River Garden Studio

Being Still

I got to spend this morning with my feet up, quietly looking at some blogs. I've been so busy lately, today I decided that I need to slow down. I have a head cold, and that makes me slow down whether I want to or not.  

I came across this blog, which is one of my all time favorites...Robyn shares her love for art and poetry so beautifullly.  

This post is called Stillness For Jugglers. 

POEM FOR SOMEONE WHO IS JUGGLING HER LIFE 

by Rose Cook

This is a poem for someone
who is juggling her life.
Be still sometimes.
Be still sometimes.

It needs repeating
over and over
to catch her attention
over and over
because someone juggling her life
finds it difficult to hear.

Be still sometimes.
Be still sometimes.
Let it all fall sometimes.

Robyn found the poem at this blog by Shawna 

Lemay which is a place I plan to go back 

and back again. 

And so I am being still.  

Looking and finding light, looking and finding shadows.

Not knowing what I am looking for.  

Besides stillness. 

I watch colors.

How they overlap,

how they change with each hour. 

 

Reflections in the bright October skies

are so bright.

 

And in my art making, which is always an experiment...

I ask myself what will happen if...

I add this scrap of fabric here,

or I carve out a window there.

What will happen if...

And if you need to slow down too.  

Take a walk.  Look down at where you step.

 

Do you see stillness?

 

When you pause, do you sigh, do you rest?

 

or are you waiting, to open your mail, open a book?

To check off something else off your list?

 

 

Sometimes we need to let your tools rest

to find the mystery.

 

When the bell rings, let it find you there, deep inside.

And remember you are a piece of art yourself...

resting in the shadows.

The four photographs above are from India Flint's Workshop,

where I was last week.

 

May you be wrapped up and protected in your own arms,

and know when to open to the light.

 

Be still sometimes.

 

And if you love to art journal,

don't forget about this  

new online workshop!

There Is A Place, a new online workshop with 21 Secrets!

Autumn, the time for gathering and harvesting, not only from nature, but from all that we have learned over the last year.  This is a time for spreading our seeds, sharing our joy, and opening up to a new year of growth and creativity. 

One of the things I have been planning, along with this person, and 20 other wonderful artists,is a set of brand new on-line workshops.  Together we will work together to fill your days with creativity.

Here is the description of my workshop... There Is A Place...

 

There Is A Place

Would you like to discover beautiful ways to cover pages of your art journals that convey the feelings and moods of the nature that surrounds you?

Let me be your muse and help you find the place where your creativity runs free and your imagination is boundless. In this workshop art and nature will converge as we layer, paint, stain, stitch and collage pages of art.

 

Join me in "There Is A Place", where you can lose yourself and joyously create!

21 SECRETS mission is to spread creative and healing energy through the powers of art journaling. With 21 heart-centered Artists as your guides, you will receive hours and hours of clear instruction, inspiring techniques, and unique approaches to creating in your art journal. All experiences and skill levels are welcomed!

Here is a collage

of the beautiful 21 Secrets Artists!

Each 21 SECRETS art journaling workshop is lead by an inspiring, heart-centered Artist that is eager to share their passion and love for creativity with you. Through videos, written content, and tons of visuals you can journey your way through this tapestry of inspiration, creativity, and healing energy! Grab your art journal and letʼs go!

 

 

21 SECRETS mission is to spread creative 

and healing energy through the powers 

of art journaling. 

With 21 heart-centered Artists as your 

guides,you will receive hours and hours 

of clear instruction, inspiring 

techniques, and unique approaches to 

creating in your art journal. 

All experiences and skill levels are 

welcomed!

I am very proud and honored to invited to teach in  

21 Secrets, 2014!

Click these images to read all about all of 

the workshops, the instructors and the payment 

schedule.  The wonderful thing is that the 

sooner you sign up, the lower the cost is.

 

 

 

Color My World

So... I have been home for a few days, still not unpacked, but I am loving every moment of stillness and moving more quietly.  

Art Is You was a wonderful retreat. The connections I made were very special to me. Just watching my students make their beautiful works of art and seeing how they got there, taking risks all the while, was my very favorite part.  Then I loved seeing how the teachers gave and shared what they loved to do.  And seeing all that went into the organization of this event.  The list goes on! A special thank you to Ellen and Sallianne for creating Art Is You and all my students and new friends!

My classroom looked out on to the boat dock and the Petaluma River, such a lovely backdrop for us to evolve together.  We worked and talked and played with ideas and colors and textures... many of my students didn't even want to leave when 5:00 came around.  

Here are some photographs of my The Thread That Weaves Workshop...

And more photographs from my Land, Water and Sky Workshop...

My students want me to teach a class in mixed-media Nature Journaling next year, and I would just love that, so I am starting to plan it now.

At home in my own lovely world again, I am thinking about windows.  I love windows. Windows have a lot to do with an upcoming workshop that I will tell you all about soon. Here's a hint, it is somewhere colorful and very far away from my state of Oregon...

Here are a few encaustic collages I am selling for $28.00 each plus shipping.  I will be putting them in my Etsy shop soon, (which I have been sadly neglecting lately), but meanwhile I have a button at the bottom of this page if you would like to purchase one.

The surface of each collage is on a small chunck on Pine or Cedar wood.

The backgrounds are made with different fabrics and textured papers, covered with many layers of wax and then tinted with pan pastels.  

The foregrounds are images of windows found on the internet which have been altered and covered with another layer of wax.  Finally I added mixed media pieces that have been attached with care. They are all approximately 3 and 1/2 inch squares and made with love.

Mystic Blue 

 

 

So Far Away

 

Journey

(Sold, thank you!)

 

 

 

Sunrise Over Sand

 (Sold, thank you!)

 

Please identify which collage you would like to purchase, and email me with any questions at: 

 [email protected]

Cost With Shipping

Inside the USA $34.00 USD Outside the USA $38.00 USD