my Christmas wishes for you

Merry Christmas dear friends.

"What about peace?"

Please find my most recent post called "what about peace?" at my "wonders of winterland" blog.

so cold has been the weather

it's crispness
that of the air
almost makes 
one's eyes smart

all is so brilliant
the dogs 
of the sun
ring bright
and true
bout the orb


might i dare
to breathe

Finally some relief after four days. Felt much longer. And now the clouds too, have returned.

in search of some one

in search of some one
any some one
only just one
even one small one
with whom I might share
my surprise

I can fly
I can actually FLY

A newish creation for the {Echo} challenge presented by Susan and Chrysti.  The word was "surprise". Please pardon my tardiness once again. I have been working frantically to finish painting all the surfaces, including ceiling and floor, in my main level studio space. My computer and all the storage units have been in the living room for a few months. I have only a tiny bit of painting yet to do and then I can start decorating for Christmas. Oh, and quite a bit of reorganizing first as well.

Hoping that for you the realization that you too can fly - comes as no surprise.

ABUNDANCE

light
love
laughter

abundance

November in my life

"Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn."
Elizabeth Lawrence

As this month of November goes crunching past, blending through,



I take pause to give thanks for the opportunities I have to be outdoors, midst the sunshine, walking with my dog.



I contemplate the many tasks to be done. I treasure any moment that I have for peaceful moments .

Our November this year is unusual. Typically I refer to November as "the candle month".










This year we seemed to have our more grey, more coool sullies



in October. November has brought us glorious weather to allow for completion of the harvest.



While the days are growing shorter,



the sun wants to shine gloriously. The birds want to be atwitter.



Christmas



is approaching and I look forward to the preparations with great joy.

And in this typically grey, rushed month of November, I have chosen once again to participate in Art Everyday Month. I have mainly been taking scads of photographs for using with Visual Poetry. I have decided to do a slideshow which depicts most of the creations from my first two weeks of Art Everyday Month.

Wishing you a very happy November.

touched

Today's world in which we live is so amazing. Since I have been blogging and vlogging and flickring, I have made so many new friends. You are probably familiar with the little verse about all the friends we encounter. Some of them are only for moments. Some of them are for the rest of our lives.



With the worldwide web this number of people we touch, and are touched by, is huge. One simple little comment on a blog or photograph, marking as a fave, or saying "like", taking time to view someone's video, or participating in a swap, can make that tiny bit of difference in, often, a total stranger's life.

I started writing therapeutically about six years ago. I chose to share all of the writing, with a friend at the time. The question came, "Why did you share them?" My response was:

"Why Did I Share Them?

You asked me a question.
I might have responded with one.

Why did I share them?
A baring of my soul.
Maybe.
But much, much more

Art is to be shared.

I am helper too.
I want others to find
A part of themselves.
A part that may be
Difficult to find.

I want others to recognize
In themselves
A creature
Of strength
That needs to rest
And indulge in self
Often.
Not Occasionally.

Why did I share them?
I want to be heard
To share thoughts
Feelings.
I want you to know
My friend
What is inside.

Friend
I want you to share more
About yourself.
In talking of this
Maybe more is possible.

Maybe you can see that, truly ~
Things you thought
No longer concern ~
Do.

Maybe you can see my pain,
And yours,
More clearly.


Why did I share them?
All is well Friend.
The answer is simple.
God asked me to."

© Wendy B Burton

A time after that, in March of 2006, I started my blog which led to other adventures with visual arts and photography. Being into mixed media, and still loving words, I chose to make my own videos as well. I would never have dreamed that any of my own videos would have reached over 10,000 views.

Flickr ~ I am not certain what to say.



I have met such very wonderful friends through flickr. This picture



from an earlier time, and the words I wrote with it, are especially important because of a special friendship I made ~ someone with whom I feel nearly joined at the hip. While Suze and I have never touched each other in the flesh and have not yet been able to look each other in the eye, we have shared many moments, many angels, many hugs, many tears. Angels be with you Suze. I love you.

I also had a very difficult experience which started through flickr. It affected my life also.



The following picture has been very difficult for me to look at since.



I try to look at it though, to remind self that I make mistakes. I am not perfect. However, I must be able to forgive myself as well. I would forgive anyone else, why not myself?



