|| lillian gish, ghostly goddess ||

 

 

 

This hauntingly beautiful woman has been a muse of mine for quite some time.

Lillian Gish (1893-1993) was an actress who starred in her first silent film in 1912 at age nineteen.
Her acting career lasted for 75 years, well into the 1980s.She was most prominently known for her silent film roles, and for being the favorite leading lady of producer D. W. Griffith.

 

 

Lillian and her sister Dorothy Gish starred in films together, including their mutual break out roll in "An Unseen Enemy" (1912). They both possessed an ethereal natural beauty that was highly praised. The elegance of the Edwardian era of style is my particular favorite. Needless to say however, the Gish girls radiance translated through all periods of fashion.

  



|| terrarium diy ||

 

 

 

Replanted several of my succulent plants this weekend. They weren't doing so well in the deep

well pot they were planted in. So I decided to put them in shallow potting soil covered with a top layer of sand and rocks. They seem to be happier.

 

Picked up the glass fishbowl, sand, and decorative rocks at Michaels for around $10.

The lovely brass filigree bowl was a Christmas gift from my husband, and makes the perfect

stand for it.

 

|| 1920s winter ||

 

 

The winter is my favorite season. Cloudy grey days, deep reds and amber hues of fallen leaves, the chilly morning air and dew soaked earth. It's a season for the dark side of color, a time of reflection, and of donning heavy, warm textiles. One of my most recent inspirations has been the early 1920s style of the women in The Peaky Blinders -  dark eyes, drop waist dresses, fur collar coats, and luscious velvets.

 



My two favorite ladies from the show, Ada and Aunt Polly.

Ada Thorn

Aunt Pol

 

Not to mention the big hats and hand guns.
 

|| native creative and the little craft show ||

American Buffalo Teeth, Czech glass spears, bone rounds, white tail deer hide string.

 

Czech glass spears and Swarovski crystal, grey glass and hand painted ceramic,
amber glass and silver beads, and elephant bone, howlite and bone rounds.

Above are a few recent pieces I have made for the art co-op that I am apart of called Native Creative.

A few of my team mates will be taking our goodies to  The Little Craft Show in Fayetteville Arkansas this coming weekend Dec 5th & 6th. If you live around the area you should stop in and support some lovely local Midwestern artists and makers.  

 



|| vassilis karidis ||

 

 

 

 

 

I'm madly in love with the captures by photographer Vassilis Karidis.

 

Simple composition. Natural, soft lighting. Relaxed posture of the subject.

Cillian Murphy, actor, has an angular and intense face.  Karidis plays with shadows to frame a deep well of emotion without over dramatizing Murphy. These images capture a stillness, a thought, a passing glance, a memory.  

 

|| weaving dream catchers ||

 

 

 

I have recently picked up weaving dream catchers.

Last fall when I moved into my home, I realized that a small sapling tree in the front yard had very limber branches. Growing quickly, it produces long spindling arms that are covered in little leaves. The small diameter and elasticity of the branches make them ideal for weaving together. 

|| One of these days I'm going to try to make a basket out of them. || 

 

Woven with hemp cord, this one is adorned with a bouquet of Oklahoma wildflowers || thistle, wild chamomile, golden rod and an unknown seed pod ||, a string of little buttery yellow seed pods, a green agate eye, and strips of vintage fabric.

 

This is a part of a series I have been working on now for several months. It is a study on reuse, harvesting, scavenging, and complementing natural forms. Other pieces in the study include other dream catchers, square, triangle, and pentagram frames, and ceiling suspended wood mobiles.

 

I am currently looking around Tulsa for the an art venue to host the show. I'm hoping to debut in the Springtime. We'll see how it goes.

 

|| algonquian moons ||

 

 

 

Humans and the astral bodies - a look at the Native Moons.

 

Hunting seasons, harvesting, spiritual wonders, myths, gods and goddesses,

are all products of the human connection to the cosmos. Ancient man looked to the sky

to observe and track the seasons of life on the earth. One of the closest and dearest, being our moon. 

Above are illustrations for twelve different interpretations of the year used by various Algonquian tribes, including the Arapaho, Blackfoot, Shawnee, Cherokee, Sauk and Fox and more. 

This naming system was used to culturally chart their year according to the seasons. 

Below are the descriptions of each moon by the Old Farmers Almanac,  1792.

 

January || Full Wolf Moon

This full Moon appeared when wolves howled in hunger outside the villages. It is also known as the Old Moon. To some Native American tribes, this was the Snow Moon, but most applied that name to the next full Moon, in February.

February|| Full Snow Moon

Usually the heaviest snows fall in February. Hunting becomes very difficult, and hence to some Native American tribes this was the Hunger Moon.

March || Full Worm Moon

 At the time of this spring Moon, the ground begins to soften and earthworm casts reappear, inviting the return of robins. This is also known as the Sap Moon, as it marks the time when maple sap begins to flow and the annual tapping of maple trees begins.

