Happy Holidays

I don't have much to say, other than to wish my readers a good time and a happy new year.

I wrote this haiku series to suggest the changing seasons.

I Imagine a Fox

Black rock amid snow,
Glistening, the onyx eye
Of an Arctic fox.

White Narcissus blooms,
A star against a stone sky.
(Fox runs in the night.)

Ebony stone hides
As bamboo grows around it,
Shadow of hunted.

Crimson leaves become
Lush red fur on napping stone
Moonbeams cradle it.

Snow slurries again:
Bamboo lashes frame the eye.
The fox gazes on.

Christmas is coming

I will ship priority within the US so there's still time.

The postman gets off on most holidays;
But it still works him hard in many ways.

;) Okay, I'm reduced to letting doggerel chase the mail man, but it's a busy time of year.

Spacing Out

This piece, Launching, depicts a cat as a silhouette of space and stars, playing against a background of sunspots, chasing after a ringed planet.
Partly it was inspired by watching my cat jump after toys, thinking how rocket-like their high-leaps can be. Partly it was inspired by the "solar-powered cat" joke, referring to their love of napping in the sun. Partly it was my love of the night sky, astronomy, and my cat's sleek black fur. She hides against black backgrounds from an instinctive love of camouflage. Having loved books about space-faring cats as a child, it just all sort of came together thusly. I have some future Cosmic Cat paintings planned, but tis is the only one completed yet. I have recently relisted this on my Etsy site to get it the attention it deserves.

The Cosmic Cat's the only one,
Who might be playing on the sun.

Flame On!

I love phoenixes. They are a symbol of hope, especially for someone like me who has to deal with health issues. I imagine job loss, heartbreak, etc can also be helped some by the thought of the creature that rises from its own ashes.
I painted this and a few other glasses to serve as candle holders. They are painted with the same durable, dishwasher safe paints I use on my wineglasses-- speaking of which I have added 3 Christmas themed pairs of wineglasses to my shop.

I wrote this poem several years ago.

Each Life, a Phoenix
by Helen Krummenacker

Though rage may leap insatiable as fire,
And dark despair like smoke engulf the skies,
The blaze of pain will not become a pyre,
For even anguish meets its own demise.

The human heart endures beyond breaking
And human minds can dream beyond defeat,
For there is joy in toil and retaking
The field from which we were thrown in retreat.

For life is like a phoenix, ever new,
Reborn amidst the ashes of despair.
Each loss is an au revoir, not an adieu—
Even ones which seem beyond repair.

For phoenixes we are all; we have no end.
Not even death will last; life must return.
So with the faith that ev’ry wound shall mend
What matters is our courage while we burn.

The fires have not scorched me very near
And yet I know the flames approach, sublime
And I will lose my treasures, not with fear,
But with the hope to rise higher next time.

Not as quiet as I've seemed to be

I've started doing Wednesday contributions to the FAE (Fantasy Artists of Etsy) Group blog-- not about my art, but rather the history and legends that contribute to fantasy art. See the blog http://fantasyartofetsy.blogspot.com/ for my article on unicorns, then scroll a bit further down to where I talk about the real beginnings.

Mind you, I wonder if they aren't too dry and scholarly, more science than fantasy-- I'm hoping for feedback to let me know how things are from a reader's point of view!

I'm an odd duck by most measures, I suppose; I believe in a lot of things that aren't well proven, but I don't expect others to. I love fantasy, but I love science, too, and spend hours pouring over essays by the late Stephen Jay Gould, watching Nova programs and other science documentary work, or thumbing through science popularizations ( and debunking of badly written articles that misconstrue studies). I use herbal cures and aromatherapy, but base usage on the ones that have good evidence for them. Cranberry juice if you think you have a bladder infection coming on, for instance, is well proven.

So I will close with a poem from my science-loving side.

Evolution


I hold a stone that was a bone
Encased within strong flesh and skin
Belonging to a hominid.
Now, I could be her great-grandkid.
How great the change. How very strange,
Anticipating our mutating
When we leave this planet behind.
Who knows what wonders we will find
Selecting genes? Survival means
Adaptations. Situations
Will decide who carries on.
Humanity is at its dawn.

