* Altered Books

I belonged to a very creative club on the web, mostly women from the USA.  I think, in fact, I was the only Canadian member.  We had great fun, with altered book round robins.  The particular book I created, and am showing you here, was sent to nine different women who each contributed as many altered pages as they wished.  Before the book was sent out, the originating member would establish a theme and do the first few pages herself.  The book was then sent on to the next person on the list.  Each member was able to keep it for three weeks, create her pages, send it on .... and so it went.  About nine months later you would receive your original book back completed by other members with their own take on the theme and their own bent on creativity.  All the time we would keep in touch via our club headquarters on the web, posting tid bits and photos of what we were up to.  Fabulous Fun!

The theme of this book was Venice set in the 1980's. I will set the scene.  Picture this.  A registered letter is delivered to my house.  It's from a dear old friend from my days of traveling in Europe.  He is now the head of archeology at the university of Rome.  He is organizing an archeological dig in Venice, in a part of the old Doges Palace.  Knowing I have always been interested in history and archeology, I am invited to join them.  Naturally, I jump at the chance and am off the Venice to meet Michaele and his team.  I will share with you an excerpt of the story:-

"Details of the dig were sketchy.  A residence attached to the Doge's palace had gone up for private sale and was purchased by friends of Michaele.  While installing a new water system in the old underground kitchens, some interesting artifacts had been discovered.  They wanted them investigated. ........

We dug, day after day, underground in the cold, dark and damp.  Water slowly dripped down the walls - echoeing through the arches of the old structure.  The energy was incredible.

One morning, shortly after work began, I came across a fragment of material.  I called Michaele and he took over.  After hours of careful excavation with dentist type picks and shall brushes, objects of great interest began to appear.  I gasped, holding by breath, unable for just a moment to breath.

We had uncovered a carnival mask and long cape - or the fragments of one.  Later, after testing, the material was deemed to be hand woven black silk circa 13th century. The remains of the stones, which lay here and there - hand cut Russian crystals and pearls, also from the same period.  The few other stones unearthed stopped our hearts.  Breathtakingly beautiful black onyx oval stones inlaid with silver crosses lay before us.  In their silence, they screamed at us.  Michaele and I stared, first at the stones, then at each other.   ..... could it possibly be????

All those years ago, on the ship from New York to Athens, Michaele had told me the "Legend of the Mask".  In later years, after some research he believed this legend to hold at least some authenticity.  Over the years, Michaele had spoken with many bands of Gypsies and in one particular instance, the Gypsy Queen had sat quietly with him around the night fire and told him her version of the legend.

Our last evening in Venice, Michaele and I sat alone in a lovely Italian restaurant overlooking the grand canal discussing our long friendship and recent adventure.  At the end of the evening, he presented me with a beautifully wrapped gift.  My heart quickened again.  The energy eminating from the box was making my hands vibrate.  Inside, lay the old documented story the Gypsy Queen had told him by the fire.  A blue velvet bag contained some of the stones we had uncovered.  A hand written note from Michaele counseled me ... "Handle them with care and respect, they DO contain the magic."  His eyes sparked with delight.  I smiled quietly.

The mask I constructed on the front of this book contains some of 'the stones'.  The document in the envelope is the original.

I now counsel you ... "Handle them with care and respect ... they do contain the magic."   .... end of excerpt.

The mask I created on the front of the book comes off.  It is held on by velcro.  The theory is if you take the mask off, hold it up to your eyes and say some magic words which I have instructions for in the book, you will be transported to 'anywhere', and can be anyone you wish to become.  On that basis, members of the group created their altered pages with paint, drawings, images, stamps and anything else they could think of.  This process is one of my favorites.  I can let my imagination run wild.  It's amazing what 'comes out'.

"There is vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening, that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique.  And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost."

 Martha Graham

* Collage art

Creating collage is such fun.  It's very tactile and I adore putting all those little pieces together.

I have been creating a line of cards for a french country boutique here in Victoria.  Most of my cards are there at the moment, however, I have a few Asian theme pieces here at home I will share with you.

I'm still finding the photography a challenge.  Robert Kelly, where are you when I need you????  Robert, part of my Santa Fe tribe, is an accomplished photographer and artist in his own right.  Enjoy his work at http://www.robertjkelly.com/, and http://www.robertjkelly.com/.

Who else is doing collage out there?  I know many of you are sooooooooo creative!  Share with me, please.

          

"Art is the only way to run away without leaving home."  ~Twyla Tharp 

* Surprise! It's Mama Moon

I was astonished when Mama Moon began to appear!  I had no experience in sculpture.  While still in Alberta a friend of mind invited me over to make a mask.  It sounded like fun.

I was presented with a lovely lump of red clay.  Just the colour delighted me.  "What do I do with it?, I queried.  "Knead it, and make it into a ball, then make a face."  The knead and ball part sounded possible --- the face part, not so much.  "What are you going to make?", my friend inquired.  "Don't know, how about you?"  "I'm going to sculpt a native indian."  The fact she actually had an idea impressed me.  My idea file was empty.

