Week Three : Say Yes Quickly!

“Inside you there’s an artist you don’t know about… say yes quickly, if you know, if you’ve known it from before the beginning of the universe.”  - Rumi








Last week I asked the girls to start considering a word or short passage that has meaning to them.

Words can be powerful...I carry the words of my favorite writers and poets in my heart as though my life depends on them.  Sometimes...I even wear them.

Some years ago I saw Dr. Emoto's water crystal experiment in a film called, "What the Bleep Do We Know!?"  Dr. Emoto exposed water crystals to different words then photographed them.  The results were astounding.

His experiment suggests that our consciousness may have some effect on everything around us.  The human body is made of 50-65% water.  About 71% of the earth's surface is made up of water, but water also exists in the air, the soil, plants and animals. It's just one of those things that makes you go hmmmm. 

Shortly thereafter, I read about this amazing mom who created her own version of Dr. Emoto's experiment for her daughters.  You can read about that here.  Perhaps you would like to try the experiment yourself.

Last year artist Tokujin Yoshioka used the music of Swan Lake to affect the growth of crystals to produce this art piece at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo.  The artist found that the vibrations of music had a direct effect on the growth patterns of the crystals.  His work is quite beautiful and thought provoking.





Every year as we approach winter, I think of snow aka water crystals and then my mind drifts in the direction of Dr. Emoto's experiment.  I love snow and maybe even more than ever because of Dr. Emoto.  So it is with these thoughts in mind, that I presented the stamped metal talismans to the girls.  Today after our ritual sipping of hot cocoa, we got right to work on some words to embody...



We added charms to our necklaces.  Pine cones are a symbol found in ancient cultures that is said to represent illumination or spiritual enlightenment.  Acorns are a symbol of strength and in the Victorian era were thought to be a good luck charm.  The pine cone contains seeds while the acorn is a seed.  Seeds represent consciousness, growth, and change.

What seeds will you be sowing in the coming year? 

After the talisman project was completed.  We decorated our mugs.  The mugs will be fired tonight and ready to take home after our last workshop.































































The girls then designed the packaging for their gifts and collected the hand printed cards that they created last week.

Of course there was some horsing around...

and we ended the day with S'mores.

Girls, we have no class next week November 29th.  Our last workshop is on Saturday Dec 6th. 

Please remember to bring your prints for the wood transfer since we didn't get to it today.  We'll will also be creating a wish necklace...so start secretly gathering your wishes for the coming year!

Have a happy thanksgiving!  Have a happy EVERYTHING!!!

Made so & rooted by love,
Wendy

Week Two: Worthwhile Time

"Who can guess the luna's sadness who lives so
briefly?

Strange questions, yet I have spent worthwhile
time with them. And I suggest them to you also,
that your spirit grow in curiosity, that your life
be richer than it is, that you bow to the earth..."

- Mary Oliver

I was first introduced to soft sculpture when I was a youngster in high school...my teacher was the talented artist, Susan Carter Carter.  I was lucky,  SO very lucky to have been under her wing. 

I thought it would be fun to present a soft sculpture project to the Mighty Girls.  Inspired by the amazing work of textile artist Mr. Finch, I began researching project ideas when I stumbled upon a moth brooch by Kimberly Allison in Green Crafts Magazine.

The moth as totem animal reminds us to use our intuition.  Moth teaches us to pay attention to what is being spoken and what isn't being said.  Moth is a symbol of transformation.






















When you wear your moth brooch, may you remember to make the most of your time on earth.

The second project for the day was printmaking.  The girls designed and printed their own set of holiday cards in festive gold and silver inks.

It was a wintry cold day, but the fire was warm, the conversation lively, and the S'mores a sweet reward for our hard work.

Girls, next week we are making transfers to wood .  Please don't forget to bring your print with you - see instructions at the end of last week's blog entry.

See you soon!

Addendum:

Last night, after I finished cleaning up the studio, editing photos and creating this diary....I spent worthwhile time with this question...

Do you have glitter?

One of the differences, I find, between working with girls and working with women is that girls always ask for what they want.  Whereas women will use the materials given to them.

Why do we stop asking for what we want?

A worthwhile day with moth indeed.  

Everyone is my teacher. Some I seek. Some I subconsciously attract. Often I learn simply by observing others. Some may be completely unaware that I’m learning from them, yet I bow deeply in gratitude.”  - Eric Allen