is a word and concept withwhich we are quite familiar. Dr. Maulana Karenga, a professor in California andfounder of Kwanzaa speaks this year about well-being and right-being of and inthis world. The seven principles, orNguzo Saba, in Swahili are focused this year around the message to walk gently,act justly and relate rightly in and for the world. Umoja addresses our desire to maintain asense of oneness, and togetherness in all of the circles of our lives—infamily, friendship, community, the world and the universe. Dr. Karenga urges us to consider principledand peaceful togetherness, centered on mutual respect and equality. Umoja asks us to stand in solidarity withthose that are underserved and oppressed. This is something I proudly watchmy son do on a daily basis. For him itis not something noble, it is just what he and the other people he works withdo every day. I work with the homeless each month through an organizationcalled West Suburban PADS. I used towork at their main office as a volunteer once a week, helping clients findjobs, housing, transportation, clothing and helping them meet their personalcare needs. It was interesting and every day I spent there had its challengesand spiritual rewards but then I had to seek employment so now I only work withthe organization once a month as a volunteer. I realize when I am with thehomeless clients how similar we all are and how was it not for the grace of theGoddess, I could be homeless. Theorganization has a fabulous reputation for placing its clients in permanenthousing which is a blessing. Meanwhile,each day of the month a different church in Oak Park provides beds, a fullcourse dinner and some time for community togetherness and warmth of severaldifferent kinds. Today we should alltake a sip from the kikombe cha umoja or unity cup and contemplate how we canbe better in community and as supports for those around us. Never a better timefor Harambee! (Let’s all pull together)! This image is a 5 by 7 inch art card that strives for unity in its design. It contains embossing, stamping and various elements of collage.

An Artful Christmas

2011-12-25T11:30:00.000-08:00

In the week since I have been away from the computer, I have had time to observe the beauty of the changing of the seasons and celebrate Yule. Next I set out to create an artful Christmas. By artful, I mean packing the holiday with as many artistic pleasures as possible. There is so much artifice today in Christmas that I figured art could counteract. Christmas songs from the 30s until today are quickly becoming the exclusive domain of television and radio commercials. I tried listening to some "Christmas" music on Pandora and had to stop short because it reminded me of a tacky Old Navy commercial. So, what to do to keep the spirits bright? First of all, I've watched less television and instead started listening to incense. I've been listening to a pine blend to see where it takes me and what it has to say to my soul. It seems to want to take me to a mythical and mystical outdoor wonderland, filled with all sorts of whimsical creatures, trees and mystery-filled forests. Listening to incense, is an ancient Japanese art form that I have been meditating on for several years. I set up classical still life set ups of fresh fruits in silver bowls or glass bowls and then put out dried fruit, pods, cinnamon sticks, herbs and berries in a wooden bowl. According to Feng Shui, I add further earth elements by having a paper white lily growing in soil on the table, reminding all of the coming of spring. I keep one or two sweetly scented essential oil candles burning along with the pine incense, which is burning in white ash in a handmade ceramic listening bowl. I've dusted off the photos of the family and ancestors, and turned on all the lights on the douglas fir. The wooden kinara for Kwanzaa is another little still life with the wooden vessel for libations, waiting for tomorrow. Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque music with its great complexities sets a musical tone and yes, there is a good wine and a variety of chocolate waiting to serve as a treat. With all senses fed, Christmas this year is sensual and creatively satisfying and yes--it will be an Artful Christmas.

