One Little Word - Sing

I'm on the Stencil Girl Talk blog today talking about some untraditional valentines I created with the Seven Hearts Stencil.  I hope you'll hop over and take a look!  

Today is also the reveal of the January word-up at One Little Word.  

This month's "word-up"is Sing!

Mary Oliver is one of my favorite poets, and this is one of my favorite poems:

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.

Take your busy heart to the art museum and the

     chamber of commerce

but take it also to the forest.

The song you heard singing in the leaf when you

     were a child

is singing still.

I am of years lived, so far, seventy-four,

and the leaf is singing still.

Inspired by this poem, I created this 8x8" canvas using:

Stencil Club December 2014 Stencils

Liquitex Matte Medium



Pam Carriker Paints and Inks
and
Wendy Vechhi Embossing Paste


Won't you join us at One Little Word and create art around the word "Sing?"  Please link up your artwork inspired by the word.  Any media, any substrate, will do.  I hope you will!

And please hop over to Stencil Girl Talk to see a tutorial on my funky valentines! 

Your comments make me so happy and let me know you were here. I read and treasure every comment and will happily answer any questions as soon as I can.

If you don't already, please sign-up for my newsletter HERE, and follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Bloglovin and YouTube, so that you never miss a giveaway, and always get the latest Jessica Sporn Designs News!  

 

Release - One Little Word Up

The "word up" at One Little Word is "Release."  

Little did I know, when I chose it at the start of 2014, the profound meaning "release" would have for me when the time came to write about it.

Recently, a friend who had pancreatic cancer passed. Her husband and two children spoke at her funeral, and their pain and grief were witnessed and shared by all of us.  

When I looked at her casket, I felt the deep peace that comes when we leave this life. Around her was the excruciating suffering of her husband, children, friends, family, but my friend was at peace. 

I know that there is so much joy to come in my life, but there is so much pain too - so many losses are in my future - parents, friends, the tragedies of people I don't even know and yet feel so intensely.  There are many blessings in store for each of us - but also sadness.  How do we live with wisdom and compassion and joy, while there is so much suffering and pain?

I received a lot of wise words when I posed this question to my friends.  And here is what clicked for me.  Grief is not an isolated emotion.  It is the other side of love.  To grieve deeply and to empathize with others means we love deeply.  There is no love without loss.  No joy without sorrow. 

Love and grief go hand in hand.  Feeling deep grief and sorrow means that we have loved deeply and intensely.  

This tag celebrates love, and its power to release us from darkness, and bathe us in light.

Won't you join us at One Little Word?  What does "release" inspire you to create?  Link up your art.

Supplies used:

Stencil Club December 2014 Stencils
Liquitex Matte Medium
Pam Carriker Paints and Inks
Wendy Vechhi Embossing Paste

Update: I came across these wise words by Ram Dass - so perfect for this post:  

Over the years, in working with people who are grieving, I’ve encouraged them first of all to surrender to the experience of their pain. To counteract our natural tendency to turn away from pain, we open to it as fully as possible and allow our hearts to break. We must take enough time to remember our losses – be they friends or loved ones passed away, the death of long-held hopes or dreams, the loss of homes, careers, or countries, or health we may never get back again. Rather than close ourselves to grief, it helps to realize that we only grieve for what we love. 

I think we can only feel "release" if we first fully feel the difficult feelings from which we crave "release."

Your comments make me so happy and let me know you were here. I read and treasure every comment and will happily answer any questions as soon as I can.

If you don't already, please sign-up for my newsletter HERE, and follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Bloglovin and YouTube, so that you never miss a giveaway, and always get the latest Jessica Sporn Designs News!  

 

Thankful at One Little Word

It is so fitting that the "word up" at One Little Word is "THANKFUL."  Wait until you see what the design team created!

One of the things I'm most thankful for is having good friends.  The times we've spent together are precious to me, and the memories of those times are memories I cherish.  I chose a photograph from my 21st birthday for this art journal page, and embellished it with flowers from The Layered Peonies stencil and leaves from Ganesha Deity stencil from Stencil Girl.

