Verge.

Lo-Lee-Ta
Originally uploaded by Machine.

I've been sort of absent here for a while. I've been immersed in work and the studio and will have some photos of new work to post soon....

Weight.

image14-1
Originally uploaded by annikaleigh.

Below is a poem I received in my inbox today as part of 10-Line Tuesday by Maya Stein www.mayapapaya.com.

losing the weight

It's not the pounds I'm after. Anything less
and my sister would kill me dead. But there are other things to lose -
that strange fear of too much happiness,
whatever fibrous knot of restraint reigning in my loose desires
like so much cattle, every blank canvas I've left to bleach
in the hot sun, plans drawn up and long faded on their boards,
that thing I said once, years ago, about wanting to teach,
the songs I've begun but abandoned to their nascent chords.
I want to lose that plumped-up guilt, whatever hope chest I threw hope in,
forgive myself of all those doors I unlocked but didn't open.

Summer.

in the park II
Originally uploaded by _barb_.

I would so like to be the person on that bench reading my latest copy of Art and Life and sipping on fresh lemonade!

Gypsies!

I found these lovely gypsy caravans via Ullabenulla (who has the most wonderful art finds!!) Going through these photos made we want to sell the house and start an artist gypsy caravan. I know, not very practical, but what fun!

On another note, I received the most wonderful packet of goodies from PaPaYa! and I just love them. Lots of wonderful mailing labels (that I suspect can also be used for journaling), as well as wonderful collage sheets that can be used for a bazillion different projects. You MUST go over and pick some of the fresh, wonderful graphics up for your next art project!

Lasty, I am in love with this artist's work! Makes me want to pull out some clay and start creating!

Missing Spring....

Story District Tour Detail
Originally uploaded by Desert Art Girl.

Boy it is hot here! I am always amazed and a little freaked out at how hot it can get here during the summer. I have to remind myself that people lived here long before A/C and they did just fine. Makes me want to move to Alaska for the summer!

I am slowly making my way back into the art habit. Spent the day cleaning out my studio (where does all this stuff come from????). I think the clutter plays a big part in my distractions and is a hurdle to be overcome in the creative process. It is much cleaner and more organized now and I can actually work on the tables as they are not covered in stuff anymore. I will post some pics soon.

And I figured out how to give my little blog her own custom banner - took a couple of hours to figure out but I like how it turned out. Enjoy!

More.

Saturday Drive
Originally uploaded by Desert Art Girl.

The Spheres Prayer
by Mary Lee Bonasera Matthews, 1953-2005

1. Self Love
Before you can share your life with others, you need to love yourself. Reach into yourself and drink from the spring of love, so you will have more to give. Respect your body and honor it, so you can give freely to others. Be kind to yourself.

2. Recognize the Mystical
Magical events are always happening. The complexity of a leaf, the depth of a starry night, sing of the power and mystery of the universe. Every person you meet is an opportunity to share and learn, and open the path to another world. Every moment is full of wonder, beauty, love. Let magical things happen, enjoy and embrace them.

3. Stay Clear
You have been put here with a purpose. Accept it. Keep going. Stay in the current. You can not go backwards. The current flows with you, around you and within you, as you stay focused. See yourself as a part of the larger world, and keep your mind free from negativity and thoughts which distract. You can see farthest when the air is clear.

4. Go Out into Nature
Nature is the great healer, and holds all goodness. The rain, the clouds, the wind, the sun, the water and trees. Take in nature and breathe the fresh air, the goodness. A diet of air will invigorate you. Look up at the sky, and remember who you are. Touch the earth. It is strong. Smell the life and love of plants. Feel the rain. Soak it up.

5. Count your Blessings
Worry is not necessary. Spend an equal amount of time counting blessings. Start with your childhood. Take the time to remember to really appreciate each blessing, absorb it and think of all the good effects it has had on you and others. Don't overlook the ordinary. There are a thousand blessings in every moment, if you look. Each breath and heartbeat, every color, texture, taste, smell. A lifetime of blessings, beauty, love. Thankfulness is like water. Allow yourself the release, the cleansing, the quenching that gratefulness brings.

6. Dark Times
Every day is part light and part dark, the great cycle of life. It's OK to be sad or have grief, to make mistakes, to be sick, hurt, frustrated. Death is also a part of life. Grief is natural, and should be embraced, for it is cleansing, and secures your bonds with another. Dark times are what make you an individual. Accept situations as part of life. All feelings are natural, and a part of every person. Feel and move through. Everyone has flaws and struggles. They make you who you are.

7. Celebrate Life
Immerse yourself in the joy of living. Take part in the celebrations and the ceremonies, birth, marriage, birthdays, holidays, the joy of a new interest. Take every opportunity to enjoy and participate in happy, festive times. Experience the release of having fun. Dance, laugh, take joy in life. Celebrate the day.

Deep.

