Day 30 - Karma Dance

For my birthday I chose the Karma card in the deck, Tarot of the Spirit.
Swirling, twirling, spinning off all the excess
until all that remains is the core, naked truth.
Staying balanced.
Listening to the stillness at the center.
Spinning madly through our life,
balancing, burning off Karma, finding our core,
our deep, hidden purpose.
All surface matter, the superficial stuff, flies away,
leaving us to be in the stillness at the center of who we are.
Our Center.
Our Core.
Our Divine nature exposed.

Day 29 Garden of Love

Our lesson for this week in the Art Stamping Workshop is to create shadow stamps. I took the stamps I carved for the kids in art class and used them. I scratched up the edges on the back of the stamp so it would be the same size and played a bit. I don't usually use shadow stamps, so this was a new idea... something new to play around with. Playing in the garden of love....aaahhhh.

Day 27 &28

The Apathetic Fish
You can't be indifferent to what goes on around you. Take notice and speak your truth. Can we stand by, close our eyes to the injustices around us? Who will speak for those that are abused? And who will close their eye?
But wait!......who is that coming to the rescue????
Swordfish!

Day 26-"Metamorphite"

I had a weird day yesterday. Somewhat frustrating. Stuck. Limbo. Transition, yes stuck in some transition and this is what appeared... pretty bizarre. But appropriate in that I was feeling stuck in this transition, not knowing where I stood on certain things. Thank God/Goddess' for Art! Today, although still feeling overwhelmed, I gained some ground on some projects and felt as though I was moving foreward. I drew this last night and painted it in this evening and laughed at how art reflects our feelings, moods...This one seems to say, "Where the heck am I going?" I also have some bags under my eyes due to sleepless nights because my head is so crowded. Sometimes transition is so painful. John calls him "Metamorphite". I keep thinking its Saturn who is in Leo opposing my sun in Aquarius.....

Day 24 &25

Tuesday I managed to use the time spent in the laundromat to sketch some ideas for carving. Wednesday I took one of the images I stamped unsuccessfully but salvaged it by going over it with a silver gel pen. Someone else in the DD group (sorry for forgetting) did some drawing with silver pen on black paper and that inspired me. I also carved out the word play and played some more with stamping the carved images. Very addictive. I may make some atc's out of them.

Day 23-Carvings

Monday, I squeezed in some time in between classes. Looks like that is the Monday ritual for art. I made a cup of tea and carved small blocks until the kids came. This is a sampler of them

(still )Day 22-Just ONE more,...

"ok, just one more and then I promise I will go get dressed"..... she says at 3:09 pm.
I had to try it in silver.

Day 22

Carved out some time for myself to try this idea. I'm doing the workshop on carving over at the Artist of the Round Table (A.R.T.) group. We are going through Gloria Page's new book, Art Carving Workshop. I kept printing up all different possibilites: different colors on various papers and this one is embossed. I may carve it some more...or not, but will probably embellish this. Very focusing, this carving. Soothing...as long as one has time. Not something to be rushed through for sure. And another medium that needs to be played with as far a mistakes. Once it's gone, it's gone!

Day 20 &21 Feeling Buzzed

Plant Man is feeling "buzzed".
Sometimes I wonder where it is going as I work on something. Sometimes I have an idea and sometimes not. I had no idea where this one was going while I was working on it, but I kept playing with it. I created Plant Man who is sleeping and I wanted him to wake up, so these annoying little buzzing creatures came around to wake him from his slumber.
Maybe it is just the little things that are bugging me.
Pen is an interesting medium for me as I need to work out my mistakes. I am used to working with acrylic paint. If I didn't like something, I painted over it. All this brought up a thought about "the message in the medium". I may have to play with some different stuff for awhile to see what I create.

Day 19 "The Offering"

On the back reads:
When Native American's take something from the land, they leave an offering- giving back to the land a gift - maybe tabacco or cornmeal.
Question what gift you leave in return.
What seeds do you plant?
What do you sow?
Plant seeds of love and beauty.
Do not harden yourself like stone.
Rather sing and give voice to what you see as beauty and be grateful for what the Earth offers us. (Lights are back on at Mom's)
Good lesson is persistence here. I was ready to cast this aside because I screwed up, but I kept playing around. Even with the little glitches, I like the message I was getting about what we sow. I've noticed how this focus on gratitude is creating a shift towards keeping my attitude more postive.

Day 18 Let there be Light!

