Madame Butterfly Inspired and Anticipation for more time inwards

I have been craving, longing for more time inwards, to create, play, laugh, cry, learn ....Being with the inner me and letting her be more free.  In this time of hustle, bustle...I feel it more deeply and look forward to the coming months of January and February to be more connected to my creative muse in solitude.  In the mean time I am trying to remember to stay in this 'moment' and enjoy it to the fullest the eager and building anticipation of gathering family and friends....This falling snow and night sky brings with it this silence that gives me a taste of that time to come, time to withdraw, hibernate, be quiet and still.....

Inspiration Wednesday - FREE SPIRIT and PERFECT HARMONY

"Free Spirit" 5 x 5 

"Perfect Harmony" 5 x 5 

These pieces were created by inspiration from the divine feminine.

Enjoy the day, sun and fresh air.

The Winner for December's Give Away - "Living the Creative Life" Book by Rice Freeman - Zachery

The winner of the December Holiday Season give away is comment number 6 - which belonged to Barb of Craft Therapy.  Barb contact me with your mailing info..and I will delightfully mail you this great and inspiring book by Rice Freeman-Zachery, Living the Creative Life.  Congratulations!

This is what Barb said about what her favourite holiday tradition is:  

" My favourite part of the holidays is the family and togetherness.  We play games and cook and eat good foods and laugh and share memories...I love the togetherness.  I love the food, too...how can you not love the food.   One of my favourite traditions is the stockings for our family.  Everyone has their own special stocking and I pick up things through the year to fill them with, just little goodies, and since my girls have gotten older they do the same for me.  It's such a fun way to give little goodies to each other without breaking the bank.  Always some giggles to be had by the adults and fun little things for the kids.  When a new member is added to the family (birth or marriage) it is a joy for me to create a new stocking for our mantle." ~Barb 

 

Featured In the Multifaith Calendar 2009, Check it out & Call for Art Submissions 2010!

One of the things I love about the turn of a new year is getting a special calendar for the year...This year I have the honour of being one of the many artists featured in this calendar, check it out - The Multifaith Calendar 2009.  They are also looking for new artists to submit work for their 2010 calendar selections and the theme is such a great one - Earth Bounty.  How I would love to submit a piece for this as Encaustics and the work I do often represents my connection and gratitude for the earth.  Anyway, I can't apply again this year..but I am hoping many of you artist colleagues will consider applying..see below for the call of submissions and you can retrieve this from their website too.

Enjoy!  

Still Believing in the Magic - A reminder of hope, the greatest gift!

My thoughts lately have been with the awe and gratitude I feel about how my little Maya still believes!!!  Well she isn't so little anymore, 8 going on 9 years and yet she is still so EXCITED about Christmas....She has been counting down the days on a handmade calendar created since December 1st...And wanting to put up the Christmas tree and decorate the house earlier than usual.  So last weekend we ventured out as a family on our annual family tradition of finding the Christmas tree that spoke to us the most and decorated it at day's end.  Maya and I came home to the Christmas lights all strung up outside and inside too; Jeff took the day to put them up while we were at my sister's baby shower..These are exciting times and significant times for sure for all of us...at so many levels personal and global....

I am in awe that she still believes and am so thankful that that sense of wonder and magic still shines within her soul.  The main reason for her excitement this year, is that last year she asked Santa for a photo of himself for Christmas 2009...and this is the year she keeps saying she is going to see how Santa "really looks" that he will be leaving a photo of himself Christmas eve....

There are so many thoughts that rise up for me about this...Questions and comments?  What does Santa symbolize?  What does he really look like if we could imagine or make him/her up in our minds? Or when we visualize Santa's magic in our minds?  

Santa is magical, signifies hope, love and sharing, generosity and care for each other and community...Santa is about the vastness of spirit, soul and our connectedness to everyone and everything......Now how do we capture that in a photo?

Lots of love, hope and peace to all of you during this magical and hopeful time....With each blessing of hope and magic we put out into the world...that magnifies and grows...Here is to believing forever.

A Special Treat in the Mail

What a treat...I won Rita Vindedzis' December give away..and I love it..This special one of a kind original reminds me of childhood, playing and fond memories..Thank you so much Rita.   Check out her blog and her website.

Exhibition 36 - New Book by Susan Tuttle -What a treasure!

I absolutely delight in Susan Tuttle's blog and work...What joy it was to find out she is having a contest give away of her new book:  Exhibition 36: Mixed-Media Demonstrations + Explorations.  What a win this would be...would so love to be the winner of this fabulous art book.  Check out the new book on Amazon and visit her blog for your chance to win.

Reminders of Hope

A gift from a friend recently was this sharing of this poem..and it has been the starting point of the climb out of an abyss...slowly but surely...I will conquer these dark hours with the reminders of hope and love, and compassion.  Thanks Jill for sending this my way..it has served so many a dark moment with a spark of joy.  I look forward to the deep winter months of going inward, delving into those dark hours to find a new beginning...that dream once lost among the sorrows and songs....

