i'm not confused...

i'm just well mixed.'

~ robert frost

one can certainly be mistaken for the other - but intention is everything!

'the walls you build to protect you,

will isolate you in the end.'

~ me

walls, both physical and emotional, are often erected in the face of real or imagined danger... feeling vulnerable can cause one to fend off others in the name of self-protection... but what happens when the walls are left up too long? after they have served their purpose? isolation - from those you were warding off, but also those you love...  the time then comes to deconstruct... 

earlier this month, the fall of the berlin wall celebrated its 20th anniversary... are you up to the challenge of taking yours down?

the rusty crusty button from lisa peters had so much to say - and so much energy... it represents a crumbling wall... signs of things soft and beautiful are poking through... hard as the journey is to break them down, stone by stone we do... taking the tangled journey... leaving fragments of ourselves behind... moving from the hard to the soft, from the dark to the light... where love and openness live...   
beautiful lampwork glass by marie at bleu verre & a porcelain charm by marsha neal helped to demonstrate the evolution... 

winding

'winding'

'may your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.

may your mountains rise into and above the clouds.'

~ edward abbey

whether you agree with wishing this upon someone or not - the first part at least, i think we can agree that the most rewarding achievements and periods of growth come from times of difficulty... marsha neal's shard (this time) made me think of winding and movement... the subtle color changes on top of the chocolate clay flowed right into barbara lewis' enameled connector - both pieces had played with fire and come through it with great strength and beauty ... the ceramic and the metal, both with soft color, asked me to be joined... and so i acquiesced, because it really was such a great request! 

after manipulating a little metal myself, i had some etched copper rounds and findings... beautiful glass beads from mary ann at linden avenue designs and marie at bleu verre...

it became a bit elemental, greens, blues, ivory & browns... air, water, earth & fire all playing their role in the creation of each part... things that live & grow in the greens and spirals... masculine and feminine... 

all united in moving towards the most amazing view...