Art Becomes Focus at MindSieve

"Will You Make a Difference Today?"*

Mixed Media Collage

Image 11 1/2" x 19 1/2"

Today's a big step here at the MindSieve in that I've decided to fly now under the banner of MindSieve Studio.  I believe the "Studio" addition is appropriate as my time is proportionately spent more and more in the creation of collage than in the creation of written articles.  That is not to say that I will discontinue blogging here, only that there's a name change and a slight shift in orientation toward more art centered articles than in the past. 

You may also notice the different layout visual.  I've now stretched or perhaps streamlined the look of the site with tabs across the top of the Home Page to direct you to a chosen subject.  I hope to feature more artists and their work here, as well as highlight great galleries that I've been fortunate enough to visit.  You may even get a peek at our personal art collection (other artists' work, not mine) - which grew by one new 48" x 48" oil painting this week by artist, Kloe Kang - more on that later.....

If you've a mind, please click on the MindSieve Studio Attractions to Come tab for an announcement I make with fast beating heart:)  Thanks for visiting today and give this a Tweet if you feel anyone you know might enjoy visiting the MindSieve Studio either now and/or especially in June!


*Reworked art piece

Website or Blogsite?

 Detail of collage entitled - "The Daily News - Vietnam, Continued"

For a while now I've been considering a website as an alternative plan to my current blogsite here at MindSieve.  Over the past week or so and particularly this last weekend, I visited many artists' sites, blogger locations and websites..... delved into an exercise on two fronts - that of SquareSpace and iWeb, iWeb being a Mac.com product.  After screeching about how dumb I can be sometimes, my spouse suggested that I might "enjoy" a couple of tutorials rather than just playing with the programs.  It's always annoying when he's right about something but I must say he was right about the tutorials.  I learned a lot more in a short time by simply sticking with the instructors.  I learned that both of the aforementioned products are excellent platforms for when I truly am ready for a website, and that's just not right now.

The chief idea for the website was to share my artwork with other artists and viewers of interest.  Right now that artwork is limited in scope.  Once I've increased my inventory of completed artwork - to the dozens and dozens of pieces that I believe a website needs, then I'll reconsider the website adventure.  So for now, I've spruced up my blog's sidebar - hope you'll take a look there - and plan, along with my regular personal blogging posts, to feature a few artist friends in the painting and photography categories from time to time here on MindSieve.  If you'd like to be featured here, I'd love to receive your contact information either in the comment section or directly to my email address diannawoolley@mac.com.  I won't necessarily feature every person that drops me a line but I am always eager to see other artists' work and hope to hear from you soon!

"The Daily News - Vietnam, Continued"

Mixed Media Collage 6" x 18"

WRITING WITHOUT PAPER

"PEAR-LY THERE III"
Mixed Media Collage - 9"x 12"

Over at "Writing Without Paper", Maureen continues to offer a plethora of information to broaden one's mind, as well as spirit.  She has so much to offer one could easily "over indulge" and browse days away clicking on her menus.  YET, and this is very important, yet as I peruse her site and marvel at her ability to offer up continually rich resources, I know that I will ALWAYS find a morsel of absolutely marvelous food for thought.  The morsel below is one I feasted upon yesterday and will continue to savor today.  Thank you Maureen - your dedication to providing rich material does make a difference in lives!

Only she who is ready to question,

to think for herself, will find the truth.

To understand the currents of the river,

he who wishes to know the truth

must enter the water.

~ Nisargadatta, Indian Mystic

Holy Wednesday Reading

Holy Wednesday was started in a very comfortable way - and that was with a solid night's sleep preceding its dawning.  Amazing how the body craves and sometimes even demands something as basic as rest to clear one's head and heart for the day ahead!

It's now midday here and I spent the balance of the a.m., aside from my yoga class, in reading and reflection.  My readings today rather sum up this season of Lent for me, so far, as an eclectic journey  commencing with Ash Wednesday in Maui with lots of personal time for reading, reflection, and writing, through days back home active with an online Lenten Study from Abbey of the Arts, volunteer work at the YWCA, the Carnegie Board of Trustees, and mentoring; medical checkups, spiritual formation study, catching up at lunches and on long walks with friends, Bible study classes, and physical body workouts.  Some days I found scripture speaking directly at me and to me, other days more secular reading grabbed my attention in unexpected ways.  I've taken on an assignment from a Life Coach and observed my own behavior in myriad ways......an eclectic month interwoven into the journey through Lent.