Small works at the Whitestone Gallery in Guelph, 80 Norfolk Street

Opening reception is this Friday December 5th 5 - 8 p.m. at the Whitestone Gallery, 80 Norfolk St.  This is an artist collective of 18 artists, and all the artwork in the front gallery is $100 or less.  What a great place to find a one of a kind treasure, handmade art piece for your special person or for yourself.

We look forward to greeting you and refreshments will be available..come mingle and say hi..love to see you there.  

Small works show will run from Dec. 4th to Dec. 24th. Gallery hours are 11- 8 Thurs and Friday for the month of December and Saturday 11 - 5.  

Take some time out for yourself to enjoy these small delights.

Giveway for the Holidays

"Living the Creative Life" by Rice Freeman-Zachery is an amazingly inspiring book.  For all of those who love living creatively it is a treasure source. 

I am doing another free giveaway, why:

- well it is my 101 blog post

- it is Holiday Celebration time

- it is a joy for me to give and so for the holiday season which is upon us and the fact that I have received such joy and community from blogging...I am giving a brand new copy of this book away.

All you have to do is make a comment on my blog, letting me know what you love about the holidays..what special tradition do you celebrate each year with your loved ones, friends and family, adopted family, pets, etc.  This draw will end Dec. 12th..so blog post a comment any time from today onwards until then.

Looking forward to hearing about your lovely holiday traditions.

TODAY - Art Auction Proceeds to go to ONWARD WILLOW

Just a quick not to let you know of a wonderful "Art Auction" today, at the Guelph Youth Music Centre on Cardigan Street in Guelph.

This Art Auction is the initiative of a group of commerce students at the University of Guelph and it is a fundraiser for "Onward Willow".  All proceeds from the show will go to the Guelph's Onward Willow Charity.  Currently 90% of the Willow rod area lives beneath the poverty line.  It provides fun activities for children after school, breakfast and lunch programs for 400 children a week and counselling for families in several different domestic issues.  For more information on Onward Willow please visit:  www.onwardwillowbetterbeginnings.ca

Participating Artists in the Art Auction include:

Joel Masewich, Norm Stiff, Andrea Bird, Diane Wallace, Supria Karmakar, Arlene Saunders, Eden Cameron, Patricia Kerwin, Butch Dompierre, Rebecca Erikson and numerous Uof G Students. 

Six Artists are invited to join a round robin altered book project!

In Canada, the winter months can be long and cold...And sometimes you might just want to curl up with a great cup of java, free trade is always the best and organic at that... or a nice chai of sorts...and your most favourite artists materials...

This winter I thought it would great to participate with six other artists in a 'round robin' altered books project.  You can pick any kind of book to alter, a vintage one, a new one, a handmade one, whatever your heart desires.  You can alter it with any theme you choose...for mine I'm thinking about perhaps focusing on the beauty and joy of the coming Spring...and the blessings of the Winter days that bring birth to the Spring treasures. Or another one I often found inviting to create is the idea of 'home'.

I would like to find six artists from anywhere in the world to participate.

All that is needed is a joy and passion to create and share.  The idea is that you start a book and send it out to the next person on the list....I will coordinate this project once I get the six names of those that want to participate.  The project will begin January 5th week to April 30th... this gives us 17 weeks in total to work on the project and what I was thinking that we can have three weeks to do the altered book pages and then pass it onto the next person on the list until we get our own book back at the end in 17 weeks, ready for a Spring unveiling.

If you are interested in this project, send in your name to me...the first six names to come my way in a blog post comment and/or email will be part of the project.

Looking forward to creating in community and seeing the magical creations created by the hands of other artists in my own book.

 

I've Just been Tagged...

This is the lovely work of Rita Vindedzis, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  She is mainly an acrylic artist with numerous private and corporate collections and her work has appeared in publications such as Style at Home Magazine, Canadian House and Home, Decor and the 2008 Benjamin Moore Color Brochure.  She also does some mixed media work and has an online store, called Red Banana, I love that name.  Rita has become a great new blogging friend and she recently tagged me...What that means is that I now can choose to tag 8 other bloggers to highlight their work and their blogs and I also have to write down 8 things about myself in this blog post.  Thanks Rita for my first TAG...

1.  I am absolutely intrigued by Frida Kahlo's life and work.  There is depth and haunting stories embedded in her work.

2. When I was 11 or 12 years old, I made a bet with my brother that one day I would meet Clint Eastwood, or I would pay him $250.00...This bet was made while I was still living in England..though we are much closer geographically to Clint Eastwood.... the bet has still be be fulfilled....I was then and still am in love with Clint Eastwood's work, both in the "A Fistful of Dollars", "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" movies and in his work as a director...there is something very sexy about him.

3. My favourite bands growing up were: The Bay  City Rollers and the Police...Last year for their reunion tour, I got to see the Police live for the first time ever...it was like I was a teenager again..thanks Jeff, for fulfilling my teenage dream to see them live....