I could probably carry on forever about lives being touched, friends being made. There are just so many instances I could site, so many souls touched.

For today, I would like to share with you my newest dear friend, Patti. I have no recollection of how I came to her blog. You understand ~ so many clicks and there you are. On the day I happened to encounter Patti she was doing a give away. Some spirit danced within me and I typed words which probably never even totally touched my conscience. She asked each commenter to speak of their favourite season. My mind and fingers spun together some tale of which I do not have clear recognition. In my haste I forgot almost totally about Patti and the dates for the give away recipient to be chosen. On another, probably blue, day (so often I forget that I can stand tall)



I received the most beautiful e-mail from Patti to say that I had been selected randomly as the give away winner. Since that day, or more likely, the day I found Patti's blog, I have been blessed with another wonderful angel friend.

Wishing for all ~ a multitude of angels and blessings. Hoping that I may have touched you in some way with this post and that perhaps I will have touched someone new that especially needed a gentle word, an uplifting of spirit.

dancing into dreamland

looking up
within the sky
spirits ~
dancing
into dreamland

Blur for Illustration Friday

blur for Illustration Friday

"decorate"

mother earth
chose
to decorate
abundantly


reminding


of the master ~
art creator


"Decorate" for Echo challenge of Susan and Chrysti.

Visual Poetry

What kind of picture evolves in your brain when you hear the words visual poetry? In my mind, there is a dance, a romancing with my taste buds, my spirit, my sense of being grounded. Winn, my spirit guide, allows my mind to float higher and yet higher, while yet even gaining strength and the need to stand tall, stand free, exist in the presence of me. Yes, I am wondering what picture evolves in your brain when you hear the words visual poetry.

A few months ago, I was invited by Susan Tuttle to join her group called Visual Poetry. While I had no idea, truly, what Visual Poetry was about, I chose to join. I absolutely adore the art and words of Susan. At first, because of time and resources, I thought the course Susan was offering online, was not a possibility for me. I did not spend any moments even really looking at what Visual Poetry was about. Not until Susan offered part one again did I start to investigate further, to discover that learning Susan's secrets was truly a possibility.


I had been following Susan's creative path since I was a participant in "artwords" and was so excited to purchase the publication in which Susan's art - "Blue Heart" - first appeared on page 100. I was very proud to be able to say, "I know this artist."


When Susan had her first book published I had to have that as well.


Visits to Susan's blog were always precious moments and I regretted not visiting more often.


And now, thoughts of "a dance, a romancing with my taste buds, my spirit, my sense of being grounded" entertain my being. "Winn, my spirit guide, allows my mind to float higher and yet higher, while yet even gaining strength and the need to stand tall, stand free", as I am encountering and practicing Susan's Visual Poetry through my very own perceptions.

Do YOU know Ricë Freeman-Zachery?

My original intention today was to post about Visual Poetry with Susan Tuttle. However, for some strange reason, Ricë Zachery-Freeman kept knocking at the door. Please forgive me. It near feels sacrilegious to mention the two names in the same post, let alone the same paragraph.

Yesterday I attended this workshop via a video conference with Sagehill Community Futures Development Corporation. Judy Slivinski, the teacher, spoke about how with "packaging", you can "build your image or reputation". I immediately thought of Ricë. You HAVE TO look at her picture on her blog if you have NO IDEA who Ricë is.



And now you must be asking why, when I am taking the Visual Poetry online course as well as participating in Art Everyday Month, I am thinking so much about this personage and seemingly being so side tracked. Ah, but I am not being side-tracked at all. I am finding focus. This writer, free spirit, is helping me to find discipline.

I happened to be caught totally off-guard by the e-mail announcing Susan Sorrell's live blogchat with Ricë, happening right now. This was Sunday. OK, so I happen to get distracted occasionally. I decided to click on the link. Sounded like a good topic. I picked up some handy tips about applying text on fabric before I even got into the main discussion. The topic seemed important to me. But as I followed the discussion, the word procrastination was not being mentioned. Seemed to me a lot of my friends have this same relationship with the p word as I. I never once imagined Ricë would have any problems with it. I could tell by her picture, her art, her confidence that she might not even recognize the p word. Yet I thought perhaps she may have some gem of advice to assist me. Maybe I could even pass the gem along to some of my friends. I asked about it. This is what Ricë had to say: "Procrastination is usually about something else--fear, uncertainty. Find out what it is that's at the root, and go from there." At first glance, just some words. To me, they were profound.

