Blogging Break

Yes I am taking a little blogging break of a week, a time to spend with family & unplug. I'll be cooking, playing games, watching movies and enjoying family & although we won't all be together we will be with one another in spirit. May your week be filled with blessings~

Simply Sunday "Incognito"

This week I decided to play along with Inspiration Avenues prompt "Incognito". I immediately thought of Joan of Arc a French girl born in 1412 and a heroine after she led the French army to several important victories. I can imagine her posing as a man to assert herself to follow her calling. ( above is my journal page) I am not afraid. I was born to do this. ~Joan of Arc


Last weeks Journal prompt was to take a prayer and journal it. I came across this example of an image and Dante's prayer together and thought you might enjoy it~ You can still submit a journal page or writing to Mr. Linky at the bottom of post right here & view the post if you haven't.


Weirena

When the dark wood fell before me
And all the paths were overgrown
When the priests of pride say there is no other way
I tilled the sorrows of stone

I did not believe because I could not see
Though you came to me in the night
When the dawn seemed forever lost
You showed me your love in the light of the stars

Cast your eyes on the ocean
Cast your soul to the sea
When the dark night seems endless
Please remember me

Though we share this humble path, alone
How fragile is the heart
Oh give these clay feet wings to fly
To touch the face of the stars

Breathe life into this feeble heart
Lift this mortal veil of fear
Take these crumbled hopes, etched with tears
We'll rise above these earthly cares

Cast your eyes on the ocean
Cast your soul to the sea
When the dark night seems endless

I know this is going to be a busy week for everyone so I decided to have last week's prompt be for two week & you can find prompt and information from the link above.
Hope this finds you well. Will you be staying in town or traveling next week for Thanksgiving holiday? I would love to know~

November Photography

The colors of fall are around us, leaves barely hanging on as Autumn passes us by~
Catching the last warm sun rays on these autumn days & a soaking them up to hold us until spring~

Delicious autumn my soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking successive autumns. ~George Elliot

I can not endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house. So I spend almost all daylight hours in the open air. ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne

Have you taken the time to enjoy autumns airs? What is your favorite part of fall?

Hope

Hello dear readers, I created this painting yesterday after being inspired by the Girl Effect Campaign. I don't know if you read yesterdays post but I was really moved by this effort to help underprivileged girls. It is amazing to see what even a small donation can do to help.

To me the cross in this painting represents the burden these girls carry. I placed hope in the hand to represent how they must feel when they receive the help that is needed to make a difference in their lives. I used acrylic paint, water color pencils, oil pastels and this is done on canvas. I added the Martin Luther King quote on the photograph copy.

What things do you want to help change in small or big ways? In the world? In your community? For girls/women?

Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something~Author Unknown
Hope is the last thing ever lost.~ Italian saying
To me showing thankfulness is taking action to help those in need~Theresa Huse

Giving Back & Making A Difference / Girl Effect Campaign

Today I have to share with you a cause that I was made aware of & this is how it made me feel~ When we open our eyes we see things. When we don't turn our backs we view progress. When we lend a hand, others receive and are able to build a future & in turn lend a hand. When I saw this cause The Girl Effect I had to share their stories & below ways to help~








Given the chance, girls are uniquely capable of investing in their communities and making their lives, and the lives of their brothers, sisters and communities, better.
In order to make a difference and find out more for yourself please visit the Girl Effect.

Help spreading the word; you can grab all the tools necessary at their web site Girl Effect.

To make a donation visit Global Giving / The Girl Effect. Or Global Giving/Girl Effect to direct dollars spent and learn more.

We have much to be thankful for & it is especially important to give back. I can't imagine these struggles but when I look into the eyes of these girls I open my eyes to see a better future for them & know I can make a difference. You can make a difference too! Spreading the word, contributing what you can & taking the steps to end injustice to girls.



If you want to write your own post and need tips visit Wise Living Blog~

Simply Sunday "Her Spirit Rose from the Earth"

Her Spirit Rose from the Earth~


This is a journal page I did after seeing a photograph of woman who was both of American Indian and African American heritage. Her beauty was amazing. But more amazing was my thoughts of what a woman's spirituality looked like if I was to put it into journal page. I found several Earth prayers from the Sacred Seven Prayers and the words just spoke to me so I decided to combine them. Here is one of the Earth Prayers; O Great Spirit of Mother Earth beneath our feet, Master of metals, Germinator of seed and Storer of the Earth's unreckoned resources, help us to give thanks unceasingly for Your present bounty.
Noel Knockwood, B.A. Elder 1996

This weeks journal prompt; is to find a prayer and image that speaks to you and create a journal page from that inspiration it could be written, photography or artwork. Below I am sharing some links to some interesting history, also of an amazing woman artist and about November being American Indian Heritage Month. From my research I have started a canvas painting I hope to share soon~ I hope you find your spark and create something from the prompt above. I hope you come back and share what this post inspired you to write, photograph, and journal about. I will leave it up for two weeks.

This isn't the photograph I saw and I didn't draw its true likeness of the one I used only an interpretation of it. When looking up the history of Black Indians I found out about this woman artist.
Mary Edmonia Lewis was the first African American and American Indian woman to gain fame and recognition as a sculptor in the international fine arts world. She was of African American, Haitian and Ojibwe descent. She is listed among the 100 Greatest African Americans.


