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"...When all is going well, our world is a small, controlled experience bounded by our daily rituals and activities. When tragedy and suffering come swooping in, they shatter our tiny boundaries and break our world into pieces.
For a time we are living inside a scream where there seems to be no exit, only echoes. The small cares that seemed so important yesterday seem like nothing, and our daily concerns become petty and irrelevant. When we finally reclaim ourselves, as we ultimately do, we are changed. .."
This is from one of my favorite books, "Simple Truths" by Kent Nerburn. This is a small excerpt from the chapter titled 'Tragedy and Suffering'. This book and another by him "Small Graces" have helped me through some dark moments in my life. I am exceedingly grateful for that.
The April page represents a recent time in my life when color disappeared, my thoughts and feelings tended to be black and white or various shades of gray. Not terribly pleasant in my mind, but the beads sure felt good. Creative thoughts began to return and color was coming back. I could hardly wait to start on the page for May with a burst of color.
For the April page I started with a face cab by Monica Magness, and surrounded it with stacks of size 11/0 and 15/0 seeds beads, then added more 15/0 beads when I drew together the top round of beads. Then added a round of sequins anchored with seed beads. Czech glass flower beads were added for the 'crown' and white beads to complete a circle around the sequins. Next added is a round of glass heart beads, reminding me to radiate love in a situation where it doesn't necessarily come easy. Next are white seed beads and then finishing off the circle are drop beads between the hearts and some really neat vintage triangle sew on's at the tip of each heart.
I accented 5 spirals in the back ground with gray charlottes representing my hope for change and growth.
I'm happy to have the page complete and am so very ready to move on to something with happy colors!
10 comments:
It's a wonderful piece, Grace. Very strong.
A most profound piece, Grace. And you gave that amazing face cab true poetry with your selection of beads . . .
Kathy V in NM
...oh, Grace.You have a way of touching people's hearts.I sent prayers your way during the dark time, and I'm SO thankful to have you back blogging and beading and feeling alive again!You are an inspiration to others in ways you don't even realize.Thank you for sharing yourself and your beautiful artworks!
Grace, even when feeling down, you have the most poetic and touching ways of putting things..."your thoughts tending to be in shades of black, white and grays devoid of color". That expresses just what its like but I'm very happy that your world is colored once again. When I have those days when things seem bleak, I often think of you and everything you do, and it helps brighten up my own world.
Love you,
Nee
I'm hoping this page is memories re-hashed. You mentioned you were gone from blogging for a while because of "some unpleasant and rather challenging things happen in the last few months" so I hope it's not due to new bad times. It is a powerful page with it's story and I hope you get to have rainbows and rainbows of color come your way now.
Beautiful page and a beautiful post Grace! I'm glad that you are ready to move on to happy colors!!!
~Lisa ;-)
Stunning piece Grace!
So glad you're back!
Wish I could come over and bead with you - I need to get motivated to get back to my beaded pieces.
This is a beautiful and striking piece of art Grace. Very profound and moving. I am pleased that you are feeling better and that this piece was a way to express your feelings. It may be black and white in color but I see many colorful layers of emotions and feelings in it's design and colors.
You are so talented and a very special and loving lady.
P.S As I am typing this my little black kittie Esmeralda is purring peacefully on my lap. She told me to wave a little paw hello to you and your kitties.
Thanks ladies... it was good to get it out of my system. I find it heartwarming to be showered with such kindness in your words and support. It means a lot to me.
I love the thought Kathy - I really do wish I could sit in the company of other beaders and spend some time ... beading, talking, laughing. I think that would be wonderful.
Dot... hug that precious little kitty for me!
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