We put music on and went to work.  As I began to enjoy the feel of the clay, my hands went to work and a face began to appear.  It became rounder.  Her cheeks took on a life of their own, her nose widened and her lips became voluptuous.  "She's Black.", I announced.  I was stunned.  The face simply kept morphing out of the clay.  She began to smile at me.  Her face took on character.  I giggled and laughed out loud with delight.  There was no way any of this was in my head so where was it coming from?  "It's Mama Moon!" I squealed as I finished her long eyelashes.  I must say, my critic was very quiet that night.  I truly felt as though I had absolutely nothing to do with this creation.  It was a true gift from the Universe.  She was sacred.

Now, four years later, I was happy to find her in good condition in my storage unit.  She was disgruntled at being in a box for so long.  I brought her home.  She's hanging on my wall and causes me amusement every day.  Mama Moon is talking to me.  She's speaking out every day.  I'm getting dirty looks.  "I want to be decorated.  I demand to be painted.  I'm worth it.  I'm beautiful."  Mama does deserve some decoration, however, now I'm intimidated.  I might ruin this gift which was given to me.  I don't know where to start.  I don't know what colours to use.  I don't know what colour her eyes are.  What will I do with those long eyelashes which she adores so much.  So many questions, so much fear!   A spiritual teacher of mine once told me, "If you say you don't know, you don't."  I know that to be true.  However .......  such is life.  Scared and stuck when it comes to Mama Moon.  The situation is symbolic.  Any advise?

"That the universe was formed by a fortuitous concourse of atoms, I will no more believe than the accidental jumbling of the alphabet would fall into a most ingenious treatise of philosophy."  Johnathan Swift

* Art Helps Me Breath

Let's talk about creating. It doesn't have to be a work of art. It can be a special meal, a flower garden, or a business report. Creating takes you away to places you don't remember you've been to. You begin. It's a bit of a struggle. At some point you break through that invisible shield and loose yourself in a project. Suddenly the afternoon has slipped by. You look at your watch and never want to stop. Where did the time go? Look on the table, or in the ground, or on the paper. Something magical happened, and it didn't have so much to do with you, as it had to do with something which came 'through you'. Ever have that feeling? Ideas simply flow - there is no struggle. Wonderful stuff simply happens and appears magically before you. The two pears above are called "Just bummin' around".

                                                                                           
For me, creating is a particularly useful way to keep myself balanced.  It keeps me out of the Rabbit Hole.  Winston Churchill called it the 'Black Dog'.  He knew what depression was.  Innately, he understood what to do about it.  Every day he hand laid bricks into the wall at his beloved Chartwell.  He painted, and he wrote.  He was a very creative guy.  It worked for him. It can work for some of the rest of us.

A while ago, I began to play with oil pastels.  At first, it was very frustrating, however, as I allowed my self to be patient, and simply play, a series of fruit appeared.  Who knew?  All but three, I had framed and have enjoyed them every day.  I'm a little challenged with my new camera, so I am getting flash reflection from the glass. I'm sharing them with you anyway.

to the left:  "Yes darling, you are the perfect pear."






To the right:     "Or An Ge". Let me be clear.  I didn't say it was easy to get through those big old wrought iron gates to that magically place.  You may scream, cry and throw things on the way.  The urge to run away as fast as you can is common for me.  Laughing and mild hysteria may set it.  A sudden compulsion to scrub the kitchen floor on your hands and knees is a definite sign of avoidance. A deep sadness may appear, or anger may show itself.  Your critic may need to be 'hushed up'.  A little chat with myself is in order when my critic pipes up.  There is an end to the rocky road however.  Suddenly, you find the key in your hand. You slip through the gates effortlessly.  You have arrived.  Bliss.  Peace.  Contentment.  Knowing.  You are definitely in the flow.  Hours slip by, evening approaches, you look at your watch.  You don't want to ever stop.  That's my kind of afternoon!

"Granny's Granny"                                                

Here's my question.  What about discipline.  Where does the discipline come from to walk into your studio every day and just begin.  I'm not there yet.  I feel stuck half the time and don't do anything!  More work to do.  Other artists manage it.  I want some of that.

"Begin - to begin is half the work, let half still remain; again begin this, and thou wilt have finished."  Ausonius  

(do you think this could be the answer?)  Answers are so simple, it's the doing part that throws you.

I love "Papa Pear".  Actually, I'm not finished him as yet.  Isn't he delicious though?  A real hunk.  He needs to be grounded.  I didn't ground the bananas.  They looked like they were 'drifting' around on the page.  Thus "A Bunch of Drifters".  lol

The last painting is entitled "Pregnant Pear"  She was my first in the series.  Birthing this piece was quick and fast.  I was at my friends place playing with pastels.  My first reaction when my friend said "Oh, I like that." was "It's a piece of garbage".  How dare I.  The piece had come from my soul - how dare I knock it!!  It took me a good long time, however, I have made great strides in quieting my harsh critic and honouring my work.

Any other bloggers out there who know what they're doing?  I know they're are tons of you with gorgeous professional blogs.  I'm having so much difficulty with spacing.  Photos seems to fall where they please and the end result when published is a mess of huge spaces I can't seem to see on the 'edit' page.  Nor can I seem to fix it!  I want perfection, and I want it now!  "We" are not amused.  And .... "We" are fustrated.  I adore the Royal We.  As I said somewhere before, I'm a Leo ... lol.  Ah, Donna, patience please!  Will I ever master 'the process' of life?  "No, my dear, 'the process' is your lifes' work, enjoy it."  See, I answer my own questions!  Scary and wonderful!