I *felt* strongly about this artist.

juliepersons of Etsy works in wool felt, thus the bad pun I began with-- but that fact is, I found her work strongly moving. Although she sculpts many things in wool, including jewelry, accessories and bowls, the really outstanding items in her shop are the dolls and tapestries. Particularly interesting is her recurring themes of pregnancy and nursing. I've long believed that as a society, we need to get over the negative reaction to nursing. It's the best thing for the health of children, but women receive a lot of pressure, both economic and social, to stop as soon as possible. So, if art can change the world, I hope images like these can change people's reactions to nature's baby food. Also, you can see she does mermaids, which I find just plain cool as a fantasy artist.
In fact she started felting after her daughter was weaned. The loss of that means of emotional bonding was saddening and the artwork was a cathartic experience. Her works take from two hours to four-- a simple doll takes about 3 hours, with more time for the nursing dolls (after all, those are two dolls together!) "I feel like I "know" each one so well by the time I am done," she says of the long process.
Of her themes, "My focus on maternity comes from being a mother, I think. I love the female form and the pregnant torso is a beautiful, wondrous thing."
Having had such a strong sense of meaningfulness and appreciation when I went to her store, I asked her what first reaction she wants to create. "I hope that newcomers to the store will feel joy when they enter. I hope that I can share the feeling that I LOVE what I do and put a part of myself into every piece. I am happy when I am felting and I am grateful for the chance to share that with others."
I think her happiness shines through, and I think you will see it, too. Her store is at
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=44218

SnowBringer

FAE-- the Fantasy Artists of Etsy-- is having a competion with the theme Snowflake Fantasy. Here's my entry-- an exotic faerie with feathered wings and a sea dragon's tail, the SnowBringer flies to the forest making snow and trailing it in her wake.
Some of the snow and highlights in her wings and hair were made with pearly acrylic ink, but the main of the painting is done in watercolor, with some colored pencil details through in.

FAE is also having a Christmas exhibition. Check it out at our team's website: there are works in glass, art dolls, chain maille, jewelry, and more. Oh, and it's being updated on a weekly basis so that the sold items go away and new items listed by members are added. http://fantasyartofetsy.webng.com/exhibition.html

The muse says I must have a good poem to go with this... let me check my writing archives. Ah, the forest...

The trees whisper
Words of wisdom
Older than works
Of ancient man.

Children, poets,
Dreamers listen,
Pressing their ears
To dusty bark.

Softly they breathe,
Becoming part
Of the rhythm,
Gentle music.

The music of
Endless eons,
Earth keeping time
Under brass storms.

The refrain lilts
In reedy voice:
"Root deep; grow straight.
Reach for the sky.

"Fill yourself with
Joy, harbor life.
Test the wind
Before bending.

"Be a forest
Within yourself,
And yourself in
The joined forest.

"In the song of
Cycles, oldest
Of music, find
Your harmony.

"Wait for the rain,
It always comes.
Fear not the fire,
For it renews.

"And remember,
The sun, hidden,
Still sustains the
Cycle of life."

Most humans try
To move in straight
Paths, without pause
Accelerate.

They struggle as
Their desires break
Against the flow
Of world-time

Like splashes made
Against the oceans,
Rivers fighting
Against the tide.

The biosphere
Is a thing of
Quiet circles,
Shifting sine waves.

Humans are, first,
Part of nature.
Her patterns are
Ours, in our blood.

Listen to trees,
They know the way;
They grow with love
For Earth and Sky.

To bend, to rest
At the proper
Moment; Nature
Gives the cues.

In harmony
We may find peace:
The way of men,
Women and trees.

Ornaments

If painted crafts are a natural outgrowth of art, ornaments are a natural outlet for the jewelry-maker. Carefully wrapping wire and glass to show off the natural beauty of the materials requires some wrist strength but is a joy to do.
I've set some ornaments aside as a gift for my father, but I'm putting many up for sale on Etsy.

Dreams of summer days
Cut through drifting winter fog;
The sun is in my heart.

The funny thing about art

Once you've learned how to compose a design, work with color, and so on, many other crafts fall into place. Painting on glass or fabric means, usually, a minimalist approach, and the artist has to work with different textures and viscosity than usual, but most artists love learning new technical things anyhow.
It's probably a natural progression to go from art painting to craft painting-- if only because there is only so much wall space. Sometimes practical, usable art items make more sense.

Woollyheadedness--
Enduring, slightly scratchy,
Yet attractive wit?

Etsy Mini test

If this works, you should see a clickable sampler of recent items from my shop.

A poem under
Such a marvelous display
Would be an excess.

eta: It didn't work.