4. I love dark, organic free trade coffee, gin and tonics, red wine, olives, dark chocolate, sunny days in the summer, summer rain, sunflowers, lavender, rich vibrant colour, the stillness of a winter nite after the snow has fallen

5.  I would love to go sky diving one day

6. I will go traveling around the world again one day...I have enjoyed discovering India, Thailand, Nepal, Italy, Spain, England, Scotland, Wales, France, Switzerland, Germany, Costa Rica 

7. Friends and Family mean the world to me; making new friends are blessings I welcome and cherish

8. I believe life is full of possibilities; that there are no coincidences, and that each person and/or experience in life has the potential for teaching us great things about ourselves, about life and about humanity.

Now here are 8 other creative souls I would like to tag, hope you have a chance to check their blogs out:

1. Roxanne of the River Garden Studio 

2. Kelcey's blog - Sweet Mess

3. Ilka's Attic - Mixed Media Artist Susan Tuttle

4. Seth - The Altered Page

5. Linda Womack - Embracing Encaustic

6. Melizza Hronkin

7. The Bee Team

8. Misty Mawn

Two Holiday Shows - Come Visit & See Some New Art Work

A variety of small works and larger works will be available at the Globe Studio Show at the end of the month.  Opening reception Friday Nov. 28th 5 - 8 p.m.  The first 25 customers at this show to visit and purchase something special from my booth will receive 10 % off the highest ticketed item purchased.

The second show I would like to highlight, is the exciting artist collective I've joined at Whitestone Gallery in Guelph.  For the month of December from Dec. 4- 24th over 100 small works from over 14 artists and potters will be available for sale, to delight, tantalize and inspire....You are bound to find a treasure for a special person on your list and/or a treat for yourself...All works will be for $100 or under.  Opening reception Friday Dec. 5th 5 - 8 p.m.

I would love to see you at either one of the opening reception evenings.

A recent commission

Here is a recent commission I completed for Debbie Danbrook, of Healing Music.  Debbie Danbrook is a performer and composer who is a Master of the Shakuhachi, an ancient Japanese bamboo flute.  Her music is delightful, meditative, soothing and great for creating to...Please visit her at her website - http://www.healingmusic.com/debbie/debbie-mainpage.htm

So Vast is the Nature of Spirit....

"So vast is the nature of Spirit that the energies which flow into it can never fill it, nor those which flow from it exhaust it." ~ Sue Patton Thoele.

This is a photo I took back in 1992 in North Thailand...The peaceful sculpture with the gold leaf vessel really resonated with me then, as much as it still does today.  The luscious tree with the vines growing up and down from the deep belly of the earth to the embracing skies...also fed my senses and my soul even back then...Trees have always signified  such vastness, connection and life...And the vessel we call soul or spirit also reminds me that no matter what comes with each day there is plenty of energy to find within...Energies that will sustain us, bring us joy, love, care, compassion and renewal.  Here is to comfort and renewal to all those that crave it...it is within us all...Our vessels are vast and infinite.

Remembering with Gratitude

This is a piece I completed last year around the same time of the year in memory of all those that gave of their lives to give to others...and today I share it again to show gratitude for the freedoms, joy and bountiful pleasures we experience today....Let's never forget.

Hope for you and I and all

"Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul" ~ Emily Dickinson

What a glorious thing 'hope' is.... Today I choose to surround myself with hope and I am also sending it out to the universe as well.  Hope is always there for us to hold, embrace, believe in and cherish.

Questions are so many and Answers are so few...

I've no image to share today...but I have some thoughts..burning in my heart to be spoken....

What do you do when you are dealt a blow that came from left field...or did it...what do you do if that door is calling beckoning to embrace change but it is way TOO HARD...

The big 'A' says to embrace CONTRAST..that contrast builds us and guides us to the best...why then does it HURT so much...?  

Questions are so many, answers are so few....

Life and meaning of life and relationships, the emotions are all so raw, vital to our living...but so RAW all the same...

How do you get through to the other end when it feels like an ABYSS vs. a tunnel with even a peak of light shining at the other end....there is no light right now..only darkness...abyss and that feeling of being swallowed and breaking....Authentic living is so hard but so important to me.....

Fall Workshops - Wonderful Teaching Moments

Here are some workshop photos, work of some fabulous creative artists...It has been a pleasure teaching so much this fall season...between the five week course programs and the one day workshops, I have been busy sharing the joy of the encaustic medium with other creative souls...and loving every moment of it.

A new 5 week program begins this Friday at my studio and a one day workshop this Sat.  

The altered books five week program too has been a great journey and I look forward to sharing more on that too in a future post.

Adventures of one Fortune Teller and Vampire

Come let me tell you your future.....

Inviting isn't it....

Wonder why she loves the 'theatre'....maybe there is a future here...following in the footsteps of her aunt Jennifer and Rhea...it is in the blood...

Hope you all had a fun and full halloween.