Hiawatha Marble 1868 Newark Museum

Another thing I found out was when researching was November is American Indian Heritage Month to find out more visit the Smithsonian Education site and to see some videos related to contemporary American Indian art and other subject click here.
On YouTube there are many beautiful videos full of Native American Music and Imagery. Here is one example~


Don't forget to have a wonderful and inspired week and I hope you find the time to create something and drop back by to share your link with us! ~ What have you created inspired from a period in time or history?

Insert a link to your journal page, written, photography or imagery that relates to the given prompt for this week. It will be open for 2 weeks for entries.

(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)

I Heart Snowmen

In case you didn't see the post on my other blog I wanted to share the news. I had challenged myself to try a new medium and create something with Styrofoam and enter a challenge I saw. Well if you hop over here you can see all the details and good news I have to share! I made a full post on my other blog MsartistSewCrafty.blogspot.com which is more crafty inspired. I hope you visit and read all the details. The posts will be a bit shorter the rest of the week as I am out of town with Sammie visiting family up in north CA. since Sammie has a 4 day weekend.
Do you ever try using other materials and challenging yourself to new things? How often do you try something new?

Snowmen fall from heaven assembled. ~Author unknown

PS. I will have my usual posting for Simply Sunday I pre made it for you twice thanks to blogger!
But since I lost the first one I added some interesting things and also made it a post where you can come back and share your work from the prompt!

Painting birds

This is a painting I did an interpretation of a Green Bee Eater. It was first drawn and colored in pencils and then painted with acrylics. It may not be a perfect interpretation but its a start. I love birds of all kinds and am so inspired to draw and paint more of them. They might just be one of my new muses! If you want to see what one looks like and find out about these amazing creatures visit the link above when you are done here. They are a bird indigenous to Africa, Arabia, Asia and India and Vietnam. I found like quick video of one & thought you might enjoy it. Wouldn't it be amazing to see one in person?
Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps a singing bird will come. ~Chinese Proverb

Simply Sunday "Pocketful of Dreams"

Journal Page pocketful of Dreams~

Knowing that I have guides watching over me~
Putting my goals in my pocketful of dreams~
November + Reflections of the year~
Thankful for~
This weeks free journal prompt is "Pocketful of Dreams." I always find myself at the end of the year in November and December having a lot of reflection, asking myself questions and wondering if my choices in this year were the best I could of made. Have I used my time wisely, met my goals and do I see my dreams becoming a reality? Have I taken risks? Put myself out there enough? Maybe not. Maybe I haven't accomplished all that I have wanted but I have a lot to be thankful for and the steps that were taken this year. I still have my dreams and am not giving up on them. I am listening to the voices that guide me and am creating a plan and putting my dreams in a pocket. One by one I will take them out and try to accomplish them and maybe one day when I reach in I will get that golden ticket~
I hope you make a journal page and write down your pocketful of dreams and don't give up on them. Be happy for others successes and don't compare yourself to where they are in their journey. Create your goals and take the little steps necessary to bring them to fruition.
I have to remind myself this daily as it is so easy to compare one's self and get lost in the pool of talent that is around us in the world.
Do you find it hard to focus when you see such talent abound? How do you hold on to your dreams to make them a reality?

Cherish your visions and dreams as they are the children of your soul, the blueprint of ultimate achievements. ~Napoleon Hill

Keep your dreams alive, understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, and determination. Remember things are possible for those who believe. ~Gail Devers

*feel free to leave your link in the comment section if you use this prompt to create a page so we may visit and see what you have created~

Illustration "Happiness Is"

Happiness is finding inspiration, creating it and seeing it finished on my work table~

Happiness is watching my child swinging on a fall day while in the sun reading~

Happiness is swinging in the sun~

This weeks prompt at Inspiration Avenue is "Happiness Is"....
Here is my illustration for "happiness is" from the artist, mom and me ~ Yes I still like swinging as much as my daughter does & we both like reading books in the sun~I can think of a lot of things for happiness is. I might just have to create something else too. What does "happiness is" mean to you?

While we try to teach our children all about life, Our children teach us what life is all about. ~ Angela Schwindt

Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour onto others without getting a few drops on yourself. ~ Ralph Waldo Emmerson

Dia De Los Muertos "Day of the Dead"

Completed Painting~

Work in progress~


This shot is in natural indoor light & looked a bit muted~
Close up of face prior to eyes completed~
Close up of skull~

To live in the hearts we leave behind is not to die. ~Thomas Campbell "Hallowed Ground"
These are my Dia De Los Muertos, "Day of the Dead" painting completed its title is Tributo. I was tempted and still may change the champagne color under her head where I have written Tributo which is tribute in Spanish I was thinking of the same blue that is in the background in other places. For now it will stay as is. I made this to honor my mother as well as other's mothers, grandmothers, sisters and loves~This past summer was the third anniversary of my mom's passing~ To learn more about Day of the Dead & cultures celebration of it visit here.
How do you honor your loved ones passing? Have you created a work of art to honor someone who was special to you?

All Souls Day & Dia De Los Muertos

All Saints Day is November 1st and Day of the Dead "Dia De Los Muertos" is November 2nd.I grew up in a family who practiced Catholic religion and have lived in communities steeped in these two traditions. I created this Mixed Media Painting for Dia De Los Muertos and also another painting which will be posted tomorrow.

When creating art are do you look to different cultures for inspiration?

He who has gone, so we but cherish his memory, abides with us, more potent, nay more present than the living man.~ Antoine de Saint- Exupery