mjd - 2013 awakening

this is your life.

you stand inside the arena

whether you wish it

or not. 

some people move

in leaps and roars

others

on tip toes and in whispers

most of us

fall somewhere in the middle. 

mjd - 2013

it matters not

how you do it,

only that you do it.

that you participate

and you add your voice. 

that you share your living

your loving

your self.

at this moment

you stand inside the arena,

don't miss out

because you were asleep. 

leaf hanging - mjd 2013

balance

greys that calm 

building bridges between 

white and black.

soft threads 

fragile strength

for eons

providing humanity 

with exquisite

function

in the shape of mandalas.

crystals faceted just so

catching light

and releasing it

the dance of all 

that is open

reminders from the himalayas

that clarity 

of

thought 

word 

and 

deed

are critical

and bells,

lovely bells

softly ringing 

gentle reminders 

kin to birds singing

cats purring

leaves rustling

that life is best lived

awake. 

from benedictus by john o'donohue:

may i live this day

compassionate of heart,

clear in word,

gracious in awareness,

courageous in thought,

generous in love.

homage continues

mjd - 2013 - linen leaves with stitching

no matter what the medium

i am drawn to leaves.

mjd - 2013 - linen leaves with stitching

their fragile strength

and beauty

mjd - 2013 - linen leaves with stitching

their most important role

in the life cycle

mjd - 2013 - linen leaves with stitching

i breathe in 

and i am connected to the trees

i breathe out

and i am connected to the trees. 

you too.

in ever so many ways,

we are all connected.

(but that is a topic for another post!)

evening approaches

woven leaf - mjd 2013

the day draws to a close. 

a good day

fingers aching

from small needles

small pins

 & tweezers

used to coax fine threads 

in and out

in and out 

through

curving edges of warp.

i offer suggestions

as to how this form might take shape.

but in the end,

i am the one who accepts 

with appreciation

the beautiful curves 

that become

from the pact that is made

by the threads 

and my fingers.

an agreement that leaves

my will out of the process

altogether. 

it is good,

this learning of acceptance.

it can yield the most beautiful 

and unexpected of things.

going deeper

leaf - mjd 2013

one of the things i love best about maturing as a crafts person

is the understanding you gain about yourself

and how you relate to others.

leaf - mjd 2013

which is naturally also the insight you gain

as a maturing person,

with the application of different materials 

but not necessarily different methods.

of the essence

mjd 2013

fragile as a leaf
or a petal
decaying after its show
of lushness and vibrancy.

form and essence 
are left behind.

but which truly is more delicate -
the glossy leaf
or its skeletal remains?

mjd 2013

perhaps the tracery
of veins and stem
are not as fragile
as they appear.

for what remains
belies the inherent strength
of that which supported life,

yet goes unseen

until that which
distracts
has quietly eroded
away.

leaves

patina leaf - mjd 2012

i have missed making leaves.

so i ventured upon 

an adaptation

using pin weaving
instead of metal heating
and beating.

pin weaving - mjd 2013

building a leaf

made of natural fibers

triggered meditation

upon impermanence.

woven fiber leaf - mjd 2013

the most important moment

is the one at hand.

earth day work

leaf earrings in brass - 2012

leaves with heavy verdigris application - 2012

the day was spent making leaves in different shapes, colors and sizes... 

we had some very much needed rain

and saw 'chimpanzee' at the movies... 

earth day

'when one tugs at a single thing in nature,

he finds it attached to the rest of the world.'

