Better Late than Never...

Julia at  Drawn to the Sea had a great idea when she announced First Word Friday last week.  I was excited about participating again and thought I would post something early this morning, but you see how well I followed through on that one.  (There's not a whole lot of Friday left at this point.)  Let's give it a go anyway, shall we?  As a reminder, here is how Julia introduced her idea:

Posting in short bursts invites you to interact, to be part of the process. Sometimes I simply offer a little vignette... & hope it speaks to you, or through you. Will you share a little of the story you see in the photo above (or in my case, below), in three sentences or less?

The first word is Before...

I really do hope you'll take a moment to jot down a piece of the story this image inspires in you.  What lies beyond this doorway?  Is it the beginning of a journey or the end?

If you get a chance, visit Drawn to the Sea to see others who are participating and read responses to the beautiful photo Julia posted.  That's what I'm off to do right now.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Fertile Ground

The line between collage and jewelry is often a bit blurred in my work.  Lately I've been creating small charms by bonding images to sheets of brass and then trimming, sanding and sealing them.  The charms in these necklaces were created with scans of vintage seed packets.  Seeds, like promises, grow and come to fruition in fertile ground.

This necklace is already hanging in the jewelry case in our local coffee shop.  Maybe it will find a new home soon!

By setting aside more time for creative endeavors and disciplining myself with a little more structure in my days, I hope to become "fertile ground" for the potential within me to flourish and grow.  Today I am working on organization in my studio and creating more charm necklaces in preparation for the upcoming street fair in our community.  I am also going to do some research on the Austrian Symbolist painter, Gustav Klimt, as I am fascinated by his compositions.  The subject matter is definitely for "mature" audiences, but I find myself drawn to the collage-like quality and the stunningly intricate graphic detail typical of his creations.  I also love to study the progression of his work as he moved from traditional training to expression that was truly innovative and unique. 

(Read a bit about Gustav Klimt and see some examples of his work here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_Klimt)

What seeds will be planted in your life today?  How will you provide fertile ground for their growth?

No "Givens"

So after all my talk of sunshine yesterday, look what I saw upon waking this morning:

The weather can be so unpredictable as we move from summer to fall.  One day I'm dancing barefoot in the sunshine, the next day I have raindrops dripping from the tip of my nose or I'm hunting for a sweater to ward off a fresh chill in the air. 

Life is just that unpredictable in so many ways.  There are no "givens."  Rain clouds appear unexpectedly.  Frosty evenings send a chill through my bones.  All I know to do is look for the hidden blessings and trust that even the darkest night is broken by the sunrise.

The Sun is Shining! The Sun is Shining!

After several (eight, to be exact) days of sopping-wet weather, the sun is finally shining!  I am finding all sorts of unusual things growing in the woods.  (That sounds a little creepy, doesn't it?)  These newly sprouted beauties probably won't last long.  They are already starting to deteriorate.

How about this...whatever it is?  Such gorgeous color and texture.  Look quick before it's gone :)

A few fall leaves are showing up here and there.  In East Texas we tend to have a lot of false starts to Fall.  I'm sure we're still in for some very warm days.

I hope you're enjoying the beauty and color that surrounds you today.  What seasonal changes are you seeing?

Let's Have Some Fun

Julia over at Drawn to the Sea has a creative challenge posted today. Won't you join the fun? Simply leave a comment sharing the story you see unfolding in the photo below. (Three sentences or less, please.) I'll even give you a word to get you started.

Lately...

To see who else is playing or to post your own First Word Friday challenge, visit this most fabulous site: http://drawntothesea.blogspot.com/2009/09/first-word-is-quiet.html

Loving this Collage Kick

Here are a few more collage pieces. I just can't seem to not use words! (I have trouble with that all the time. I state the obvious. I leave ridiculously long phone messages. Economy of words is definitely not my forte.) Maybe someday I will learn to let images speak for themselves, but apparently that has not happened on this day.
I am really loving this collage kick I'm on, words and all.

I truly believe that our creativity is given to us so that we can communicate true and beautiful things. I hope these images will encourage, comfort, and inspire.

Something New

Well, after talking about "getting into the boat" in my last post, I feel like I've been challenged to do just that as I prepare for an upcoming art fair. I normally create mostly jewelry for these types of events but this time I've decided to put some of my collage work out there. Here are a few pieces that I will take to the show:

These are small pieces (5"X7") but I hope to create some larger works in the next few weeks.

I would also like to work with just images and color (no words), but for now I'm enjoying the positive reminders I get from the quotes, so I'm going to go with that for a while in hopes that others will be encouraged as well.

I will try to post more soon. Thanks for looking!

Getting into the Boat

I took a few days off from blogging (and everything else) last week to prepare for a river camping trip with the huz and kids. Just got back yesterday and wanted to share some pictures of our lovely long weekend on the Sabine River on the Texas/Louisiana border.

We enjoyed the mystery of foggy mornings...

and the majesty of gorgeous sunsets.

The hours in between were filled with beautiful, rugged sights.

I loved rowing down the river, experiencing and seeing things in ways I never could from the shore. In a boat one becomes part of the river instead of being just an observer.

It reminds me that I can choose to observe life as it appears from my present position, thinking that maybe someday I'll do this or that, or I can "get in the boat". I can choose to enter into something new right now, believing that when I do, a whole different (and much fuller) experience awaits me.