adornment of PeAcE

I have been having great fun creating a peace theme ornament this holiday season. There is just so much inspiration out there! I love the messy funky technique that I've created here with fabric, paint and my sewing machine. You could even leave this out for the entire year if you wish to brighten up your workspace or home. If you are looking for unique handmade items to give to your loved ones you'll find so much of what you need and more on ETSY. Truly a marketplace of inspired artisans from all over the world. May this holiday season be one of quiet reflection and PeAce. Namaste.

PeAcEs of LoVe . . .

This post is in memory of my wonderful grandma Irma. She spent 94 years of life on this earth and had a profound influence on my life and and countless others. I have so many fond memories to share like her homemade strawberry jam, Halloween sugar cookies, popcorn balls, melt in your mouth Thanksgiving day stuffing, pecan pie, picking raspberries . . . . you know I am a big food lover and I share her 'sweet tooth!' She was also the kindest person to everyone she met. She had faith in and a love of people that is almost unheard of today. I strive to be a believer of faith in others like she is but I have faltered at times. I did inherit her joy of teaching and am proud to have followed in her footsteps. She was always steadfast in her love and total dedication to her family. Upon our high school graduation all of her beloved grandchildren received a handmade quilt. Mine is a double wedding ring pattern with "peaces" of fabric from many of my cousins and siblings baby clothes and play clothes. It is so beautiful not only because of the bright and colorful fabrics but the love and care that was put into this hand stitched quilt. There is even a blood stain on it which she was hesitant to show me . . . but every time I take it out to look at it I search for it as well as for her signature that she has sewn into the border.
A few days ago I was up in the Sangre de Christo mountains above Santa Fe taking in the scenery and breathing in the crisp fall air. As I looked at the changing colors of the leaves I was reminded of my quilt. The brilliant tapestry of colorful aspen leaves against the pine trees resemble my beautiful quilt. I know she would love this beautiful place where I live. I felt close to my grandmother tho I am hundreds of miles away.
I love you grandma may you rest in peace. Thank you for your love and for your tireless encouragement.
Namaste.

Public display of PeAcE

I have been wanting to approach the owners of Santa Fe Hemp about selling my art for a long while. We have been patrons of the store dozens of times over the years and I can never seem to leave without purchasing something for myself or as a gift. It is a truly unique little store with something for everyone. Recently I did email the owners and they agreed to sell my "Wall PeAcEs" in their shop! I am so excited and sincerely hope this will be a good venture for us!

"Power to the Peaceful" - Michael Franti

September 21st is International Day of Peace. What are you doing for yourself or for others? Create a "peace" of art? Talk to a co-worker who is difficult? Smile at a stranger? Pay for the coffee of the person behind you? I'd love to hear what you plan to do or spontaneously do in your home, workplace or your community. Remember . . . . peace begins with me.
I am making peace flags with a group of 3rd/4th graders to display in our school hallway as a reminder of Peace Day. We are also learning about using our school labyrinth and how it can make us feel more at peace with ourselves so we can tackle the tasks set before us. We've had one introductory lesson and boy did it work miracles. You could have heard a pin drop as we processed through the labyrinth with an intention set before us in our mind and in our heart. I am planning to use it a lot in the weeks to come. It was a great first experience!
I look forward to reading your comments and hearing how you marked Peace Day.
Peace out . . . and in.
Namaste.

More reuse of materials . . . MIXED MEDIA PeAcE aRt!

I am enjoying my summer vacation with abandon. Finding time during the busy school year is often challenging to create things that feed my artistic sweet tooth. Summer is a time for me to try some new things that have been occupying my thoughts or the scribbles I keep in a notebook that I carry with me. I find it hard to throw things out that I could potential use for my art or as storage for things. These PeAcE pieces are created with scraps of canvas, fabric, cut out letters from magazines, buttons from my junk drawer, leftover bits of paint and twigs that I pick up during our walks along Canyon Road and hikes in the mountains surrounding Santa Fe. I have a few more embellishments to do, photograph each one individually and then list them in my ETSY shop. I hope you are finding time this summer to feed your artistic sweet tooth.
Namaste.

