Cinnabar always sounds exotic.

Cinnabar, so exotic.  As a child, I thought it was an exotic wood, possibly an aromatic like frankincense or myrrh!

Alas! it is a stone, rather, a gemstone!

Back when I wore Bellbottoms with mirrors and embroidery, I worked a bit polishing stones and cutting stained glass.  This person gave me a necklace of agate.  I wore it until it totally gave out!  Wrapped all the pieces in a bandana and kept them for a few decades! 

When I began to make jewelry again, I found the bandana. I decided to mix these with jasper, cinnabar, and onyx.  Going mostly by an artist's feel for color, design, and size, I was unaware of what I was really doing!

Cinnabar is for stimulating dignity, vitality and power. It is effective in removing obstructions, furthers ones assertiveness, while eliminating aggression. It is helpful in community work.  It is assistive in remembering the "giving" qualities of the Divine!

Jasper is the "supreme nurturer". Jasper is here to bring joy and substance to others, assisting others to release the bonds of constraint.  Jasper also protects against negativity, and helps one to be grounded.  It balances the physical, emotional, and intellectual bodies with the etheric energies.

Agate for smoothing dysfunctional energies, and to both transform and eliminate negativity.  It provides for perceptiveness to situations and awakens ones' inherent talents and adroitness.

Agate balances phyusical, emotional and intellectual bodies with etheric energies!

Onyx for banishing grief, enhancing self-control, and to stimulate the power of wise decision-making.  Onyx to encourage happiness and good fortune!

Onyx helps one to follow the path alone, promoting the recognition of personal strengths and assisting one in understanding of the reality of the moment.  It helps one become the master of ones own future!

(These qualities are excerpted from the book, 'Love is in the Earth, A Kaleidoscope of Crystals, updated' by Melody)  I love these books!  I highly recommend them!

At this time in my life, I am accepting charcoal gray into my colors.  I enjoy the delicate, oriental carving in these cinnabar beads.

I decided to keep, and wear the necklace. 

Currently undergoing several 'challenges', I was amazed by how timely this choice, and how relevant these stones are!  I expect their similar natures will only enhance thier qualities, powers!

When the cows come home...

I set out on a walk down the lane Saturday evening.  On the Western Horizon, the aura of coral pink called to me.  It resembled the old tinted photographs.  It was to be a magical evening!

Along the manicured lane, I found one lonely, stunted phlox in bloom.  I stopped to give it some attention.  The good Indian in me said, look farther!  Over the banking, a few feet from the pile of slash and trash was the back of a very healthy Trillium!  A purple Trillium!  My sister and I had played among the Trilliums, Mayflowers, and LadySlippers throughout our childhoods!

I walked on, turned toward that sunset aura, and came to the crossroads.  There were a few of the cows nearby.  I turned down the hill, approached the fence, and the cows came running.  More, and more of them appeared out of the woods in back.  they approached me, but would not come any closer than 8 feet.

A cow would blow, I would blow and shake my head slowly.  We kept on like that for sometime, with lots of eye contact! I became aware of the calling of the Redwing Blackbirds by the fire pond.  As the evening progressed, the Robins chimed in.  Soon the peepers created the rich base for this ensemble.

I walked on to the fire pond.  There, the gold straw, dried pale, against the darkening waters, was interrupted by the black with red of my favorite bird.  I must paint, I must paint, I must paint!

It was all so vibrant!

the job of the artist

"The job of the artist is to uplift man's soul"
from the George Gallo movie, 'Local Color'

In elementary school, they taught us the names of the colors...
red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, black.

At home, I learned these in French, before I ever went to school.

At home, I learned the names of the colors...
crimson, vermillion, burnt umber, sienna, turquoise, spruce, lavender, indigo, cobalt, sky, silver.

My mother had been a private chef for a wealthy family in Vermont, the Townsends.  The Townsends planned a trip to Europe.  They had my mother move to Boston with them, while they prepared for their trip.
When they sailed off, my mother remained in Boston. While there, she took Art Classes at the Boston Museum of  Fine Art. 
She was quite good, too!

After she died, I had a braid of her hair, and one charcoal of an Indian Maiden with braids.

We were poor, had no television much of the time, so mother and Da would gather us around the kitchen table and teach us art!

One of the reasons I am not a successful painter, is that my mother painted.  One of the reasons I am a Fiber Artist, is that she did not weave or spin!

They taught us how to do good art.  Composition, depth, shadowing.
They also taught us not to do art, not realistic, no money.

I struggle to reconcile this.  Yet, I have no choice! 
The expressions jump right out of me!  I YEARN! 
I go to museums, I get up real close, I live those brushstrokes! 
Yet, I have not had adequate training.

I can sketch well.  Once, as a child, I found some Pitcher Plants along the shore, sat down and did a sketch.  My father was overwhelmed with me! One, I had not picked or crushed them! Two, I made a wonderful likeness!

I have tried painting at two times in my life.  Hardly enough.
This movie was a mirror of the need to say something in color and texture!
I will buy an easel to take on my walks.