And now this Holy Week and Wednesday to be specific, I've been prompted by various readings and resolutions to continue this up and down/higgeldy-piggeldy journey through until Easter morn.    Reminded by Thomas Merton "That Christ and angels walk among us, everywhere" - and more Merton - "Jesus saw that all things were good, and He did not enjoy them.  He saw that all things were beautiful and He did not want them.  His love is not like ours.  His love is unpossessive.  His love is pure because it needs nothing."  And by bloggers - friend Bruno's reflection re "They will know we are Christians", Barbara's post about "What Makes us Brothers and Sisters" - Christine Kane's secular post, but to an observing eye and reflective heart, not necessarily so secular, entitled The Nine Skills Every Woman Should Master.  And for VERY good measure, I visited The Country Parson today and read an extraordinarily mind-provoking post regarding "Reciprocity and Atonement."

For the rest of the day - I'll have to see what happens.  At 5:30 I'll be in St. Paul's again celebrating the eucharist with fellow Christians, some of whom I may suspect find this homestretch into Lent, one of challenge, relief, and expectation.  At 7:00 p.m., I'll be around a table with yet another group studying what Hebrews has to say to each of us and once more, I anticipate hearing questions and answers regarding the final days of this year's Lenten journey.

If you have a minute, I hope you'll check out some of the readings that I did today and if you're a participant in the celebration of Lent and Easter, I'd love to hear where you'll be for the next few days.

SS Collage - "A Look Within"

Blogger Prayer

As I clicked on and read through some of my favorite blogsites* yesterday, I was as usual amazed at the inspiring content touching my mind and soul.  Today was no exception for that richness to fill me and  to spill out  on to my journal pages.   I offer this prayer in thanksgiving to those writers  who often inspire me -

To reach internal corners of my mind and soul 

Places seemingly unimportant

Hidden, unknown, unrecognized, unchallenged

Known to you alone 

While prayerfully pondering both realistic and unrealistic expectations for myself, 

Help me to search out and expose my totally unrealistic fear of inability

Trusting in you, 

as I strive to overcome logic with possibility

*my favorite blogsites are listed in the right hand column of my home page

Creative Blogger Award

I'm pleased to post this nice site award today! It came to me from blogger author - Christine over at Abbey of the Arts. I've had the pleasure to meet her in person and to have been a participant in one of her amazing spirituality workshops. I highly recommend her workshops and her site!

As I said, Christine sent the award along with some rules I'm observing to pass this award along to some of my favorite sites -

List 7 things that I love and then pass the award on to 7 other bloggers - tagging them and letting them know they've won this award! If you'd like, you may copy the picture of the award and place it on your sidebar.

Seven Things I Love:
1. Sleeping in a bed outfitted with a yummy feather comforter and choices of firm, medium, soft, squishy pillows
2. Waking up without an alarm clock
3. Hearing an owl hooting at dusk or early dawn, or a "lookout" quail's call to the hen and her chicks that all is clear, or the close-up exhalation of a giant humpback whale
4. Feeling touch and hearing the sound made by breeze in the palm trees on an island
5. Walking a labyrinth
6. Meditating in the a.m. until I feel just the "being"
7. Viewing visual art in person in museums, in galleries, in studios, and even online

My Selection of Seven Creative Bloggers:
Unlike Christine's selection, I am not able to limit my 7 blogger selections to only those bloggers with whom I've had face to face contact - far from it - most of you I've never met anyplace except online; a couple of Christine's favorites are mine as well and sites I never miss*, but I'm not counting them in my seven today.......not in any particular preferential order, they are -

Karen at Art in the Garage for her artistic site of mixed media presentations; my favorites - her female portraits - each with personality and distinctly Karen's work.

Katherine at TreffingerDaily for her beautiful small and large masterpieces. Not having met Katherine in person, I have met her artwork and it is exceptional. She gives her readers a bit of bio on each piece she exhibits on her site.

Jan at A Church for Starving Artists - always beautifully crafted and clever words about the Gospel and/or daily living. She credits her posts to many persons, not the least of these being Jesus, and other less heavenly celebs!

Misty Mawn - a gifted artist and admired teacher, Misty's work is exciting to see "in progress" and captivating in its presentation. You'll find poetry, family tales, photos, drawings, and weekly or monthly challenges to accept or just admire on Flickr as the entries come in. This vignette of family life was just too good for me to forget - the title and photo still make me giggle - read the post and smile!

Albina at Out of Hands - oh, the work I find here justs gives me goose bumps some days - visually rich in color and content.

Susanna's Sketchbook - content, photos, drawings, the wings project - creative, creative! I always get a visual lift on this site.

Country Parson considers himself quite the curmudgeon - some days I agree, some days I think he's just a darned good preacher. He always challenges my mind whether the subject is theology, the current economic status, land use, anti-discrimination, or the Book of Amos. He's one of the few men bloggers that I regularly read. I would like to find more male bloggers with good content - I'm not saying they're not there, I just haven't stumbled onto their sites.

*Diamonds in the Sky with Lucy, Barefoot Toward the Light, Anchors and Masts, Lucy Creates,
The Painted Prayerbook