Always a Down to counter the Up

Worn out....guess the hyper last two weeks finally took its toll. Just vegged out with TV. Went to bed and finally slept about 1:30 AM. No energy for the days list of to do's. Hate to post downer blog entries so I'll counter it with an art image I did at the beach week before last, when I was carefree and creative. It's the letter A for a vintage alphabet swap. I send in the A's and receive back a batch of each letter from different participants. Lots of great places to do online art swaps. It really does help your creativity to do someone else's idea and then see all the varieties. (I received my batch of DOD and Frida tags from that swap and WOW were they great!

Doing another complete alphabet set in this fashion to submit somewhere. By the way the technique was paint a piece of matboard with the vaseline crackle paint technique from Claudine Hellmuth. Dry. Remove vaseline. Cut into 1 1/2 inch squares. Layer with Prismacolor Art Stix. Then add packing tape transfer letters. Voila! Coat with gel medium.

Did a few mixed media sketches this AM to rev me up but I think it's going to take a decent night's sleep to do the trick completely.

Blessings to all...and get your sleep or the creative muse will nap and you'll miss out on something GREAT!

Fall is such a special time

I love the crisp air and blue sky. I love the fall leaves and changing shadows. It feels like a time for people change too. Maybe an easier time for resolutions. Although I seem to make resolutions every day cause I break them everyday. Maybe today will be different.

Image is a digtal collage from my Kiawah trip with original poem written while walking one morning on the beach.

Life is full of BLISS

when you take time to expect it... I had such a beautiful weekend with my husband and son celebrating the son's 23rd birthday.

Children bring such joy and happiness to us from the day of conception. It's unfathomable.

They are such sponges when little and then when they become adults we are so proud, the sponge just explodes with beautiful memories and times. There's a verse in proverbs, not taking time to look it up, but it simply says (train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it)! How true! I think we tried to raise our son to be smart, thoughtful, responsible and dedicated to his Lord. He's all that and more. I only hope I can be a little like him when I grow up!

Ah, the beauty of LIFE!

A wonderful week on the coast last week and now a weekend at another coast (New Bern, NC) to celebrate my son's 23rd birthday! Blessings abound and I try to count them daily.

I suggest you do the same. The more you count your blessings the more you forget your troubles. It really does work! Try it next time you feel kinda down, blue or just our of sorts.

Here's another little inspiration from last week!

AS THE SUN RISES

After the walk along the shore

Inspiration is everywhere!

If you just keep looking and reading and thinking and waiting and expecting....be open to it. Let the creative spirit within you reach out to the spirit of all creativity (God for me) and let the wisdom flow.

I just finished reading a wonderful book called The Forest Lover by Susan Vreeland. If you like to paint, you like nature and the two combined, you will love this book and receive much inspiration for your own creative endeavors. I highly recommend it. Here is a quote from the book:

"You who dwell in the forest," Emily murmured..."You have given me the longing to paint...give wisdom to my eyes to see into the soul of this land. Though I will walk through this valley of the shadow of afar and lonely wilderness, help me to hear a spirit song. Give power to my brush so I can create something true and beautiful and important."

My image for this post is a little different from what I usually share. It shows my workspace while at Kiawah. The lovely glass top dining table became my studio away from home and here you see lots of my favorite paints and tools I travel with.

images first

I have downloaded images but haven't gotten poems and thoughts from journal....I will get to them eventually. Enjoy this moment captured. Take yourself there in your mind. Relax and leave all your cares behind....

The vacation glow is back!

I can't wait to download my pictures and share my trip. It was a perfectly wonderful time of relaxation, art, and time with hubby. Kiawah Island for a week does me more good than almost anything in the world when it comes to putting things in perspective. I realize that I am truly blessed and have more than I could ever dream possible to be thankful for. I hope to be able to hold on to the glow that is around me right now through the rest of the year and my life. I always think "what if it's the last time I get to go there..." Well, once should be enough but I've gone over 20 times and it gets better and better. I am fortunate to have gone twice this year.

Thanks to the good Lord and my wonderful husband.

Image is from Kiawah past....sunset over the marsh....

Family-Nothing Compares

I had the good fortune to celebrate my Mom's 78th birthday yesterday along with my Dad and husband. If our son could have been with us it would have been complete. We laughed, ate, talked, and had such a wonderful time at a favorite restaurant. Took photos, opened her gifts and cards and enjoyed it so much. It made me wish for days like on Walton's Mountain when the whole family lived under one roof. Everyone worked close to home and were always together for family celebrations.

On a sadder note, I heard of a lady losing her husband in an accident. How sad for her and her children. It made me value my special family time even more.

I'm heading to Kiawah Island, SC with my husband for the week so I'm checking out for a while from blogging but hope you will check back with me on my return. I should have some great photos and new art to share.

Blessings dear readers and thanks for sharing your wonderful comments. God loves you!

Photo of Mom (Vember) and me.

Pain is NOT my friend

After two nights of pain keeping me from sleep, I have to ask how does someone with trully painful conditions survive. When 2400 mg of ibuprofen doesn't help, where do I turn?

I hate the idea of more wasted doctor visits and meds. Plus I'm leaving for a week at Kiawah in 2 days and want to feel like enjoying it! Do I just smile and keep making art?

ART has always been my mental therapy. Maybe it can be my physical therapy also.

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

Praise and glory to God the Father, Jesus, His Son and the Holy Spirit.

Image is of acrylic textured ATC's.

