Going Forth: What does one take from a Silent Retreat?

The second Ignatian Star: a design from Silence by Wayne Stratz

The Jesuits are glad to have us there for a time to be in silence, but they are joyful when we leave. It is then that the awakening of silence grows. No matter what the silence brings: days of wresting with God, a week of rest and rejuvenation, insight into who you truly are, hope to make the right decision, and/or a stained glass design. 

In 2013 I drew a design of an asymmetrical seven-pointed star. Each point consisting of three pieces of glass, which gives me that number I love, 21. It sat for nearly a full year before I made use of it. I remember feeling pressure of going on a retreat without having used a design from the previous. Feeling moved, I chose Three types of Youghiogheny Glass and this emerged:

The original take on the Ignatian Star by Wayne Stratz feauturing three varieties of Youghiogheny Glass

Retreats are where prayers are formed. Truth learned. Journeys begin. They are not vacations from everyday life. Everyday life can fuel what happens on a retreat. What do I truly desire from this life I am given? What pain needs to be released? How can hope remain?

They live on in you like a design drawn on an old wooden desk. The best work will resurface:

Ignatian Star: a design worth revisiting by Wayne Stratz

PS ... I do remember the moment in time the first one sold. It was in my living room and it was to friends, who had come to our open studio in 2014. To purchase an Ignatian Star: Go this this section of my shop which is where they reside

R is for Rainbow ~ the A to Z of One Word Messages

Collaboration between Margaret Almon and Wayne Stratz

Rainbow is another word that does not need letters, but it does take some time to pick out colors.  We have made some rainbows here at Nutmeg Designs. Hope you are ready to experience some color. 

Rainbow mandala
by Margaret Almon

Rainbow Wernersville Cross II
by Wayne Stratz

Rainbow Dr Ed Mandala
by Wayne Stratz

Rainbow Spiral Mandala
by Margaret Almon

Rainbow Celtic Cross
by Margaret Almon

Rainbow starflowers
by Wayne Stratz

and the other five ~ Epiphany Stars at Virago in Lansdale

See double shots of the other four here

4 by 2 ~ Epiphany Stars make it to Virago Bakery in Lansdale

Today I completed the third batch of Epiphany Stars and headed down to the Virago Baking Company.  Where I warmed up on a some lavender tea and switched out three larger pieces with nine stars.  Then walked home with a wonderful Chocolate chocolate chocolate cupcake to share with Mosaic Woman.  Here are two views of four of the nine.

Virago is only open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during these winter days.  

Epiphany Stars ~ studio goals for 2013

At our last show of the year, a man was clearly disappointed by a lack of stars. At some point between that moment and Epiphany, I decided to draw three new star designs when Epiphany arrived they were ready to leave my head.

I was not feeling the best that day, but good enough to use a pencil. The first batch is done. I am thinking seven batches for the year. 21 stars. Once I have a flock, I am going to walk on down to the Virago Bakery and put them on display.

Science Mondays--- stumbling onto a real shooting star, Mira

photo by Darek Smid

Entering my classroom I had my plans set for the week, but I wasn't sure what topic I would be teaching in 90 minutes. I knew that I wanted the students to practice taking notes from an article and I knew I would head to Science Daily , click on video, click on time & space...

And I would pick something and go from there.

Mira is a star with a tail, a Red Giant that is spewing hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen into the universe as it moves rather quickly to its future home as a White Dwarf. We have known about Mira for hundreds of years, yet we have only known about its tail for a few of them. It all has to do with how we are blessed that the atmosphere blocks so much UV light. It took a satellite mapping the universe's UV light to see the tail. Which is long, way long.

When I told my students that Mira was a variable star, many impressed me by saying "Cepheid." But I told them they were wrong and then explained to them that the universe has more variables than the Cepheids and in fact the others are called Miras.

So I stumbled upon a truly shooting star, which is planting seeds into a universe ready to create new stars and planets: