Aurora

Bright blessings for the New Year!

This is my entry for the Take A Word challenge this week using "Turquoise and Purple".  A digital collage made to have a "pastel" feeling to it with the swirls and hues of the Aurora Borealis or Northern lights. Goddess of the North and keeper of the mysterious lights.  Imagery from Dover, and Pink Lotty at Deviant Scrap.

Winter Solstice

As we come to the Winter Solstice and the shortest day of the year we are reminded that the wheel is now turning again and the light will return to us slowly and methodically.  I love how nature never rushes. It is pure and absolute. If only we could learn to pace ourselves as nature does.
Take the time to engage winter in her harshness and her beauty.Use this time to go inward and be present, alive and awake, noting the changes but never urging them on.

This piece is the December page for my "Book of Days".  Imagery from Stampington, Rucola Designs, Finecrafted Designs with artistic filters added in PSE.

Winterland

"Ti's the Season".... is the theme for this  upcoming week's Take A word challenge. And challenge it was. As we are all so busy in preparing for this season of wonder  and quiet reflection; this joyous time of family and especially for children that the horrors of Friday's school shooting in Connecticut leave us all numb and broken.

It was very difficult  (as is this writing) to not allow the negative energy to influence  a creative expression. It stops you in your tracks and makes you feel  trivial and small.

This season for me (is) all about children.  Their innocence, their belief in the wondrous and magical aspects of life, their ability to view the world as we adults have lost to some degree and each year at the Holidays we connect to that child in ourselves and we forget being adults for a while.

It is important that we all try to not let this horrific incident create more horror and try to carry on through loving, caring and sharing this holiday season as we always have.  Believe in all of the good that is out there; give power to the positive not the negative and spread the wonder that this season can bring.

The best to you all...

Imagery in this digital piece from Rucola designs and Downunder studios.

Carte Postale

This is my entry for the Take A Word challenge this week to create"Mail Art". Vintage and journal style; this digital piece includes imagery from  somerset artist papers (Lynne Perella collection and Jennifer Razo), Graphic 45 along with postal ephemera and artistic filters added.

Angelique

This is my entry for the Take A Word challenge this week where the theme is (one of my favorites) "Angel".  Despite having numerous beautiful angel images in my cache, I created a bit of an abstract angel from bits and pieces. Neither religious nor mythical I like to envision an angel as human with a sense of  an "aura" of wings; of transcendence or the possibility of having angelic traits as called upon in life. The invisible becomes real and visible to those who care to see.  Imagery from Dover books, Holliewood and Finecrafted designs at Deviantscrap and backgrounds from Pink Lotty.

Lady of the Beasts

Lovely you are and kind
to the tender young of ravening lions.
For sucklings of all savage
beasts that lurk in the lonely places
you have sympathy.
                                   Aeschylus




This is my entry for the Three Muses challenge this week where "Animal Magic" is the theme. Imagery from Dover books, Finecrafted designs Lorie Davison and the wonderful animal imagery  from Tumblefish studios. Background from Pink Lotty.

Envision

This is  my entry for the Take a Word challenge this week "Steampunk". A dreamer, a visionary,a soul from the past ; a seer of the future.  My steampunk maiden  is a compilation of grunge and lightness and mixed emotions.  Imagery from Dover books, Finecrafted designs and Rosey Posey

Transcendence

This is my entry for the Take A Word challenge this week where "wings" are the theme. An ethereal dream scape of transcendence by flight and fancy. Wings almost always conjure up a sense of  lightness, escape and spiritual ascendance to me- a lifting- up skyward motion. Imagery for this digital collage from Dover books, Rosey Posey, Holliewood and Beth Rimmer.

Fresco Rose

This is my entry for this week's Take a Word challenge "Roses". Old world imagery "Mary Queen of Roses" from Dover books, blended with rose imagery with the "Fresco" filter added in Photoshop, and background from Pink Lotty.  I'm posting a bit early as I have to work tomorrow but will be back in the afternoon to join in with the challenge!

All Hallows Eve

Taking a break  from a very busy October 31st this little "Witch"  is my entry for the Collage Obsession challenge this week.  Imagery from Finecrafted Designs, Holliewood, Lorie Davison and some googled images as well.

