How Nature Can Answer Our Call

CROW painting - click to enlarge

In this post, I'm sharing one of my very informal art journal entries with you.

A poor wounded squirrel was in my backyard one day a couple of weeks ago when my husband was out of town. I didn't know what to do. I was worried about the squirrel and also my pups, who had to be sequestered in the house all afternoon. I called some neighbors, but no one was available to help. Then I called a number of Animal Control agencies, vets, etc. but they couldn't help either.

A little while later, as I sat in my kitchen looking out the window and wondering what to do, (Help! was the calling of my mind.) Mother Nature came along in the form of Crow, who sent Squirrel on The Long Journey very kindly, and with dignity (Crow didn't eat Squirrel or do any harm other than to put Squirrel out of its physical misery).

Pretty soon I was able to take care of Squirrel's now unneeded body, while its Spirit ran off to the Big Garden in the Sky.

Thank you Crow for your kindness to Squirrel, in ending its suffering. Thank you Mother Nature for your help when I was out of options.

This watercolor painting came about as a result of this experience.

About the words in the painting - I have this little bowl of Angel Cards that I keep in my dining room.

During the time when the Squirrel/Crow situation was happening I pulled a few cards. I'm always amazed and amused at how supportive they are. Before you pull one, you ask a question, or ask the Angels to tell you what is best to know at this time.

They told me not to worry, to keep the faith (FAITH card) and feel peaceful (PEACE card), in contrast to what my mind was telling me, which wanted to panic, thinking OMG, the poor squirrel, what the heck should I do???

And that thought, plus some Internet research (how does one pick up a wounded squirrel, what equipment is needed so it doesn't bite you and will you get rabies if it does...garage check for equipment, which listed heavy gloves and a towel, had the towel but the gloves I didn't have, alternative solutions included putting something over the squirrel to protect it, but all I could find was pots for our plants which the pups could knock over, besides, they'd block out the beautiful dappled sunshine that the wounded squirrel was currently enjoying, and if I did succeed in picking it up then how would I drive in the car with it, how would I contain it - it was too much alive to be safe in the car all the way to the vet or animal control agency...brought thoughts of several options, none of which I could follow through on, such as picking up the wounded squirrel to move it out of the yard or take it to a vet, and other options that were unthinkable, along with letting it suffer for who knows how long....)

The Angel cards told me support was on the way (SUPPORT card). They reminded me that Squirrel is Squirrel, and Crow is Crow, (INTEGRITY card).

In the end, Crow did one of the things that Crow does best, in giving the gift of Heaven to Squirrel. It was a very interesting experience. And I felt thankful that Squirrel was no longer suffering, my pups wouldn't be in danger, and Crow had come to help.

The Past, Present, Future = NOW words are included in this painting because they're an acknowledgement that there is only this moment now, which is what we should focus on instead of the past which no longer exists or the future which is not here yet. This understanding can be found in many ways, and is supported by many teachers, including Eckhart Tolle, who wrote the book The Power of NOW. If I had to choose a favorite book this one would be at the top of my list.

When confronted with death, this thinking is very interesting to me. It suggests a continuance - a sort of "constancy" or "ISness" that cannot be destroyed.

Food for thought - happy pondering.

Namaste,
Jen

Dragon Therapy - Art

So I'm going to take a risk and share a little bit of vulnerability with you. Something happened to me that I think happens to many people today. I got totally overwhelmed. We have so many things we're taking care of, working on, planning, doing, and sometimes these things can make us feel out of control, make us feel that we are not really our true selves.

That's what happened to me and I realized I didn't have the tools to correct the situation, so I turned to a trained professional to collect those tools and begin to apply them. Dragon Therapy, which you'll see here, follows this process of healing. I bet there are things in this process that you can identify with, and I hope my little drawings bring you joy and help you to know that where there's challenge, it can be met superbly with the right tools. Click on the images to enlarge them then use your browser back button to come back to this post.

Yes I'm seeing a psychologist in order to collect some new tools.

I've only ever had counseling once before, when I went through a harrowing divorce about 17 years ago. The counselor saw me for a few sessions and announced that I didn't need her, I was fine, so I went on to raise my beautiful children and move forward in life in a big way. That counseling dealt more with mourning a life that was "cut short" which is quite different from the counseling I'm experiencing now, which is about collecting tools to facilitate empowerment.

