Patchwork of Life

This months book for The Artful Readers Club is the second part of Sally Dubats "Grimoire Chronicles"

WINTER SHOCK

Sally is writing 8 books based around the 8 sabbats of the wiccan/pagan calender. Although her story is a fictional one, she is trying to incorporate a more realistic version of "what a witch is". No magical broomstick to carry our heroine up a steep mountain side, and the only nose twitching is brought on by noxious smells. The story collection involves a young wiccan by the name of Cassie, who has grown up feeling like an outsider because of her beliefs. But as the stories progress she becomes more aware of how people really see her, and not just how she thinks they see her, leading to greater understanding and friendships she never imagined possible.

This part of Cassie's story takes place around the Winter Solstice aka Yule, and finds Cassie  trudging up a mountain in the depths of winter...not exactly the family orientated festivities she had planned. Although our heroine is in quite a perilous situation(to say the least), I found myself laughing out loud at her petulance in the face of danger. Even reading sections out loud to my husband, as Sally uses the mundane "matter of factness" required to survive to balance the swirling turmoil in Cassie's mind.

I read the first book "Veil Between Worlds"(set at Samhain/Halloween) last year and thoroughly enjoyed it, and can only say that I am still enjoying Cassie's adventures, and can not wait to read the rest as they are published.

Now for the arty bit :D

There were many passages in this book that inspired fabulous landscapes...but one particular passage stuck in my mind that was more about the spiritual side of the story.

At one point Cassie talks about memories flying around her like pages from a book...so that had to be my first layer...and spookily the pages I pulled from my pile had a character called Cassie, and words like "Flame", "darkness", "Candle" and "Black"

The second layer was of a patchwork of colours from the passage...

 obliterated by the white snow...

Next  I added different fabrics ...

before using gold acrylic to add "stitching".

and the quote...

"but memories from the weekend wrapped around my thoughts like a patchwork quilt--a black swatch of fear from the abduction, a scrap of frayed nerves from the ascent, a bright patch of shock from the Kundalini release at the summit--all sewn together with the golden thread of the Gods. This memory had a power all its own. I was spiritually wounded."

Dubats, Sally (2012-12-05). Winter Shock (The Grimoire Chronicles) (Kindle Locations 4726-4728).  . Kindle Edition. 

...and finally I added an image of Cassie exhausted by the events of her journey so far...

"Patchwork of Life"

8 x 8 stretched canvas Mixed media piece.

Enjoy :D XXX

On a much lighter note...

Didn't have a plan for a painting this week, so have taken the opportunity to cut out a few more stencils. 

These are A4 in size, and the leafy one was cut freehand, as was the curvy lines one, using the flap from the plastic folder :D

...and this is me playing with them on a drop sheet :D

When I don't have a project in mind, I like to play. I saw a project on one of the group pages I visit which just looked so much fun. I am calling it "Stripy Mitts" and you can see the original post HERE

Basically, you just draw round your hand....

then draw stripes across the page, curving the line as it crosses your hand shape...

and colour in the stripes. Outlining with a darker colour adds to the finished effect.

I drew the straight lines "outside" the hand shape first and this lead to a couple of lining up issues, so it is probably better to just draw them freehand and work right across the piece with each line.

Quite a fun effect don't you think :D

I used the chisel end of my promarkers to colour with, which made it quite a quick play too...

If you like the colour combi, I used Pear green/Leaf green/Tulip yellow/Gold/Honeycomb for the stripes, and Tan for the outline :D

I think we are all in need of a splash of colour at the moment, so why not give it a go...who knows where it will lead :D

Enjoy :D XXX

Brace yourselves....

Boy was this weeks ChakrArt lesson a doozee!

We are dealing with and healing  our 4th Chakra Anahata, or Heart chakra.

This is the one that covers compassion and forgiveness....

I know I have "hardened my heart" over the past few years to "the world", by which I mean I am totally disillusioned by society in general.

I have also learned to "steel myself" against the actions of others, which makes forgiveness almost irrelevant to me. Some things to me are just unforgivable. I am not talking about everyday pettiness or accidental insult and injury...I'm talking the loss of an unborn child through another's deliberate actions....being prevented from doing what you know is right because "so and so" will throw a tantrum...

and it absolutely infuriates me, when someone "forgives me for my inability to forgive them their trespass against me"

So I carry the bad karma associated with the inability to forgive...and I am glad to do so.

