Security and Stability in Unlikely Places

Today's Fall Fearless & Fly challenge is all about feeling safe and secure.  Here are the prompts:

Headline Prompt:  Security:  What makes you feel safe and secure?  What rattles your sense of security?  Where do you go for comfort and refuge?
Color Prompt:  Cool colors (blues, greens, violets, etc.) 

Quote Prompt: You can't make a place for yourself in the sun if you keep taking refuge under the family tree.  Helen Keller 

I decided to go with the first two prompts, which were challenging to contemplate after seeing my states (New Jersey and New York) devastated by Hurricane Sandy.  My sense of security was badly rattled.  Normally, my home, or my cabin at the lake, are where I feel safe and secure, and where I go for refuge.  But I've been rethinking that. 

In the past two weeks, I found stability on my meditation cushion, where I connect to all that exists.   I found strength in the community of my yoga studio, where we dedicate our practices to freedom from suffering and its causes.  And I found refuge in my path - knowing that creating art, teaching yoga, and being a good friend, mother, daughter, wife, and citizen of the world, give me joy and peace.

All of these thoughts went into the creation of this 12 x 12 mixed media canvas.  

As I worked on it, I thought about how having electricity does not necessarily confer the feeling of power -- how often do we feel powerless despite all the comforts in life?  And yet, how many feel strong and stable, even without traditional sources of power?  Weathering an outside storm can be quite easy compared to the storms we weather within.  

I started with a canvas prepped with blue, green and turqouise sprayed paper towels that had been my placemats for lots of fun with spray inks at Joanne Sharpe's class at Art is You.  As I scraped paint and glazing medium around it, I began to see this woman appear, standing in a storm, saying "bring it on."  I created all the circles with layers of Maya Road kraft doilies and layerable flowers.  Among the many stencils I used were Balzer Designs' Leaf Frame Stencil, and Stencil Girl's Swirly Floral Stencil.  I made the winged heart embellishment in Laurie Mika's fabulous class at Art is You -- I knew I'd find a home for it!   

I hope you'll go to Artists in Blogland and see the wonderful piece that Maria McGuire, our guest designer for this challenge, created.  LuminArte has donated two $35 gift certificates so we'll have 2 winners over at AIB.  I also can't wait to visit my co-host, Carolyn Dube, whose art always inspires me.

AND...the winner of my giveaway for FF&F #3 is Joanna, who wrote: 

BEAUTIFUL!! I love these pages on the black background, they really stand out!  Would I like to win one of your paintings? Hell yeah!!

Joanna - send your address to me at jessicabethsporn (at) gmail (dot) com, and I will get "Joy" right out to you. 

MY GIVEAWAY FOR THIS CHALLENGE:  Leave a comment below, indicating that you would like to win this Butterfly watercolor/zentangle design, and I will pick a random winner in my post for the 5th FF&F challenge.   Indicate whether you follow my blog and/or my facebook page too for extra chances to win!

Linking up to Artists in Blogland, Inspire Me Monday, and Art Every Day Month.

Thank you for visiting! If you are so moved, please leave a comment. Hearing from you means the world to me.

PS - Please consider purchasing my 2013 calendar.  Called "Living With An Open Heart," it features 12 of my mixed media designs.   All proceeds go to Hurricane Sandy relief.  Thanks!

PPS - A few more of my stencil designs are live at Stencil Girl Products!   The Hebrew lettering is a beautiful ancient prayer:

May God bless you and keep you
May God cause the divine light to shine upon you and be gracious to you
May God turn toward you, and grant you peace
(Numbers 6: 24-26).

We can all use a little of that!

Inspiration

I teach an art journaling class at my daughter's school, and it's so much fun.  Each week we do a different page with a different technique.  This week, I was inspired to create my own collage by a great post from Marcia Beckett on making painted paper mosaics, and share this with my students.   Here's the example Marcia shared on her blog, with a great step-by-step tutorial:

marciabeckett.blogspot.com

Last week, the kids scraped paint onto old book pages with credit cards and then stamped the pages to create collage paper.  We used that paper on a black background to create Halloween themed journal pages:

Samy shows her Halloween page.

I also used these papers to make my response to the Fall Fearless & Fly 3rd challenge.  

We had lots of scraps of paper left over.  To supplement, I brought paper from my stash - an old NJ map, some red paper from last year's Chinese New Year celebration, and other scraps from the same color family we had used last week.  Here are some pictures of the kids at work and what they made: 

Sage, adding her pieces.

Samy and Anna show off their pages.

Gabrielle likes to rip, not cut.

Hazel thought hers looked like a treasure map!  I agree.

We only have one hour, and they had barely complete cutting and gluing the paper down.  So their "homework" is to doodle around the cuttings, or journal around them.  Can't wait to see what they bring in next week!  Thank you Marcia for the great inspiration. 

So a little Hurricane Sandy update:  Over 1700 homes in my little town are still without power.  And it's snowing!  Really??  Here are some pictures I just took:

 

It just doesn't seem fair.  But in the midst of all this weather, a cause for celebration!  Our foster son, Codie, and his wife Georgia welcomed their son, Corey Daniel, into the world.  Here's Samy with Codie -- home to get some rest after being up all night at the hospital, and a picture of Corey - 9 lbs. 10 oz!  Welcome to the world little guy!  Can't wait to meet you tomorrow!

