The word for this week at Illustration Friday's website, is "safari". Unfortunately, my current safari adventures with exotic wild animals are at the zoo! One day, I will go to Africa, the Amazon, China and India to see exotic wild life. Hopefully, they will not be extinct! During my safari to the Philadelphia Zoo (click on the zoo link to find out more about Maya and friends) in March 2011, I visited the snow leopards and polar bears! As I watched, Maya, the snow leopard, I was mesmerized by her spirit! So after sketching and taking photos, I came back to my Studio Nookery and created this piece, entitled, "Maya's Spirit" (14"x 12"- Mixed ... Continue Reading »
News & Updates
Duet – The Real Dance
Illustration Friday is a wonderful outlet to get artists creating on a weekly basis. It gives a word prompt, every week. This week the word is "duet." Hmmm...I'm sure that word does bring about songs, music, dances, couples and possibly love. It does for me, too! But, I took a little detour from the traditional visual. What comes to my mind is the "duet" of our inner and outer selves. You, know that duet, that dance! It's the duet we do when we present one self to the world and keep that protected, vulnerable, beautiful self, well hidden. We all dance this duet with ourselves moment-to-moment. Now take a breath, slow and deep...I would ... Continue Reading »
Cultivating: Enchantment
My soul has an absolute and relentless need for trips into enchantment. It requires, enchantment like the body needs food and the mind needs thought to survive. But, I am bombarded daily, by a culture who prides itself on disapproving and explaining the sources of enchantment. Our society is always explaining away every mystery, one after another, under the guise of sophistication, the need to grow-up and the need to appear intelligent. As if indulging in the imagination, is not any of these things! I often wonder, is this why American culture is so obsessed with the fear of aging? Instead, we only need to hold on to all things that keep ... Continue Reading »
Stirred by JAPAN
The word this week for illustration Friday is stir. I am glad that they had a word to prompt me, because I was at a lost for words due to the devastation in Japan. My instinct is to help, so in addition to my donation to the Red Cross, to help the survivors in Japan, I am donating proceeds from the sales of this image from Fine Art America to the Red Cross. Please go to: http://fineartamerica.com/featured/moon-howl-indigene-theresa-gaskin.html to purchase a print or card. Devastation stirs up great emotions and sometimes all you can do is, howl. Thank you in advance for your help and support in advance. Offered in Peace and Prayers. ... Continue Reading »
Bear In Mind
Warning: Get your sunglasses! Warning: Blinding vivid color! Exploring, the concept of animal totems and nature-based stories, there is a lot to be learn through nature, especially the animal kingdom. I adore bears and not just the cuddly plush toys. It's the real bears that I have an affinity for. The quiet, swift, adaptable, solitary, very protective of their young, independent, wild and ferocious bears. These traits are human traits, too! Many we can identify with. Many indigenous cultures, have myths and legends where animals are the main characters. The stories play an important role in teaching and continuing native traditions ... Continue Reading »
Sitting With The Flux of Vulnerability
On my artist date today (a date with myself and art, outside my studio); I ran into an old acquaintance. It was a brief and lovely encounter. But what stood out to me, was when she asked me, "How are you?" I blurted out that I was in flux. When I saw her puzzled look, I quickly smiled to put her at ease, since the word "flux" sounds chaotic to some. Yet, it best describes where I am right now. The word, Flux means "continuous change, instability; constant movement. I sometimes take the meanings of words from the dictionary and in order for it to have meaning and relevancy to my life, I add a spin on it. Flux is one of those words. Why, ... Continue Reading »
Swarming with Dreams
It has been a long week full of exciting things, that I will reveal in time. It has also been a week of taking care of the daily things in the routine of life; you know the stuff, that you do, but you really rather be doing something fun. Oh well, there is always dreams... So after dreaming about birds again last night, lots of birds, lots of birds flying, the whole dream in blue, I decided to post my dream sequence image of swarming birds...:) Sometimes dreams help solve problems or give answers that exist or are needed in the conscious world, but sometimes dreams are just crazy nonsensical dreams. But, how do you tell? I'm open to ... Continue Reading »