I have always lived my life with the deliberate intention to "do no harm", but as I've gotten older I have become even more the "protector"..making my heart heavy, but I am not angry at myself, I am proud of my strength. When I feel compassion for someone or something it is the most profound feeling of love...not watered down to sprinkle where it is not deserved  

(the flowers on this hat were the only pink things I could find lol)

Yes I sound arrogant...yes I may appear to be conceited  or "holier than thou", and I will  set myself up as judge and jury(and executioner if society allowed)...

Because at the end of the day, I am the one who has to live with my decisions. My journalling reads;

" It is not a lack of compassion that stops me from forgiving...but an overwhelming sense of duty to stop you being so cruel to others..."

Ranting aside, I hope you enjoyed my post :D XXX

Taking Time Out...

My sitting room clock had a reeeeeeeeally boring frame...so I made a new one :D

I have had this clock for a good few years now... I like it because I can change the face with the seasons, but it had a really naff thin miserly plastic frame, which broke. So I was left with the frameless clock, but it still works ...

So I decided to decorate a canvas and attach the clock to it. I took the clock apart so I could use the back board as a template...

but decided it would be better to stick the board straight onto the canvas to strengthen it when I have to cut the hole for the clock spindle to pass through.

I selected a long thin canvas because the clock sits between 2 windows on a narrow wall space.

I added the words "tick tock" and the numbers 1 to 9 with chip board to give some texture.

Then stared adding layers of paint using my own stencils

and then I saw this figure...sitting on the mossy wall...

holding the infant, taking time out to tell a story to the babe...

paying no heed to the passing of time.

Was determined to show you the depth of colour used, so stood on a chair to take this pic lol

And now a few close ups.

The sun decided to come out today, so I couldn't get a pic of the clock in situe(between 2 sunny windows), but hubby likes it so I'm happy.

*is feeling the need to decorate the whole house now* :D

Enjoy :D XXX

Life is a Masquerade...

My "A Piece a Week" this week is my 3rd ChakrART journal page. 

Whilst meditating on this chakra I visualised myself at the bottom of a spiralling  tunnel, but as I asked for strength and renewal I felt myself being drawn out of the depths, and the spirals turned to rose petals...

The page I had ready to work on also looked like it was covered in roes petals...specifically a rose I used to have called "Masquerade" which actually changes colour as it opens.

This made me think of how I have a tendency to hide from weakness...as in I don't allow myself to appear weak...ever. I in effect, mask my true situation health wise(because I know I am not "that poorly", there are many who are worse off than me health wise)

But what I have realised through this meditation, is that my true energy comes from my garden...if my garden is feeling unloved and bedraggled, how can I expect it to give me strength?

So I need to get my head out of the soft comfy petals, and get down and dirty with the soil again!

"I" didn't used to care if it was raining..."I" dug in the ground all the same..."I" didn't wait around for others to be able to help me move stuff..."I" just moved it....

If "I" learn nothing else from Simona's course, I have learned that no one else can put the sparkle back in my life..

.only "I" can do that

Enjoy :D XXX

A walk in the woods...

For my birthday I treated myself to some new stretch canvases, and took a liking to these  100cm x 30cm (roughly 39" x 11") ones.

I have been wanting to try a landscape painting, so sketched a view from my head that is most likely the top side of Grenoside woods...

and started building layers of colour...

but I just wasn't "feeling" it. I decided that  don't really paint "things"...I paint "things energy"

So I got out a roller, splodged some paint on and covered the piece with energy :D

Then the shadow people made themselves visible...

and this is as far as I've got for now.

Looks like a bit of a rave gathering :D Will be interesting to see how this piece turns out :D

Enjoy :D XXX

Just how "Good" was Glinda?

It's that time again...when the devoted /obsessed return to Oz to reaffirm our devotion. As a relative newcomer, I often find myself questioning the truth behind the adored characters, and Oma Linda has given us a chance to voice those questions with her awesome ALTERED OZ challenge

So I give you Glinda, the "good" witch of the North

Glinda was not always as "good" as her name implies...

in her youth, her beauty was renowned throughout Oz...

her soft auburn locks and sultry blue eyes drew them in like flies, but Glinda was a "good" girl!

Until the Wizard arrived...

Like a moth to the flame Glinda was drawn to the Emerald city... 

and got herself a job in one of the more select "Gentlemen's Clubs", and it wasn't log before her latent ability to create glistening bubbles from thin air began to wow the crowds.

She changed her name (for artistic reasons) to Poppy, and wore a red velvet gown as she performed.

Fortunately for Glinda, some of her greatest fans become elders in the Lillipop Gild, and they helped her hide  her more seedy past, although in private they still dream of "Poppy and her dance of a million bubbles"

Enjoy :D XXX