From Dance to Flowers

Here is the progression of my latest Flowers and Vase Series.  I am really enjoying these flower pieces.  They are so soft and feminine - all curvy.  This particular piece was inspired from dance.

I love adding words and stories to my art.  This piece is filled with the story of a dance.

  

I love this piece of paper.  It is from a book on tarot cards and goddesses.  The piece here is describing The Fool.  The Fool being the void, the place of potential - where all is born.  Also, innocence of it's foolishness.  So much so that it can be in the moment and let magic happen.  The sentence that speaks most loudly to me on this piece of paper is, "Fools pick up feathers or special rocks on the beach believing they contain magic".  I am so that Fool!

Flowers for a Friend

This was a commissioned piece that a customer decided they didn't want.  Incidentally, they never even saw the piece.  And that was OK.  When I agreed to make the piece I truly didn't need for them to purchase it.  I was happy to make it.  The interesting thing that I share in making this particular piece, was that I purposely tried to keep myself out of the piece.  I wanted it to be about them and not me.  

I liked the piece, but never loved it.  It just felt a wee flat to me.  That is probably why I didn't mind them not purchasing it.

I recently bought a frame and decided to frame it.  As I revisited this piece, I decided to add myself back into the image.  I LOVED doing this.  I poured all of me into it!  I put in all my sensuality, I put in all the complex emotions that I have felt since making this piece and the feelings I was feeling when I originally made the piece.

It was an amazing process.  There were times when I thought I really ruined the piece - almost ripped it up, almost white washed over it.  There were times I fought with it, times when I danced with it.

And in the end I absolutely fell in love with this piece.  It has so much more depth and feeling to it now.  It feels alive.  It is now framed and hanging in my front room.  It is the largest of the Flower Vase series.

It was a great lesson.  Keep me in the art.  All my parts - shadow and light.

Loved, Held and Safe

I remember a time in my life when I felt absolutely safe and held.  Nothing could hurt me.  I knew without a doubt that I was loved and safe in my mother's arms.  It was the most amazing feeling.

Sometimes I wish I could crawl back into her lap and be held.  To have her stroke my hair and tell me all is well and know without a doubt that it is.

I remember so clearly the first time I understood this in an adult way.  I was about 12 or 13.  It was late summer/early fall.  I had just started seventh grade in a new town and a new home.  It was one of those perfect Autumn evenings.  The air stirring through the windows was still warm with the hint of cooler times to come.  The early evening sounds - that I still cherish - bird songs, frogs beginning to chirp, sounds of kids laughter outside and best of all, the sound of my Mom downstairs cooking dinner.

This perfect evening was seemingly interrupted (in reality it was perfect in it's imperfection).  I recall the crash of noise as several people ran between my house and the neighbors, knocking over garbage cans in their desperation to get away.  Then, the sounds of barking dogs and police searching around my house.  The Police knocked on the door looking for "bad guys" and advised my mom to lock up.

I remember feeling so scared and vulnerable, afraid that the "bad guys" would come into our house and hurt me.  I remember watching as my mom went around and locked all the doors and windows.

I tell her that I am afraid, and what she said to me I will never forget and I thank her for it everyday.

I don't recall her exact words, but what she basically said was, she would give up her life for mine.  She would protect me and my siblings at all costs.  Even if the "bad guys" came into the house they would have to face the Grizzly Bear of my Mother.

I don't think I understood the depth of her love until that moment.  And even though that conversation took place in the blink of an eye - as she was locking up the house, it stopped time for me.  In that moment, my heart was blown wide open, and because of it, I walk differently on this earth.

Even after all the pain that came later, as my mother feel deep into mental illness, I had that gift.  She gave me a precious gift - the gift of a mother's love and the knowing that comes with that - that you are loved, held and safe.

I wish I could tell her again how profound that moment was for me.

A Love Affair!

Have a love affair with yourself!  Fall in love with who you are.

I spent the most glorious four days in Mendocino.  It was perfect.  I sat on the bluffs in town overlooking the sea for an hour or more everyday.  The sea was hypnotic and full of wisdom.  And I fell in love with myself - again.

As children, I bet we all were in love with ourselves, and as we moved through life we forgot... we forgot that we were once the most amazing person we'd ever met.

