Where Tears and Watercolors flow

Continuing with the Self- Portrait Project.

My Veil-A Mourning Song

This is week 3 of Self- Portraits.

I drew it last week but didn't choose to post till now.

A veil is a simple covering used in different parts of the world and by different religions but here it only means a place of hiding.

This week I am putting on the Veil.

I am only using my eyes- because I have to.

I have no breath to draw in the pain.

I have no mouth to speak words of shallow comfort to the dying.

I have no face to expose or expressions left to give the world.

I will hide behind this veil hoping death will go away.

I cannot bear to have another friend, another family lose this battle.

So beneath this dark covering I hope death's sting will not reach me,

But I know this shroud cannot not keep all that "will be" away.

Its pain will find me and I will feel grief rushing through my veins, churring my stomach, tearing at my heart,

For I know the road they will walk- the valley they must descend.

I know He will be with them.

And they will have peace beyond understanding.

They will have joy that can only be felt in utter despair.

They will trust Him because He will be too real for them not to.

And I will feel all this too and know that He will take their mourning clothes and exchange them for garments of praise.

They will have garlands and not ashes upon their heads.

And they will be ushered into a world that only a few really understand.

In Loving memory of LBF.

Remembering 9/11 Mail Art project

For the 3rd year in a row Im sending my envelope art into the 9/11 project.

This design was done with paper scraps inside a vellum envelope.

This is my remembrance for this very sad day.

Simple Things- I am Chickasaw

In keeping with our weekly journal goal Im posting Week 2 of Portraits.

Im not trying for a technically perfect drawing ( couldn't do it anyway even if I wanted to).

I picked parts of me and went from there.

Its strange how we never really look at ourselves till we are trying to draw. I glance at myself daily in the mirror but don't really "see". In fact I forgot how old Im getting!

I took pictures of myself (kinda weird) so I could look at my face more closely.

I was surprised at how Native American my features were.

Im just beginning to explore my Chickasaw heritage and didn't intend for my drawing to go that way but such is the joy and nature of Art.

Simple Things- The Joy of Creating

Over the last year I've been teaching myself to draw or maybe just getting my brain to see differently and my hand to cooperate. I have such a hugh learning curve but its been exciting and most of the time people don't ask me " what is it" so I guess Im making progress.

This month my friend Sherry and I are working on "sketching ourselves" and using this idea for journal pages. I been trying to draw faces for a few months but they tend to look the same so at least when I draw myself I know the model pretty well. We are trying to do a page a week and will post on Fridays.

This is my cover page with my photo and a few images that have meaning to me.

" Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us and establish the work of our hands" Ps.90

Chekhov said " Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass"

Simple Things- Aging

I started this year with the idea that I would simplify my external and internal world. I think Im doing better than I ever have in controlling chaos and clutter. The busy last few months of caring for my Mother, Carolyns wedding, and Mikes too short of a visit followed by a 3 week mission trip to Kenya made me wonder if Im still making progress. Yet in all these events I found a beautiful simplicity- the simple focus of loving others. That is the only thing that brings order to the madness that so characterizes life in our country.

So as I give more time to my journaling I will continue this simplifying and awareness of Gods faithful love that is meant to be shared.