April || Full Pink Moon

This full Moon heralded the appearance of the moss pink, or wild ground phlox—one of the first spring flowers. It is also known as the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and the Fish Moon.

May || Full Flower Moon

Flowers spring forth in abundance this month. Some Algonquin tribes knew this full Moon as the Corn Planting Moon or the Milk Moon.

June || Full Strawberry Moon

The Algonquin tribes knew this Moon as a time to gather ripening strawberries. It is also known as the Rose Moon and the Hot Moon.

July || Full Buck Moon

Bucks begin to grow new antlers at this time. This full Moon was also known as the Thunder Moon, because thunderstorms are so frequent during this month.

August || Full Sturgeon Moon

Some Native American tribes knew that the sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain were most readily caught during this full Moon. Others called it the Green Corn Moon.

September || Full Corn Moon

This full Moon corresponds with the time of harvesting corn. It is also called the Barley Moon, because it is the time to harvest and thresh the ripened barley. The Harvest Moon is the full Moon nearest the autumnal equinox, which can occur in September or October and is bright enough to allow finishing all the harvest chores.

October || Full Hunter's Moon

This is the month when the leaves are falling and the game is fattened. Now is the time for hunting and laying in a store of provisions for the long winter ahead. October's Moon is also known as the Travel Moon and the Dying Moon.

November || Full Beaver Moon

 For both the colonists and the Algonquin tribes, this was the time to set beaver traps before the swamps froze, to ensure a supply of warm winter furs. This full Moon was also called the Frost Moon.

December || Full Cold Moon

This is the month when the winter cold fastens its grip and the nights become long and dark. This full Moon is also called the Long Nights Moon by some Native American tribes.

|| Source: The Old Farmers Almanac, 1792 ||

|| ten of arrows ||

 

 

 

The card of thought for the day is the Ten of Arrows.

It symbolizes instruction and communication. The passing down of wisdom,

skills, and arts from one generation to the next has been the carrier of

ancestral knowledge for thousands of years. However, we live in a world of constantly

advancing technology that easily sweeps us away from meaningful connections.

These growing gaps between families and the loss of ancestral ways are commonplace.

I encourage you to take a moment to reach out, listen and learn from your family,

an elder, or a mentor. Stay genuinely connected with those important in your life.   

|| four of vessels ||

 

 

 

Todays card of thought is the Four of Vessels.

 

Symbolizing boredom and our inclination towards complacency, this card is a call to arms.

Steer away from falling into the void of depressive, negative emotions.

Resist allowing the routines of life to overcome you with weariness.

I encourage you to draw from the wells of energy around and within you.

Take action in your life, to lift yourself up, and to brighten your spirit.

Nature is nurturing and will respond to your inquiries and actions.

It is up to you to take the first step. 

 

 

 

|| autumn ||

 

 

The family bonfire at Grandma Judy's house in Collinsville.

 

With the thin veil of the spirits of Samhain behind us now, I look towards the winter solstice.

This is my favorite time of year to observe mother nature as she falls dormant.

The brilliant display of colors, the long nights and the cool breath of the morning air.

Bonfires, camping, collecting acorns, pinecones and leaves are my favorite past times during

this transitional period of the animal world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

|| thistle ||

 

 

 

In Scottish lore, it is said that the invading Viking King Haakon of Norway and his army were stopped by the thistle. In order to take advantage of the sleeping Scots, they planned to attack during the cover of darkness. In order to do so, they went barefooted. The Highlanders were awoken when one unlucky Viking stepped on the thorns of a thistle and cried out. Thus undoing the surprise, Haakon and his men were pushed back and defeated.

 

I think it's a charming story, that one spinose flower undid an army.

 

 

|| ethereal window ||

 

 

 

Very excited to be working on my winter art show. For now the working

title is "Welcoming Winter" and I'm hoping to have it near the winter solstice.

 

The premise is recycled and reclaimed plant material and little scavenged things 

that are made into frames. They each have a unique name and meaning.

 

This one is the "Ethereal Window": a frame made of fallen oak, turkey feathers,

copper wire, deer hide, crystal quartz, and a little brass bell. The idea was a

spiritual portal through which wondering ethereal beings could enter or exit

this plane, ringing the bell as they pass.  

 



|| w i l d w o o d ||

 

 

 

Anointed my new set of Wildwood cards.

 

Balanced upon a quartz crystal on a bed of Himalayan salt in a brass bowl.

This absorbs negative energy, and imparts clarity on the cards.

Surrounded by the household goat skull Cernunnos, my feather and shell

smoke wand, and a brass coal burner smoking Copal resin.

 

After I wrapped them in my favorite rabbit pelt. 

 

So excited to use these lovely cards to bring peace to those who question.