I hope you'll let the word "Thankful" inspire you to create something and link it up with us at One Little Word.

Your comments make me so happy and let me know you were here. I read and treasure every comment and will happily answer any questions as soon as I can.

If you don't already, please sign-up for my newsletter HERE, and follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Bloglovin and YouTube, so that you never miss a giveaway, and always get the latest Jessica Sporn Designs News!  

 

Feed Your Hopes and Starve Your Fears

The word up at One Little Word is "Fear."

We all have fears.  I once was:

Afraid to put my art out there...
Afraid my work wasn't good enough...
Afraid that I needed more formal training to call myself "artist"...
Afraid to make videos of creating art...
Afraid to apply to teach art...
Afraid no one would sign up for my classes...

Fear can paralyze.  There is nothing better than busting fear than taking a chance.

Nothing will shrink your fear more than honoring and feeding your hopes and dreams.  You just have to do it.

The background of this tag was done using my Hearts, Flowers & More stencil from Stencil Girl.  Lord Shiva is from my Shiva stencil.   They started out looking like this:

Here's a video of an art journal page fast forward using the Shiva Stencil.   You can also watch Shiva Art Journal Page on YouTube here.

Create something around the word "Fear" and link it up at One Little Word.  We would all love to see what you create.

Today is the VERY LAST DAY to register for Art is You Retreats.  If you've ever feared going on an art retreat - if you feared you might not know anyone; you don't have a roommate; or have not registered out of fear of the unknown, JUST DO IT.  You will feel embraced and loved and nurtured.  I'm teaching two workshops, and every workshop is just an amazing opportunity for self discovery, making new friends, and having a great time!











Your comments make me so happy and let me know you were here. I read and treasure every comment and will happily answer any questions as soon as I can.

 

Never Lost with Love

The word up at One Little Word is "Lost."

I haven't been able to participate in OLW the last two months because I've been packing up my studio and house and preparing to move at the end of this month.  Truth be told, this whole experience has me feeling a little LOST.   Like my rudbeckia flowers, I get out of sorts when I'm transplanted.  I'm hardy and will eventually take root and blossom, but for now I'm in a constant state of shock!

When I'm completely overwhelmed, my husband is my refuge.  I can curl up in his arms, and he makes me feel like all will be well in the end.

As long as I have his love, I am never lost.

What does the word "lost" mean for you?  Do you have a favorite quote that uses this word?  Hope you'll link up at One Little Word and share anything you create inspired by "lost."



This art journal page started out with side by side pages of sprayed Dylusions ink in my 8 x 8 journal.

On a separate paper, I drew and painted a face.  Creating it on a separate piece of paper allowed me to tilt and position it to exactly how I wanted it.

I angled it to my liking and adhered it to the page.  Inspired by Frida Kahlo's chimerical self portraits (human face, animal body),

I used the Three Owls and a Branch stencil to create the body/dress for my girl, and the base of the Ganesh Stencil to create her wings.  I added texture and interest around her with parts of the Namaste stencil.

As a finishing touch, I added white to the insides of some of the letters in the sentiment I wrote, which just made it pop the right amount.

Freddie and I sit on the porch of our new home right after the closing!  

I hope to see you over at One Little Word!   Linking also to Art Journal Journey, where Frida Kahlo is the prompt this month, and Mix it Monthly, where parrot colors and crazy dresses are this month's inspiration.

Your comments make me so happy and let me know you were here. I read and treasure every comment and will happily answer any questions as soon as I can.

 

We WILL Rise

Today is one month since nearly 300 high school girls were kidnapped in Nigeria.   Our auction for #bringbackourgirls starts at 7AM.  I hope you'll visit it and see all the wonderful work donated by wonderful artist-humanitarians.  Best thing is - nearly every artist has offered FREE SHIPPING around the world.