Defining the Problem

Like everyone, I aim to please. I aim to not only do well, but to excel - to really make a positive difference in the lives of others. And sometimes I overload myself doing that. Ouch. My sketchbook shows that I've given a "persona" to this feeling of being overwhelmed - it is my Dragon - "the internal demon who kicks me in the butt and burns me to cinders, ostensibly to save me from outside dangers or my very own Self."

What my dragon tells me is that when we're overloaded/overwhelmed, our bodies go into fight or flight mechanism, but with many of the threats we face today, there's nothing to fight and really nothing to run from. They're threats about accomplishing things with limited resources, stretching and overextending ourselves till we're wound tight as a stretched out rubber band.

Learning about my Dragon

In the process of healing and attaining empowerment, I had to figure out who my Dragon is - where does it live? Where does it come from? I discovered it lives in the PAST, and it lives in the FUTURE, but rarely does it actually live in the PRESENT. What that means is that I'm "judging" what's going on NOW based on experiences in my past that were painful, and projecting that potential pain into future events. That's not reality. It can be corrected with the right tools, hallelujah!

Learning to tame my Dragon

In learning to tame my Dragon, I learn what not to do - don't try to silence it, it serves a very good, strong purpose - protection of the Self. Don't try to fight it or kill it, instead, take a step back and look at it, figure out what it needs in order to be a friendly Dragon. My therapist reminds me that Dragons can be tamed, but they will also wake up crabby sometimes, and we have tools for that (yay!).

Peaceful time with friendly Dragon, ahhhhhh

One of the most important tools I've learned about in taming the Dragon is the ability to step back and notice my own thoughts. I can ask myself "am I in emotional mode?" or "am I in logical mode?" and when I'm feeling most anxious and pressed I understand that I'm stuck in "emotional mode." So to scoot over into the balance between logical and emotional mode, which takes me out of panic and puts me nicely into a balanced way of thinking I've learned Tool #1 - "Just the facts, m'am." I'll put up the image I've drawn for this in a bit, but there's another one that comes first. That's the one where I'm discovering the triggers for my Dragon. What sends him into attack mode?

TRIGGERS

So I've examined the triggers that send my Dragon into attack mode - the things that make me feel overwhelmed, the things that trigger fear/fight/flight. The most obvious one is having too much work to do with not enough resources. No matter how much I might want to be able to accomplish this, there are times when I need to look about and find out what my resources are for taking some of the load OFF. And you know what? They are there. They are available. But you have to take the initiative to ask for them, and you have to have other people who listen to you and have the authority to get you the resources that are needed. It's okay to ask, sometimes you have to ask persistently until you are heard.

Tool #1 Think factually

Here's the image I was talking about a minute ago - Tool #1 is to learn to think factually - "The sun is out," "the sky is blue," "I am well," "I got a lot done," "I need to get some more resources on this," etc., instead of emotionally - "oh no, more clouds again," "this workload is gonna kill me," "wow, I feel overwhelmed."

More images are coming soon. One thing I want to say about my Dragon Art Therapy is that I have placed no rules on it. I am recording my thoughts in very fast, uncensored drawings and then putting color to them to help convey my feelings. This is not the thoughtful, planned, presketched type of art that I like to do for decoration, it's sketchbook art that quickly captures thoughts and feelings, giving me a way to track my progress that I can recognize, and the funny thing is, it's poignant, but also totally amusing, and even funny at times, so I'm sharing it. More to come -all comments are most welcome : )

The Future Is Your Inspiration Painting Finished

The Future is Your Inspiration

All finished!

I like how this colorful watercolor has turned out. It's a little message to myself to keep going - you never know what you can do if you don't apply yourself. Little faery is lovin' the baby oak. Eventually she'll move it cause it can't grow to its full potential in the deep shade of its parent; it needs to be out in the sun, but there's lots of space close by. (Click on the images to enlarge them)

Pencil sketch on watercolor paper

You know I love the looseness of the pencil drawings. For this one I moved her arm - did you notice? I like the sweetness of the "Father tree" watching how much his offspring is loved. I like that little Faery gives the sapling her attention like she has all day to do it. I'm sure she has flowers to paint and birds to ride, so many things to do in the faery world, but she's happily "in the present moment." A good reminder for me....

