Wordless Wednesday: center of a violet heart, 2008

wordless Wednesday

7 for the weekend--- Hearts

1. My Dark Heart: All the pieces can come together, but with out some light, our hearts can be dark.


2. My Foolish Heart:

3. The Purple Heart

Mosaic Woman has been working hard on the decluttering process, which means our excess stuff has been flowing to those who can use it. One call to the good people at Purple Heart and a date is set. It goes on the porch in bags, it leaves in their vehicle.

What they do:

Through the sale of these tax deductible contributions, funds are raised which help support and train veterans and their dependents, help them receive VA benefits and provide direct financial assistance where qualified to our nation's veterans and their dependents.

4. John's Icy Blue Heart

To melt your icy blue heart
Should I start?
To turn what's been frozen for years
Into a river of tears

by John Hiatt

for all those who have experienced that river of tears, my blue hearts from this point on will always have some orange flames...



5. Mosaic Woman's Film Noir Heart:



6. The Unexpected Heart

You turn a corner, sign up for a class, sit at a counter, or start a blog; and if your heart is open, who knows what heart will show up into your life. A few days back I posted about making pieces while listening to Herbie Hancock. I also posted those photos on flickr, where friends pointed out what I had missed. The two with empty centers, were not empty after all. They were hearts. So this week, lets us point out the hearts our friends possess and which brighten our days.

so let me start the process:

7. Becky's Heart

I started this post with a dark heart, which I posted as my flickr photo of the day. A friend, who has been an amazing supporter of my attempt to post one photo a day for all the days of my 48th year had this to say: "Must be mine."

Well, I don't think her actions match that at all, so tomorrow I will post this photo of the above heart, and yes, I will call it Becky's Heart.



check out Becky's photos

My imperfect heart

At a spring craft show I glanced at a heart, saw what may have been a score line through one of the pieces and said, "I can't sell this. I'll send it to Jim." Was it the imperfection that took it down or my desire to pass it on to Jim.

Then time passed until the man spoke of my heart in one of his comments here at Stratoz. Then I found it. And mailed it.

At the doctor last Monday he felt the need to tell me all kinds of things that could come of Lyme Disease, one was of a failing heart. Few if any, who read this blog, know of how my heart has changed over the past 12 years. I once scored a zero in the area of compassion on a personality test. I still have my stoic side, but things have changed to this heart.

Like the rest of me it is imperfect. While thinking about Jim, hearts, and changes, I remembered to give thanks. So much depends on my turning back to a life of faith and doubt, instead of disbelief. So much.

Jim was on my mind when this song came up one night in my studio. The words reminded me a bit of some amazingly heartfelt words Jim had written. Not only that, but I thought the man would love Kate Campbell in general. In My Mother's House.

peace my friend.

by the way, I am feeling generally well these days, but still have 14 days of antibiotics and less sun exposure to go. thanks for any and all thoughts and prayers.

...

setting up a shop

All pieces are my original designs and can be shipped to you by priority mail with plenty of support and bubble wrap.

 

My stained glass and mosaic hearts come in a variety of sizes and colors. Purchase Here.

 

My sun catchers have been described as stars and flowers and I call them starflowers. They come with different number points and pieces and some have a hollow a center. My framed pieces are often the only places you see straight lines. Purchase them here.

Collaborations with my wife, mosaic artist Margaret Almon: I design and cut out the pieces for the letters. She takes it from there... You can buy them here.

My wife and I truly enjoy making mandalas as part of our spiritual practice. Check them out here.

latest stained glass, ETSY, and Hearts

My break between the summer session and the up and coming school year has given me some studio time. Having finally finished the project which I avoided finishing, I went with quick and easy--- 17 pieces that fit into a 5x7 frame...






I took several photos but getting the violet was tough so I have no good photos of the entire piece to post on our ETSY site (nutmegdesigns). This photo failed to get the pale blue in the center.