Hallowed Veil

This is my eerie take on the Three Muses "vintage" theme this week. A spectral visitation in the form of  a long past vintage beauty who for whatever reason appears on an old glass slide; beckoning the beholding viewer deeply into her trance....
Imagery from Vintage Photography blog, Rosey Posey, Dover and Christine Renee

Raven

All month long at  the Sunday Postcard Art  challenge Halloween is being celebrated and this week "Ravens" are the theme.  Couldn't pass this one up ....ravens are one of my favorite birds; dark and ominous as they are depicted in literature and myth yet highly intelligent with a complex social structure and curious by nature. I worked for quite a few years as a Raptor handler for a wildlife rehab and education center and worked with Ravens on the glove as well. They never ceased to amaze me!

Royal Sepia

This is my entry for the Collage Obsession challenge using  the color"Brown" this week. Imagery from Dover books, Holliewood, Finecrafted designs and Rosey Posey all blended with brushes and filters in Photoshop.

Sea Pearl

This is my entry for the Three Muses challenge this week "The Sea"  A magical underwater goddess in her luminous water world.  Imagery from Dover books, Holliewood at Deviant Scrap and art papers from K& Company.

Amusements

This is my entry for the Take A Word challenge this week using "Balloons" in our artwork.  Steampunk balloon image from Google, all other imagery from Graphic 45 art papers, Lorie Davison. Holliewood and Finecrafted designs from Deviant Scrap.

Two Roses

This is my entry for the Inspiration Avenue challenge "Roses".  A haunting memory of  her favorite white roses- a spectral Marie awaits the midnight hour.  Imagery from Moonlight Journey and Holliewood at deviant scrap  blended in Photoshop with filters added

October Moon

Well October is ushering in with a big heat wave here in the Bay Area- triple digits! So lots of fiery colors for my October entry into my Book Of Days calendar art journal.  You may check out the journal's ongoing creation on my blog sidebar.  Happy October to all!

Illumination

This is my entry for the Take A Word challenge this week where  using (Manuscript) in our work is the theme.  Old script imagery from Dover books "The Art of Illumination" blended with Google imagery all blended and painted in Photoshop.

Haunted

This is my entry for the Sunday Postcard Art challenge where the theme is "Haunted".  It is that time of year again  where all things ghostly and mysterious  begin to appear in the blogosphere! Continuing with  the young girl and the moon idea the imagery for this postcard  is from Hidden Vintage Studio, Holliewood and mixed art brushes in Photoshop.

Vintage Dreams

This is my entry for the Collage Obsesssion challenge this week where one of my favorite themes is "Owl". A vintage dream- time piece with imagery from Hidden Vintage studios and Holliewood at Deviant Scrap.

Mabon- Second Harvest

Golden spell dreamer
weave your spirit
amidst the turning of the leaves.

The in- between light
and long shadows of your song
still warm the forest floor.

A time for remembering
for being still, at rest now
to reflect and renew.

Your heart will harvest
all that has come
and will now drop away.

Your hands share the bounty
of all that has been sown
now freely given away
to all who desire.

Prepare to sleep
but first celebrate the fires
of Autumn's soul
Mabon second harvest!

This coming Saturday is the Autumnal Equinox- a turning of the great wheel once again.  My son is getting married on the Eve of Mabon and on Saturday we will celebrate with family and friends and will usher in the new season with gusto and a giving away that symbolizes the season!

This entry is for the Three Muses challenge "Autumn".  Imagery from Dover books, K&Company art papers  Lorie Davison, Christine Rennee bird woodcuts all blended and  painted in Photoshop.

A La Mode

Okay I got in touch with my inner pink for this Zetti style collage for the Take a Word challenge this week. Imagery from Rebecca McMeen, Holly wood and Finecrafted  designs all jumbled up for fun!

Little Dragonfly

This is my entry for the Inspiration Avenue challenge "Dragonfly". A wistful scene from days gone by. Imagery from Pink Lotty, Hidden Vintage Studio, Rosie Posey and Finecrafted designs.

Patina

This is my entry for The Three Muses challenge where the theme is one of my favorite colors "Turquoise". I use turquoise so often in my art, my home, my wardrobe, jewelry, you name it.  I am very drawn to it's visual energy and sense of both warmness and coolness at the same time.  A perfect complement color is copper which  with age and exposure to the elements turns a beautiful '"patina green" or a natural turquoise which I have tried to capture in this digital piece.Imagery here from Dover, Finecrafted designs with lots of photoshop painting and filters.

New Kid

Okay school wasn't always this dark and foreboding but we all had our fears as the new kid. A little fun here with imagery from Finecrafted designs, DCWV artist papers, Holliewood and a little Harry Potter thrown in there too.   For the Three Muses challenge "School Days".