Reduce . . . Reuse . . . UP-CYCLE!

I love vintage and antique furniture. I have a house full of great finds to prove it! We bought this chair at an estate sale a few years ago because it had great bones and was a classic design. The fabric was worn, dingy and quite dirty. I was able to give it new life by recovering it in a great Santa Fe style fabric that I found at a second hand store. I even made a coordinating pillow from some denim jean fabric scraps and leftover pieces of the fabric I used to cover the chair. I'm pleased with the results over all. What I'm really pleased with is that this old chair has been given new life. So often we cast things off because they are worn or seen as past their prime. This chair transformation was fun and a way to marry some second hand fabric and a discarded chair for a new purpose in my home.
I'd love to hear about projects you have done like this in your home!
Namaste.

Peace on my mind

Have you smiled at a random stranger lately? Opened a door for someone? Offered assistance to someone in need? I have a marvelous group of youngsters in my summer school program. We've been practicing random acts of peace and discussing them each day. Even their parents are coming in to share stories when the drop their children off each morning. I hope they can carry this forward after our last week of camp next week. It has been a pleasure and great fun working with them the past three weeks and shall miss them after our performance next week.
So . . . . can you pay peace forward? Share with me your experiences. Better yet . . . . how did it make you feel?
Namaste.

For Your Inner Goddess

I really enjoy making these prayer flags. I've made so many and people really seem to respond to them. There is just something personal about them that resonates with each of us in a different way. These offer a reminder to celebrate, reflect or just to brighten a place that needs it.

PeAcE of mind . . . .

I have been busy with school performances this month . . . only four more to go!! I love my job. This past winter the children of Santa Fe almost lost their art and music programs in the public schools. Lots of support from the community came forth to make a plea to keep the arts alive and their voices were heard. Have you ever wanted to make a plea for a worthy cause and then didn't make or find the time to do so? It felt good for me to make my voice heard for my music students. Not so much for the sake of keeping my job, but for my students who I love and have so much I want to share with them to open their minds and hearts to music.

After all this stress it is great to have my art to come home to and feed my soul. It gives me true peace of mind to have this outlet to express myself and clear out the cobwebs in my mind.

I hope you have found some time to express yourself today!
Namaste.

The Colors of PeAcE

I have been finishing these peace signs for a while now and then it took me a while to photograph them! These are pendants . . . suncatchers . . . . or charms to hand on your rear-view mirror. We all need reminders to be peace-filled. Got PeAcE?
Namaste

fLowEr pOweR!!

Since we moved to beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico we have so enjoyed the four seasons that mother nature provides. Each one has it's own beauty and feeling. All seasons in northern New Mexico are glorious and beautiful. This winter in particular has been lovely with abundant snowfall and excellent photo opportunities! I am however anxious for the flowers of spring to arrive. I have been lusting over seed catalogs!!
These magnets are newly listed in my ETSY shop. I am pleased with their cheery color and hope they will brighten somebody's kitchen very soon! In the meantime I will continue to enjoy the charms of winter here in Santa Fe.
I hope you are well.
Namaste.

heART felt

I have been having such fun experimenting with wool whether it is lambs wool or an old wool sweater. I've been making scarves and pot holders. Now being a environmentally conscious kind of guy I had to use as much of the the wool as possible! Therefore I have created two heart wall hangings that are for sale in my ETSY shop.
I am having such fun finding new things to create and have made such marvelous connections through ETSY, Facebook and the blogging world . . . . wonderful creative souls and special people. I have enjoyed this cyber relationship and hope one day to meet many of my cyber friends. They are true friends nonetheless and I cherish their spirit, creative input and inspiration.
Namate.

Wooly Booly!

I have fallen into the world of felting sweaters . . . and I can't stop!! I am finding it fascinating and fun! It is such fun to stick a perfectly good merino wool sweater into the washer with soap and hot water then toss it into a hot dryer!! An old baggy wool sweater that has seen it's better days is now toddler size!! Here are a few beginning projects I've made for family and friends. I got the needle felting bug too . . . been buying wool at Oodles here in Santa Fe.
Hope everyone is well, staying warm, loving life and finding peace in your studio.
Namaste.