compass

mjd - 2015 compass point

a way to align

the voice

heart 

and gut

to truth. 

when working in concert,

our actions

thoughts and words

can be powerful,

life changing even.

when working in concert

with truth

and compassion,

our actions

thoughts and words

can be powerful,

life changing

but also do no harm.

it is worth the effort

to gain self-knowledge.

in so many ways,

we touch so many. 

mjd - copper offering bowls - 2015

your truth shines 

because no one else

possesses it. 

your job is to

unearth

recognize

practice

and live it. 

when you do this,

light is shed

into the darkest crevasses.

when you do this, 

a higher purpose 

is served. 

just as

the sun shines

the waves break

the flowers bloom

so too must you

honor

your nature

and trust. 

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.

because you already know -

'when one is pretending

the body revolts.'

~ anaïs nin

on being born

the word i chose for myself this year was 'nascent' - defined as coming or having recently come into existence...


for sure i have been here more than 4 decades - and they have all provided experiences and challenges that brought me to this moment... BUT, i feel as though i am just getting my feet... learning things in the personal and artistic realm that are culminating in a 'me'...

'you never find yourself unless 

you face the truth.'

~ pearl bailey

in infancy truth to self occurs by indicating when one is hungry, tired, uncomfortable, happy... and those needs are usually met fairly quickly... as we grow older, we are taught different rules... our culture teaches us to listen to reason instead of our gut, to wait, to monitor ourselves... and while these lessons can serve us well at times, they can also fail us miserably... so truth to self is critical for healthy development throughout our entire life... and we will get caught up and forget, but we must come back to it...

'to the artist there is never anything 

ugly in nature.'

~ august rodin

another early life lesson comes in learning about things... how often does one say to a child - 'look at this!' ... listen, touch, taste, smell, experience... finding beauty in all things... finding an appreciation... being aware... do you notice how the air smells different before it rains or snows? did you see the lady bug that landed on your sleeve? did you hear the cardinal (do you know its call?)? 

by tea staining and tearing the wet paper, shaping the paddles just so with my thumb, selecting the appropriate lengths of hand-dyed yarn, i feel very much a part of the pieces... learning by doing, not just in craft but in living... tangible affirmations for myself and for you... as i mentioned to a friend last night, i seem to be turning into my own art therapist... 

your true nature

true to your nature

"if a Queen isn't meant to fly, why does she have wings?"
lessa, dragonflight

in anne mccaffrey's land of pern, certain humans are joined to dragons (this predates eragon by decades) communicating in unspoken form, sharing thoughts & emotions... lessa is new to this world and bonds with the golden dragon ramoth at the time of her hatching... lessa is told that Queens fly only to mate - and the strong lessa begins to change things which allow both she and her dragon to be true to their natures...

while we don't have wings, we each have other attributes that make us unique and special... that define us... people my lean on you for support, count upon you to help, look to you to lead...

i love hero's journey tales... the kind where some unassuming person - like frodo, harry potter, arthur, simba, dorothy - finds him/herself in a position where choices must be made and along the way they grow... i admire the hero... i love and find comfort in the wise one... but the hero couldn't achieve what he/she does without their most trusted allies, their best friends... one of my literary favorites is samwise gamgee from lotr... sam is a kind, unassuming hobbit who openly admits his fears... but he sticks with frodo to the bitter end, thru horror after horror, becoming a hero in his own right... sam would lay his life down for frodo, he is loyal and true... i think those are qualities we all strive to have and want from our friends... sam's nature is exponentially magnified and so his potential is reached...

'the only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows.'
- the buddha

this bracelet has beads in it that are certainly a tribute to their creators... a raku bead by mak has white crackle and golden glazes in addition to fine silver pmc... a ceramic bead by barbara lewis is layered in color then carved away to create pattern, texture and reveal the colors (and here, next to the dragon, i think the carving looks like something the talons could have done)... a green girl studios pewter dragonegg bead... gorgeous lampwork by mary ann at linden avenue designs... these beads were custom made after i went back into her sold items... they are called 'granite' and i love the way you question whether they are stone or glass... lots of bali silver, mykonos greek ceramic beads, two great silvered ivory glass spacers from donna at purplepozies, faceted feldspath and a snakeskin jasper drop at the clasp... this bracelet is earthy with color used to highlight that which is found in the glass & ceramic components...

'and i'll see your true colors shining through,
i see your true colors and that's why i love you.
so don't be afraid to let them show.
your true colors,
true colors,
are beautiful like a rainbow.'
- cyndi lauper