By Hand

2011-12-18T06:04:00.000-08:00

I remember when I was at Tyler (School of Art), the big discussion in painting was still the effects that photography had on art. That was a long time ago; the era before computers, long before digital art was even a consideration. Computers have touched so many intimate aspects of our life, most of all the way we use our hands. Last night I sat down to write out some Christmas cards. The card writing was the most handwritten letter work that I have done all year. I send so many emails each day but only a handful of hand written cards each year. I remember when I made and sold handmade greeting cards in the 90s, they sold like hotcakes because email hadn’t caught on and people were still writing things by hand. Now in the 2000s the cards languish in the boxes I put them in, waiting to be held or touched. I don’t mind at all though because whether they sell or not I’ve created them and I can use them to share with my friends. The people who buy them tend to be of a certain age and they aren’t shy to tell me they still enjoy writing out cards. I was looking at some beautiful journals yesterday at the bookstore as well. They seem to still be popular but I wonder for how long? I looked at the moleskins that Hemingway made famous and wondered if I would actual use it. When I write books, I still hold true to the original idea of the manuscript, I write first by hand and then transcribe it onto the computer. I don’t have a laptop and sitting wherever I want, handwriting draft after draft is sort of cathartic. I also like to write articles the same way. My thoughts just seem to flow better on white, lined paper with pen in hand. I have even gone so far as to buy an old fashioned fountain pen for writing books but never really got the hang of it, though I may try it again. I noticed when I looked over the art supplies available to my students, with horror, that there was no pen and ink available for drawing. I may still buy some for them and teach them, what is becoming an old art form. Not calligraphy, just drawing in the vein of Durer and Van Gogh, among others. I still enjoy working with ink very much. Every day, I look up in the kitchen and can see my sumi-e brush and ink drawings on handmade flower petal paper of my prairie flowers. I love brush and ink. Rarely, but on occasion, I will use digital media in my artmaking, mostly to create under-paintings to get things started by using Xerox transfers. I cover the Xeroxes with Golden tar medium and then make transparent acrylic skins from the prints. This fall when I went to the Illinois Art Education Association’s annual conference, once again, I did hand printmaking. I hadn’t done that since taking lithography at Tyler. It was so amazing to watch a master printmaker, in this case a very adept woman, pull prints. Ours came out interesting but we depended on her strength and know-how to pull them off. I especially enjoyed the monotypes, out of all of my workshops. I wonder where printmaking fits into the scheme of things with all of the digital art afoot. Ironically, our guest speaker was a printmaker specializing in silkscreens, who insisted on doing everything by hand and amused us with stories of how low tech he maintains his studio. His favorite activity, which he depicts in his prints, is riding a bike and cutting wood. Yesterday, for the first time, I listened to the blogger, who became a TV host, the Pioneer Woman, speaking about her lifestyle, as I packed presents, getting them ready to be mailed. She still maintains as much of the pioneer spirit and lifestyle as possible living in our times. I found the simplicity to her approach to living inspirational. She was on the Cooking Chanel, which I love, because everyone is primarily making everything by hand. The beautiful hands of Persephone were found on a “Sage Woman” cover and added to this collage which graces the back of my sketchbook.

Christmas Feelings

2011-12-17T06:16:00.000-08:00

Christmas shopping can leave you feeling warm or cold, anxious, boxed-in, eager, small, excited, curious, angry, sullen, empty, broke, infuriated, surprised, inflated, humbled, sorry, bland, informed, torn, confused, apathetic, charmed, depressed or even happy. Every year it creeps up on you. I expect to keep things simple and then like something stored up in a dark moist place it mushrooms until it is almost out of control. I don’t think this has to do with the other people in my life. I think its complexity builds and churns in my head until I’m left beaten and whirled like some kind of human batch of butter. The surprises are always nice. I get so many different emails all year and one of them is called Found it. Loved it! They are supposed to be surprising finds you can look for on the internet. I decided to look at it for once, since I usually admittedly delete them and found this wonderful site www.artoftea.com. It is all about the artful drinking and preparation of fine teas. I found myself enjoying the arm chair experience of the somewhat exotic world of teas. The teas are presented like fine wines, the black teas, oolongs and dessert teas particularly captured my fancy. A while back, I wrote an extensive article on incense, the Japanese art form and also talked about incense games, in an article for “Llewellyn’s Herbal Almanac.” They are going to be re-featuring the article next year and while out of ideas for Christmas presents I thought back to that article and thought of the joys incense can bring to the soul. I went back to visit the Shoyeido incense website and found myself once again captivated. I ended up ordering up quite a lot of stuff for different people on my list and I must add with some guilt, for my home and studio. They have incense that goes up to near $2,000. USD--amazing. They describe those premium incenses as being otherworldly and they must be because while in this world I don’t think I’ll ever experience them unless it’s it a workshop. I know they usually contain the finest aloeswood available. I am partial to their pine and outdoor scents as well as the peace meditative blend that contains myrrh. When I get into burning my collection of frankincense from different areas of the Middle East and the African myrrhs over bamboo charcoal, I find that I get very blissful. I used to have quite a good relationship with the old owner of Scents of the Earth which features many different incenses; some of which are made by the company, now located in my beloved Cape May, NJ. They have some nice ancient spiritual blends. He is the person that let me in on what richness and delight incense could add to your life and our conversations led to a great deal of research. I have ordered some white ash and incense bowls, for listening to my Japanese incense. So that type of Christmas shopping is the type that fills me with anticipation and delight. I wonder how the recipients of the incense will feel when they experience the gentle music of these very unusual blends. I’m also very into candles and my five office candles I described in a previous post are lit and smelling wonderful. That will be another type of Christmas present to share with guests that come into our home. Still, I look forward to the peacefulness of Yule—at the Solstice this coming Thursday--the day of the longest night and shortest day. I have a Yule cauldron-luck to go to tonight and I just can’t wait! Hopefully, by the time Kwanzaa rolls around I won’t be too worn out to celebrate a little more. The drawing above, is a colored pencil drawing from my sketchbook inspired by the rock formations found in parts of Illinois and Wisconsin.

