Out of the Mire

Says Coyote, "Continue on the journey of the art. Give a hint of the sadness which has filled a life, let it be known that great sadness can lead to great depth of feeling. That is enough."
So Crow continues the story of the woman...

The woman sank deep into her despair, nearly drowning in it. But there came a time when she grew strength. In that strength she gathered herself and became determined to find her life again. She did not know how, but she did know if she were to once again be whole she must continue her artistic journey. She must take back her artistic soul. It was who she was. Once again she took up the search for more knowledge, more ability to express herself, and once begun her world became clearer and brighter. There would always be a cloud, it would perhaps never be quite as bright, but in that shadow was the ability to not be blinded by the brightness and to feel more deeply than ever before.
To feel what another might feel in an experience not personally known, because of what her life had taught her. She had more depth to her soul. Gradually her world became a happier place and she could look back upon that darkness with an inner pride. She had not been overcome by the despair, but instead it had enriched her being!

Sun-Kissed King

Well, he's almost complete- he still needs a title!!! As you can see by the edited post title- he has a name!!!

Just a little "aside" for your next trivia game: they've done studies and the lions with the blacker/darker manes are more "attractive" to the ladies! Guess if you're a boy lion, blondes don't have more fun!!!

I can't believe how quickly the summer has been slipping away- I'm going to blink and the trees will be turning! We've had very little warm weather here- a week or 2 of HOT, HOT, then the rest has been cool and nice- but we do need rain badly here.

I think I'm going to make some rice pudding from a recipe of my Grandmother's. She made it back in 1923 when she was a cook at Cornell University (Mt. Vernon, Iowa). It is a recipe dear to my heart. Perhaps I'll post it, along with a few other favorites now and then. Hmmm... I do love to cook, another way to share with my readers. :-)

The Quandry

"I am in a quandry," said Crow to Coyote (if my spirit guide isn't a crow, I'm sure it would be coyote! Another favorite of mine.)
"What do I tell of this life explosion? How much do I reveal? This is about the journey of art. It is not about betrayal and despair. But all of life's experiences make up what each being is and how he sees the world. What do I tell of this time? I need council, oh sly one."
Said Coyote, "I will think on it..."

Lion WIP- the painting begun...

I began this piece by using a new technic I have just begun to explore- a form of grisaille. Grisaille is a monochrome painting using shades of gray only (sometimes brown). I, being self-taught, and not knowing I was using a technic used by the old masters, began with a blue-gray tone, which I happen to like.


I then began to add a bit of color...

and more color...


I am enjoying working in this way and plan to continue to explore with this technic.

Once Upon a Time...Lost

Then life exploded...

and art was lost...

the woman's spirit began to disappear...

Once Upon a Time...puzzle pieces

Do you realize life is like a jigssaw puzzle. We've lost the boxlid, so we just have to blindly fit the pieces, and as we go along if we look we can begin to see the larger picture. The old saying "with age comes wisdom" is so true.
Looking back over the years of the girl's life, one could see the need to be creative all along. Creativity and artistry come in many forms. The girl began knitting, doing crewel work, painting on barn boards, carving small figures, and creating her own recipes (entering them in contests, and sometimes winning! Pillsbury Bake-Off, 1988, what a wonderful experience!) That creative spirit came out in many forms over the years, but it was always a driving force.
The girl/woman was happy in her role as wife and mother but did not realize she was getting "lost" in other peoples lives. No where was she "someone", rather she was "someone's mother" or "wife". She did not mind this but as she became more known in the carving world and became "someone" herself, with people knowing who she was and giving her respect for her work, it suddenly became clear to her how lost she had been. The carving world became her life- she would live for the shows and classes, and work toward them in between times. She still loved her family just as much, but this world filled a huge void in her life. Art became her life.
Meanwhile, her second world was filled with joy and wonder. She and her family moved to 11 acres in the country, teeming with wildlife. Deer, racoons, turkeys, woodducks, pheasants, foxes, bobcats, 67 different birds seen from her own yard (jays, woodpeckers, warblers, quail, finches, sparrows, eagles, hawks, etc.) They fed the deer and enjoyed all the little creatures that ventured out for the corn, and laughed at the antics of the different animals that made their home right out the back door. The woman had gardens (sometimes sharing her bounty with the deer and bunnies...)- vegetables to feed her family, flowers to feed her soul. The flower beds were all around her home and extended out around the acreage. A large fishpond in the backyard attracted woodducks, turtles, and frogs. She would pick wild berries, feeling the pull of women of the past gathering for their families, remembering her pioneer heritage as she gathered in the goodness. She wandered those acres until even now she can close her eyes and follow the paths step by step in her memory, seeing each tree and bush as they were. She called it her "little piece of heaven"- and for 20 years she lived in joy...

Lion WIP

I've started a lion- I am hoping to make him dramatic so I did a value study to fix it in my mind better. It was hard to photograph as it does not lie flat- I tried something new (a new toy!)- a water-soluable pencil- so since I didn't use wc paper it "wrinkled up" a bit. I ironed it (!) which helped... anyway, here's the beginning of the idea.