In pondering what Ricë had to say through the whole chat, I was left feeling stronger, more on the path to how I need to proceed with my art, perhaps my life. The concept of deadlines and the use of calenders was outlined. I grasped this idea.


In the past years I have kept my calender in my head. I have learned that mistakes can be made, important things forgotten. Mostly I realized quite some time ago that keeping these calenders and lists in my head does not allow much space, within which my muse might play. The ideas get blocked because there are too many other things trying to save their own spots.

I could carry on at length. Perhaps I'll re-visit this topic another day. Probably not. I want to create. I want to set priorities. I want to set some realistic deadlines for myself which I may be able to achieve. I am feeling the strength already in the discipline.

I will leave you with this quotation from last night's Robert Genn letter of the Painter's Keys:
The more I study the successes of self-actualized artists, the more I come to understand how they value themselves. People with a decent amount of self-esteem tend to find quality within their work and within their lives. It's this trust of the universe that leads to great art, great fortune and great happiness. "Deal with yourself as an individual, worthy of respect and make everyone else deal with you the same way." (Nikki Giovanni)

My post 700 BUT

Even though this is post number 700 I have no time to celebrate. Actually, I AM celebrating in a way by trying to look with positive thoughts on this new month of November, which it still is here though probably not for most of my friends. I have started my first online workshop with Susan Tuttle today, visual poetry, but will not go into detail cause of time. I have also started Art Everyday month with Leah Piken Kolidas. While I have a number of other things on the go will just share a couple of sky pictures taken today. Most of the others will need more attention.



So celebrate along with me by leaving a comment here. If I get very many people commenting I may choose to do a surprise give away.

Angels be with you!

words lost midst the richness

as I wander through
the autumn richness



i hear the words
words dancing



i listen
but they
the words
are all a jumble



and so i will dance
along beside
those beautiful autumn words
all a jumble

will you please dance along
with this autumn richness
a dance of words

of wings and flight

a day filled with time
as so many before
doing for others

trying
to see the light
follow the path

*****

solitude
a breath
yet another

at long last
solitude



For the past week of Inspire Me Thursday.

Emerge

e•merge, v.i., e•merged, e•merg•ing. 1. to rise or come forth from or as from water or other liquid. 2. to come forth into view or notice. 3. to come up or arise. 4. to come into existence; develop. 5. to rise, as from an inferior state or condition.



I tread upon this path
wondering
might I ever emerge
into the light

I bring you these images as a result of a new challenge presented in the past week called {Echoes}. Susan Tuttle and Chrysti Hydeck, fabulous art friends, have asked us to play with weekly prompts. I love this first one ~ emerge. I am to look for a partner with which to collaborate but I am not certain who I might choose. And so I will work solo for the time being.

To learn more about the challenge please visit either Susan or Chrysti.



Wishing you many angels upon your path.

restlessness of autumn?

I am truly longing



for some peace of mind as I wander through these months of autumn.

I wonder if this restless soul of mine is sensing any of the same restlessness to which Sue Grafton refers: "I've never known anyone yet who doesn't suffer a certain restlessness when autumn rolls around... We're all eight years old again and anything is possible."

Or does it lean toward some other stirrings of unrest?



Perhaps I lean toward the thoughts of Buddha:
"This existence of ours is as transient as Autumn clouds. To watch the birth and death of beings is like looking at the movements of a dance. A lifetime is a flash of lightning in the sky. Rushing by, like a torrent down a steep mountain."

Uhmmm ~ at times I feel like dancing in the autumn shower of leaves



or just resting upon nature's rich autumn carpet.



Yet other times I feel the heaviness of contemplation



I attempt some playfulness



with my left hand or an almost comical sketch of dog people.



Suddenly the richness of autumn confronts me.



I remember ~ and try to listen to the symphony, as suggested by Bonaro W. Overstreet:
"October is a symphony of permanence and change."



looking for that symphony




Hoping that, on this day, your restlessness will be more that of an enthusiastic eight year old and less that of an overly contemplative emotionally challenged artist.