Parkway Garden

2011-12-16T07:46:00.000-08:00

This diptych is a large oil on paper called, “Parkway Garden.” It was done during the fall in plein air during several outdoor painting sessions in my front yard. Then I took the panels into my studio and finished the painting, looking down on the garden. That was done in my old studio which had a nice bay of windows that overlooked the gardens and street. It was a square-shaped studio which I don't think is so good for creative flow. Now my studio is very rectangular and more in the middle of the house, upstairs and still has lots of windows that provide beautiful natural light. It is under construction, which feels weird. I like the consistency of having my studio relatively unchanged and everything in the same spot. But that is the way I’ve worked for years and it is good to change things up. I also think the rectangular shape helps the work flow better and there is much more room to expand my vision. Now, the studio has been completely dismantled so the ceiling could be refinished. Previous to the construction, the ceiling would occasionally leak when it rained and it constantly flaked off paint and plaster into my paintings and drawings. So basically everything has been packed up and removed from the walls, placed either under plastic or in another room while the ceiling is being completely redone. I can’t wait until it is finished but as we all know construction projects often take much longer than planned. Meanwhile, I am working on a makeshift table in the old studio, filled with paints, stamps, brushes, papers and so forth. I find there is precious little time to paint at this time of the year but will try to squeeze in some time over the weekend to finish my latest mandala. That particular mandala has surprised me because it has more dimension and depth than I planned, which is a pleasant surprise. Meanwhile, I am doing some planning for how I want to re-establish and set up the actual studio, as I maintain this virtual studio. I wanted to post this particular painting because it was done at a time when nature was in a state of flux. “Parkway Garden” is in the collection of a private collector in Chicago. The art consultancy firm I work with, Murphy Rabb, placed it actually in the late fall, shortly after it was completed.

When Craft Fairs Go Bad

2011-12-15T06:02:00.000-08:00

For about five days, I’ve been sitting on uncomfortable feelings raised by the most recent craft fair I attended , which was last Saturday 12/10/11. Usually the organizers will want you to become successful at their venue because that way we are happy and more willing to come back to support the fair next year, as well as recommending it to other artisans. So, usually steps are taken to assure the success of the show, advertising, outreach, emails, and good signage and even how the artisans are placed. This was a brand new fair in the city of Chicago’s north side at a place called Flourish Studios. It was held in a spectacular store-like space that must have been 10,000 square foot on each floor. The huge problems for the artisans is that customers would have to walk through a full store of other artists and artisans work on that first floor, find the stairs, walk up the stairs and then come into one of the two small rooms to see what we were offering for sale. Who would want to go through so much trouble? When they are probably overwhelmed with shopping as it is? Adventurers, I imagine; those few intrepid souls not put off by the bazaar set up. Most of us exhibiters were unhappy to varying degrees and we complained to one another all day. Why had this happened? We were set up for failure or was it just an accident, the way we were placed? The people organizing the show seem pretty good hearted so I’d have to lean towards the later. The first hour…no sales. As the day dragged on ever so slowly gradually a few more people came dribbling by and some did purchase our wares but it was overall an abysmal day. I learned a few things about craft fairs that day. 1. Be leery of newly developed craft shows without a track record of any kind. 2. Placement of the artists and artisans is critical to their success at a venue. Try to find out where you will be placed in the fair before agreeing to be in it. Ask for a map. 3. Try to avoid competing with pre-existing products and books that are not a part of the art fair. Ask if the customers will see these items first or if they will be introduced to the crafters items directly. 4. Just ask as many questions as possible in advance. What type of advertising is being done; what numbers of people are expected to visit, etc., these small steps would have probably convinced me to stay home and not participate in that particular fair. I wonder how many of you reading this have also had nightmare scenarios present themselves in the form of an art fair or craft show? Would love to hear from you. Maybe together we can sort some things out on how to prepare for selecting these shows. I give you the floor…