- john muir

wishing you a day filled with connection -

tap, tap, tap

small brass leaf beginnings 2012

the universe caught me off guard this morning while i was sitting at my bench...

like many of you, i am used to the tap on the shoulder (or between the eyes if i am being revisited) that lets me know i have perhaps veered from the path or should be paying attention because something not so ideal is occurring and i need to wake up... 

small brass leaf beginnings 2012

but this time, as tears welled up from deep inside of me, i realized i was being asked to pay attention because i was perhaps on to something... that i was beginning to really do the things i hoped to do... 

i was asked to make these leaves for a project that will help to raise money to build a children's hospital in west virginia... my youngest child was born at 23 weeks prematurity (4months early) weighing just over a pound... there were many surgeries, three years with a trach and respiratory support at home and other challenges... for us, the children's hospital of philadelphia is a home away from home - still... and when i was asked to use the word 'hope' it took me back to those first years... chop's motto is 'hope lives here.'

using words in my work causes me to be very selective - there are many that have become trite...

 i hadn't used 'hope' in years... 

but this couldn't have been more perfect... 

a couple of weeks ago i was asked to make a number of my petals for use as pendants...

petals 2012

these are for women moving through a domestic violence program... 

two causes that couldn't be closer to my heart... 

not too long ago i was musing on how i could really just make petals & leaves all day... (each form has its own meaning for me... ) i work them in a neck & shoulder-achingly gentle way... the challenge of keeping the form soft and delicate with a hard material is one i love... 

and people seem to be connecting to them... 

a personal aesthetic has emerged that seeks out simplicity that is packed with substance... it is something i think about and strive for... 

(and this post is feeling long-winded)

it was just such a wonderful feeling - having a moment of mindfulness where i realized that some meaningful things are falling into place... 

and i am oh, so, grateful... 

inspired by

the woods that surround my house...
a treasured book on fold forming...
renate at put a little magic in your life
barry at rustnstuff
that special hammer i splurged on that has been awaiting a turn... 

there is space now in my head to experiment... a loosening of the shoulders that allows me to hunker down with metal, hammers and a torch... an exhale that allows me to inhale deeply and leap... 


the leaves are coming from this place... 

i am grateful, as always, for the inspiration... 

foliate love

'never say there is nothing beautiful 

in the world anymore.

there is always something to make you wonder

in the shape of a tree,

the trembling of a leaf.'

~ albert schweitzer

timeless

'let your life lightly dance on the edges of Time

like dew on the tip of a leaf.'

~ rabindranath tagore

inspired by the moving parts of mary hettmansperger and leaves... the spiral for its symbolism of the goddess, continual change and evolution of the universe... 

these earrings are part of a class that i will be teaching locally in february and march... 

vibrant

'autumn turned brightly,

a running flame through the mountains,

a torch flung to the trees.'

~ faith baldwin

'vibrance' bracelet... like looking up through the fiery leaves into the crisp blue sky... 

'balancing act' earrings play upon the idea of fragile strength... soft, hand dyed fibers wrapped around fused, weathered and hammered copper rings... 

'the invariable mark of wisdom 

is to see the miraculous in the common.'

~ ralph waldo emerson

like wisdom buried in the depths of your being, yours to know if you lay down your fears and open yourself to it... earrings made from copper discs, hammered, textured, patina-ted and wrapped with sterling wire and pearls... 


don't forget to check the love my art jewelry blog on monday for our next giveaway...  

flaming color

'october's poplars are flaming torches lighting the way to winter.'

~ nova blair

'autumn burned brightly, a running flame through the mountains,

a torch flung to the trees.'

~ faith baldwin

every one has a strength, something they do exceptionally well - i really feel that erin at every heart crafts has the market on leaves... it took me so long to get one because i just could not decide which color i wanted to work with... & when it arrived i was instantly overcome with a feeling of needing to place berries near to it... deep red/oranges... evocative of the season... and so i did... 'autumn's fire' features berries of lampwork glass, carnelian, ceramic and pearl... soldered rings in copper and sterling are connected with forged & paddled double ended sterling bars... vintaj brass chain with its warm brown color is paired with a length of lavic & picture jasper beads (there are so many jasper names)... 

'delicious autumn! my very soul is wedded to it,

and if i were a bird i would fly about the earth seeking 

the successive autumns.'

~ george eliot

a small antiqued bird charm nestles in amongst the cluster... 

hope the season is beginning to show itself in your part of the world!