There are several sentences that have stayed with me throughout my life, courtesy of my parents.  Here are a few of them:

"You must not mistreat or oppress foreigners in any way. Remember, you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt." Exodus 22:21: "

"A man may die; nations may rise and fall; but an idea lives on forever."  John F. Kennedy

"To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men."  Abraham Lincoln

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."  Martin Luther King Jr.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world."  Mahatma Gandhi

When nearly 300 girls were kidnapped from their High School in Nigeria, I had to DO SOMETHING. And so I put out an online call for artists to make art and participate in an online auction to raise money for Girl Rising - an organization devoted to global education for girls.   Over 60 artists have heeded the call and our auction starts at 7AM TODAY.  Please visit it.  Check out all the amazing work.  Consider bidding or making a donation.

I don't know what will happen to these girls, or whether the campaign for #bringbackourgirls will work.  But I do know that the idea that girls have the right to pursue education without fear WILL prevail.

The "word up" at One Little Word this month is "WILL."  This is my piece for it, and my third piece uploaded to our auction for #bringbackourgirls.  WE WILL RISE. In addition to paint and ephemera, I used my Hamsa, Borders and Hands stencils from #StencilGirlProducts to create this piece.  

Here are the other two pieces I uploaded. Bidding for "We Will Rise" starts at $60; bidding for "Choose Grace" starts at $5, and bidding for "All I Have" starts at $35 - so there's a price point for everyone!  I hope you will visit the auction as there is amazing work there.  Every bit makes a difference.

Here are the names and URLs of some of the amazing artists participating.
Jessica Sporn   http://jessicasporn.blogspot.com
Linda Kittmer  http://lindakittmer.blogspot.ca
Ronda Palazzari  http://rondapalazzari.typepad.com
Marjie Kemper   http://www.marjiekemper.com
Judy Shea   http://thekeytomyart.wordpress.com
Glenda Hoagland   http://pilgrimsthoughts.blogspot.com
Astrid Maclean  http://astridsartisticefforts.blogspot.com
Lisa Pace   http://lisapace.com
Jackie Neal   http://creatingwithoutcrayons-jackiepneal.com
Claudine Criner   http://claudinesartcorner.blogspot.com
France Papillon   http://www.france-papillon.com
Kristin Van Valkenburgh  http://TwinkleTwinkleLikeAStar.blogspot.com
Marcia Beckett  http://marciabeckett.blogspot.com
Ruth Levy   http://lerusho.wordpress.com/
Sally Lynn MacDonald   http://www.SallyLynnMacDonald.com
Renee Zarate   http://renee-boltonhouse.blogspot.com
Natasha May   http://natashamay.blogspot.com/
Carmen Whitehead   http://www.serendipitystudiobycw.blogspot.com/
Seth Apter   http://thealteredpage.blogspot.com/
Marybeth Shaw   http://mbshaw.blogspot.com/
Amy Ingardia-Walker  http://creativelyquirkyathome.blogspot.com/
Kelly Warren  http://happyshackdesigns.blogspot.com
Julie Bernier http://juliebernierphotography.zenfolio.com/
Adrienne Hoban  http://www.allure-decor.com/
Krista van Tol   http://craftylittlepigtails.blogspot.com
Cheryl Grigsby http://cherylspaperartz.blogspot.com
Jill Meyer www.jillmeyer.com
Lisa Flaherty http://mypeaceofpaper.blogspot.com
Kerry C. Mitchell http://kerrycmitchell.com
Lizabeth Harrington http://www.craicarts.blogspot.com; www.facebook.com/craicarts.com
Barbara Lanza www.barbaralanza.com
Jamie Dougherty www.jamiedoughertydesigns.com
Doreen Kassel www.doreenkassel.com ; www.http://doreengay-kassel.blogspot.com/
Nancy Baumiller http://crowabout.blogspot.com
Valerie Roussel https://www.facebook.com/CreativeLaureline
Susan K. Weckesser http://mysweetearth.blogspot.ca/
Kay Wallace http://kaywallaceartjournaling.blogspot.com

What WILL you do?  Let us know what this word means to you at One Little Word.  Linking also to Paint Party Every Day and Art Journal Every Day.