Due to a storm that brought very strong winds, a lot of people lost their power. We have been having some crazy weather with temps going from 60 to 30 and below. Then back up and down again. But the winds are causing havoc. I am fortunate as I haven't lost any power, but all around me has, including my mother. So I am extremely grateful to have light and heat. We tend to take this for granted. Most people can't cook either if they have electric stoves.
I am GRATEFUL for light. For a light bulb. For heat. I can do my art! Now I am hoping that everyone else gets it back, some are still waiting. Let their be LIGHT!

Day 16 &17 Wheel of Life

While in yoga class on saturday, I had this vision of this Chakrasana pose with fire coming from the belly. We are studying the 3rd chakra and it's related postures. This is not a 3rd chakra pose, but more of an opening for all the chakras. But I had this vision of the belly reaching and being on fire. This is our power center and it's element is fire. It is also the center of our commitments and thought it appropriate to study this now while I am working on this daily commitment to myself. So, this piece is about the wheel of life, being rooted to the earth(1st C.), giving birth to our ideas (2ndC.), Using our power to commit (3rd C.), Opening to Unconditional Love and acceptance (4th C), Giving expression to our Voice (with Gratitude, 5th C.), Having inner Vision (6th) and embracing the Universe, Unity, All That Is. And of course the arms, creating with love through the heart center... It all flows and comes around, repeating the cycles of life.
Peace. Love. Gratitude.

Day 15 "Fourfold Path"

Trying to get my mind to focus a bit, I decided to do a mandala. They tend to calm me and help me feel more centered. Usually I start from the middle working out, but this one I did opposite as I painted the outside, moving inward.
As I was working, I kept thinking "The fourfold path". I had started by dividing the square into quarters and then just moved outward in a simple design. When I finished, I googled Fourfold path and came up with this link. http://www.hyattcarter.com/the_fourfold_path.htm
I found it quite interesting to see so many similarities and put this on the back:
HEART * SOUL* MIND *STRENGTH
EMOTIONAL* SPIRITUAL* MENTAL* PHYSICAL
HEALER *VISIONARY *TEACHER* WARRIOR
BHAKTI YOGA *RAJAH YOGA *JHANA YOGA* KARMA YOGA

Day 13 & 14 Transition

I barely squeezed in some time on Friday, but I had this idea in mind of doing trees from the perspective of looking up at them. I did the background in blue acrylic and painted in the trees with leaves. Not satisfied with it, I went and did a pen sketch of more trees...and went to bed.
Sat., I used some water colors, added some some leaves and detail, but not thrilled. I like to be thrilled.
I like looking up when I am surrounded by trees. They are so majestic. The one with the deep blue background feels like they are in a huddle giving each other a pep talk before winter sets in. They are both about Transition. I guess that is what I am grateful for, that things don't remain static, but always in a process of transition.

Day 11/12 -A Good Day to Fly

Spent yesterday in ink. I drew this fairie from one that was sitting on my shelf. I started out in pencil, but for some reason I have no patience for pencil. Not my medium. I went to the pen and whatever pencil lines I thought I would keep, I didn't. Today I added the bird and gave it color. Yesterday at my mothers house I kept seeing cardinals and blue jays. I love seeing them in winter, especially cardinals. Although it has been warm, no snow and for this I am very grateful. I don't like the angle I put the fairie's leaf wing on, oh well....
They are discussing flying lessons.

Day 10 - The Guardians

Today I painted in the pen drawing. Still wasn't sure where it was going, except I knew the trees were "the guardians", but what were they guarding?
Another tree! This tree is like the trees of autumn, when they look like they are on fire.
I'm Grateful for trees.
Grateful for their Protection.
Grateful for their Beauty.

Day 9 part 1

So I was able to eek out a bit of time inbetween classes yesterday. After cleaning up from the preschool class and waiting for the older kids, I made myself a cup of tea and "doodled" again. Finding this size very portable too which is another plus. So this is what I came up with and not sure where it will go... stay tuned for part 2.

Day 8 - Chakra Dance

As I was washing dishes, I had an idea to do some body images. I did a sillouete of a woman meditating and just played around. I may try this again in another way and see what happens.
I was supposed to do a party this morning, but didn't, due to some major communication problems. I tried not to get too pissed off about it and instead reclaimed my day by doing some art early. Using art to change my attitude into a positive one. It did change my energy, finding myself focusing on sending a positive message.
Now I will get creative in the kitchen and make some oatmeal carob cookies.
Then may try this again.