Closing my eyes, I can see my 8 year old self riding her bike down the hill near my house.  Her hair blowing back, a smile warming her sun-freckled face and the sure unwavering belief that she is great and no one (and I mean no one!) can coast down a hill with as much grace and speed as she can.

 I say, let's all fall in love with ourselves again!

"Hi Terre, I'd like to introduce you to the most amazing woman you will ever meet.  She is smart, beautiful, funny, sensual, generous, kind, creative, and she really knows how to love!  Don't get me wrong, she's not perfect by any means - she is only human after all. "

First of Three

This is what I have been doing for the last few hours, days, weeks.  Probably should have started sooner, but I couldn't stop painting the vases and flowers.  So, I'm a little behind and pulling some late nights trying to catch up.

The first of the three show is this Thanksgiving weekend.   The Crocker Holiday Art and Craft Festival  at the Scottish Rites Temple in Sacramento.  November 23rd - Noon to 6pm, November 24th - 10am to 5pm, November 25th - 10am to 4pm.  (Just noticed the link to the Festival has the wrong dates and hours).

These are some of the pieces for this show.  They are mostly made with recycled materials.  The imagines are made with cotton scraps that I save.  The backing is made from felted wool coats and sweaters.  The buttons come from the sweaters and coats.

I love working with all these great words too.  I find I choose words that I want to bring to me.  So, I get to play and make beautiful art, AND have therapy all at the same time.

The Crocker puts on a great Festival.  It is a great way to start off the Holiday season and support local artists.  

Powerful Wonderful Creatures

Standing in line at Peets this morning, absent minded-ly listening to the conversations around me.  The older women in front of me talking about their relationships with their husbands.  Some of it funny, some of it grumbly towards their men.

After my tea, I am on campus in search of art supplies at the UCD bookstore.  As I pass different groups of young women, bits of conversation twirl up around me like autumn leaves, " ...he just doesn't understand...", "...I don't know how many friends I have who say that about breaking-up...", ..."he is amazing...", "... he said...".

I walked with a smile on my face.  Young and old, we women sure like to talk of our relationships.  Not to say men don't.  I just don't think they like it like we do.  Felt a solidarity to all women today.  It felt sweet and powerful.  We are such interesting and complex creatures.  I love being a creature!

Painted Using Her Sword

Here is the finished piece.  I like all the shiney gold.  Not sure of the name for this piece yet, although the words "painted using her sword" popped out of the words scraps.  This piece feels less womanly and more masculine.

Still waiting for the name to come to me.

Working on a New Piece

The Bliss of Yearning

I love this new piece.  Originally, I was going to call it The Lovers.  The ripped up page pieces came from a book called "A Way To The Goddess Through Myth, Art and Tarot" that I found it at a second-hand store.  The specific pages in this piece came from a description of the tarot card - The Lovers.

I don't know a lot about the Tarot cards, so it was interesting to read about the meaning of this card.  These pages describe it as both the spiritual or energetic connection of actual lovers AND the coming together of the masculine and feminine halves of ourselves.

As I explored further, I learned it is also about choice.  The card indicates that one has come across something, it could be a challenge, a person, or a thing that they have "fallen in love with".  When the person discovers this "thing" they know it is for them, even if it means changing ones path to reach it.  Here is the choice part.  We can choose to change our path or remain.  There is often a measure of cost that comes with giving in to this spiritual attraction or in denying it.

When I add ripped pages I try to make sure it doesn't have negative words or meanings.  I am not always completely aware of what the actual message is.

So, when I saw this little piece in the center of one of the flowers "bliss of Yearning"  I knew that that was the name of this piece.  Don't get me wrong, I understand that yearning can also ache.  But even the ache feels good in a squirmy way.  This piece is more about the bliss part.

I really love the colors in this piece.  The passionate pinks and reds in the flowers and the watery emotional blue greens of the vase.

I think it is my new favorite.  I love the whole series of vases.  Not sure how I will be able to sell them. Just have to hang all eight (and counting) of them in my house until they are ready to go elsewhere.

Love my Job!

I may not get paid very well, but I sure have a great job!  I spent this beautiful autumn day drawing and painting more flowers.