Simple Morning Rituals

2011-12-14T04:19:00.000-08:00

Thankfully, I am up again and writing before the sun has risen. This is a part of my morning ritual that I savor. Writing can flow beautifully in the early hours of waking, especially if you set the mood for it. It is almost perfectly still and very quiet, except for the patter of rain this morning. It seems, if one were to really focus you can hear your heartbeat. I like to have something to drink, first something cold like water and then a nice cup of South American or African coffee or some sort of tea to start things off. Before I even have my morning drink, I have to light my candles. I have 5 votives in little glasses burning. The patchouli one especially gives off a nice, musty, earthy scent, reminding me of Gaia, whereas the other two are sweeter and more vibrant, a part of the ascended master’s realm. The trio is complimentary to one another and they warm the spirit and soul which also makes creativity flow. I also stretch before writing, before I even get out of bed. Staying limber seems to grow more and more vital each day. When I am feeling up for it I will also do sun salutations to wake up my body and align my spirit to the universe, getting it ready for what is before me each day. Ritual and writing seem to go together well and one pulls energy from the other. When I can get into the rhythm of doing both I find that there isn't much I cannot accomplish. The morning ritual and writing make way for the painting which follows once the sun has risen. Today however it will be warm and rainy so I don't expect to see the sun. For many years now, at least since I was in art school, I have depended on sunlight to motivate, illuminate and in some ways direct my paintings and drawings. When the sun is not out it is harder to get motivated and that is when candles become even more important. They are little fragrant warming lights that are handy because they are portable. Each scent offers a different vibrational energy as does each color. I am using a lot of white candles these days because they offer a high spiritual tonality and seem cleansing which is another important feature of morning rituals. Once I have completed this aspect of my creative ritual I will go near the hearth, I spoke of cleansing the other day, and light three more candles while continuing my preparations for the day with my family. In that area of the house the narcissus generally colors the room with its hypnotic fragrance, as does the garland and Pacifica candles. That particular type of candle is rich in essential oils—the aromatherapeutic benefits are out of this world! They are inspirational, uplifting, vibrational and energetic, all in the form of single three by three inch pillars. This pastel on paper is called "Flowers at Dusk" and it is about 22" x 28." Ok…it’s coffee time…

Mandala Artistic Statement

2011-12-13T04:13:00.000-08:00

I started to seriously work the Mandala into my art in late August of 2011. This painting is one foot square and it explores Wind Energy. This is my Artistic Statement for this series: My paintings explore natural forms of energy and they employ Islamic patterns and Native American basketry designs which are digitally manipulated and layered starting with a foundation of acrylic skins. Islamic patterns have many universal themes, while also embodying sacred geometry. They offer the opportunity to engage with pure abstraction and are open-ended, lending themselves to various interpretations, yielding to the vision of the artist. Native American basketry designs are powerful circular forms that also utilize patterns that speak to the human condition, life cycles, ceremony and ritual. Bringing the two diverse iconic cultural expressions together imbues my work with transformative power. I use the Mandala format because it is healing and soothing to me as an artist on the path to physical and spiritual healing. Mandala offers a double helix healing because it also offers that same healing potential I derive as an artist to every viewer who takes the time to experience the paintings fully. Color theory figures prominently into the work. My paintings hinge on color and shapes to portray various types of natural sunlight, wind, water and other forms of clean energy. It is my hope that my work will inspire and touch the viewer while also serving as a gentle reminder of all the forms of natural healing energy around us.

Sun Energy

2011-12-12T07:29:00.000-08:00

Typically, I like to rise with the sun. Today I wasn’t so lucky...ugh, it’s Monday! Still, I generally work with sun magick and my daily activities revolve around the movements of the sun. I love doing sun salutations in the morning and then painting in the studio using natural sun light. In this Mandala called “Sun Energy” I utilized a lot of color theory to try to make a very vibrant painting--I wanted it to vibrate. I see each of the background Islamic pattern flowers as little suns that give off tremendous healing energy. I think of the early Egyptians because a large part of their ancient spirituality revolved around sun worship. Today is a day for them—the sun is shining this morning in an eye-piercingly bright manner. While it is not warming up this cold Illinois weather (it is 29 degrees right now), its majestic presence is very warming to the soul. I am practicing ways of bringing the sun’s warmth into the home. I bought some patchouli, something called Aspen flower and a bamboo votive candle for my dining room wall; a lovely green garland; some eucalyptus and bittersweet berries for the hearth. I have repositioned the white poinsettia which seems to throw off a lot of its own natural light and positive energy. The forced narcissus is starting to bloom, releasing its bright, high frequency scent into the living room. It is almost otherworldly. I like to work the hearth area and am considering hanging a cadmium red abstract painting over it to bring in a fiery feeling, according to the tenets of feng shui. In fact, today I will completely re-do the hearth because that is the place from which warmth springs.

