Practice, practice

Well, I don't know if the other artists taking the January Art Journal challenge over at Misty Mawn's site are having as much fun as I am, but you'll only have to look at these "selfs" for another day or two. They are definitely a challenge and I can't believe I have the nerve to post them - but they're sketches - so just write in and say "practice makes perfect" or just smile and go over to Riley's site:) he always has something worthwhile to say!

I think if you compare yesterday's sketch to this one, you'll see I've lost a LOT of weight, my eyes are clearer, I have a new DO and my teeth definitely look much better......see what you can do for yourself in self-portraiture?

Yikes - January Journal - Self Portraits?

Oh too grim - but hey, it was kinda fun:) I think I captured all of me except the hair, the eyes, the nose, the mouth, and OHHHHHH those teeth and lips:) Yikes!

New year, new soul?

Yesterday, prior to church, my candles, Bible, and assorted readings gathered at my spot upstairs for a little pre-church worship. Having read a chapter this week from the book "Lectio Divina" by Paintner and Wynkoop, I was intent on listening with my heart today.

I read some, I listened some, I read some more. The feeling of energy and rest were right, the lighting was right, the message.....where was the message? I reread the Bible verses, I went back and opened up the little zine "Crossing the Threshold: New Year, New Beginnings" Page 20 - reading, listening, where was the message? Whoops and duh, epiphany - I kept rereading these words and thinking weren't they lovely - not only lovely, but so meaningful -

For last year's words belong to last year's language And next year's words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning.
T.S. Eliot, "Little Gidding"

AND

The object of a new year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul.
G.K. Chesterton

What wonderful words were captured in the zine and placed right in front of my nose, in my hands. I'm only 5 days into the new year and last year's words seem so gone and a new voice is filling my heart and mind - perhaps my soul is.....? Perhaps my soul is what?

Intimidating, frightening, humbling to project my soul's direction and to finish that sentence - yet one's soul cannot stay the same anymore than one's self can stay the same, so perhaps my soul is what? I'm not sure. How would you finish that sentence for your own soul?

Blogiversary

MINDSIEVE,
Sometimes serious, sometimes not.

200 posts as of January 3, 2009.
Happy New Year to all.
Thanks for your support!


P.S. I think Riley has an anniversary also:)

January Art Journaling

January Art Journaling - what a great challenge found over at Misty Mawn's creative site.

I've had a couple of days to catch up with the challenge as -

#1. I'm renovating/finishing "A Book of Hours" (above, a little, soft sided, paper booklet). This little memorabilia piece was started during the art sessions of a fabulous retreat I attended the first week in Advent. The booklet I came home with was basically on white paper with a few pasted pieces of construction paper. To honor the weekend and some of the splendid readings I encountered during that weekend, written by author Thomas Merton, I felt there should be much more color and life in the pages - thus the reconstruct:)

#2. I've been filling another little journal with some of my "favorite" things, so as an incentive to complete those journal pages, I'm loving the idea of Misty's challenge. I'm sure it's "the more the merrier" if you'd like to give it a go!

The pink and green pages, are my latest entries into completing my "late 2008/early 2009" journal pages. (The pages are strips cut and reassembled into a collage - two photos - one of tulips and one a waterfall - the photos were given to me as gift cards on special occasions by a dear photographer friend - her signature is included on my pages as a remembrance for me.)

Reflection upon a John Baillie prayer......

Beginning my morning devotions with John Baillie's prayer for the first day of the month, this one being, January 1, 2009, I came upon this phrase - "For the great and mysterious opportunity of my life." Because I use this little Baillie book regularly, it is not the first time that I have seen the phrase, it is just the first time I've stopped to personally reflect upon it -

Life, opportunity

My dreams and aspirations
God’s plan and manifest will
Mysterious….can they be the same

Life, opportunity
A curse, a gift
A package of sorrow or hope
To remain sealed or to be opened

Can I reject the life, the opportunity
Can I change my destiny

Change God’s will
The will – free or not – whose and which is it?

Photo - The Cloisters, 12/23/08 - SS

GROWTH

GROWTH
- it's my word for 2009

2008 New and Bests Review

-Retirement - very under rated
-20 books more or less read - my favorite - "Winter Grace" by Kathleen Fischer
-48 Movies - Netflix chick
-Favorite Movie - romance/light - The Jane Austen Book Club
-Favorite Movie - drama based on history - The Great Debaters
-Favorite Television Movies - drama - all BBC Series - Bleak House*, Our Mutual Friend*, The -Barchester Chronicles - 2 out of 3 BBC's are Charles Dickens' work
-Amusing Television Series Rental - the first series of Sex and the City
-Most frequently viewed tv shows - The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow - all news shows of some ilk or another
-Entered 4 juried art shows with collage pieces/accepted in 3 of them
-2 blog sites + keeping up with a dozen other "regular favorites"
-Facebook enrollment
-Stood and steered at the helm of a sailboat and smiled
-Took two surfing lessons
-Snorkeled without a life preserver
-Went to an "after Christmas sale" in a NY department store
-Visited the Cloisters in NYC
-Attended a Yoga Spiritual Retreat
-Attended an Episcopal Women's Church Camp Weekend
-Trips a dozen+ some by car, some by plane
-Embraced poetry as a new discipline
-Yoga class devotee

You may have noticed my new blog header about not defining one's worth by "busy".....I've asked myself if this year was all about busy for me and I've answered myself with "no, it was not:)!" Busy for busy's sake to me is wiling away one's time with no pleasure, no personal growth, no challenge. I've reached for all three this year and have plans for 2009 - how 'bout you?