A snippet of thought on the election and the aftermath.

Amazing, wondrous, Post -election, Barack Obama is the new President elect. How this has tempered my art life and my thinking is pretty amazing. There is a new lilt to my speaking , a skip in my step and a weight to my shoulders as I look at what he has been elected to and the work to be done ahead.
There is a deep, vicious undercurrent as well as an economic fiasco inherited from the current occupant in the "house" The viciousness of the Red/Republican base with hate mongers and fearful people of the far right and the fundamentalist, Neoconservative persuasion is deeply troubling and so true to form. Far right wing, Ku Klux Klan and neo-nazi web sites are raking in the gullible, the vile, dispossessed and the evil ones.
I find that I cannot use the words of hatred and terror to describe them. And yes, I do believe there are domestic terrorists of a different stripe here in America. I believe there are evil ones out there just doing their best to bring misery and turmoil to the world. Power over, patriarchial madness will not go softly into the night, not without taking a whole lot of the innocents with them. I want to believe in their higher natures, but I do not trust them for they have only shown their embittered, ugly views.
Sad that they are so polarized and fixed in their hatred. What a deep shame they bring upon us as a nation. And that is not to absolve the far left liberals, (can we say anarchists) either. There is so much that must be done and divisive stupidity will serve no one.
Love is a verb.

Missing my Art time! 100 Reasons why I'm not making art.

Short note to get back into the rhyme and reason that I began this blog. Self-centered fear, obstacles to the next piece that I am drawn to work on, doing the basics of survival, fatigue, a lull, a hitch in my giddy-up, Summer, outside time, Work; I could go on and on. We all do. We step away from the consistent practice of creation (a quote from an Ornament article) And it is (and was) the consistent joy of creation of art at Pendle Hill that I miss most profoundly. I am in a bit of a snit, longing to make the pieces and commune with the Divine in the process but I realize that I have to have shelter, food, and supplies, Life necessities to forge ahead. So, I'm beading an amulet pouch, creative journaling to capture ideas for future creation (or not). Happy making, be well.

So, it's May already and I've been in Beadland.

Ah, the great Midwestern spring. Mother's day 2008, wet and cold, gusty winds. In living the artist life, I have been working a not so great job to keep body and soul together. It has become the practice of compassion and civilized behavior towards the general public, especially the rushed, privileged, worker bees of the "suburban wasteland" to use a phrase from my friend grassroots guerrilla.
I have been beading as meditation, with the intention of specific friends being the recipient of the work. I have received a gift from one of my beloved art patrons of a brand new Canon digital camera to document my work as well as begin the web site presence I will need to develop. of course, I will have to relearn photo stuff to shoot my work until I can afford a collaborative effort with other 'true photographers

Bella Beads ( in Mundelein, IL) strives to create a loving community of avid beaders. I have been using my beading as an outlet for gifts (mostly because I had more beads and time than money during the holidays). Now it seems that I am in the "candy store' mode seeing colors for friends, using the work of creation as meditation on those friends qualities and a small touch stone to the Divine's silent beauty, revealed in/through my hands one bead, one color at a time.
Women and men gather at the store on various nights of the week in gentle companionship to share their lives, their work, new techniques and laughter. Beading can show you vexation, relaxation and progress all in one five inch piece of work.

It is an antidote to the crass commercialism, globalization pressures of the world.

Next update will reveal the progress with the handmade artist books, art quilts, mono prints I have wrapped up in my head and look forward to manifestation into the physical.

Short note and the duty of blogging

It has been brutal here in the Midwest this week. Especially Northern Illinois where I live. The sheer tension and high wire act of getting to and from is enough to wear one out. And of course there is the danger of driving on impossible roads, slick, snow filled, full of other drivers, some with the good sense that the Divine gave them and some who believe the suv ads about the abilities of their particular auto.
I'm caring for two of my favorite dogs Biscuit and Roscoe, Boston Terriers who are smart, funny and loving dogs. Their world is about 18 inches high and filled with walls of snow. I stand in the backyard and watch the squirrels racing along the telephone wires and watch the dogs wondering how to get up to the lines to chase. All of the trees are snow bathed, frosted with the wet cold stuff that makes winter so beautiful. It is only beautiful when you don't have to drive or shovel it.

I'm testing out new techniques with water soluable crayons, stitching and inks. Perfect for sitting, staring out the window and staying indoors. I am away from my studio so I have portable projects (knitting, hand spindles etc.) to keep me amused and inspired on my day off.

Walked a town today for a bit, Libertyville, Milwaukee Ave. to be exact. Interesting small shops, very few other souls walking. It felt good to see first hand the stores that I have driven by for years. This is one of the reasons I choose to live here. To make an effort to walk and do my shopping without the car all the time, to put my life on a human scale. Making my life a "hand made" life in every area as best as one can.

Go with God/Goddess, Higher Power, to whom it may concern today. I am living in the discipline of a compassionate heart and the practice of that idea.
I wish you much creativity and artness in your days ahead.

P.S. It can either be a duty or a joy to sit and write to unseen, unknown friends. Once a week is my current intention, more as time permits.
More later Miz Gi

Mending and repairing until new creation comes forth

Today seems to be a continuation of mending and repairing. It could be under the sign of completion, getting the old things out of the way to make room for the new.
A bit of background is in order, in August of 2006, I packed my studio and apartment into a ten by ten storage locker. I had just graduated from Shimer College, fresh with a B.A in Humanities and Philosophy. I had been accepted at Pendle Hill, a Quaker Center for Contemplation and Study as the Minnie Jane Artist in Residence.
Everything I had known up to that time was now shifted to preparing to live in an intentional Quaker community eight hundred miles (Wallingford, PA) from family, friends, and all known resources, you know that magical support network I had developed in the years of being in community. In a way this was indeed a "no-brainer", I had been gifted the time to create art, live among like minded people of all ages listening and living in the Spirit.
Yes, it was transformational.
It was so much transformation that I had to re-enter into the 'mainstream world" upon my return.

First post

Encouraged by an article in Cloth, Paper, Scissors, a mixed media and artistic discovery magazine published by Interweave, I have set up my first blog. In the coming days, months etc. I hope to keep up with this on-line journal about living in the realm of art, while working to keep a roof over my head and food on the table. I am also a woman of a certain age that finds all of this new technology and means of communication more than a notion to maintain when of course I would rather be working on another art piece.
Today after working in a daily bread type job I came home to find myself compelled to do mending that has been languishing for months ( can we say years) Its all done, I can now add it to the 1001 ways to avoid creating art. But the very sacredness of doing the mundane leaves room an openning to develop the next piece, dream about the colors, medium and techniques needed to create it.
Now its time for bed and I find myself writing about the very simple tasks of my life.
I am optimistic that the mundane goes hand and hand with the sacred if I but see it that way.
More later, Blessed Be.