September's Song

This is my entry for the TAW challenge "Numbers" and my "September" entry for my Book Of Days calendar art. (See sidebar for slideshow).  Imagery from K& Co., Finecrafted designs (Deviant Scrap) google statue images and calendar ephemera.

Autumn Wonderland

This is my entry for the Collage Obsession challenge to use "mushrooms" in our work. Imagery from Dover books, Sherrie JD at Scrapbookgraphics and Finecrafted designs.  All imagery blended and layered in PSE.

Like Clockwork

This is my entry for the Take A Word challenge this week where "Clockwork" is the theme.  I took this photo in my artroom with a fun new app I put on my smartphone called "Paper Camera" and this wonderful "Andy Warhol" filter is one of the many settings. I was able to download it to my computer, bring it up in Photoshop and enhance a bit and add text.  When you  focus on a subject  this app has the ability to turn the subject into a cartoon like version which I think will be a very creative source for digital work. I believe it is available for both iPhone and Android.  Too cool!

DC Dreaming

In your dreams....We all would love to cut the dashing figure, stay eminently calm in the face of attack or peril, always have the perfect retort to our enemies. Sunday Postcard Art has inspired us to  create a postcard this week using comic book heroes.  I loved comic books as a kid and still do have a great appreciation for the graphic novel as a unique and colorful art form.
 Imagery for this post card are from my Postage Stamp collection and back ground elements from Lorie Davison.

Tattered

This is my entry for the Take a Word challenge "Tattered". Love worn and melancholy; don't we all feel a bit tattered from time to time?

Arabesque

This is my entry for the Sunday Postcard Art challenge this week where "Circus " is the theme. Lots of color and whimsy make a circus come alive for me. Imagery from Rebecca McMeen, Graphic 45, Holliewood and Finecrafted at Deviant Scrap. All imagery  assembled, painted and blended in PSE.

Faerie Stories

This is my entry for the Inspiration Avenue challenge" Faeries". Imagery from Dover books, Finecrafted designs and my own painted background all blended painted and layered in PSE.

Raw Umber

This is my entry for the Take A Word challenge "Wings". This is a daydream piece with  early Autumn colors and light effects.  Ah to sprout wings and join the fall Faeries!  Imagery from Dover books, Rosey Posey, Lorie Davison and multiple layers of artistic filters.

Ink on Silk

This is my entry for the Collage Obsession challenge where the theme is "Oriental".  Imagery from Lorie Davison and Dover books.  Multiple layers of artistic filters in PSE. You may click on the picture for more detail.

Abundance

Here is my August entry for my" Book of Days" calendar art. Beautiful  and plentiful; apples representing the abundance of the growing summer slowly ripening into Fall.  May we all enjoy these full  and rich summer days to the fullest! Imagery  from K&Company art papers, Finecrafted designs and Tumblefish birds.

Alice's Key

This is my entry for the Three Muses challenge using windows and doors.  As I was playing around with the door and window images they got all of of proportion and hence the "Alice" feeling started to blossom here. A little fun and whimsy with imagery from Rosey Posey, Dover,, Tumblefish mice in their Finecrafted crowns and a little Holliewood as well.

Oberon's Dream

This is my entry for the TAW challenge this week "Butterflies". The Prince of Midsummer dreams of all things flora and fauna.  Imagery from Holliewood, Finecrafted designs, Dover books and Beth Rimmer all blended and artistic brushes added in PSE.

The Cutting Edge

This is my "Steampunk Makeover" for the Three Muses challenge this week.  I can't think of an arist who would lend more to Steampunkerie than Frida Kahlo.  Always a bit ahead of her time, always on the cutting edge of art meets- journal -meets- modern-meets- folkart. My metallic embellished Frida paperdoll is made from imagery from Artchix, Finecrafted Designs, Christine Renee and  Rosie Posey.
Please enlarge for more detail.

Globe Trotter

This is my entry for the Collage Obsession challenge  "Maps". All done in gray tones imagery from Holliewood (Deviant Scrap) Rosie Posey (Scrapbookgraphics) and digital brushes used in PSE.

Luna

Mother Moon
we are so drawn to you....
in love
in life cycles
in dreams
in madness.

You are the sun's companion
more mysterious and cool
aloof at times..
though always rising to the occasion
once more in full glory.