Ink is done 

Here's the ink sketch, just waiting to be blown off the page by lots of color. I probably need to reign myself in on my wild palette, but not yet ; )

I'm happy to have been able to finish the triptych; finishing anything is good, even if it's not perfect. Then we can move on to the next one, taking what we've learned with us, which will be even better!

So now I'm exploring dragons.

Who is my Dragon?

Dragon, for me, represents the demons I fight - the challenges - the obstacles - the fears. And what I've discovered is that I don't want to kill mine, I'd much rather make friends. Tame it, work with it, see what it brings to me. 

Camel Dragon?

So in working with my Dragon, I'm playing with what it looks like. This is the "camel" version. Kind of cute, could be dangerous if not handled properly or mistreated (BIG teeth).

Exploring ears, horns, spikes, textures, and eyelashes ; )

Yes, my Dragon will have eyelashes to beat the band, don't ask me why, I have no idea. I think his ears are somewhat inspired by Benji's, what do you think?

He doesn't know he's Dragon inspiration....

 And here we have the realization that I don't have a clue what a dragon's nose and mouth area looks like. Hm, research needed. Anyone got a dragon I can babysit?

Hm, I've never seen a dragon, how does the understructure look? Obviously I haven't a CLUE....

Tune in soon for updates on how Dragon's coming along. Should be interesting if nothing else ; )

Namaste

Jen

New Painting - The Present is Your Creation

The second in the triptych - click on the images to enlarge them

This painting is all about being in the present moment. When we take them one at a time they feel much better than when we're anxsting over the past or worrying over the future. This little faerie is humming along under the warm sunshine, doing what she loves best - decorating flowers!

The border says - Learn, Grow, Create, Act, Move, Breathe, Sing, and Believe, which are all action phrases that mean a lot to me as I bring my dreams into reality to share them with you.

Sketch for The Present is Your Creation

I start by doing a little research on what I need to know more about, in this case, what do irises look like, and what do butterfly wings look like (though I may break all the rules when I finally start drawing). Then I sketch out a draft of the design in my sketchbook, which I draw again, freehand, on fine watercolor paper - this is hot pressed paper, which gives me a lot of control over the fine details. I like to use a watercolor block so I don't have to stretch the paper; it stays put with the layers of color washes and dries nice and flat.

Detail of The Present is Your Creation

 I often think the pencil sketches are the most beautiful - they're where my hand is finding the lines and some of the expression gets a bit lost after I ink and paint over them, but I strive to keep the soul and spirit of them intact.

Working on the purple

 I allow myself one color a day, because I have a "day job" so I have to budget the time I get to spend painting. If I had my way, I'd most likely paint for days and nights without eating or sleeping, I love it so much ; ) So this image was taken on the day I worked with purple - the iris was so much fun to do.

My happy place

This is my drafting table where I love to work. The sun comes in in the afternoons and feels wonderful. At night I light a candle to set a peaceful mood, and put on my favorite music, very often David Arkenstone - he's a true master of perfect sound to soothe the soul.

I bought some new paintbrushes which you can see sitting in the beautiful horsehair clay jar I bought at the Green Drake Gallery in Millheim, PA. I think wonderful tools deserve wonderful homes. You can see, too, the photos I downloaded from the Internet when I was researching butterfly wings and irises. I don't copy them, but do sort of "put myself into them" to get a sense of the line, form, and color. Once I have a feeling for the "real things" in my pictures, I then do as my muse directs, which often results in thoroughly unpredictable surprises.

Colors!

I'm pretty picky about my palette - try not to use "cheater colors" and I know a good deal about mixing colors. One thing I like to do to make sure the picture has a synchronicity about it when it's finished is make sure there's a little of each color in all the other colors, so they pull together. I'll put a tiny bit of red into a green, or a bit of blue into a yellow - not enough so you can "see" it, just enough so it "registers" and pulls together. I LOVE color.

Me in my happy place

Here's me in my studio, doing what I love best, enjoying the sunbeam, listening to great music, and creating wonderful, whimsical, totally unpredictable art for you.

Thanks for visiting : )

Namaste!