Promise of the Full Moon

2011-12-11T07:25:00.000-08:00

I'm more of a sun person than a moon but I must admit I was very enriched by this month's full moon. Called many different things from Whirlpool Moon to Long Nights Moon, this full moon was particularly spectacular. I observed it carefully Friday night, driving to a Christmas party, and was mesmerized by its glowing and powerful presence. She called to me, “look this way,” “hear my messages,” “see me,” “feel my transformative power.” According to “Witches' Datebook 2011,” this Whirlpool Moon is a good time for communications, especially dispersing information and wisdom. It is a time for tidying this year's affairs and summarizing the happenings of 2011 especially if you are a part of a spiritual group but if you are solitary there are also many ways of to do the same thing. This year I have been searching out groups that are not online. Don't get my wrong, I love my online groups and am a member of about 53 Yahoo groups, numerous groups on MyHoodooSpace.com, PaganSpace.net and quite a few on Soul Cafe as well as some great Meet Ups--my favorite is Chicago Ringing Anvil. I'm signed up to attend Chicago Ringing Anvil's Yule Potluck which should be a lot of fun next weekend. Online groups are a great way of staying connected with people all over the country and those abroad. I get immense pleasure out of the conversations I read and partake in online. Face-to-face groups are equally important, though I find them more difficult to navigate than online groups. I was a member of a local Dream Medicine Circle for most of this year. We would meet monthly, do a ritual and/or ceremony, discuss our dreams, and work with dream energy in writing and through art. It was powerful but for complicated personal reasons I had to quit the group before the end of the year. I see a pattern in myself wherein I am very sporadic. Doing the same thing every day or on a regular basis does not fit well into my lifestyle. I struggled this year when I had a very regular, 40 hour a week office job at an internet start up in Chicago. Yes, I enjoyed my job as a researcher and editor, especially because I was working on a special project about health but the day in, day out slog eventually got the best of me. As I rested and recuperated from being in hospital I made the decision not to return to that job. Now, once again I work 5 days a week but this time part-time so I have a chance to write in the mornings and to go to my studio and paint before and after work. This Long Nights/Whirlpool Moon I am considering continuity and honoring my commitments. These topics are of vital importance but over the course of this past year, struggles with my health have impaired my ability to stick with things I have committed to. Illness has a language and message of its own and mine has spoken to me about what I can and cannot do; what I should and should not do. With less and less of an opportunity to commune with the sun, I am turning towards the power and wisdom of the Mother Moon to help me connect with what I hold dear. The piece featured on this blog today is from the sketchbook whose inside back cover I shared yesterday. It is a collage with cray-pas pastels and it reminds me very much of full moon energy and how that energy spreads and touches the earth.

Reflections on Persephone's Landscape

2011-12-10T05:40:00.001-08:00

A little over a year ago, when I attended last year's Illinois Art Education Association's annual conference, I purchased a sketchbook. The idea was to pass the sketchbook around to people in other states and countries to see what the sketchbook could become through collaboration. I fully intended to participate in the project but I did it a bit differently. I had not been too active in my studio in 2010 and thought the sketchbook would give me just the right kick in the butt to get working, without the pressure of producing something big. I decided to fill the sketchbook from cover to cover and to even create art on the covers. This image, "Persephone's Landscape" is a collage from the inside back cover of the little black sketchbook which measures about 5" x 8 1/2". I'd say I've worked in this particular sketchbook for at least six months straight and I've made about 40 images. I've worked some and reworked others while a few were cut out and turned into small paintings on board. There is something I really like about the intimacy of a sketchbook that you can pick up and work with anywhere or even work on your lap. I wanted to share "Persephone's Landscape" today because, as Goddess of the Underworld, she holds court during winter, which is the time she is in that particular sphere. I see her world as being lively, mysterious and hauntingly beautiful. Most of all, it is very full of life. My mother, father, grandfather, grandmother, great grandmother and many aunts, uncles, as well as a few cousins have passed on. In dreams, my mother shares her goings on in the next world. She seemed very upset and confused in those first years when she passed; trying to make her way but now she is content. I get the most visits in dreams from her. We were very close and I miss her dearly, especially around the holidays. She loved the holidays and when she died in October she already had hidden numerous presents in the trunk of her car for Christmas. I miss my father, who made his passage on St. Valentine's Day and all of my beloved relatives as well. This is a bittersweet time of the year that we try to make things merry and bright but if we are in tuned, it can be a very dark time in more ways than one.