You are the poet's muse
Luna Pearl...
the huntress
the songstress
the protectress.

Teach us your patience
your ebb and flow
your fluid prose.

This is my entry for the Take A Word challenge this week where the "Moon" is the subject. The Moon holds a wealth of symbology , not only for women but all of nature's cycles and rhythms.  I am always encouraging everyone to take the time and notice the phases of the moon; to try and avoid taking nature for granted.  We become so involved in the artificial world now that we lose sight of our more natural connections; our source for inspiration, art  and love.

Imagery credits go to Dover books, Lorie Davison, Rosie Posey and wikipedia.

Visionary

This is my entry for the Inspiration Avenue challenge "Fly".To fly is to uplift one's soul where there are no borders, boundaries up or down; where we are free to explore and spread our wings.  Imagery from Dover books,Holliewood, Lorie Davison and Rosie Posey.

Oil On Canvas

I had a lot of fun with this one!  I went to the Marin County Fair over the 4th of July and saw some amazing art; including mixed media art (yay)  where artists used famous paintings, altered them and added/embellished with mixed media (paper, fabric, metal you name it).  It was so good to see.  About 20 years ago I entered some hand-tufted wall hangings (I actually got in the show and got an Honorable Mention ribbon) but mixed media art was not a category then. I have been wanting to print some of my digital pieces and lend them to canvas with added embellishments- maybe next year I will enter some...

Anyway this is for the Take A Word challenge this week where the theme is  the color "Blue".  Imagery credits for this digital piece go to Dover books, Christine Renee frames,  and grungy bits from Veronica at Scrapbookgraphics. Alpha from Finecrafted Designs.

Mermaid Tales

This is my journal style entry for the Collage Obsession challenge "Mermaids". Imagery credits go to Lorie Davison, Dover Books and Finecrafted designs.

Patriot Days

Well I had to enter my( July)  entry for my "Book of Days" calendar series with a real Patriotic theme!  I wanted a have a bit of a nostalgic feel mixed with a little whimsy (not to take things too seriously). Independence Day is always fun and reminds those of us here in the USA to be grateful for our freedoms, our right to pursue our varied dreams, to work hard and share our good fortune with others.
The imagery used for this digital collage is from Dover books (old eagle tattoo), creative imaginations artist papers , googled constitution and stars from Finecrafted designs.
I finally got the slideshow gadget up and running (sidebar) for my calendar art and will add  to it each month !

Happy 4th of July!!!

Sepia

This is my entry for the Sunday Postcard Art challenge "Sepia". I love sepia toned imagery; rich, burnished with subtle hints of light throughout.  This digital postcard was crafted using old vintage imagery and elements from Finecrafted Designs. Artistic filters used in PSE 7.

Sunflower

This is my entry for  the Three Muses challenge this week using "Frames" in our work and also for the Collage Obsession challenge using the color "Yellow". Imagery from Paperwhimsy, Finecrafted, Christine Renee, Rosie Posey and vintage Botanical prints.

Small Wonders

This is my vintage style entry for the TAW challenge this week "Insects".  Imagery from Rosey Posey, Tim Holtz artist papers and Lorie Davison all blended , altered and layered in PSE 7.

Solstice Invocation

Hail, lovely sun! Praise you for rising!
Praise you for dawning!  Yesterday
we shivered in darkness while
you were trapped in the mountains.
Now you rise light as a silver bird.
Always rise like this goddess,
always come back to us like this,
bringing us health and safety,
bringing the game to our arrows,
 the fish to our fishhooks.  Journey
now in peace, go around the earth
in safety, travel in joy goddess!
...................From "The Goddess Path"

Happy Summer Solstice to all!  Enjoy the long day and the light as the sun will now begin her slow journey away from us . She has been building towards this and we are meant to take notice and celebrate. Enjoy all the bounty that is Summer!

Whale Song

Gray Mother,
wise and worn
your journey is known.
Deep melancholy sea
pearlescence is sown.

A song of ages
sings the soul of your kind.
A song of lifeways
tried and true.
A route for the sea spirit to follow
big Waterworld Blue.

This is my entry for the SoArtful challenge "Oceans".   Imagery from K& Company and Rosie Posie all digitally painted and blended in PSE.

Titania's Dream

This is my entry for the Sunday Postcard Art challenge where "Shakespeare" is the theme.  Imagery used for this piece is from Finecrafted designs, Dover books, Wikipedia with digital brushes and filters in PSE 7.