Har Tzruyah, meditation
Originally uploaded by Alyson Sudow.

I came across this photo on Flickr this evening and it seemed to sum up what I am feeling and experiencing right now. I am sitting in stillness, reflecting on the question at hand, turning inward to hear the answer to where I should go next with my art.

I find it amazing that no matter how broad our horizon, no matter how wide our worldly experiences our inner landscape is so much more vast and deep. I will continue to sit quietly here and wait for the answer to come from within.

Ponder...

Curls of rust
Originally uploaded by Zsaj.

Ponder, ponder, ponder......What direction do I take in my art? I have thought of several ideas for deepening my exploration in a single area but have not decided on an approach as of yet.

It is getting hot here now and when it gets hot I start planning vacations. I don't always take the vacations but I love to plan them. Some wonderful things I am looking at are renting a house in San Miguel for two weeks, a waterway cruise through the Burgandy region in France, A Paris stint to immerse in the art culture, a Kenyan safari....so much fun to plan these potential adventures!

I am currently reading A Writers Paris: A Guided Journey For The Creative Soul and am falling in love with Paris all over again. While the book is written geared towards writers it is useful for any creative person. I admire the way in which the French value creativity and art of all kinds. It is evident in their daily approach to life and what they rank as important. I wonder why our culture under values the arts so much - where along the line did we turn away from the arts and replace it with sports, bling and celebrities?

Ah well, it's variety that makes the world spin, no?

Found.

jan 2006 journal page 1
Originally uploaded by Desert Art Girl.

"The only way to really make it~ anywhere ~ is to put every bit of your being into the thing that only you can provide. the only angle is the art that you choose, that only you can provide. and to do that, you have to be quiet for a long time and find out what you bring forth. you have to know what's in youself~ all of your eccentricities, all your banalities, the full flavor of your woe and your joy. what does it look like? what makes it different from everybody else's? it's totally subjective. you're just given the task of bringing it up."

~ Jeff Buckley

Simple.

Dandelion and dew
Originally uploaded by catmadogma.

I have been pondering as of late on how complicated everything can become - life, work, art. It seems with all the choices that come with today's modern existence also comes layers of complication. Have we traded our depth for breadth? Has life become a constant effort to get through it all rather than experience a select few simple moments in depth?

I am afraid for me it has become like this more and more. I find myself rushing, rushing, rushing - get this done, accomplishing that - check the next item off the ever-growing list and move on to the next. Somedays it is so much that I am never in the present moment for the entire day - I am always thinking of the next thing as I am getting the current one done. I don't like this about day-to-day life. I don't like not remembering what I did the moment before because I was not truly present for the act.

I find my art has become this too - so complicated - so much incorporation of multiple techniques, materials and "stuff". So much so that I have had a real creative block as of late - again it goes back to thinking about the art in all it's complications to the point where I exhaust myself in the thinking and can not actually DO the art.

I am constant witness to all the "newest" techniques, doodads and materials that one can learn and incorporate into their work - learned via the web, magazines, workshops, zines and in just about any place I look. What happened to exploring the depth of a single concept or medium - learning it and pushing it to all it's limits?

I am pondering this now and looking inside to find my answer to the complication. How do I simplify my art and explore it deeper? What do I sacrafice in breadth so that I may gain depth?

Light.

The Red Veil Number Thirteen
Originally uploaded by magic fly paula.

Breathing a heavy and thankful sigh of relief tonight. Received results from medical tests taken a couple of weeks back. In the time it took to get the results I went through all the stages of coping - fear, anger, resignation, acceptance - all for naught this time around (not complaining!)

What I learned is that when I do have to deal with the health problems (we all eventually have to deal with them in some form or another) I will be OK with it. I will face it bravely and with humor because that is the only way to face it for me. Being angry, defeated and victimized is not going to work for me.

I was also reminded through this experience that each and every day is a pure gift of grace and that each moment, each small act, compiles the thing that becomes our lives and our legacy.

Home.

leisurely breakfast
Originally uploaded by Desert Art Girl.

We (hubby and I) went on a little adventure today to look at new homes. The community we went to look at is 30 miles from the city center, in a remote (but growing oh-so-fast) area west of Phoenix. I am not sure why I wanted to go - maybe curiousity.

The community is one that describes itself as progressive, community-oriented and different (as in not your run-of-the-mill, cookie cutter, stucco-laden, Stepford-wfe sort of place). I have to say as far as developments go, this one was one of the cooler developments I have seen. They had a "main street" and courthouse center with a clock that chimes on the hour. The houses are being built, for the most part, with porches on the front and garages in the back which are accesible via alleyways. There was more variety in designs than I have seen before and the architecture was refreshingly different. The concept is to get people to interact more, create community and be neighborly. I kind of wonder if having the garages in the back will result in no one knowing who they live next to since everyone will come and go from the alleyway.

