a peek at my studio desk top today.

i showed the onion skins and avocado puts i boiled last week.

the initial dye was a light tint.  i boiled the solution down 

to get a concentrate.  i had newsprint with texture paste

that i made in misty mawn's workshop.  i cut it into

5 x5 pieces, painted them with the dyes, then collaged 

shapes cut from tea bags and  the words to one of my 

favorite poems,  wild geese by mary oliver.  i will continue

to add a bit more but i do like it at this point.  

happy friday!  i have to sets of friends visiting from mexico

and pittsburg and am so looking forward to catching up

and lots of hugs!

happy paint party friday!

today a few images and a favorite poem 

We all learn as much as we wish to 

and no more. We learn in different ways, 

sometimes by not learning…. 

My way is by trial and error, 

by groping, stumbling, questioning.

Henry Miller

journal spread, collage, acrylic and ink

graphite sketch in altered book

graphite sketch in altered book

Wild Geese

You do not have to be good. 

You do not have to walk on your knees

or a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. 

You only have to let the soft animal of your body 

love what it loves. 

Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. 

Meanwhile the world goes on. 

Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain 

are moving across the landscapes, 

over the prairies and the deep trees, 

the mountains and the rivers. 

Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, 

 are heading home again. 

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, 

the world offers itself to your imagination, 

calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting— 

 over and over announcing your place 

 in the family of things.

Mary Oliver 

in memory of shirley

what can i say

what can i say that i have not said before?

so i'll say it again.

the leaf has a song in it.

stone is the face of patience.

inside the river there is an unfinishable story

and you are somewhere in it

and it will never end until all ends.

~mary oliver 

today these words from one of my favorite 

poets. mary oliver,  rang true.  the week has almost 

ended.  i finished this sweet one

after giving it a long break, waiting for inspiration to come.

it turns out, only a few touches were needed to complete.  

and this creature started off pale and pastel

but just did not fit in its own skin so was 

transformed into this...possibly more work to be done

but for not, ta dah....

i send and received some mail art...

i will post them soon.

X  O  X  O  X  O

happy paint party friday to all those who participate

and a lovely weekend to all.

day 23, 30 paintings in 30 days challenge

how many geese does it take?

wild geese

you do not have to be good.

you do not have to walk on your knees

for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.

you only have to let the soft animal of your body

love what it loves.

tell me about despair, your, and i will tell you mine.

meanwhile the sun and the deer pebbles of the rain

are moving across the landscapes,

over the parries and the deep trees,

the mountains and the rivers.

meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,

are heading home again.

whoever your are, no matter how lonely,

the world offers itself to your imagination,

calls sot you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting~

over and over announcing you place

in the family of things.

~mary oliver

acrylic,  gesso

When I Am Among the Trees

When I am among the trees, 

especially the willows and the honey locust,

equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,

they give off such hints of gladness.

I would almost say that they save me, and daily.

I am so distant from the hope of myself,

in which I have goodness, and discernment,

and never hurry through the world

   but walk slowly, and bow often.

Around me the trees stir in their leaves

and call out, "Stay awhile."

The light flows from their branches.

And they call again, "It's simple," they say,

"and you too have come

into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled

with light, and to shine."

Mary Oliver