 

A great reminder that in times of turmoil, there's always something to celebrate.  Another thing -- today is Freddie and my 13th wedding anniversary.  Happy anniversary honey! 

What are you celebrating today?

Thank you so much for visiting.  I look forward to your comments; I treasure each and every one.  

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Lending a Hand Through Art

The outpouring of goodwill and compassion after Hurricane Sandy has truly been a beautiful thing to see.  Collections of blankets and household necessities abound, people are opening up their homes, driving supplies down to the Jersey Shore, Hoboken and Staten Island, and doing whatever they can to help.  

Art is You is helping too.  Click here to see the amazing art you can win by just donating $10 or more to relief efforts.  Click here to donate, and then come back to this post and let me know, and you can go into a draw to win this watercolor:

Remember, first click here to join Art is You's drive, and then come back HERE and let me know in the comments that you donated.  If you've already helped out in some other way, that also counts for a chance to win.  Just share it below!

Finally, it's Halloween at last, here in New Jersey.  Here is Samy dressed as super-hero Candy Girl -- ready to defeat any wrong-doers with sweetness!  Making this costume was one of our Hurricane Sandy activities -- we glued candy onto an old tutu - Samy drew the lollipop on one of her camp shirts, and the "suspenders" are a sash from a dress.  In my best form - this was all made with smoke and mirrors - aka glue gun and safety pins.  But I thinks she looks pretty darn cute!

Thank you for visiting! If you are so moved, please leave a comment. Hearing from you means the world to me.  I read and treasure every comment.

Linking up to Mandarin Orange Monday, Mellow Yellow Monday,  and Creative Every Day.
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After Hurricane Sandy, My Own Private Art Journal Extravaganza

After Hurricane Sandy, my town still hosts lots of trees that just pulled out of the sidewalk -- or sometimes uprooted the sidewalks -- as they fell.   The township has been great about removing branches from the road, but there are still trunks of trees and lots of branches piled up along the curb.  The top left picture is directly across the street from my house;  I took it from my studio window. 

One of the biggest problems, besides lack of power, is that everyone is running out of gas.  There have been fist fights at some stations.  It's crazy.  I have two friends and their dog camping out at my house until their power is turned back on.  I have friends stopping by for showers and to charge their phones.  I am lucky to be able to offer these "luxuries!"

With no gas to drive with, and so many places closed, it's been a prolific week for art! 

LIST IT TUESDAY:   The prompt this month is "quick fixes."  All I could think of was "rescuing" art journal pages I hated (more below on that).  This kind of curmudgeonly thought prompted me to think about my mental outlook this week, which has been cranky and judgmental.  My quick fix for this has been to try to cultivate a little compassion, and at least keep my mouth shut.  This thought inspired this art journal page:

 

Speak kindly or don't:  What is (negatively) thought but not spoken is better than what is thought and then said, which is better than what is said and then acted upon.   

Here are two more "quick fixes" of art journal pages I had abandoned in disgust!

This was a page I finished after our hurricane preparations.  The photo at the center of this page is from an article about manipulating photography before photoshop.  The words: "embrace imagination.. Think Different!" are advice I gave to myself as we stocked up on batteries, candles, and I made vats of soup.

I love how this page ended up, even as much as I disliked what it started as!  The only thing you can see from the original is the gorgeous Stencil Girl borders.  I don't know what I'm going to write on this page -- I like it so much the way it is, it might take a while before something worthy comes to me!

The CALENDAR PROJECT:  It wasn't hard to find the time to finish my October calendar and start my November one.

 

 The first box in October says:  This year, Halloween WILL HAPPEN in October.  It can't possibly snow again.  The last box says: NO Halloween this October again!  Who would-a thought it!

 

I originally intended the openings for the November days to look like leaves.  But I think they look like Byzantine onion domes!   

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Working on the November calendar gave me a chance to practice the newest Zentangle, Bunzo. (Which also reminded me of Byzatine onion domes!)   I haven't linked to the Diva in a while, and look forward to visiting some of the links there.

Even though I joined in with the calendar project at the end of 2012, I really enjoy it, and am looking forward to continuing in 2013.

Yesterday was the first day of Art Every Day month at Creative Everyday.  Hope you'll participate and check out all the fabulous links there, and at Paint Party Friday.  Remember that you still have a week to join in Artists in Blogland's 3rd Fall Fearless & Fly challenge!  Check out Jane Davies' thoughtful work as our current guest artist.  On Monday, November 12, there will be a new challenge with Maria McGuire as our guest artist.  Can't wait to see what Maria does!

Thank you for visiting! If you are so moved, please leave a comment. Hearing from you means the world to me.

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Hurricane Sandy

Hurricane Sandy has arrived in northern NJ.  We have been preparing for days, and now it is pitch dark outside, the wind is howling, and the lights are flickering.  I have had so many "stay safe" wishes -- many from friends I met through this blog and Art is You.  I feel well loved.  This is dedicated to all of you:

BE SAFE!

Thank you for visiting! If you are so moved, please leave a comment. Hearing from you means the world to me.