Your comments make me so happy and let me know you were here. I read and treasure every comment and will happily answer any questions as soon as I can.

 

One Little Word: Adventure

The word up at One Little Word is:

ADVENTURE!
When I was looking for quotes for this word, I found so many great ones.   But choices had to be made, and so I picked ... two!

"The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams."  Oprah Winfrey and "Live, travel, adventure, bless and don't be sorry."  Jack Kerouac

  

These were perfect quotes to add to the citiscapes I have been working on for my class in October at Art-Is-You.

If you've never heard of Art-Is-You, you must check it out.  There are nearly 70 amazing workshops with the most incredible instructors, delicious food, lots of ice breakers and communal projects - it is five wonderful days of learning, recharging, and inspiration.  (You can come for one or all of the days.)  Give it a look, and I hope to see you there!

We leave today for our 10 day adventure to Austria, Slovenia and Slovakia.  I have a post or two scheduled for you, and will be sure to post lots of pics when I return. 

Your comments make me so happy and let me know you were here. I read and treasure every comment and will happily answer any questions as soon as I can.

 

One Little Word - Calm and Dream & Tutorial

One Little Word is back with a bang!  We're celebrating with a double word post and a huge giveaway!  Check out the One Little Word blog for all the DT creations and list of prizes - there are LOTS and LOTS!

I am contributing my Cascading Feathers stencil from Stencil Girl, but you have to be in it to win it!

This is my project for the word "DREAM."  It is mixed media on a frame I purchased at a rummage sale.  I used the stencils Mary Beth Shaw designed for February's Stencil Club, as well as Crackle by Nathalie Kalbach, and Cascading Feathers by me!  I'm also using a brand new stencil that hasn't been released yet, called "Tulips, Pomegranates & Leaves."  Look for it to be released soon by Stencil Girl!

I made the polymer clay embellishments in an online class taught by the fabulous Judy Shea.

The words are "found poetry" from book pages that were lying on my work table -- YAY for not cleaning up!

"Come great night and watch me as I dream."









 Here's a fast forward video of how this piece came to be:


You can also watch Canvas with Stencils, Glaze, Ink Sprays and More on You Tube.

I created my piece for "Calm"in one of the journals for the circle journaling project I've been participating in.  You can see the "Cascading Feathers" on the left of the journal spread.  On the right side is Hebrew Calligraphy with Hamsa.  

The translation of the Hebrew is:
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).

I hope you'll hope over to One Little Word and see all the great inspiration from the Design Team.  Link up your creation for either "Dream" or "Calm," and have a chance to win some amazing prizes!

There are still a few seats available for the class I'm teaching on April 5th at The Ink Pad in NY.  It's called "Stencils & Silhouettes, the Ins and Outs."  Here's a video preview and there's more information on the Ink Pad site.




You can also watch Stencils & Silhouettes on You Tube.  

And finally, I started a Meetup group for classes in my home studio in New Jersey.   Coming up are a class in April called "Get Tagged," and a May Art Journaling Group.  Click here to join Mixed Media Explorers on Meetup (it's free to join) and get more info. 












Thanks for visiting!

Your comments make me so happy and let me know you were here. I read and treasure every comment and will happily answer any questions as soon as I can.

 

One Little Word UP - ASPIRE!

Today's word-up at One Little Word is ASPIRE, defined as:  to long, aim, or seek ambitiously; be eagerly desirous, especially for something great or of high value.

What better thing to aspire to than to embrace ourselves for the beauty, goodness, and, yes, even the flaws, within us?

I created this art journal spread using a gelli printed background paper, and stencils from January Stencil Club from Stencil Girl, which goes live today!  I also used lots of collage materials from magazines, and gelli print scraps on my work table.  The body of the peacock is from this Jump for Joy stencil from Stencil Girl. 

To what do you aspire?  I hope you'll participate in OLW and let us know!  I will give away a "Jump for Joy" stencil to one of the participants, so make sure to create something and link up between now and February 15!

Your comments make me so happy and let me know you were here. I read and treasure every comment and will happily answer any questions as soon as I can.