Healing

This is a follow up to an earlier post (All Wired Up). I've finally fnished this piece and it ended up being an unexpected journey for me. A seemingly simple piece, it forced me to work slowly because wrapping the telephone wire was at times tedious trying to keep the wire tight, with no spaces. There were moments when it felt like I was carefully bandaging the cracked and weathered wood as I worked, as if I were healing a wounded limb or wing. It took me another month to complete the finishing details after the wire wrapping was done--nothing was "working" before so it sat there incomplete.

During the time I started the piece, my grandma's health was failing and she had to go under hospice care at my aunt's house. Our family gathered daily and we embraced each other and shared stories about my grandma's vibrant life, spending time with her, trying to keep her "here" yet wanting release for her too. Only one month later, she passed away after battling a trio of significant health issues. It was a difficult time, with inner emotional cyclones that would come and go for me, creating a deeply personal, sad, tired path of loss and acceptance. I was so sad to lose her, but also very emotional and worried for my mom and aunt's loss of their mom.

Meanwhile, I would come home and grow more and more grateful for my beautiful son and my hubby, and I would grieve for my other tiny son, I would grieve for my dad and I would pray for the gift of a long and healthy life for everyone. I also kept to the garage for some creative energy. Something that was the opposite of dying. I worked on a few pieces, but this piece still sat there literally in my hands for a moment each night, wrapped like a bandage as I would scan my materials for that perfect something it needed. The wood is beautifully weathered, with marks and scars, and the wire is so smooth and colorful, I did not want to alter the contrast. I found the black, glass beads and made a jingle for the piece and then found another strand and really liked the look of it--like a line of demarcation between the vibrant wire and the exposed wood. That line we have to cross back to into the "living" after a loss, putting trust in our own strength.

As I completed it, the more I experienced it to be a powerfully symbolic process of healing by leaving much of the wood exposed, yet wrapping enough to begin healing—signified by bright, vibrant energy and the colors of life. The reflective, black beads mark the time and individual reflection one needs for deep healing. The signature can lid “jingle” at the bottom of this piece, detailed with a single black, glass bead echoes the power of healing and the lightness that follows.

A great reminder that creating is the journey, art heals ;) 

23” x 7” inches

My Heart Belongs To You

When I was a little girl, my mom MADE me make my own homemade Valentines for every student in my class—granted those were the days of maybe up to 20 in a class, not 40+ students. The day before we would go buy shades of red, pink, purple and white construction paper, glue, glitter, maybe those “be mine” candies, and yarn. We would set up for a night of cutting and pasting.

Yes, I was that girl who stuck the construction paper-doily-glittery card in your cubby. You could tell I was the “homemade” Valentine kid by following the trail of glitter back to my desk. I was embarrased at the time, because everyone else had discovered the cool new pre-made commercial Valentines. But my mom insisted. And, although I may never have admitted it at the time, I always ended up getting into creating those, especially making those special Valentine’s for “certain” crushes!

Fast forward to today, to a time where I love making a special homemade Valentine for my biggest crush, my hubby. Every year, since we started dating, I’ve made him a special “card” (I make a special Valentine for my son now too!). This year I was inspired by one of my favorite Etsy sellers, Bookity, who makes these amazing and most exquisite and whimsical paper creations.

I made my honey-hubby these festive hanging hearts, six for each year we’ve been married. I love the romance of Shakespeare’s text on Bookity’s hearts, but I wanted to use something more meaningful between me and my husband. Instead of Shakespeare, I used a copy of the love letter I wrote to my husband that he read on the eve of our wedding. I added a little glass bead to each heart and hung them from a weathered piece of wood, where I wrote a personal note to him <3

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I don't think he minds that I shared this year's card with you!

The 2-in-1 post: The Love Show and Love Bites

Hello friends!

I was invited to participate in "The Love Show" at one of my favorite Joshua Tree galleries! This is a great show with so many fantastic and fun pieces inspired by all aspects and manifestations of LOVE! The exhibit goes until March 5, 2011. Please check it out if you can (location/directions in the link above). You just might fall in looooove with a beautiful piece of art and want to take it home with you (ooh, I hope it's one of mine!).