Past, Present, Future Painting

The Guiding Star (click on the images to enlarge them)

The Faerie

My muse has been visiting me again, and this time we've created a wonderful image that is part of a triptych based on the Past, the Present, and the Future. This drawing is a detail of the faerie at the cusp of her past and present, right at the moment when she succeeds in reaching for the stars and finally makes contact.

The Past is Your Teacher (Graphite Drawing)

Here's the entire image before I painted it. I love the delicacy of line in the drawing, the looseness, the flow. As she makes contact with her lucky star, she becomes empowered by the light and energy flowing into her from the star, who's a magical being, much like herself. The moon is there watching over her, as always, a constant in her world. (Yes, my Moon has elfin ears, lol)

The Image with Ink

I did the outlining with Winsor and Newton Nut Brown ink, using a quill pen with a number 512 Hunt quill tip pen. I like the control I can get with this pen, it handles curves well and will give me very thin or somewhat thicker lines depending on pressure. The paper is 140 lb Arches hot pressed watercolor block. Hot pressed means the paper is very very smooth with nearly no texture, which allows me to control the line and to get very fine detail.

The Moon begins to glow behind her.

I like to use Winsor and Newton watercolors because they perform reliably as I apply layers of color glazing to build up depth. I also applied a little masking fluid to select areas before painting in order to reserve areas I could later paint in soft bright colors.

Her Guiding Star comes alive, as her little Guardian Star  cheers, Hurray! 

The little Guardian star has been with her all her life, cheering her on. She has learned to meditate and in the peace of those moments discovers a higher connection. Her Guiding Star (the larger one) transfers energy and light, empowering her to bring her message to the world.

Detail of her Guardian Star, did you know we all have one?

The border shows that as she grew from faerie childhood into her adulthood, her little Guardian star inspired her to hold her dreams close, sleep, laugh, meditate, reach, dance, love, not to give up on her dreams, to share, to learn, and to grow. 

The Final Painting - 33 hours later

Detail of the Finished Faerie

So now that this one's done, I'm on to the second in the triptych - "The Present is Your Creation." I will post about it when it's a bit further along.

One of my New Year's resolutions is to paint paint paint because I've missed it, and I feel so many paintings pushing to get out. They want to be shared with you. In order to do that I'll most likely start another Etsy site, where I can sell the prints, and also a Zazzle site so that you can choose what type of decorated item you'd like to purchase - it could be a coffee mug or a pillow, a notepad, or a water bottle decorated with my image - I'll be figuring out how to set this up later this year. First the painting, then the production. 

It looks like it's going to be a very exciting year!

Best wishes to you as your New Year unfolds as well.

Thanks for checking in--

Namaste 

Treats for you for Christmas

Have been working on my display box for the beautiful cloisonne bracelets and it's all finished now. Lovely box, decoupaged with gorgeous photos of all things Chinese and lined with a deep forest green chenille fabric. Choosing your bracelets should be a really fun experience.

Cloisonne Bracelet Display Box

Also have finished staining the hands that will go next to the display box and making mini bracelets for them! Now one of my projects is to make a bunch of sets like the one in the box above - a set of five bracelets is $20. I'll make sets of all one color, like the blue hand on the left below, and sets of all different colors, like the one on the right. Then you can combine them any way you like depending on your outfit or mood.

Buddha hands with mini cloisonne bracelets

Have also had a great time making bead necklaces as well. These are on affordable stainless steel chains. I love the gorgeous colors of the beads.

Most of the focal beads are handmade by Beth Blosser of Pomegranate Glass

And I'm making earrings to go with the necklaces because I find that customers often like to buy a set as a gift.

Several different pairs will match with the necklaces - yay!

Color combinations match the necklaces

Lots to be done, can't wait to work on them some more!

Beads saying "Pick me, pick me!" I pick up the beads with that lovely silver spoon.

Spacer beads for the cloisonne bracelets - it's like working with rainbows!

My little boudoir doll patiently awaits her new blouse while I'm distracted with making necklaces and bracelets - she knows it's worth the wait. And in the meantime, she does get to wear her very own cloisonne necklaces : )

My boudoir doll sits in the studio overseeing the progress of jewelry making....

Check back for updates on Dreamkeeper Creations getting ready for Christmas, one of the most special times of the year : )

Namaste

Jen

Indulge in the Magic of Asia - Affordably!

