Merry Merry

Wishes of love and peace,

and quiet reflection.

 

Merry Christmas.

 

 

xx



Wings

This weeks Play prompt was Wings.

 

I like wings.  I like quotes about wings.

I like to use wings in my art. 

 

 You are not meant for crawling.

So dont.

You have wings.

Learn to use them

and fly.

               --Rumi

See Carla's wings.



xx

Self portrait

So this weeks prompt in Play was
 

self portrait

I've never done a self portrait before. 

I think she turned out good -- but looks so much like my other girls...  

I painted her on the practice cloth paper I made out of old patterns glued to muslin. 
(Carla told me about that) 

Lots of texture...maybe a little too much?

See Carla's.




'happinessis a butterfly, which when pursued,
is always just beyond your grasp,
but which, if you will sit down quietly,
may alight upon you'
-- Nathaniel Hawthorne

xx 

Santa!

Such jolliness!

 

 

 

xx

Gingerbread houses

Big happy smile.

 

 

Due to a mega sugar induced meltdown,
Cody is not pictured.
 

...but his house turned out good too!

 

xx

18

18 mamas without their babies.

May God wrap his arms around you

and comfort your broken hearts.

 

 

 

When I couldn't take the news anymore on Friday night,

there were only 18 little ones killed,

and in the end 2 more had died.  So tragic.

 

I just really wanted  to be close to mine this weekend. 

Just hold them.  Love on them.

 

 

 

 

 

BELIEVE

THERE IS

GOOD

IN

THE

WORLD.

 

xx

Inside plastic

Inside plastic was this weeks topic for Play.

I wasn't sure how to go about this one, but then

thought of using plastic pieces

from the recycle bin to make marks.

I used a thread spool, a scotch tape roll center

and then a big lid from big girl's vitamins.

 

My paper is a piece of a paper bag.

I really do like how the paint went on the bag (after gesso).

The texture is really cool.

 

 

 

be open to whatever

comes next

 

xx



Decorated

The kids were so excited to get their ornaments down from the attic

and to decorate their little trees.

 Their favorite ornaments.

A little holiday love.  ;-)

xx

Holiday parade, downtown Seattle

It was very wet -- but fun.

Good times with friends and

we also got to see Santa!

 We met up with the Hanna's -- we were so grateful for their huge umbrella!

Camile, Wendy, Cody Man, Chad, Sasha and Emma

Cody was giving the girls bunny ears, but the camera didn't see 'em!

Bestie Kristin and her hubby Jim.

We were happy they came downtown to watch the parade with us.

Emma G. and Sasha

 

Umple G. joined us too.

 

 

xx

Between the lines

Between the lines,

between the layers,

she was slowly discovering

the woman she is.

And also a start on a title page...

it is what it is

xx

Refreshed

Kristin and I spent last weekend at a yoga retreat, hosted by my friend Jill Rose.

Yoga Haven.  Leavenworth, WA.

20 of us, all getting our yoga on, then relaxing and really enjoying the time together and quiet time alone too.  It snowed on Saturday, but didn't stick.  The roads were fine.

 

It was a weekend of hard work, rest, relaxation,

connection, unconnecting, great food and

just enjoying the time away from responsibilities.

 

 

xx

Less is more

Not my typical style -- the Play prompt this week is "Less is more". 

A struggle for me to just do a minimalist, no glitter,

no splatter, no glitter, stopping short project.

keeping it simple....

 See what Carla has done too.

...



 

Off to a yoga retreat this morning. 

Looking forward to the weekend away to refill my heart and soul

with goodness, peace and love. 

 

Kristin and I are driving over together -- the retreat is just outside of Leavenworth. 

I always love the time with her in the car -- it's a great time for us

to just catch up, unload, and of course laugh like crazy chicas.

 

 

 

'some is good,

more is better!'

xx

Play - Set in Blocks

This weeks topic of our play project is

Set in blocks

Check out what Carla came up with.

'What we see depends mainly on what we look for'

---John Lubbock

 

xx

One happy Cody Man

5 green apples +

1 blue blow pop +

1 orange yo-yo =

1 happy Cody Man!

 

It's been an adjustment for Cody at his new school,

and this week was a great week for him.

Great job, Cody Man!!

 

xx

With wings

you begin to accept your defeats

with your head up and your eyes ahead

with the grace of a woman

and you learn that you can endure

you really are strong

you really do have worth

From the poem 'After a while' by Veronica Shoffstall

 

 

'dont look back,

you're not going that way'

 

xx

Kickin leaves...and big laughter

We made it to the park this afternoon for some serious leaf kicking action. 

The kids and I were chasing around and just crackin' up...

racing around to the next set of deep leaves --

trying to be the first there to get the big kick o' leaves.

 FUN!

it was a BLAST!


'what will defeat you if you let it,
is not all the things you worry about,
but all the worrying itself'
--Brian Vaszily

xx


 

Play

Carla and I have finally come up with a name

for our callaborative year long project...

... PLAY!

 

It's so fitting because we are playing with words, paint, paper, fibers

and whatever else we can throw at it!  :-)

 

I am really enjoying this project...I like thinking about the topic

and then I also like just jumping in and doing the art that comes out.

 

This week's topic is ...  hang ups

The little blue bird says to the other... 'mama said there'd be days like this'. 

A great quote - a great Van Morrison song.

 

 

Carla started a blog just for this project.  Check it out @

http://journalplay.blogspot.com/

 

 

 

'if you light a lamp for someone else, it will also brighten your path'

xx

Punkins

Our pumpkins from left to right:   Shelly, Emma, Emma, Cody, Cody, Dave

And of course, the 2 cutest punkins!! 

 

Happy Halloween!

xx

 

 

"be kind whenever possible.

it is always possible."

--Dalai Lama

Project journal

It's a project that my friend, Carla Dixon and I have started based on Roben-Marie Smith's 'points of two' project.   We are following along with the same prompts that Roben-Marie and Kira did.  They are two artists that live apart and each created art once a week and posted on their blog about it.  We have thought about renaming it, so the name may change.

 

The prompt for the first week is 'Fall Colors'.

pumpkins and gourds

hot apple cider

harvest moon

kicking leaves

sweaters and scarves

halloween fun

 

I made the above journal to put all these weekly creations in.

And now for some silliness....

 

I'm not really sure who he gets the silliness from...   ;-)

 

 

Pumpkin patch, Fall City Farms in Fall City, WA

 

And then the weekend activities....soccer!

 

 

 

"Start where you are.  Use what you have.  Do what you can."

--Arthur Ashe

 

xx