A season of J * O * Y

This digital collage of elements created by me except for hair and body of character gave me great joy to create. Hopefully the words and images will inspire you to find your J * O * Y this season.

Advent is a season LIGHT

Advent begins tomorrow. How does one allow it to illumine a life in a world of problems?

Advent is a time to allow Christ full reign to:

Strengthen the faith

Permeate the soul

Dictate the heart

Guide the feet

Saturate the existence

Protect the ones who matter

Let's journey together to find the many blessings of Advent and the Christmas season.

Image is pencil drawing of moonlight....much like the moonlight shining on the night Christ was born.

Thankful

So thankful for another wonderful holiday with my family...

Here are some fun pics of my mom who is 79 years young!

'Twas the Night before Thanksgiving

' Twas the night before Thanksgiving and
All the through the house
Only the woman was stirring
And scaring the spouse.
She moved rather quickly from this to that
And he knew any moment she would scream
"Oh no!" and go splat.
For her energy was fading
And the chores were still growing
With only her faith
To keep her going.
She was even working on Christmas gifts
Not needed until the second Saturday of December
Believing she could never finish
Let alone everything remember.
So the tale pauses here
For this woman on Thanksgiving eve
Is retiring for a day of gratitude and cheer.

Digital image of me and spouse as pilgrims.

the sun fades in the east

bands of blue and sienna embrace the sky

a near winter chill sends shivers up my spine

butterflies dance in my heart

an angel whispers in my ear

the message is clear

in my soul I know

dreams really do come true

image is a grouping of new mixed media twochies for note cards (Just learned that twochies are 2 inch inchies)

Why we are blessed

Attended Southern Christmas Show with a friend yesterday!It always puts me in the Christmas spirit as if I need a reason. I listen to Christmas music throughout the year and love when the radio stations start playing it full time. But why do I fuss when the store puts out Christmas paraphernalia at Halloween? Maybe it's the commercialism I dislike. The TRUE SPIRIT though is quite different. Just as we should honor Thanksgiving every day of our lives by living in gratitude for all the good things in our life we should also honor the Christ Child every day of our lives as the reason for all the good in our lives.

Image is a pencil drawing inspired by two separate images seen in a magazine.

My Spa

Fernwood is an emotional spa for me. The mind frees itself of fears, worries and troubles (mostly woman made.) The pent up tears release the fatigue and gratitude for blessings abound and I am overwhelmed. The tears now flow out in pure peace, love and joy for my life. Why did God bless me so much?!

Image is of a favored spot where a tree grows out of a group of rocks. If God can make this possible...well, then anything is possible!

A Gift

Leaves fall faster than you can gather them; much like life passes so quickly you can miss it and miss its value. One day you are young with your whole life in front of you and the next moment you wake up and your life is speeding by like a freight train. With many dreams realized, a few forgotten and others well, never possible, you realize that you have all you need, most of what you want and much to be thankful for. God has let me live a pretty wonderful life and I am thankful to Him. Life is a gift.

Tomorrow I turn 53 and it really has me thinking about all the blessings in my life. My gifts of a wonderful husband, son, parents and friends. Opportunities to grow and learn and be who God intended me to be. Life-it doesn't get any better than this.

Thank you God and Happy Birthday to me!

Image is a mixed media collage in progress-acrylic scratched background with watercolor paper dolls on an old print out of text.

In my Soul

In my soul
There is peace.
In my heart
There is love.
Through my eyes
I see Jesus.
With my hand
I can touch the world.
With my mouth
I can praise my God.
I can live
In harmony
Finding God you see.
In my world
It's only God and me.
In my mind
There's only good.
I will know
My Savior lives in me
Sharing His love.
In my sight
I see blessings
Everywhere.
In my ears
I hear angels.
I can live and
I can love.
I can know God is above
But He's also in my soul.

Image is a recent collage I call "Make Believe World" It combines a beautiful arch at a cemetary in the town of New Bern, NC and the beautiful sunrise at Kiawah Island, SC.

The crows fly
In threes
Gather in trees.
The crows cry
To all
Careful nto to fall.
The crows hop
On ground
Making little sound.
The crows fly
With care
No worry of what is fair.

short thoughts are powerful

chilly and damp

a foggy morn

mercy and grace

a soul reborn

peace and joy

a heart lifted

hope and promise

a life lived

Sometimes you just can't leave an idea alone...