I am smitten, and I think you will be too, by a new style of bead and the bracelets, necklaces, and ankle bracelets my muse inspires me to make of them! It's all about BEAUTY. I believe that beauty feeds the soul and spirit, creating joy, which makes our hearts sing - we should all be able to carry this with us at all times to soak up and rejuvenate by, no matter where we find ourselves.

Cloisonne ROCKS!

I am head over heels in love with these beads because they lend themselves to SO many different ways of expression - I can make 10 red bracelets using the gorgeous cloisonne beads combined with different spacers and put them all on my arm with a good red dress and they're spectacular. OR I can put on (as I have on right now) black, navy blue, forest green, red, white, turquoise, and gold, for a delicious combination that matches absolutely anything and everything. 

Besides my Etsy shop, Dreamkeeper Creations, I sell my work at the Green Drake Gallery and I'm making a special display for these wonderful bracelets in the Gallery. It's soooo much fun!!! I'm all thrilled with the whole process of how cloisonne is created, the process, as well as the history of it. The beads come from China, and the history of the cloisonne technique originates in India, then moves into China years and years ago to the practice today (yay!).

Cloisonne factory in China. Somebody please pay me to do this all day!

Here's what I'm doing for the display, which I'm very excited about, can't wait to share it with you! 

Selecting Images

I had a lovely visit to Barnes and Noble in search of images of Asia that I could use to decoupage the treasure box that these bracelets will be displayed in. I LOVE creating a whole "buyer experience" so that after you get home with your treasures you have a sense of the history that went into the making of the beads and a special experience to remember as you wear them - a tiny piece of history and art captured humbly by yours truly. I love creating an admiration for cultures different from our own. Definitely something to celebrate and revere. I'm sure the publisher of this book on China never imagined its buyer would "cut it up," but I got over that in pure enjoyment of creating this display....

These images will be on the back of the treasure box.

It was way past bedtime when I finished going through this wonderful book on China and I so enjoyed the hours spent choosing just the right images to adorn the treasure box, which will be lined with black velvet and heaped with bracelets for you to choose from.

The Treasure Box

So to give you an idea of what you can do with these bracelets (combine totally different colors or do sets of all one color) I'm making "mini" bracelets to fit these beautiful wooden stylized hands that I will stain so the color on the wood lends its warmth to the display.

Stylized hands waiting for adornment.

The trick for me right now is waiting for the humidity to pass so I can finish the staining without bubbles. Am totally looking forward to making "mini" bracelets for them.

And this is what you'll have to choose from, and more....WOW, have fun!

How long is my arm and how many can I pop on?

Namaste


Jen : )

New Wine Glass Markers and Rear View Mirror Light Catchers

Classy Wine Glass Marker

I've been making some classy little wine glass markers which are now for sale in my Dreamkeeper Creations shop on Etsy. This is my favorite, with a fancy jasper carved bear bead, and maroon, olive, and blue seed beads winding around the flexible silver twisty section. When you pop these onto your wine glass stems, not only do your guests feel special, but they can tell which glass is theirs! 

Back View of Wine Glass Marker

The back of the Wine Glass Markers is just as pretty as the front! Each one has a couple of little tails that sport accent beads and seed beads to match the main twisty section. Findings are silver plated wire and sterling jump rings. They don't go into the dishwasher but can stay on the glasses if you're hand washing.

Here are a few more examples.

Carved Jasper Bear Wine Glass Marker with Onyx and Jasper Tails

Black Onyx Carved Bear Wine Glass Marker with Black Glass and Onyx Tails

Turquoise Carved Bear Wine Glass Marker with Turquoise Tails

Another sparkly item I've been making for you is the Light Catcher Car Jewelry! These are easy to fasten around the arm of your rear view mirror so you can enjoy the sun sparkling through and lighting them up.

Rear View Mirror Light Catcher

I have three in my car, a rabbit for trust, a bear for connection as I travel over the earth, and a Buddha to lend serenity as I go about my travel adventures.

Rabbit, Bear, and Buddha

Here are a few more that will be up in Dreamkeeper Creations for you.

Turquoise Bear Light Catcher with Glass Circle Beads

Cheery Red Light Catcher

Shiny Blue Light Catcher

Look for more fun treasures and jewelry at Dreamkeeper Creations!

Namaste

Jen