from paper to metal to paper

words... 

offerings - photo book - mjdodd 

they have always been important to me - as a child, i would read through my grandparents' bartlett's book of quotations. i was fascinated by how people had lived & what they spoke about, what others have felt is important to be remembered and referred to. 

when i first started blogging, i would share words that had inspired me in the making of adornment. 

but then i started sharing my own thoughts on the work - and how the work shaped the words. 

simple phrases would have larger descriptions.

mjd 2015 offering bowl

then larger passages made their way onto metal work - at the prompting of an online peer. 

mjd 2015 offering bowl

first set in bowls and then made into wall plaques.

mjd 2016 wall plaque

mjd 2016 wall plaque

and now it comes back to the written word - and pages of my own. i have compiled two books of my writings - one with photos of the work, one a traveler's companion. my hope is that the traveler's companion will be put in a pocket or backpack or such and get worn, written in, pages folded - used. 

mjd 2016 photo book cover

mjd 2016 offerings - interior spread

mjd 2016 offerings - back

it is here that i feel most vulnerable, for the compositions in words come from the heart and spirit. nothing is hidden and it is definitely non-fiction. but so too is it sincere, with a deep desire to connect from a place of love and understanding - to foster peace and compassion. 


*** so it seems my comment boxes on the blog are missing - if you need to reach me you can do so at mairedodd@gmail.com *** thanks!

the world is in need

mjd. 2015 present moment offering bowl

our world is in need

(always)

of peace

of love

& kindness.

while it may be beyond 

our abilities

to stop acts of evil and violence,

we need not participate in

promote

or empower them. 

in each moment

you have a choice

(we all do).

you choose your thoughts

your words

your actions.

learn to know yourself.

be vigilant.

use your moments

to nurture the world

and its inhabitants.

we create the climate

of our planet. 

mjd - release - stitched pouch/mat - 2015

our life is made up of moments,

ephemeral in nature.

but in the midst of them

they are as solid as stone.

each one adds

to the one before

creating a work 

of intricacy and depth.

each one holds 

its own significance

yet none 

should define you. 

with every breath 

you are new

and opportunity is reborn. 

learn to dwell 

in the present

and 

in the presence

of all life's wonder. 

small offerings

mjd - 2014 small offering bowl

offerings have a way 

of travelling. 

these came to me and 

the idea wouldn't leave.

so through my heart and hands

small offering bowls are now made - 

i often tremble 

when i begin,

the potential energy 

of body and spirit

coming to a readiness. 

as i stamp

fire

hammer

fire

hammer

repeat

repeat

...

these thoughts

words and ideas 

are 

set out into the ether.

the ether 

that you inhabit

the ether

that holds the moon

the ether

that caresses blades of grass

as it moves past.

mjd  - 2014 small offering bowls

i have always found a deep sense of peace

when working with my hands. 

but this idea of small metal efforts

that are shaped like cupped hands

and have

been worked with 

not just fire

and steel

but love 

and peace

so that you might make an offering

to whatever is meaningful in your life 

and to take it wherever you need it

resonates. 

mjd - 2014 small shrine

your own little place

to find calm

and stillness.

mjd - 2014 small shrine mats

balance

in metal

and textiles.

mjd - 2014 small offering bowl in pouch

the hammer marks

and stitches

evidence of moments.

the precious moments 

that make up our lives. 

'not seeking,

not expecting,

she is present,

and can welcome all things.'

- lao tzu

it will come ~

'sitting quietly, doing nothing, 

spring comes and the grass grows by itself.'
~ zen proverb

a sighting of fresh green is all it takes...

no harm in looking forward to spring's newness while being in the present moment, is there?

fragile

'courage is not the towering oak 
that sees storms come and go;

it is the fragile blossom

that opens in the snow.'

~ alice m. swaim

i love how different media lend themselves to adaptability... how they can be saturated with feeling and emotion... working with the strong metals - forging, hammering, filing, finishing, sanding - is physical work (but, naturally, thought filled)...  with resin i have found the perfect chameleon... with wet paper and fiber (here again from myfanwy at sassa lynne) one appreciates the delicacy... it is wonderful to create a balance... 


lately, i have returned to my bags of pearls... they lend a sense of the feminine, of thoughts, of light...  on a journey to remain strong - somedays putting one-foot-in-front-of-the-other until the end when i find myself still standing... yet things happen that can pull the rug out from under you... it happens to all of us... and we are left shaken... i think this is where the recent work that has its finger on the pulse of human frailty is coming from...

'hope is important because it can make the present 

moment less difficult to bear.

if we believe tomorrow will be better

we can bear a hardship today.'

~ thich nhat hanh

triangles of etched metal... some with ends curled, some with pearls dangling... emphasizing both sides of this bittersweet life... pain and beauty... sadness and love... but always hoping that love and beauty conquer all... knowing they always will... even in our most vulnerable moments, we will reach out, believing in the light, believing in the love...

one day, one moment at a time

started drizzling today, but we hit the christmas tree farm near our home...  the kids had more fun looking at the baby trees then they did looking at one for our house! charlie brown trees hit a soft spot in our house!

'how often has the christmas tree

afforded me the greatest glee!

oh christmas tree, oh christmas tree!

much pleasure though can'st give me.'

get in touch with your senses this season - smell, touch, see, hear & taste all of the wonders of the time... allowing yourself to be in touch with the 'present moment blessed moment'...