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It seems I am always pressing against a deadline when submitting something to Somerset Studio. Today I worked on two small paintings for their theme; Aubergine.
Aubergine is such an elegant word; don't you think so?
These are 5x7 canvases done with gel transfers, collage, acrylic paints and rubber stamping.
Today I have been thinking about how even little things can make us happy; an email from a friend, a bird's song, pretty beads, a rusted piece of metal.
I once had a dear neighbor who had been reared in Mississippi. Sorry, I just can't say "raised" because Evelyn Moreheart, our highschool English teacher, drummed that phrase right out of us. "You RAISE corn, you REAR children." she said. Thank you, Mrs. Moreheart, your voice shall follow me to the grave. Anyway...one day my neighbor rang the doorbell and presented me with the gift of a small tin which looked very much like the one in the background of this photo. She said, "I brought you a Sussie." Then she explained that in Mississippi a "Sussie" was a small gift given for no particular reason. Just a little thing given to make one happy.
I was thinking about that today. And I was thinking about yesterday, about the time spent in an Emergency Room waiting for test results. I woke up yesterday with what appeared to be a blood clot on my leg. Thankfully, ultrasound proved it to be only a vericose vein. When the PA came in with the results, she gave a thumbs-up sign. Such a little thing, a blood clot, and such a little thing, that sign that made me happy.
So today I celebrated by going to the second best flea market. I hadn't been in over four months. I was shocked to see how busy it was. The market was as busy today, on a hot July day, as it usually is during the busiest time of year in February. It must be a reflection of the economy; more folks out of work and needing a bargain. I found a few little goodies that made me very happy; a small shell purse, a blackened necklace which turned silver when polished, interesting old playing cards, vintage spools in odd shapes and one full of waxed linen thread.
And then I went to the art store where I picked up a few more happy things.
Later, at home, I opened an email. It was just a little, short one. "Our friend just found out today she has malignant breast cancer." How I wish she could have received the thumbs up sign like I did yesterday.
I've been thinking about that today. Is it right to feel so happy when others are so sad? But there is so much sadness in the world. Isn't it right to celebrate happiness wherever we find it?
The little shell purse rattled a bit when I moved it for the photos. What could possibly be inside something so small? I opened it carefully and with wonder I beheld... a Sussie.
Today I finished one of the two canvases I have been working on. I wanted to experiment with the techniques developed on some ATCs to see if they would work well on a larger piece. I was especially interested in using large gel transfers. The piece didn't turn out exactly as I expected it to, but I certainly learned a lot.
I painted over the gel transfer of the girl with acrylic paints, but decided to leave her hair as it was. I like the contrast of that. The piece is done with gel transfer, collage, acrylic paints, ink and text stamping.
The quote says, "The song of a robin is an angel's voice in the garden."
How could it possibly be a week since I came home from Arizona? Seems like I am having a hard time getting back into the swing of things here. Today I worked on two mixed media canvases, but they aren't finished so I will show them to you later. Meanwhile, here are a few journal pages I did in Arizona. Collage fodder was limited to the Sunday newspaper ads. It certainly did make for some creative make-do.
I love these pages with the grandkids' hands. We started doing this a couple of journals ago and now, those are my favorite pages. It is so much fun to see how much they have grown.
Melody did her own hand tracing and labled it as well. Can you tell?
Thank you for all your good wishes on the birth of my sixth grandbaby, Ethan David. I am a proud Mimi. Ethan was born on June 28th and weighed 6 lbs 13 oz. He is such a little man that I began calling him that right away.
I am always so awe-struck when holding a newborn baby. It is such a wonder to see all the parts, down to the tiniest toenail so perfectly formed and meditate on how this perfect little person, this miracle in my arms, came into being in only nine months. It is such a marvel, the gift of life.
Ethan is blessed to belong to a loving family. We welcome him into this world, into our hearts, and into our lives. How we thank God for this precious gift that is Ethan.
The week I spent in Arizona with the family was incredibly hectic, but we were able to do some things besides hold the baby.
We attended the big Fourth of July parade in downtown Flagstaff.
It was a parade with a wonderfully Western flavor. There were many cowboys.
I enjoyed seeing this group from the Hopi tribe.
And Smokey the Bear made an appearance also.
In the afternoon, while everyone else took a nap, Melody and I went to the Hopi festival. We saw Miss Hopi Royalty and a poet and singer who also played reed flutes.
We saw a Hopi dance called the Water Maiden dance. Miss Hopi explained to us the importance of rain in the Hopi culture. Since they grow their own food, they must rely on the rain for their way of life.
This group of dancers were from a special group formed for the purpose of teaching young people the Hopi customs. It was explained that many native Americans move to the cities for jobs instead of living on the reservation. In order to learn their ancient tribal history and customs, they attend meetings where they are taught the things they would normally learn on the reservation.
I found it interesting that it is the men who do the chanting for the dances. I assumed the older men in this group were teaching the young boys to chant. At least, that's what I hoped they were doing. We saw lots of beautiful crafts; pottery, jewelry, baskets, and dolls. We ate Pikki bread and then, later, saw how it is made. Pikki means "paper". The bread is made from cornmeal ground from blue corn. It is mixed with water, then spread one handfull at a time on a hot, flat stone, that is about 18" x 24". After it is baked dry it is rolled up like a burrito. It is very flaky, and indeed, it is paper thin.
It truly was a trip filled with wonders.
