Blue Moon

December 31 is a full moon. A blue moon, being the 2nd in the month of December. This is my New Year's present for Joop. We gazed upon the most beautiful full moon in Holland and promised to always think of each other when the moon is full. Happy New Year my wonderful friend.

Thank You

Nothing could be more purrrrfect. Thank you for your thoughtfulness!

Merry Christmas

May all that you seek
From the world around you,
Reveal itself to you.

May you see beauty in all things.

May health & love fill your life.

May all these things be yours during this magical & holy season
And throughout the coming year.

Merry Christmas!

Mother's Home

There's a lot of moments in my life that involve Mary and roses. While in Minneapolis I was saw the Roseville sign at the side of the train tracks.

Innocence Lost

Garnet

The Feast of St. James

In memory of the Camino and July 25 being The Feast of St. James...a preview of the shirts I'm making for my friends when I visit them next month.

Santiago

In the fall of 2007 I walked 275 of the 500 miles of the Camino de Santiago. The destination the tomb of the Apostle, James the Elder. To Catholics he is known as St. James(English) and Santiago (Spanish).

This piece is full of symbolism and memorabilia. The background is a photograph of his tomb and the star is displayed on top of the tomb at all times. It was a page on a calendar a German pilgrim sent me the following year. The shell a symbol of Pilgrim walkers. Back as early as the 9th century the pilgrims would return to their homelands with the scallop shell as proof they had completed their journey.

The image of Santiago was from a magazine from the American Pilgrims, a group that helped me prepare for my trip.

The leather band across the center is from the town just outside the 100 km marker at the end. I wore it everyday, all the time for nearly 18 months after I returned. It was so loved/worn out that it need a permanent home before it broke and I lost it.

You may follow my journey to Santiago from this link.

The hike across Spain was emotional and the most significant thing I've ever done. I will go again. There will be more collages.

Traveling to Spain

This piece was just whimsy. I had the elements cut for the piece that I'm posting next. They didn't fit with the emotion it carried. They got their day in the spotlight though. And how can you travel without a travel gnome?

Visions of the Mother

Many people experience the scent of roses when they think of the Mother. Those who have seen Her recall the same. Rosaries have the same origins because of this. It only seemed natural for this piece to have Her surrounded by the beauty of the rose.

For Elena's 50th

Easter 2009

".....a joy will open our hearts like a flower, enabling us to enter the world of reality."

Thich Nhat Hanh

Dreamstate

Bandit

This piece was therapy. If you wish to see it - please email me and I'll send you a copy.

Valentine for PJ Scooby

Ahhh, new relationships in February. Can you spell A-W-K-W-A-R-D?




This is my attempt at acknowledging the possibilities while performing the delicate dance around the expectations of "the day". That and some homemade cookies ought to be just enough.

Artist's Chair

My Artist has made beautiful art for me and has also given me some beautiful pieces. I made one for him as a thank you.

A paintbrush sits at the top...an idea I found in one of my collage books. To the left is Scintilla over Verdigris, the painting I commissioned from him. MyArtist is sitting in his artist's chair, (in the collage it is raised, creating a 3D effect)which sits in his studio. He often shared with me his morning ritual of him in sitting in his chair sipping coffee, studying the painting. My first visit to his studio found it decorated with gladiolas encased in a pot done by Nils Lou, a close friend and colleague of his. The vase in the collage is one of Lou's. The twigs are representative of the twigs I returned home with - a tool he used at the beginning of the painting to create texture. The picture tacked on the wall is Van Gogh's "Artist's Chair".

Because the collage is not flat it was nearly impossible to scan. I took a picture of it for this entry.

Time Flies When You're In Love

This was planned to be a birthday card with the verse: "Our birthdays are feathers in the broad wing of time. ~Jean Paul Richter". I hung the heart on the bottom and voila love bubbled up.

I couldn't find a good place to put the dragonfly. Maybe on the frame/mat.

It's still going to be a birthday card - darn it.

Abundance

SomeBunny, I think will become a regular part of my work. She has an attitude of innocence about her that embraces the world. I believe she will take the time to stop and smell the flowers.

I needed thank you notes...so I made my own.

The inside quote is from quotegarden.com:

As each day comes to us refreshed and anew, so does my gratitude renew itself daily. The breaking of the sun over the horizon is my grateful heart dawning upon a blessed world. ~Adabella Radici

I added a personal note below that.

While the piece is peppered with materialistic items the note really is all about the sunrise.

Sorrow

If I can stop one Heart from breaking

I shall not live in vain

If I can ease on Life the Aching

Or cool one Pain

Or help one fainting Robin

Unto his Nest again

I shall not live in Vain

Dickenson

No. 919 [c. 1864]

A friend of mine was gravely ill and it resulted in her baby being stillborn on Christmas Day.