I have three pieces in the show, see if you notice their common theme--totally accidental! Here's a sneak peek of one of mine, inspired by my love for B-horror movies:

He loved spiders. She loved him.
An obsession grew.

I loved working on this one! The tagline was the trickiest. Then came their names, who by the way came from spiders too (arachnid). "Stella Star" came from an actual spider species, A. stellata, the Starbellied orbweaver. Writing the premise was even more of a fun challenge--cheesy. Here's the rest of the of the text--cheese spread cheesy:

Gigantic mutant spiders in a tangled web of obsession. Who will survive?

*   *   *   *   *

Dr. R. Achnid is consumed by his life-long passion of spiders. When a lab accident affects his prized specimens, he will do anything to ensure their survival.

Stella Star is madly in love with her mentor, Dr. Achnid. She will do anything to gain his affection.

A horrifying tale of an obsession gone terribly wrong.

Wouldn't you LOVE to go see this movie?! LOL ;)

All Wired Up

I love, love, LOVE this scrap telephone wire my mom found for me. You may recognize it from previous pieces, like my bugs. Now I'm nearing the end of my colorful supply (note to self, must scrounge up more!). Inspired by native bead work, I decided to do some wrapping with the wire. I've had this beautiful piece of wood that I've been wanting to do something special with, it's almost a piece in itself. I decided to do some wire wrapping on it, and I love the tribal feel that resulted! Here are some images, I have one or two finishing touches to add, but I really like the simplicity of the piece so far and do not want to lose that look...

Love this piece of driftwood.

I cannot wait to try this with some "hole-y" beach rocks, other unique pieces of wood and some metal pieces!

Found Faces

When I'm not out junking for materials, I try to keep my creative muscles in shape--the only part of me in shape at the moment, ahahahah. One way I do this is to seek inspiration everywhere I go. I look for visual treats, overheard tidbits, and other sensory experiences I can draw from. One thing that constantly pops out at me are "found faces," hearts, letters and other symbols I encounter in nature or in man-made materials and structures. It's just fun for me.

Would love to see your finds! Feel free to post them here to share!

"Enlightened Spiders" -- Recycle Those Old Christmas Lights!

I really enjoy creating these colorful spiders from strands and strands of those "old school" x-mas lights. They are easy to make, and should you give it a try, you'll find they come to life as soon as you twist on their wire legs, and position them in place. Depending on my mood, I love them both plain and with designs added to their abdomens.

I've made these "Enlightened Spiders" for gifts, as anonymous releases for Found Art Tuesday (where artists leave their work in public places for people to find!), for sale on Etsy and possibly in the near future to appear in a local shop on the famed El Paseo, Palm Desert. They seem to make people smile, and that is the fun part.

If you have x-mas lights hanging around that will need to be replaced next year, why not give it a go and create some insects or spiders? Little lights make great insects, big bulbs make great spiders (in my opinion). But the best result will be from your own creative spin on what you create from discarded lights. I recommend wearing gloves while handling the light strands because of lead warnings. Sometimes art is a dangerous job...

I <3 enlightened spiders!







Images: M. Hedgecock

Got My Etsy On!

I have finally opened my shop on Etsy! Now you can find me at MouseHouseART (or click the Etsy badge in the sidebar) to find one-of-a-kind found art assemblage and sculpture, along with unique digital mandala prints, original illustrations, and ATC/ACEO related digital images--all to inspire your creative spirit! Over the next two weeks I will be adding more pieces.

I hope you enjoy what you see there--like this, one of my favorite pieces, the "Tumbling E" Eye Chart shown here! This was such a fun piece to make. From the moment I first found those e-shaped metal pieces half buried in the desert I knew immediately what I wanted to create with them...all I needed was the white metal panel I had yet to find!

I hope you find time to visit and take a look around, I would love for my art to make you smile and feel creative :)