Works in progress...

I'm quietly working in my studio this summer. It feels good to have some uninterrupted time. I won't be traveling to any craft shows but instead traveling a bit for fun!  Here are a few works in progress.

Inspiration~Woodcarvings by Yoshimasa Tsuchiya

View more works by this artist here: 

Yoshimasa Tsuchiya 

New Milagro Series

New Works- Milagro Series

These hands with flowers, leaves and thorns are carved from found aspen wood. Each one is set on an antique piece of carved wood from India that was once used as a textile printing block. There are hooks on the back to hang them on the wall. 

They are part of a new series inspired by Milagros. Traditionally Milagros were used as offerings to request help or give thanks for assistance with any number of circumstances, from mending bones to finding lost pets. Frequently Milagros are used in requests for healing. Milagros made from metal, wood, and wax are found throughout Latin America and Europe. They are often made to represent body parts but also animals, tools, cars or other inanimate objects. The word "milagro" means miracle in Spanish.  

My milagros aren't meant to assist with a problem but rather to celebrate how the health of our minds and bodies is deeply connected to nature.

Mano Sagrado #1- Milagro Series

Mano Sagrado #2 - Milagro Series

Peace by Piece Art Project

I just received this debris from Hurricane Sandy in the mail today. As part of a group project I will be constructing something from these materials in response to that devastating storm. Part of this project involves documenting my process in creating the artwork. As I develop my offering I'm going to share some thoughts and images here.  For more info about this project or to donate to help offset shipping costs please visit http://www.peacebypieceartproject.com/

Equinox

Wheel of Life

Some new works to celebrate the changing seasons. Happy equinox to you wherever you may be!

Flowers on antique textile printing blocks

Purple Skatebird

Little Bird Talismans

I too have been covered with thorns~Rumi

Hand Heart and Thorns

I Too Have Been Covered With Thorns 

I am your moon and your moonlight too
I am your flower garden and your water too.
I have come all this way eager for you,
without shoes or shawl.
I want you to laugh, to kill all your worries, to love you, to nourish you.
Oh sweet bitterness, I will soothe you and heal you.
I will bring you roses. I too have been covered with thorns.
~Rumi

Desert Mermaid

It is said that Christopher Columbus spotted mermaids while exploring the Caribbean. They inhabit the dreams and myths of cultures all over the world. Here is a mermaid story that you might not have heard before...

In the Sonoran desert where water is scarce rare creatures emerge in the puddles and pools after a rainstorm. Their lifespans sometimes last just a few days. Once the water dries up they disappear as quickly as they came. Most common to appear in the temporary pools of water are the desert frogs and fish. Shown here is one of the rarest of the desert creatures-a Desert Mermaid.

Her head is an antique Tin Minerva doll with the original blue glass eyes, Her body is carved wood. The arms are articulated so they bend up and down at the elbow. The hands are made with antique porcelain doll parts. Each flower and thorn is delicately carved and painted. The antique doll face has been coated with a varnish to preserve the paint. The entire piece is finished with wax.

12"h x 7"w x 3"d

Desert Mermaid