This time a piece of writing. I love trees. The little bit I shared recently has been transformed into another work of art. Digital but I have also started a watercolor of the images and may even try a canvas painting. When something really appeals, you just go with it. Stretch it as far as you can take it. In every conceivable form and maybe just maybe when the idea is exhausted you learn something. You realize a new skill. You can then let it rest and move on but I have to admit there are many themes I am still working with and never tire of. Vessels, ferns, women, words, family, heroes, home, leaves, ....I always seem to find something new and fresh with these familiar old friends and I will continue to study them and explore the possibilities of them and their meaning for my life until I quit breathing or quit being an artist. Which do you think will come first?

The words are mine and the images are all from my beloved Fernwood except for the fall tree and that one is here in my own yard at Watergate! Don't know if the words will be part of the paintings or not. Maybe yes and maybe no and maybe still another piece that will be mixed media to incorporate the words.

notecards for sale

Many folks ask where they can purchase my notecards. I am in the process of setting up an Etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=15547. I will have a variety of one of a kind notecards for sale. Watercolor and mixed media. Each one will be ONE OF A KIND. They will sell for $5 each +s/h. Here are a few samples. I will take Paypal or Money Order.

You can also contact me by comment here or email for purchases. I will also do custom cards for $6 each. You choose color, style, custom paperdoll, etc.

What I've been up to....

I've really been doing lots of journal pages. WHY?

• it jumpstarts other projects



• it works out ideas to expand



• it inspires



• it results from inspiration



• it's fun!

Here are a few recent ones in three different journals (one to hold samples of all my kind of work, one based on responses to words and one with altered photos.

a paperdoll collage and words from my backyard

The trees are always my friends
Cool shade
In the heat of summer
A canopy of emerald & jade.
Colorful palette
For a fall day
An inspiration from a Master artist.
Stalwart spires
In the dead of winter
A map to heaven.
Promised life
To an ode in spring
A lesson in constant hope.
The trees whisper:
"keep seeking,
Searching,
Knowing,
God is still with you."
I am encouraged daily
By my friends

The trees.

Font and Word for thought

A real Autumnal Joy!

Altered book spreads for the ICE round robin

I finished these two spreads for Linda's book "Where the Green Fern Grows." I love ferns and even call our retirement property Fernwood. I've done lots of art, writing, journaling and dreaming there. I did a mini zine back on 03 and have incorporated it into the one of the pages, along with transparencies, transparency pop up, digital ATC's, stickers and pockets. It was great fun!

Rampant Muse

Here are a few of the projects brought on by the Rampant Muse:

a spread for the altered book round robin, perfect subject since ferns are my passion

a paper doll collage on canvas board

a freshly painted bathroom

I worry when the muse gets this busy. I'm afraid something bad is about to happen to stop me dead in my tracks.

Muse is Rampant

I have been quite busy lately making small art and note cards for an upcoming sale at a local arts council's Christmas gallery. I have so many ideas but just not enough time nor few enough interruptions to get to them all. I've also begun a new art journal and am half way finished with the altered book round robin I am participating in. I entered three pieces in our local art guild's members only miniature show and won an honorable mention for one piece.

The holidays are coming and I'm so excited. I just wish I had a team of elves to help me do all I want to do for everyone. Maybe I'll just clone myself and then all the me's will know just what to do and get it all done magically while I sleep one night just the way they helped the old shoemaker in that fairy tale.

I don't have pictures ready to post so you'll have to wait. Taking the pics, loading them, resizing them, cataloging them....so much to do with that aspect of art making, let alone, framing and prepping for shows and sales. Please if you are an artist reading this, tell me: how do you manage all the different aspects of being an artist?

Autumn

As days shorten
Fall shadows lengthen.
As days pass
Time is precious.
Spend the days
With God
Counting blessings.
Know each day's beauty
And thank Him often.
For without a loving God
Days mean nothing.
Eternity is the goal and
It's nonexistent
Without God.

Thankful Heart

life is for living

When God fills my heart...

Peace fills my soul
When God fills my heart.
Love fills my life
When God fills my heart.
Joy fills my mind
When God fills my heart.
Gratitude fills my world
When God fills my heart.
Hope fills my heart
When God fills my heart.