Open to Unknown Blessings

Give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way.  

~ Native American Saying~

Happy Thanks Giving!

Day of Creating Prayer Flags...in process

In my Medicine Art Womens Expressive Art group, we began creating our own Prayer Flags this week. Only 2 people came to group this week, but we all were so engaged, that it was nice having the space in the studio to work.  All I can say is what fun we had.. Here are some photos of our ongoing process.

 First we cut unbleached muslin into the size and shape we wanted.

Then we painted washes of Jaquard fabric paints on them and put them in the sun to dry.
Horray that it was a sunny, warm day.
The next step was using stencils of both letters and images, that we pounced onto the fabric...and wallah!  amazing things began to happen.

 Here you can see some of Roberta's in process.  We all got about 2 of them kind of done that day.

 This is Marcella showing off one of her prayer flags..

 These last two are the ones that I did that day.

 This will obviously be about a 3 session process, and with the other members of the group joining it
who knows how long we will be at it.  So many ideas are brewing in regards to this process.

Even my own entreprenurial mind is spinning, and I am thinking of doing a day long prayer flag workshop for others it was soo exciting and fun.

These are inspired by Tibetan Buddhist prayer flags, which monks hang so the prayers printed on them (traditionally in sanskrit with an image of the Buddha) can be whisked into the universe with help from rain, wind, sunshine. When we are too preoccupied to hope the best for the world at all times, the flags are a constant prayer. They're even left unhemmed intentionally, the quicker to disperse their  prayers.

Half way through the Holly- Daze- Blessings

This holiday season has been very stress free for me, my goal was simplicity and joy.  I found that experience in the process of baking a different kind of cookie daily for the week leading up to Christmas, adding to my Italian cookie repertoire.  

Biscotti, Zelletti and Pizzelle

                        Here are two photos of my pizzelle - the second one filled with cannoli filling

Now that Christmas is past, things are slowing down and I am hoping to find some time to do some art making as well as preparing a bit for our Mandala Workshop on January 9th.

So, I am taking the time to send blessings to whoever reads this, but sharing this drawing that I did way back in 1994.  I call this the Blessing Angel, who showers blessings, Peace and compassion to the earth on a daily basis.  

May blessings present themselves in the simple pleasures of life shared deeply and creatively to all of you.

                                                       Prismacolor Pencil on paper 1994
                                                                      Earth Blessings

Mandala Progression

I love to draw with prismacolor pencils...and whenever I begin a new mandala I am lost for days whenever I have a spare moment...in between work...and details of  a life fully lived.  Here is the Mandala I began at the last Mandala workshop.  This is a gratitude mandala, in honor of the abundance and blessings in my life

I focused on the image of the house because it symbolizes my life and all that is filled with meaning and joy.   This is as far as I have gotten...but I plan on cleaning up the inside of the house and enriching the colors encircling it.  I love to slow down and move into the soothing esthetic trance that creating mandalas with prismacolor pencils brings forth.  MOre to come.. on this piece I am sure. 

I Dreamed of Gratitude - Altered Book-Counting Blessings

Counting Blessings...an ongoing altered book process.  

I am so grateful for so many things........

       "If the Only prayer you said in your whole life was "thank you"  that would suffice."

                                                                         Meister Ekhart

About three weeks ago I dreamed about creating a Gratitude Book and the cover appearing in my dream.   It was called " Counting Blessings"

And so I have been slowly working in it over time...

  I have decided to post what I have done so far...

I am working on placing as much attention as possible 

in my life on what I am grateful for.  

I am grateful for so many things....

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns what we have into enough, and more.  It turns denial in acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity...It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow".                                            Melody Beattie