God is with us

Where do you draw the line?

between stating your own beliefs in your own words for no one to read unless they choose and being considered intolerant. I happen to believe I am extremely tolerant of other's beliefs. I also feel that my blog is as my personal hand written journal, a place where I can be completely honest and who I am...a Christian.

I certainly respect other's beliefs and do not feel I have ever shown any disrespect to any one in what I write here. I apologize if it has come across to someone in that tone. Blogs may be written as the writer wishes and no one is made to read them, as far as I know.

I do plan to continue to express my beliefs about God and Christ and the Christian way of life. I suggest that if my words upset you, then just don't visit my blog. I usually invite others to view images on my blog and I do use many Christian ideas and symbols. If you see or read somthing you disagree with, you are certainly welcome to express your own opinion in the comment section but please do not suggest that I do not tolerate others ideas. I happen to admire many other religious groups for their consistency in their practices. I think Christians are often not that consistent and we could certainly learn from others.

It is my sincere desire to express my own thoughts and ideas and images in this blog and NOT to offend or upset anyone.

Comments are always welcome and you may wish to comment on other's comments as well.

Image is a pencil sketch of Mary and Jesus.

Trying but ....

It seems I am always trying to do what it is right but the older I get the harder it gets. I continue to come up short. I say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing, think the wrong thing. I just want to live peaceably and happily, love God, produce art, and be with my family. I want to find comfort in my Lord and Savior, offend no one, worry less, strive to be the person God made me to be....but I continue to fall short. My prayer is this...as a Christian lady whom I admire once said...

"God let me be who You want me to be this day;

God help me do the things You want me to do this day;

God make me who You made me to be this day."

I believe

I believe in

the Trinity- Father, Christ and Holy Spirit

TRUE LOVE

dreams and wishes

family

friendship

sharing your gifts

creating art

Prayer

What do you believe in?

image is from Frida Kahlo ATC series

I wish...

Life was simpler

Pain didn't exist

Your best day lasted forever

You could keep those you love close

No one was hungry

Everyone loved everyone

War could end

Happiness and contentment reigned

Wishes came true

What do you wish?

image is a real ATC with wish added digitally

A Message from God

If you are reading this and don't live in the piedmont of NC, you may not realize but we are in a severe drought. Only a trace here in Alexis for nearly 3 months. We have had teeny tiny showers the last couple days. I've prayed for rain. I even told God I wouldn't complain about my frizzy hair when it rains. I wouldn't complain if it rained everyday we are at Kiawah week after next but....we need rain. I miss the sweet smell of the earth after a good rain. I miss the droplets hanging on to leaves and branches. I miss the swirly Payne's gray skies. I miss RAIN!

Well, while walking this morning in the early light as the sun was rising and the mist was in the air, my husband pointed out a rainbow in the sky. I've never seen one in the sky with so little light and so little rain and no storm. I took it as a personal message from God. He was reminding me that He was still there and it would rain again! What a sweet answer to a heartfelt prayer.

The photo is from another rainbow day!

Favorites

Thought it would be fun to list favorite things....

• Spiritual life


• family time


• creating art


• studying art


• sharing art


• movies - Moonstruck, Steel Magnolias, Sleepless in Seattle, any Nicholas Sparks movies, any Sam Elliott or Keven Costner movies


• books - Bible, art books, Nicholas Sparks novels


• music - christian, pop, jazz, James Taylor, Carpenters, Eagles, America, Norah Jones, John Mayer, Michael Buble


• photography, digital art, quotes


• icons-hearts, crosses, ferns, mountains, angels, vessels


• corny jokes


• chocolate


• grilled cheese sandwiches

There are lots more but that is enough for now.

Here is another set of Zine images.

Link to Artella website

http://www.artellawordsandart.com/

Browse and enjoy!

More MEDLEY ZINE pages

These pages show the fun of mixing and matching images, adding real photos to art images, using leftover bits and pieces and keeping it simple.

MORE IMAGES

more on Medley Zine

I have photographed all the pages and today will pick up rings to finish binding.

I'd like to show some sample pages and describe some themes and techniques I used. Imade 5 zines to mail out and will receive 5 different ones back. This swap is through the Artella site.

(If you still haven't checked out Artella, do it soon. It's getting bigger and better all the time.)

I chose to name my zine Medley since it is a medley of images, colors, themes and things I love. I first did all the backgrounds in red, yellow, peach, orange and white with acrylic paints, stamping images of a flower over and under various layers. Then I chose to clean out my stash of images, hand painted pages, and saved artwork. I used many of my own original art pieces, scraps of papers, photos, and clip art pieces to fill the pages. Basically, including something family oriented, an original one of a kind ATC, small watercolors, jokes, fun images, words, icons and symbols I use over and over in my work, a landscape collage, quotes, some original poems, my handprint and an envelope of goodies. This is only a simple list. Even though each zine is similar, none are exactly the same. So each person is getting an original zine of artwork compliled just for that particular zine. Look at the photos and if you have specific questions, I'm happy to reply. I will post several images over the next few days for you to enjoy! It was a real blast doing it and can hardly bare to swap them out now but I think I will certainly enjoy getting the returns.

Medley Zine Covers

Here are the other 3 covers:

It has been fun to layer and add. I added more yesterday, transparency flowers and pop up butterflies. How do you ever say enough? I used to do art with the less is more idea (still do with watercolors) but this wild mixed media collage stuff just explodes. I have to finally just put it away or in the mail to stop myself!

medley zine update

I have my zine's for Artella's first zine swap finished except for binding. Think I will simply punch holes and use rings. Here is another cover.

Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures. ~Henry Ward Beecher