About Me

My photo
Words in sound and in print make me smile. I love to create in any medium: paint, dance, photography, poetry, song, composition...and the list goes on. I am a fromagephile. I love thunderstorms and clowns terrify me.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

From Morocco to Me

 This is an acrylic and india ink batik based on a photograph taken by one of my heroes.

When my Grandpa was in the Army he spent some time in Africa. 
He took many pictures, although I never saw any of them until after he had passed away.
One of my aunts, who is also a photographer and an artist, found the pictures and
then shared them with the rest of the family. 

It made me so happy to realize that I shared this passion for painting with light with him.
I do know that he loved the arts though because his home was decorated with paintings
done by my Grandma and my Aunt. 

Thank you Grandpa for nourishing creativity in my Aunt, and thank you Lauri for passing 
it on to me. 



Wind Rose


This was done in the dark while I watched a film with friends.
Because I couldn't see the colours, I had to rely on the labels on my prismacolors before I
put them down permanently on paper.

What is a Wind Rose?

Stained Glass examples.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Why be an artiste?


Sometimes sketching will help me focus my thoughts and retain
any impressions I have while listening. This was done during a Relief Society Lesson.
See the good. - that's the thought now permanently associated with this.

I believe that it is part of our divinity to seek the artiste in us and thus to inspire and be inspired.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Always Up

I saw a place I thought I’d start,
tucked away within my heart.

A place where who I am and who I’ll be
is so much more than simply “me”
I am free
in how I see.

I can open my eyes to living light
or give into fear and close them tightly.

I’d rather see the truth in hearts
and trust in goodness from the start.



Sunday, July 10, 2011

Light as inspired by Vermeer


This drawing is from six years ago but I found it in a recent move
and it inspires me to work more with LIGHT.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Arbre


Summer spent in a tree.

I'm definitely a "kindred spirit" with Anne from Anne of Green Gables
when it comes to woods and forests.

A forest floor with its carpet of  leaves is always inviting.


Monday, May 2, 2011

Whistle


This portrait is of my sister, with whom I've played many duets and
in consequence travelled through music across the clouds to different lands without
ever physically leaving the room.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Find from Time


I found this poem I wrote a long time ago so it's not a recent creation
but it was fun to read it again. I wrote it one time
when I was especially hoping to be able to be a mother someday.
It's still one of my greatest dreams even though I'm not married
yet. I've since learned that I can learn to be mothering if not a mother.



A great cavern in my heart brims with love and tenderness,
but there is missing the very core black in its emptyness,
white as a wall ready to be painted.
I cannot hope for that which I do not miss, and yet....
How sweet would be the colors, and what
patterns we could paint in layers thickly spread
with loving laughter as we coated ourselves in
a mural of memories and moments,
But not yet,
I only have these borrowed little smiles
not truly mine but enough to start painting.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Re-focus

 I've decided to use this blog to share what I'm currently creating;
whether it's painting, writing, singing, or dancing.

This is a batik. I paint everything I want to be color with tempera and acrylic.
I leave white space where I want it to be black. Once the paint dries I paint over all of it with India Ink.
Then I rinse it under cold water and most of the ink comes off. 
I haven't done one in a while so I'm getting used to the technique again.
You never know how it's going to turn out exactly so it's always a surprise.

This portrait is of my younger sister Ted who is my hero because she scales mountains
and rappels down 500 ft cliffs even though she's scared of heights.

Face the fear and find your faith.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

The Light that lets me See

I glanced out the window late in the afternoon
and saw that it was that
magical kind of lighting outside.

This light makes everything glow at its touch.
Beauty that wasn't openly apparent before
now shines and comforts with its loveliness.


I have known a few people who are like this special kind of light.
They made everyone around them feel more beautiful and
happy, even after just being with them for a few moments.
Grandpa was one of these people and someday I hope to be one too. 


Here is an excerpt from one of my all time favorite conference talks.
It was given by Elder Gerald Causse in the October 2008 LDS Conference.

In his philosophocal short story The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupery
describes the confusion of a little boy who,
on discovering a field of roses, perceives that the flower
he has tended with such love, is not unique but very ordinary.
Then he comes to the realization that the thing that makes his rose unique
is not its outward appearance but the time and the love
he has consecrated to taking care of it. He exclaims:
Men...raise five thousand roses in the same garden--
and they do not find what they are looking for...
and yet what they are looking for could be found in one single rose...
But the eyes are blind. One must look with the heart."

In the same way, our knowledge of God
does not depend on the amount of information we accumulate.
After all, all the knowledge of the gospel which is meaningful for 
our salvation can be summarized in few points of
doctrine, principles, and essential commandments...
Knowing God is a matter of opening our hearts
to gain a spiritual understanding and a
fervent testimony of the truth of these few fundamental points of doctrine.
Knowing God is having a testimony of His existence
and feeling in one's heart that He loves us.
It is accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and 
having a fervent desire to follow His example.
In serving God and our neighbor, we witness of Christ and
allow those around us to get to know Him better.












Sarandon: You guys are awesome.





"He that loveth his brother abideth in the light,
and there is none occasion of stumbling in him."
1 John 2:10