Riding the Wave - Hiroshige

I was thrilled when I saw the artwork for the August Challenge from Art Bead Scene at the beginning of the month. I had a piece I was waiting to create something with that would be worthy of this artwork. But life happens, I lost my job, and death happens, I lost my best friend. It has been hard and I couldn't bring myself out of my grief long enough to go into the studio. But I felt myself drowning, almost as if I were being swept away by this wave, I then realized I needed to get into the studio, wither I wanted to or not.

I actually wanted to complete the Inro to go with this but couldn't get out to get more of the clay I needed, and didn't have the time. So I went for making the netsuke, the piece that counter balances the Inro when hung on the obi that binds the kimono. I used a vintage wood block that I think was used for wallpaper printing to make a mold to pattern the faux cinnabar with. I thought it was appropriate since the artwork for the challenge is a wood block print of Mt Fuji by the artist Hiroshige.



I've taken this picture of my necklace leaning up against my first jewelry box. I've had this since about 7 years old so it is quite vintage. I never realized until today when taking the picture that Mt Fuji was featured on the top.

Be sure to check out all the great entries from the Challenge here at the Art Bead Scenes flickr group.

It's been cathartic, and it has helped to raise my head above the water. I hope that it will continue and I thank all of those of you who have left words of encouragement and sympathy for me, they mean a lot. TY.




4865

Reflections of my Heart

Living on the brink of the Abyss of Death................



Heartbroken and devastated I feel I shall forever be
It's been over a week since you were taken from me.
Each day I pray it will be easier
But too much evidence of your life, your love
is left behind.

I cry at the sight, taste, smell of so many things.
You were wrapped up in my very existence
You gave me the will to go on each day,
no matter how little else there was,
there was always you.

But now you're gone and there's nothing left
but memories, empty chairs, an empty bed
lonesome days, and even lonelier nights.

I cry when I go to sleep
I cry when I awaken and see you aren't there
and then realize you will never be there again.
I changed the sheets last night, the sheets you last
slept on with me, I cried, I don't want to wash them,
I don't want to wash you away.

I am crippled by my grief, something I've never known before
because no one ever loved me before,nothing like your love.
I miss your sweet smell, your warmth, your being there, but most of
all I miss the love I knew that lived inside you.
That is what I can't forget that is what I can't move past,
that is what makes me mourn each day and it doesn't get easier.
I think it keeps adding up, and gets worse.

You were my best friend, the only one who was
ever faithful, always loving, forgiving, always waiting
for me, understanding, sweet, happy, funny, but most important
you were there, always there for me.

And now you're gone, and I can't see life without you.
It's a crutch, I know, and I never knew I'd feel this way
but I do.

You were so wrapped up in my life for so long, through three moves,
other people coming and going, adjusting, adapting, taking charge
when you were given that position without choice and doing a
wonderful job at it. You made me feel safe, loved, happy
but most of all you made me have faith everyday, despite the
worlds constant need to take that away, faith that God exists
and he is close by,
for I saw him in you.

I always tried to thank you for your loving kindness, your sweet
gestures that were all your own, for your loyalty, and for your love.
I thank you for holding on so long for me through so much, and for
putting up with me through it all. But most of all I have to thank
God for making you for me. Even though you are gone
I know you were created for me, so special just perfect in every way,
there could be no other that fit me so well, and yet I never knew,
until I found you that day.
That day was a Tuesday, and I lost you on a Friday.
I will hold on to Tuesday and forever be grateful.

But I will never forget you, never get over you, never love another like you again, my precious babydoll.


I know you wanted to be called Sarai more my Princess, but you were a true kelev, you were my heart.



4733

Good-Bye

If I had a million years to cry
It wouldn't be enough
to wash out my heart
of all it's love
for you.

House of Gems contest

Love to bead? love shopping sprees? need some great things for your stash to make jewelry from?
House of Beads is having a wonderful contest and it's been extended to August 15th! So hurry and enter by going here. While you're there check out all the goodies they have and get Creative!

Entry Page

And don't forget to upload up to five pieces to the flickr photo stream. Have a look at all the wonderful entries too even if you don't have a chance to enter by going here. Take a look at my entries to while you're there and let me know what you think!


