Holiday Trees and Handprints

my handprint in a birch treeI have this handprint cutout on my fridge ever since Thanksgiving, when  I visited my brother Walt, and his six kids. We all made these handprint cutouts for a little “Thanksgiving Tree”. This is a very simple and scrappy idea for any family gathering or holiday. On each finger of the handprint, we were told to write something we were thankful for. Here are the five things I wrote:

1. Trees
2. Family
3. Creative mind
4. Arts and Crafts
5. Music continue reading

Celebrating the Day of the Dead

Dia de Muertos, Mazatlan, 2016

A little Catrina girl

I was in Mazatlan during the Dia de Muertos (The Day of the Dead), a Mexican holiday, and I was BLOWN AWAY!  I must share it. This festival is a fantastic blend of thoughts on life and death, wrapped together with artistic visions. At first, the folk art captured my heart, and then it shook my bones. Because I saw things I never expected. I was just experiencing this holiday for the first time in my life…and I really got into it!

Here is a gallery of the glorious things I saw that night:
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Bright Lights Today: Clarissa Pinkola Estes

I would like to promote those who are fine art thinkers, as they are emerging in communities today. Here is the Facebook page for Clarissa Pinkola Estes, the author of the books, Women who Runs with the Wolves and Untie the Strong Woman. I find her thoughts on being a creative women (aka a wild woman) quite remarkable. I see that she is also actively writing new thoughts on her Facebook page – Irene

See:
Clarissa Pinkola Estes’ Facebook Page

Clarissa Pinkola Estes at Amazon Books

Spirituality in Art

Here are my own thoughts on spirituality in art:

angel sewing a broken heart, sketch by Irene RowleyMy sweet old Dad wrote me this week about spirituality, and what HE calls the fifth dimension (5D) as a spiritual dimension. Dad is definitely from the Age of Aquarius!

Here is a picture I found in my old papers, that I drew of an angellc-type person who is sewing her heart up with a needle and thread.

I believe you can sometimes feel or sense what dad calls the fifth dimension. In my words that’s just being with God and my grandma in heaven.  I believe that through art, I myself can see this heavenly realm best …and am exploring some of that in my art now, as I have been painting dreams and the dreams are powerful. Some people are more enlightened and powerful than others in spiritual wisdom. A lot of people are burdened with pain and suffering, which holds them back.  I believe in God (however you understand God) and His almighty and loving presence in a spiritual dimension is what gives us all the power and energy to keep going. Be assured, I THINK that there is a love that will outlast all pain and suffering.
Now, I know there are many religions, so  I do not want anyone to feel alienated when I say the words! After all, people have lately been telling me there is a lot of anger in the world, going around. On TV, we see shootings, brutality and confusion! Please, let’s not be a world of hate! Let’s be a world of love and unity!  I was raised by parents to be open-minded of many creeds and religions … like Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Zen, Muslim, Celtic, and Indigenous beliefs. I just wish for peace and unity, that lets creative artists and musicians be. Just let us be! Okay enough said on politics, as I am not running for any office!  Moving along…

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