Size Does Matter

2011-12-09T06:04:00.000-08:00

For a while, particularly while in graduate school at the University of California, San Diego, everything about my paintings seemed to have been larger than life. The works, you could walk with them, following their path down the wall to come to understand the piece. I used ladders and step stools and chairs to reach the top of the canvases to apply paint or often worked with the canvas flat on the ground. Tubes of paint where out, instead I used cans of various sizes, mostly pints and quarts. My brushes and palette were enormous and even my drawings took several sheets of 30 x 40 paper to be realized in the form of a diptych or triptych or I used rolls of paper. When I have had some health issues that were quite serious, of one type or another, my work diminished in size dramatically. As of late I’ve come to the belief that it is a good thing for the paintings to take up less and less physical space. Maybe reducing the size of my work is a personal way of lessening my footprint. I have moved from oil, though not necessarily permanently, to water-based media, which at least without the solvents, feels healthier. I have a healthy-sized collection of Daniel Smith paints, I like that he makes them at his factory in the US and I am using some Golden Acrylic products as well. I am thinking of going macro. I am toying with the idea of creating ATCs (Artist Trading Cards) and have some cards waiting to be painted on. I also have a sketchbook which is a work-in-progress that contains miniatures done in mixed media and using digital transfer. These two images connected to this text are two of my favorites. It is a map to a mythical landscape called “Sacred Land 1” and Sacred Land 2” and they are very tiny—pretty much ATC sized. These miniature paintings are done with tempera, something I seldom use but it seems the perfect medium for these pieces. On the Welcome page of this blog I showed a piece called Universal Energy. It is 12” square. That is my preferred size to work these days and it even feels quite large compared to the structures I worked on previously. The regularity of the square has a certain, comforting predictability that I need right now. Squares lend a nice sense of containment. They are dependable shapes that can hold a lot of visual information.

The Meeting of Writing and Art: Altered Books

2011-12-08T04:47:00.000-08:00

Writing brings immense pleasure. It has been an important part of my life since high school when I got seriously involved with poetry. Writing a book is both challenging and pleasurable. It is a daily practice and it requires a great deal of energy and discipline. Typically, I try to write early in the morning, for at least a couple of hours, particularly when I am working on a book project or article. Seeing the finished product, all of your words, folded into the beautiful form of a book that is a precious gift. I love vintage books, first editions, antique hardcovers and finding signed copies of old books. As much as I enjoy creating a written book I also love to deconstruct them, in order to make altered book art. I first started working in that medium about 20 years ago; while teaching at the Art Institute, working with an old volume of faded-denim-blue Shakespeare books that I bought from the farmer’s market in New Jersey called Cow Town. The interior art in the altered books was focused around my very young children and other family members, images were layered to give the illusion of movement, using sun prints (cyanotype) negative film, and transparent Xerox copies. To this day, I still enjoy working with transparent Xerox films and some of the work I’ve shown on this blog, like “Dark Angel Noel” and “Angel Nouveau,” utilize that medium. These pieces I am sharing today are untitled works-in-progress, started about three years ago and yet to be finished. Right now they are separated but eventually they will be bound together. I used a lot of walnut ink to create sepia tones found in antiquities. For the watercolor-like effects I used Golden Fluid Acrylics. I incorporated some found objects, like chewing gum foil, antique lace, buttons, chicken wire, denim rags, and Xerox copies of different types of dancers, western and eastern. I also put some semi-transparent Japanese unryu paper over some areas because it lends a rich texture. I saved some of the text from the original book and incorporated that as well. I’m not a very good seamstress but I enjoy sewing into my books—it is very meditative and it creates a sense of cohesion. I use a waxed thread that I get from our local bead shop, similar to sinew and I sew with metallic thread. I wanted the book to feel like a well-lived in home for the dancers, with aging wallpaper walls and bare plaster in areas that are stained by time.

Where the Hell Did that Come From?

2011-12-07T05:28:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder what is the true source of your creativity? Do you ever suspect that there are some spiritual underpinnings to your work that have little to do with you? Sometimes I feel as though I am channeling my ancestors when I create. My understanding of this over the years has deepened. Their voices still want to be heard so they come through in both my writing and my art. With ancestral inspiration there are moments of perfect clarity and flow; the art making takes little effort; it is almost automatic in the sense that clairvoyants use the word. I have also witnessed how my body, mind and spirit work as a conduit for spirits of various types to express in a visual format. These entities are most likely water spirits, but might also be fire spirits or earth spirits; conversely at times I am nudged in one direction or another by various Orisha, gods and goddesses. You can often see glimpses of them in the finished work. “In the Pink”, this collage featured today, is one of those pieces whose genesis and process has a spiritual depth and dimension. The process was deeply intuitive and felt automatic, not planned. It came together to exist on its own terms and I was the vessel to help it get there. This is a simple art card on the surface, with an almost mystical spiritual essence, far exceeding the capacity of the materials and methods for creating it.