Day 7- FLOW

Flow. This seemed to be the message of the day. I was quite anxious because I had my yoga teacher training class and was to be prepared with 2 postures for 20 minutes and a 3 year old birthday party following my class with a 1/2 hour inbetween.
I had a hard time focusing on what I was going to do, but when I was up there teaching, I just went with the flow. My teacher took notice of this flow approvingly. I like my yoga to flow as I like my art to. I noticed this last night as I took my "art break". I like having one image flow into the next. My whole day flowed very nicely. A green-light day. No obstacles, no red lights, just a nice steady flow.
Week one is done. With this size there is no reason for me not to do any art. It doesn't have to be elaborate, just something, anything, to release at the end of the day. I can always manage a 6"square space!
I started out with her eye, putting the gratitude symbol in the middle of her eye. I am grateful for all I see. This morning as I woke, eyes still shut, I had this clear image of an eye. It stayed with me for awhile.

Day 6 - Moon Circles

I really needed to unwind from a hectic day. Could not focus my thoughts. They were just jumping from one thing to another. All four burners are going and I'm not a great cook!
So I picked up the pen and doodled. I had just come from class where we did some watercolors in the style of Kandinsky. The kids had their time, now I wanted mine.
Listening to Sacred DrumVisions, this village appeared and kept thinking of Full moon Drumming circles, or New moon...thus "Moon circles"
Being that this is a gratitude project:
I'm grateful for these cycles.
Allowing for the ebb and flow of life.
Time to grow in fullness -Accepting, receiving
And a time to Release, Renew
I used the pigma pen .005 and twinkling H2O's again.

Day 5 "Having Faith"

This one comes with a story:
I had a running conversation in my mind about death. A friend of mine recently passed and I had just shopped for a project I was doing in her honor. In the car on the ride home I imagined this conversation with me telling the girls that I did not believe in death as being the end, that our soul continues and thinking of John Edwards, the medium, what would Ginny say. I imagined saying "I believe this 99%, no 991/2%, 99.95%! (Leaving room for error :-)"
I thought of her spirit being in the room as we would be creating our projects.... One the radio I hear a song, and catch a phrase about 99%. Thinking, am I hearing right? I turn up the radio, listening intently and the lyric is "99 1/2 % is not good enough". Taken aback at first, but felt this revitalized feeling and unable to take the grin off my face for the rest of the day....
Coincidence?????
So last night I forced myself into the back room and created these leaves. I used prismacolor pencils on black paper. As I was drawing the water drops, they reminded me of tears.
On the back reads:
Tears of Sadness. Letting go. Loss
Do you believe in the continuation of the soul? I was 99 1/2% sure.
"Well, 99 1/2% is not good enough!"
100%. That is what moves mountains. Be certain. Have no doubts. Do not concern yourself with the judgement of others... be concerned with your own beliefs.
Yes, I do believe with all my heart and continuing soul.
We continue.

Day 3 and 4

Yesterday I did some carving. I originally did a tree and printed them and played around with it. I didn't like where it was going. I impulsively flipped it over and carved spontaneously. I embossed it with "chinese red". It was ok, but I wanted to do something around the border and went through my stash, thinking fabric or trim. I went to bed instead.
Persistence pays off. I thought of Jody's beads and decided to make some. I have some beautiful red and gold fabric, but for the life of me cannot find it....so I used paper.
I found a chinese fortune that reads: "Love is a present that can be given every single day you live". Perfect. Added some more beads and charms and now I'm happy...

Day 2 * Shaman's Dream

Shaman's Dream *
I was listening to Shamanic Dream II while creating this mandala. On the back of each piece I am journaling:
Deep in the Forest, a Magical Flower grows. It seeds itself. knows where to go. It goes within it's center and then gives birth to repeat it's cycle, moving about the Forest to experience new places. Each seed discovering and giving birth.
Renew yourself.
Bloom where you are planted.
Then release your seeds and become new again.

Shaman dreams this flower into being.
It sees in four directions.
Grateful for change.
For Growth.
For Movement.
Winter will not last. Spring will come and bring Rebirth again.
And Summer will be lush, hot and heavy with fruit so we may enjoy it's bounty in Autumn.
Reap your harvest so you may be ready again for Winter.

Day 1

These two images were done Jan. 1, but were started on New Year's Eve.

"And how are you on this very fine day?" is the black and white pen. Just playing around...more like following where the pen wanted to go and being playful about it. The tree is twinkling H2O's with the micron pen. I love the sunsets in winter and I love trees.

The Beginning - Cover

The cover of the Gratitude Journal or the first page anyway. I used a micron pen and twinkling H2O's.