  Thank you to my friends at Warren Cultural Center in Greenfield, Iowa for sharing my work in your corner of the world. This is a beautiful venue!  
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 This imagery comes back again and again. Sparrows, thorns. the love that is all that remains when we leave this world. These old Gothic Windows have haunted my dreams, but I find them excruciatingly beautiful. This is another Barb'ry Allen. One of the oldest written songs in the English language. Barbara Allen was buried in the old churchyard Sweet William was buried beside her, Out of sweet William's heart, there grew a rose Out of Barbara Allen's a briar. They grew and grew in the old churchyard Till they could grow no higher At the end they formed, a true lover's knot And the rose grew round the briar. I've heard a lot of versions of this old song, but my favorite is my Uncle Kenny's.
My Sacred Space show is finally almost ready for opening day on Friday, August 3rd! This collection has grown out of the Maker Series, and it explores that otherworldly realm we enter into when we give in to our creative spirit. Creative Flow is the name given to it, now that MRIs can show the myriad connections in the brain of a person in this state. Time stands still and the world is left to turn without us.... "It is six A.M., and I am working. I am absentminded, reckless, heedless of social obligations, etc. The tire goes flat, the tooth falls out, there will be a hundred meals without mustard. The poem gets written. I have wrestled with the angel and I am stained with light and I have no shame. Neither do I have guilt. My responsibility is not to the ordinary, or the timely, It does not include mustard or teeth. It does not extend to the lost button or the beans in the pot. My loyalty is to the inner vision, whenever and howsoever it may arrive...." I travel in and out of this state more easily these days. But those times when I get brave and let it take me deep enough to listen, a painting happens that leaves me changed, like when you read a really good novel, and the world is never quite the same after that. It can be down right painful, a blessing that sometimes feels like a curse, but I always thank God, and he always takes care of us.  The Twelve for Twelve New Years Challenge has been a great experience so far. I can't say I haven't lost any sleep, but I can say it's been worth it!
This little sparrow keeps showing up. He comes unexpectedly, and he always brings a message. The first time he came was in Barbry Allen, in 2012. Then, he showed up again in the spring of 2013 when we were in the hospital struggling with Shane's diagnosis. Drawing and sketching are my way of working things out, Sometimes, when I let go and let the drawing or painting be what it wants to be, it brings a revelation. This sparrow always does, and it always brings peace.
 When I'm out and about, I always keep some charcoal and pastel handy. Drawing, even for just a few minutes, provides a meditative oasis, a little escape that keeps me grounded and gets me through even the most hectic day. Back in the studio, the addition of silver or copper leaf gives the drawings an ethereal feel,
 We've all been in a place where we are lost in our work. Whether you are painting, sculpting, playing music, researching, sharing a story, deep in prayer or meditation, or working to solve a complex problem, you've been so engaged with your work that you lose track of time, you forget to eat or sleep or hold onto anxieties. All the cares of the world leave you. You find your truest self in these moments, and at the same time lose yourself. You know God. This is called Creative Flow. Now that we have brain imaging, and we can see what happens during this state of Creative Flow, We can observe a decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex and executive network. We lose our sense of time, space, and self, which makes it possible to feel the experience of the moment we are in with an intensity that is nothing short of addictive. That is the Magic of Making. Find out more at emergentcognition.com  I have learned not to question the intuition, the subconscious drive, that dictates what will come into a painting. I've learned that it is best to just trust it, because the power of the creative process is in the ordering of the sometimes chaotic inner world. For that ordering to happen, we have to let go and listen. Visual symbols help us to integrate the human experience, the good and the bad, the whole and the broken and free us to live in the moment. This is what keeps me sane. The nest is whole. It is nurturing. It is that beautiful quality that my Grandma had that made her care about her family all her ninety-nine years... care that we were warm enough, care that we had plenty to eat, that we liked where we lived. It is the magic that makes me feel safe when I cover up with the quilt she made for me when I was a little girl. Making? Making safe and warm. Making whole.
 Morning Has Broken 24x48" Oil and Silver Leaf on Panel $2500 "Morning Has Broken, like the first Morning. Blackbird has Spoken, like the first Bird." The words of this sacred song have resonated with me for most of my life. This painting represents a new day, the beginning of a sacred time of creation that has been long awaited. Blackbirds are all over my sketchbook now, The window has finally opened, and the flight begun.
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