Shrine Box and Effigy Wish Doll

"shrine to wishes"

So here she is hanging around :) with a naked dickie bird, a piece of coral my husband found in Hawaii, a charm in the shape a corset, a beautiful little reverse painted vase my daughter gave me, and inside the vase one of my favourite, favourite smells, English Devonshire Violets by Pateman Brothers. She wears a flower chocker made from a patch of suede coat I used to wear as a teen in England, and a good luck " evil eye" bead from Turkey.

Living an Artful Life
Sometimes people will say to me when they learn I am an artist, "oh that must be so relaxing". No, hand sewing is relaxing, lying in the sun watching the hummingbirds and butterflies flutter around is relaxing, creating art isn't. It is exhilarating, frustrating, exhausting and exciting. Getting lost in the process and being in that quiet place within ourselves is a beautiful experience, but it can be exhausting. We can't be switched on all the time. That's when I need an art break and I need to get back to living an artful life and NOT feel guilty about it.

It's walking to the farmers market and getting fresh cut flowers, smelling freshly baked bread from the Emporium, it's dancing in the rain at the Blue's Fest, watching an old movie, reading a great book, going to the Little Art Theatre and drinking chamomile tea, eating off a beautiful china plate, a fresh tomato from a garden, watching the neighbours chickens, dancing around the house, creating and enjoying vignettes around the house, going to a museum, imagining walking on the northeastern seashore on a wild winters day, smelling fall, photographing odd things around town, listening to Richard Burton recite poetry, it's remembering moments spent with loved one's, shelling peas, picking strawberries, it's closing your eyes and giving yourself up to the moment, it's so many things.