Blog Archives - Heartfelt Dolls

Creative renewal ...

28/11/2014

"A major obstacle to creativity is
wanting to be in the peak season of
growth and regeneration at all times ...
but if we see the soul's journey as cyclical,
like the seasons ...
then we can accept the reality
that periods of despair or fallowness are like winter -
a resting time
that offers us a period of
creative hibernation, purification, and regeneration
that prepares us for the births of spring."

Linda Leonard

Beautiful or sublime ...

24/11/2014

What causes my jaw to drop in wordless admiration?
What draws me to pause and contemplate?
What has a dramatic impact on my life?
What fuels imagination and creativity?
The sublime.
Is it possible for artists to re-create the sublime?
Or is it the experience of the sublime which informs their muse and shapes their work?

Compassion ...

12/11/2014

Have compassion for everyone you meet
Even if they don’t want it
What seems conceit
Is always a sign
Always a sign
Always a sign
For those you encounter
Have compassion
Even if they don’t want it
What seems bad manners
Is always a sign
Always a sign
Always a sign

Always a sign
of things no ears have heard
Always a sign
of things no eyes have seen
You do not know
What wars are going on
Down there, where the spirit meets the bone
Down there, where the spirit meets the bone
Down where the spirit meets the bone

For everyone you listen to
Have compassion
Even if they don’t want it
What seems cynicism
Is always a sign
Always a sign
Always a sign
Always a sign

Always a sign
Of things no ears have heard
Always a sign of things no eyes have seen
You do not know
What wars are going on
Down there, where the spirit meets the bone
Down there, where the spirit meets the bone
Down where the spirit meets the bone

Down there, where the spirit meets the bone
Down there, where the spirit meets the bone
Down where the spirit meets the bone

Hear Lucinda Williams sing this on you tube.

A place to sit ...

10/11/2014

It is important as human beings and as artists to find a place to sit.
A place to allow the mind and the imagination to relax.
A place where the conscious mind plays second fiddle to the sub-conscious.
A place to be attentive to the self and our world.
A place which infuses the soul.
A place to simply be.

Where is the gospel ...

8/11/2014

Artists are called to reveal that which is hidden.
Let's open our eyes and our hearts and our minds to these revelations.
Let's accept their invitation to pause and to reflect.

Gourd spirit dancing ...

6/11/2014

There is an inherent beauty in nature that some people are gifted to reveal.
Sculptors reveal the beauty of their medium whilst also revealing their subject.
The wonderful qualities of sand are revealed in those who create sand castles.
People who create land art with local materials not only draw our attention to their work of art
but also the infinite variety and beauty of the natural materials.
Gourd art is a slow process, much of which we do not see.
But the attention to detail and the recognition of the intrinsic beauty of the gourd
allows us to experience it.

Sacred place ...

5/11/2014

"I searched for a lake
or some other sacred place
my own front porch"

Sam Troxal

Art dolls by Wilma Simmons...

4/11/2014

We do not need expensive resources and materials to create dolls.
Wizened apples, stones, sticks, driftwood, corn husks, scraps of yarn and old clothing can all be used to create dolls which bring comfort, solace, pleasure and healing.

Knitted glass ...

3/11/2014

Sometimes when we encounter one art from,
especially one we are familiar with, represented in quite a different,
even paradoxical, medium, we are entranced.
Glass artist, Carol Milne, gifts us with her ability to transform a flexible, textile craft
into rigid glass.
In spending time with her glass art,
we are able to reflect upon the structure and art of knitting.
We are able to consider the process which is usually rapid -in a 'freeze frame' so to speak.
This invites me to be attentive, mindful, even meditative, when next engaging in knitting.
I also experience the beauty of the process of knitting,
which is often forgotten by the characteristics of the finished product,

Kokeshi dolls ...

2/11/2014

Look what can emerge from the gift of our hands -
and years of experience,
and a mindful attentiveness to process and product,
and an understanding of the tools and equipment,
and a respect for the raw materials,
and a desire to preserve and continue traditional art and craft practices,
and a willingness to share and demonstrate.
May we all be blessed as we share the gift of our hands.