Grand Prize (1):
$1000 Shopping Spree on HouseofGems.com
Runners Up (1):
$500 Shopping Spree on HouseofGems.com
Consolation Prize (5)
$100 Shopping Spree on HouseofGems.com

Timeline:
Contest runs July 18th, 2009 thru August 15th, 2009

Enjoy!


4529

Silver Linings

I am thankful to G-d that he always supplies a silver lining to every cloud or thunderstorm we have to endure in life. I have been going through some pretty intense times the past few months and July and August are never good months for me to start with and these have been no different. For one thing I have been without transportation for over a month now because my car didn't pass inspection and we can't afford to fix what's wrong and I am too law abiding to drive it even though we paid the insurance and the registration, so I've been home bound and it's not easy. Then I had trouble with my online connection and my security being breached which limited me even more. To top it off I've been being harassed by some who I thought were fellow peers in my current field and no resolution could be made, especially after lie after lie was being told about me. Because of all this and other personal problems I have been quite out of sorts and have been having problems with my heart again and don't want to end up back in the hospital so have been trying to deal with this as best I could. Because my computer is back in my studio I had to clean off my table to get ready for someone to come in and fix it, but I think I shall get it all back out today and try to make something.

(You can click on the pictures to see a larger view but make sure to hit the back button to return here to finish reading because it doesn't open in a separate window! )

Two good things happened to me this week though, I found out I was the monthly winner at Art Bead Scenes drawing of some fabulous beads and a gift certificate, for my entry in the LasCaux Cave painting challenge! It was such an unexpected surprise and a bit of a lift from something I'd found out that day. If you haven't visited Art Bead Scene, please do, there are always inspiring articles, and lots of tutorials, photos and eye candy to oggle and dream over, and be sure to check out all the entries from this past months challenge of the cave paintings, I've never seen such wonderful diversity in the previous challenges I've followed. It's a gallery of pieces all inspired by these ancient drawings and a wealth of inspiration to others as well!

I also received in the mail these beautiful earrings from EmandaJ from a drawing she had. She is also having a giveaway drawing this week too, so stop by the blog of this fellow infj and have a look, and leave a nice comment to be entered. I promise it's a great read and lots of color!
She also sent me this sweet little birds nest made from copper wire with two bluish freshwater pearls. It reminds me of the Robins nest we had this spring right outside our side door, atop the downspout. I watched as both Mr. and Mrs. worked very hard to build this very sturdy and huge nest! I never did get to see the babies fledge but later after they had I saw some juvenile robin's trying out the ground bird bath we have and they were a joy to watch.




I want to do something with this really cool nest Emanda made me and thought I might try and add it to this feather I made with a skinner metallic blend. I think the colors go well together and if all goes well for me today with my heart I shall try I think to bring this together. I'll show you a peek at it when it's done.


Mean while maybe you'd like a look at some of the things I was able to finally photograph, which shall (hopefully) soon appear in OrganicOdysseys .

These are some earrings of a different style I've been working on, using up some Donna Kato style brocade sheets. They have three layers to them, the copper bottom which is embossed with a secret texturing tool :) then the next layer is my version of Donna's Brocade surface technique and the top layer is smooth, polished black clay that has been imprinted with a Chinese character stamp and highlighted with gold. I like how these came out and I think I shall try this with other mixtures of finishes.

In keeping with the Asian influence I sculpted these bamboo earrings, this time using green clay instead of the white which I painted and distressed in my last version. Simple and yet effective I think, and flattering on any woman.

And again keeping with the Asian theme, while the pattern isn't exactly Asian the technique is, this is one of my older UFO's (un-finished objects) that has been sitting around in my bamboo bowl for ages. I finally decided what I wanted to do with it. This is one of my first attempts at Mokume Gane done in copper, black and white. In fact this was about 5 years ago when I tried to entice my husband into finding a hobby , maybe PC? by telling him the story of MG hoping it might interest him as he works with metal (or did at the time, now he actually works with polymers, just different than what I do :) ). He covered a belt buckle and we covered a terracotta urn together but it didn't hold his interest. This was a piece left over from the slab so I tried one of my favorite ivy leaf stamps in it. I liked it but didn't know quite what to do with it but I think it makes a wonderful brooch.