Carpe Diem!

Sometimes the magical secret you carry with you when you are an artist is a bit hard to contain...

Somewhat reminiscent of the cat that swallowed the proverbial canary!

A precious little secret that is all your own, unless you decide to share it with others.

Like take for instance, someone asking you to tell them the story of your life,

I tell them, well, umm, you know, I always read the last page of a new book first!

So lets take it from there...

I find that I seem to work at things in a backwards kind of way.

By this I mean, I create the end first, then the middle, then the beginning.

It can all be a smidge confusing at times, one thing I can say for certain is I am always surprised by how it turns out,

though it does seem like I am constantly scrambling to keep up,

as though something, somewhere else is calling all the shots,

like maybe a creative gremlin of sorts and I, well, I am merely that clever little imp's servant,

whose duty it is to assemble each piece as quickly and efficiently as possible!

It never fails and almost always follows the same general pattern.

I toil away into the wee hours of the morning, till I can finally find a stopping place,

then arise the next day to be absolutely bewildered and astounded to see it all finished!

Art is like that for me, good clean fun and totally momentous!

Like Newton's apple,

a book falls from it's shelf,

hits the floor with a bang,

pops open, and

the light bulb goes off!

Of course!

I get it!

Yes, I see what you mean!

those characters just wanted,

to come out and play!

Shakespeare and sea ships, like sweet songs on two lips or tulips on true lips they dare!

Discoveries abound in silent no sound,

across vast waterless oceans come long lasting whispers past chattering teeth,

time is but fleeting and meeting us there!

Prepare for the magic that is close at hand, pull up a chair and sit for a bit,

perched stage front and center, next to the band.

Give a wink and a smile, an acknowledging glance,

today we are joyous, tomorrow's pure chance!

Carpe Diem!
For the complete article and more info on Moliere's Theatre visit Stampington & Company to pick up a copy of Somerset Studio ~ Jan/Feb 2009.

A Valentine to You...and a Winner!

...and now lets lower our voice and be a bit wary,

for we want to enter the realm of creativity,

the space in which the hidden form and

the seeking form circle one another,

intertwine and wait in the twilight of their dream,

for the light to come,

in order to give them color and contours,

and to illuminate what has turned into an image!

Whoever would be brash enough to enter here

with the blazing torch of curiosity

would find little more than a mistily drifting cluster of images.

For this space does not permit a direct approach,

and it does not respond to concrete demands!

I'd forgotten how much I love watercolors, it's been a while since I last picked up my brush, and now I remember my little liquid

love affair, the soft, thick texture of the paper, the way it pulls the paint right into it, colors gently flowing together, sometimes tender, sometimes bold,

just heavenly....and after I spent the afternoon painting this little Valentine, I decided to create something I've had in my head for a long time now, I have collected music boxes since I was a kid. I have always just adored the tinny tones and their enchanting but clumsy movements. I am expanding my creative horizons, this is a whole new medium for me, and
so, here is the first of many...Now playing for your enjoyment "A Midwinter Nights Dream" peer into the portal...

Visuals Details: I created these music boxes out of various antique odds and ends, cleaned and rebuilt the moving parts. Redressed the petite ballerinas, as they were nude when I found them. The wings I attached to her once belonged to a dashing dragonfly, he was dropped on my doorstep last summer by a busy mother swallow. I sealed them to protect their delicate beauty. I painted the porcelain butterfly girl bust in soft shades of lavender and blue to match the small remnant of 1920s crushed velvet, that I used to cover the music box. Lastly a few gems were added for just a bit of sparkle.
And now for the OWOH winner of Cinderella's paper slippers **Rebecca Ramsey** thank you to one and all it was such fun!