Black Friday vs. Hearth, Home and the Studio

2011-12-06T04:14:00.000-08:00

I use to like to buy things a lot when I was younger and I guess I still do but now it's mostly art or paper craft supplies. I didn't do any shopping on Black Friday or Cyber Monday. I don't think I've ever gone shopping on Black Friday, if memory serves correctly. I find that Black Friday is a better time for hearth, home and reflection on what I am thankful for. The thought of facing big crowds after Thanksgiving almost makes me physically sick. For years people have been suggesting that I get an online store on etsy. Finally, yesterday I opened one for my card line which is called Love Bird Designs. I figure, I've made about 175 cards since September and at that rate soon my studio will look like I'm a hoarder so I might as well get rid of some of these cards. I've been making Love Bird Designs since the late 80s but usually only to be given away for Christmas or Yule. I have found some new toys I like to use in the cardmaking over the past year. I added: embossing, die-cutting and my spiffy scissor collection. Someone gave me a demo on embossing at Paper Source. Love that store but need to stay out of there because I end up spending too much money there. In terms of collage techniques, I use to do a lot of burnt edges and sewing into the cards too, and plan to reintegrate that into the work. This image is of one of the cards I made in the fall. It contains banana paper, tobacco paper, some embossing, stamping, die-cut fabric and lots of layers. My etsy store is here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/stephaniebird2

Pinecone Angel

2011-12-05T04:19:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a very good sale at the Oak Park Conservatory, in fact, it was the best one I have had this season. Oak Park Conservatory its a beautiful and spiritually cleansing space, filled with all types of plants. I love the tropical room and it is filled with birds, including my favorite, the African Grey. The conservatory has always been a big part of my life, since moving to Oak Park, and it has influenced both my writing and art. At the sale I sold art cards that are on this blog: "Throw Snowballs" "Dark Angel Noel" and "Angel Nouveau." I always feel ambivalent about selling my art. On the one hand it is flattering and it makes art making sustainable economically. On the other, I will really miss those pieces, holding them, looking at them, having them in my studio. I wonder how other artists and crafts people feel about selling their work? Do you ever feel ambivalent?

One neat thing about selling at fairs is that it is an intimate transaction. You get to meet the person and talk with that person about what they plan to do with the piece and why they want it. I feel fortunate that the lady that bought a lot of my art cards told me a story. She was an older woman and she said that on a blizzard or very snow day she will sit down with the cards and write them out to her friends. Because of our conversation I don't think the cards could have gone to a better home.

A Pagan Retreat in Appalachia

2011-12-04T05:45:00.000-08:00

It wasn't long ago that the furthest south I'd been was Maryland. Then about 11 years ago I met Jannette who lives in the Knoxville area of Tennessee. Jannette is a warm and sunny person who worked very hard with me as the editor for "Sticks, Stones, Roots and Bones" and more recently on "The Big Book of Soul." Yesterday, I was looking in an old sketch book with Nepalese handmade paper in it, when I discovered this lovely landscape of the sacred grounds at Cerren Ered in Cosby TN. Cerren Ered, a pagan community in Appalachia, is home to many pagan festivals, it holds a camp ground, magickally charged trees and natural formations, a bubbling brook that seems to want to speak to you, and for a touch of whimsy, the infamous castle. I went there at not such a good time in my life. What I found was a natural environment that has a strong spiritual energy, almost every where you walk and I made the nicest friends ever. I spent as much time as I could sky clad because the environment invites that type of natural engagement with the elements. The circular stone structure in the drawing is where some important rituals and ceremonies take place. I found the stone circle to be a great place to connect with the earth goddesses and I did my own private ritual there. I wanted this drawing to attempt to capture the vibrancy, magick and mystery of the Great Smoky mountains, which are home to Cerren Ered, as well as the mystical powers of the water and the wood. Truly, I have never before been to a place like Cerren Ered, where the landscape and people are so alive with positive spirit.

Winter Pointsettia

2011-12-03T05:20:00.000-08:00

I've been vibing off plants for quite a long time, really since I was a little girl living in the woods. Plants have such vibrant energy and can be spiritually as well as physically sustaining. Magickal herbalism engages the healing energy of plants and its ability to transform and enlighten. Way before I became involved in magickal herbalism I keyed into plants, transferring their subtle language into my paintings and drawings. This came into full bloom when I was at Tyler School of Art. Now, my house is brimming with such images, dones in sumi-e ink on handmade paper in the kitchen, oil on canvas in the living room and pastels in the dining room. Something about the pastel painting really melds well with depicting plant energy. "Winter Poinsettia" is a painting I did a few years back. I've never gotten poinsettias to live for longer than the holidays so I wanted to capture the power and stateliness of its bearing while I was living. This image is oil on board and is quite small, maybe about 10" on each side.

