Where the Light Enters: Journal Page

"The wound is the place were the Light enters you." -- Rumi

I'm back from my trip to Ohio. It was a blast seeing my friend again (and my sister stopped by)! Of course the time went too fast; it always does. But eventually you have to return to reality, I guess.  ;-) 

I did manage to stop by Blick's Art Supply while I was in town and picked up a few goodies I hope to try out soon. My Muse also seems to have taken a vacation but she hasn't returned yet. I expect she'll show up here eventually. In the meantime I've been working in my art journal and finished this page last night. 

This is my entry for Paint Party Friday. Be sure to check them out. Maybe I'll run into my Muse there!  ;-)

Have a great weekend everybody! 

Her Kind

Her Kind

by Anne Sexton

I have gone out, a possessed witch,

haunting the black air, braver at night;

dreaming evil, I have done my hitch

over the plain houses, light by light:

lonely thing, twelve-fingered, out of mind.

A woman like that is not a woman, quite.

I have been her kind.

I have found the warm caves in the woods, 

filled them with skillets, carvings, shelves,

closets, silks, innumerable goods;

fixed the suppers for the worms and the elves:

whining, rearranging the disaligned.

A woman like that is misunderstood.

I have been her kind.

I have ridden in your cart, driver,

waved my nude arms at villages going by,

learning the last bright routes, survivor

where your flames still bite my thigh

and my ribs crack where your wheels wind.

A woman like that is not ashamed to die.

I have been her kind.

This is one of my favorite poems by Anne Sexton. I think I may have even used it before in an art piece. There is a recording here of her reading it. I love to hear poets reading their work! *sigh* Anyway, I was inspired again by the poem (It hangs above my work table along with a million others).

I have never tried drawing with a calligraphy pen. This was my first attempt. Thanks to Misty Mawn's class I'm trying out new ways to draw. The hardest part was trying to figure out how to hold the darn thing and getting it to make some marks. I kept dropping it. Yes, I'm clumsy but that has nothing to do with it.  ;-)  I finally got the hang of it (somewhat). It's the final week of class and so far I think this is my favorite. This is mixed media week and anything goes. That also goes for this painting. Anything and everything went onto it: inks, stamping, paint, collage... whatever I could fling, throw and paint onto it. Fun! 

I'll be leaving this weekend to visit my friend in Ohio. One week in Columbus! Yay! Can't wait to get going. That means another trip to Blick Art Supply. I've been making a list and clearing room in my car trunk.  ;-) 

This is also my entry for Paint Party Friday (and I'm a day early!). Tomorrow be sure to stop by and check out all the other entries. Have a great weekend everybody! 

Free My Soul

It has been a long while since I've played in Photoshop. I was tempted by a new kit that caught my eye at DeviantScrap (A Clockwork Autumn by RD) so I've been playing all morning with it. This was a face I sketched last night. The rest is elements from either the above kit or another one called InnerVoice by Finecrafted Designs (both from DeviantScrap.com).

I was so rusty from not using Photoshop I had to Google how to do a few things. It's amazing the things you forget when you are away from it for so long.  :( Anyway, it was fun doing the digital thing again. I'm waiting on a few projects to dry between layers and this was a fun way to pass the time.  ;-)

Fabric of Life

The Fabric of Life

by Kay Ryan

It is very stretchy.

We know that, even if

many details remain

sketchy. It is complexly

woven. That much too

has pretty well been 

proven. We are loath

to continue our lessons,

which consist of slaps

as sharp and dispersed 

as bee stings from

a smashed nest,

when any strand snaps --

hurts working far past

the locus of rupture,

attacking threads 

far beyond anything

we would have said

connects.

This was an exercise I did for Misty Mawn's class. It was abstract week; something I really enjoyed. Every week we add poetry (either found, by a favorite poet or written by us) to our work if we wish. Again, something I LOVE. No expectations when I sat down this morning. That's always the most fun. This is the result. Happy weekend everybody!

Sleep

"... I think that just being alive is so much work

at something you don't always want to do.

The machinery is always going. Even when you sleep."

-- Andy Warhol

This painting came from a sketch I did one night. It wouldn't leave me alone; I even dreamed about it. So I had to paint it. Poor thing, I know how she feels. Strange how things take hold of you. Maybe it's from lack of sleep.  ;)

This is my entry for Paint Party Friday. I try to make it over there when I can. You should too! Have a great weekend everyone!