I found a house we could live in (i.e. not so cookie cutter it made me gag) and the basic concept was there but I realized that the thing that was missing was heart. No matter how much money or concepting developers throw at these new super communities the fact remains that people and diversity make the community - not a design, color coordinated paint colors or a cool city center thing-y.

So we came back home to our little house in the city with it's cracked walls, old windows and somewhat dark corners - our home sweet home with character and heart. It may not have the latest gadgets, shiny new floors, oval tub, gigantic closets (to store more crap in) or soaring ceilings but it is our home and we love it here.

We hear the sirens, and sometimes the helicopters overhead, as they search out someone in the middle of the night but really, isn't that all part of life? Yes, my neighbor parks his gigantic RV on the side of his house and sometimes neighbors do not bring their garbage cans in for a couple of days - so? And there are a couple of folks on the street that choose to cultivate weeds in their yard instead of flowers - again, part of the diversity of life. Real life is not all pretty and perfect and color coordinated - I think that is what makes it interesting and keeps me on my toes.

We can drive 10 miles in any direction and hit a one-of-a-kind, locally owned retail shop, local artisan bakery or ethnic restaurant. We are 10 minutes away from the downtown art galleries and co-ops, the opera, the museum and the most fabulous library ever. In 20 minutes we can be at the coolest inner-city farm that feels like the being in the middle of the country and eat farm fresh gourmet food 7 days a week. We can hit a farmer's market almost everyday of the week within 15 minutes of our home in any direction. In 25 minutes we can be in Downtown Tempe, the heart of college town. Oh, and our favorite Hawaiian restaurant is 25 minutes away. If we moved to this new community Hawaiian food would be over an hour away!

So here's to home - it really IS where the heart and the yummy retaurants and the diversity are.

The Protectors.

The Protectors
Originally uploaded by Kenny Maths.

I am a little nervous this evening as I am having some medical tests tomorrow. Deep down I know I will be OK but I thought I could use these Protectors just in case....

Saturday!

yellow gerber
Originally uploaded by Desert Art Girl.

It is Saturday and we have lots of fun plans for the weekend. First, we are off to a Real Gardens for Real People tour. I can't wait to see and photo all the wonderful and amazing things people are inspired to do in their gardens. I will be sure to post here and on Flickr my finds on the tour.

Next, Art Detour is this weekend. Over 150 downtown artists open their studios and galleries to show their work over the last year. Art is always, always inspiring....

And tomorrow we have Cirque du Soleil which is in town with their new show Corteo. I can't wait - I love, love, love Cirque!

To top it off the weather is perfect - could not have asked for a better day.

Happy Saturday to all!

Life.

Sunset Girl
Originally uploaded by Jennifer Esperanza.

I will not die an unlived life.

I will not live in fear

of falling or catching fire.

I choose to inhabit my days,

to allow my living to open me,

to make me less afraid,

more accessible,

to loosen my heart

until it becomes a wing,

a torch, a promise.

I choose to risk my significance,

to live so that which came to me as seed

goes to the next as blossom

and that which came to me as blossom,

goes on as fruit."


by Dawna Markova

Yeah....

Florence
Originally uploaded by Edie Mcredie.

....it's been one of those days......

Do.

Baring Witness, International Peace Protest, Santa Fe, New Mexico March 8, 2003
Originally uploaded by Jennifer Esperanza.

What would you do for peace? How far would you go to save a life (human or animal)? What does peace mean to you?

Food for thought.

Heaven....

I think this is my rejected pic.
Originally uploaded by CoffeeGeek.

.....in a cup. Taking the day off, enjoying my cup of French press from the living room and enjoying my newly acquired book Monet's House.

Long weekends rule!

Open.

Beautiful Hands, Kerala India #2
Originally uploaded by Jennifer Esperanza.

I read somewhere recently (I don't recall precisely where) about having our hands and minds open to new things, change and whatever life may bring our way because it is meant for us to have or experience.

Sometimes (a lot of times) I am not so good at having my hands and mind open to what comes my way - I can be a creature of habit and cling to the familiar because it is precdictable and safe. I find as I get older I tend to cling to predictability more and welcome change less.

When I was younger I was extremely spontaneous - at times almost to a point of recklessness. I took great joy in and found excitement in being spontaneous and leaving the outcome up to the universe. I loved new adventures, thrived on change and welcomed whatever came my way.

My goal moving forward is to migrate from this state of utter predictability back towards a place where spontanaeity and openess to the moment play a role in my life.

Love.

jan 2006 journal page 6
Originally uploaded by Desert Art Girl.

I love my husband. I love my cats and dogs. I love being an artist. I love art. These are the things that make life worth it all.

"Being an artist, maybe moreso than making art, gives you a way of thinking where you don't need all the other things that normally people would think necessary. It's a space where the mind and the self is at the center. So in that way you can sustain yourself with very little."

~Rikrit Tiravanija