Angel Nouveau

2011-12-02T04:32:00.000-08:00

Hmmm. Don't know what I actually think about angels, whether they exist or not. I like to think they do. I can imagine that they are not all cutesy and sweet like often depicted, rather, they are kind of dark and perhaps conflicted because of the duality in which they exist. Wings are curious things. We companion two winged creatures in our home, an African Grey named Zazu and a screeching Nanday Conure named Chache, that is very beautiful to look at. Some times they like to hang, upside down and just flutter their wings. Can't tell what that means; if they are itchy or need airing out or they are expressing some emotion or what. Maybe it's just fun. Perhaps our angels are ourselves from another dimension in space and time (in the multiverse) who are a little ahead of us with a better perspective on what is going on and what will happen. One of my bird friends is an excellent flyer. He is the little guy--the conure. The Grey seems like he is too fat too fly. He flies like a lead balloon and if he, with his light bones, is too fat to fly what of the weight of a human-sized angel being? Maybe proportionally it works. In any case, I consciously invite angels into my life and await their appearance. Will let you know.

Throw Snowballs

2011-12-01T05:03:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I continued making art cards for the faire on Sunday. I enjoy this Shirley Templeesque little girl with her great shoes that remind me of some I might have worn and her gigantic snowball. Even in my art classes I've had the elementary children this week working with snow flakes and snowmen so I guess I have snow on my mind. I look forward to Yule, Christmas and Kwanzaa. Yule is such a great reflection time and it is very noncommercial. It is a time to pull in and get into your dreams and clear up interior clutter. I like the crossover between Yule and Christmas with the emphasis on evergreens and the notion of birth, only in my belief system it is the birth of Oak King and his triumph over the darkness brought on my Holly King. Kwanzaa is a time of family togetherness and community engagement, while delving into the meaning of the core Swahili concepts.

I love gifting, making things and cooking during this season. I made vegetarian chili and pumpkin bread last night. I must admit the chili was excellent, with its rich variety of peppers and the addition of some soy protein. It was so warming that I broke a sweat and the bread, with the addition of applesauce was very moist.

So Throw Snowballs is my early way of engaging in thoughts of what this season will mean but in a fun, if not goofy way.

Dark Angel Noel

2011-11-30T02:47:00.000-08:00

I also restarted Love Bird Designs, making art cards this fall for the holidays. I make cards every year but to give away as mini-gifts not to sell. This fall though, I've been doing some local craft fairs and have two more this season. This coming weekend I will be in one called Holiday Craft Faire at Oak Park Conservatory, in Oak Park, (10 a.m. - 4 p.m.) on Sunday. Previously, my cards were pretty abstract in their orientation but recently I ordered some vintage images from Art Chix Studio in Canada and received an interesting angel goodie bag, among other things. I particularly like this and another angel derived from a transparency, that I will post later. I call this one Dark Angel Noel. I wanted to give her background a Victorian feel because she seems to need to be in that environment. I found just the right green-tinged paper that reminds me of aging wall paper from one of my card stock books. She seems dark and mysterious, maybe it's because of the transparency she exists on and also like she enjoys ornamentation, hence the addition of a pink button, some fabric and metallic lace. I think it is kind of a spooky holiday card. When I received my shipment from Canada, I was very hesitant about incorporating the ready-made images into my collage because they are so figurative that they make their own complete statement, making it hard to incorporate them into collage. Now I am allowing them into the work because they can be manipulated a bit through layering and embellishment. I'm enjoying this new process...noticing, and waiting to see what will develop.

Welcome!

2011-11-29T00:50:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my studio! I have spent about a decade mostly focused on writing. I wrote "Sticks, Stones, Roots and Bones: Hoodoo, Mojo and Conjuring with Herbs" first. Then I wrote four more books and numerous articles about hoodoo, African American holistic health, paganism and magick. While doing this heavy focus on writing, my other creative garden--the painting and drawing I had dedicated my life to, became more of a secret garden. Now it is time to water, fertilize and nurture that secret garden and bring it into the light, so that it isn't so secret anymore. As I develop my paintings, drawings and other inspirations, I will share them in this space. Enter here to find sanctuary, ideas and inspiration.