I then decided to design a new mandala, which when finished was attacked by my own hand bearing an erasure to make the pieces in the design larger, but I did not like the final result and Mosaic Woman agreed and added, "I liked the smaller pieces," so I drew a new circle and went with small pieces...




I may finish this in the next day or two.

I did a search for stained glass at ETSY and 8723 items came up. If you don't keep paying to renew your items they fall down the list... right now I'm at 161 (8 pages in) but by the time you read this.... who knows. Until and maybe even after we have our own website we will stick with ETSY since many a business card has our site listed. [NB: Our website is http://nutmegdesignsart.com and my stained glass is now at Stratozpheres Etsy.

Since last December I have sold 6 of my stained glass while Margaret has sold 9 mosaics on ETSY, the last was by me about 10 days ago. Now 4 of the 6 items which I sold have been hearts. This is one of those strange things about how life turns out. I would never have predicted to be an artist who makes hearts. But I have enjoyed making them and here are links to two blog posts that featured hearts by Mosaic Woman and myself.

up close photos

whole heart photos

blessings of the day...

1. getting to spend a Wednesday with Mosaic Woman, who has them all off.. she was thrown for a loop thinking it was Saturday especially since we went to a library.
2. seeing cormorants at Peace Valley Park while we ate cookies from Tabora bakery
3. lunch at the Duck Deli on 202... me a chicken BBQ sandwich, Mosaic Woman a salad with smoked tuna
4. gumption to water the sad plants in the rain deprived garden
5. time in my studio listening to The Beatles... Abbey Road, the second side is just amazing
6. listening to jazz-- including local trumpet dude-- John Swanna
7. dinner which included green beans, garlic, peppers, zucchini, and tomatoes, all of which I was blessed to have grown
8. and an oatmeal stout to savor while putting this post together.

not so lifeless

etsy shop

well, I am done with hearts for now... makes me think of the the standard.."I'm Through With Love." When I was making the icy blue heart, I nearly swerved away and directly into this project. I see it is an icy blue heart being melted by love. Maybe we all have icy blue hearts that need love. maybe my heart was never icy blue. But it sure feels warmer and less lifeless when love is around.

Ash Wednesday was looking like a busy evening... YMCA, dinner, church, some time with mosaic woman, finish work for my college class, pray... The classroom phone rang and I said, "Sure, I have the time" & "No, I don't live over that way." I got off the phone and was glad for this chance. It has been nearly two months since I went to see my friend and colleague who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. My offer at work to deliver food was accepted and as I drove over to his house I couldn't help from wondering if he would even be up for a visit. His daughter answered the door. She said she would let him know I was there. The man came out and we chatted for over an hour. He has not holed himself up from the world. He has invited us in and I have accepted. I hope I can face illness in the same manner. He asked me questions showing he had clearly listened to me the last time we chatted. Another ember enters my heart.

Jesus cleared the Temple. I didn't even catch the connection to the storm at work till I was in front of my spiritual director. I guess sometimes you have to leave the silence to see things. Is that hope building that I may work in a more positive atmosphere?

and now for some poetry from William Carlos Williams poem Spring and All, which hangs in my classroom.

" Lifeless in appearance, sluggish dazed spring approaches"


No No No... Look down. Spring is emerging and though it is sluggish it is filled with life.

hearts, up close and personal

Yes, getting close to one of our glass hearts can help one see things differently....

hearts from afar

Mosaic woman and I have been busy placing our designs inside of hearts. Nothing new about that for we have made Valentines for each other, but now we are using glass and making them available for others to give to their lovers. The one above was inspired by a song by John Hiatt, Icy Blue Heart. And that that takes me back 20 years to a small town in Massachusetts where a friend and I talked music, mostly folk and alt country at that time. I have moved away from many a good person over the years, I miss you Mr. K, where ever you may be. I hope good music continues to flow into your life.... click to see John Hiatt sing Icy Blue Heart. "Shall I turn what has been frozen for years into a river a tears." I know how that feels and I know the kind of love that says yes to that question.