Linda Marcille ~ Art on Silk

When You Know You Should Put Down The Brush but You Don't

2012-02-08T08:12:00.000-08:00

Last night I was beyond tired and I didn't feel well. The painting I was working on had been fighting me and I was getting really pissed off at it. I knew I should put the brush down and go back to working on it the next day. As a matter of fact I tried doing that....multiple times! I would go in the living room and attempt to watch a movie with my hubby but I kept getting up and going back at the studio and in a state of half anger and half anxiety I keep doing more to the painting. Suddenly I realized I was so pissed off at the painting that I wasn't even watching what I was doing any more I was just plopping more dye on and then it hit me is a massive wave of anxiety and regret.... SH** I ruined it!

So I didn't sleep all night. I tossed and turned and gnashed my teeth thinking is there anything I can do to save it. Don said he thought it was fine and that I should leave it alone. He agreed that I had probably gone too dark on the siding but his advice was to "Leave it alone, it's fine". Well I awoke this morning still exhausted and still not feeling good and when I got down to the studio it was clear that I was still hating what I had done to the painting. The night before I had told Don there was one thing I could think of to do before steaming that would either solve the problem or ruin the whole painting. "Don't do it!" he said. So at 7:00 this morning I stood in my pajamas in my studio mopping my painting with tons of alcohol to erase the part I didn't like. I scrubbed it with paper towels, I scrubbed it with a toothbrush and Q-tips soaked in alcohol. I scrubbed and mopped and scrubbed some more for about 45 minutes. Then when they dye was sufficiently lightened in the areas I didn't like I began to add new layers of dye in a calmer more centered state. The all of a sudden it had arrived right where I needed it to be. I literally put my hands in a prayer position and looked up and said 'Thank you God!"

I tried to tell myself it is only a painting and that it didn't matter if one painting was ruined but it did matter...a lot. It mattered too much, I know, but that is how I am every painting means the world to me and has ties that go very deep into my heart. This morning I think I finally figured out why, maybe that will be tomorrows blog post.

Here are the two versions:


The siding was way too dark and sloppy. The angrier I got at it the more I just hacked away at it until it was a mess. The yard lacked definition. There is salt on the grass in this photo lifting some dye in an effort to add texture

This photo shows the painting after the removal of the dark siding lines using alcohol and the addition of more shadows and texture in the grass

Saying Goodnight to God Under a Full Moon with My Love

2012-02-07T06:59:00.000-08:00

Life seems to have gotten really busy lately. My Dr has referred me to another Dr in her practice that specializes in adreanel failure and that has meant a change in meds and diet which is always confusing and a bit stressful at first. We have also had a few meetings with our realtor to go over our price reduction on the house. Plus I am trying to get these spring silk paintings finished so I can move onto a custom order that was ordered months ago. Then there is the pile of tax paperwork that gives me the eeby geebys every time I walk past it. On and on you all know how it goes and the chronic fatigue makes it even more challenging but I do count my blessings that I am able to function more these days.

For most of my life I have stepped outside to look up at the sky before I go to bed. Even when we had the farm in the Northeast Kingdom and it was 25 to 30 degrees below zero I would go out and spend a moment "Saying goodnight to God" as I call it. Last night I asked Don to come out with me and he was tired but I talked him into it. We stood under that amazing full moon and felt so blessed. We don't know where all this is going to end up, my health struggles, Don's new Lyme infection, selling and buying a house in an election year never mind a recession. But last night as we stood bathed in the moons brilliance saying goodnight to God, we somehow knew it was all going to work out just fine.

Working on the painting with the chickens

Don snapped some photos of me in the studio yesterday

House with Art Studio 4-Sale in VT Price Reduced

2012-02-04T17:39:00.000-08:00

House with large bright art studio for sale in Brattleboro, VT
***PRICE REDUCED TO $219,000.00. ***
Please pass this link on. We have reduced the price $16,900.00!!!!!
Click on link below to see more info and lots of photos of the house
Click here to see more photos and lots of info

Steaming Silk in Interfacing; Sheep Painting After Steaming

2012-02-03T10:34:00.000-08:00

I steamed the sheep silk painting this morning using a different method for rolling the silk than I normally do. For years I have been rolling in framers paper, 2 sheets of paper between each painting and then a final piece around the whole roll to protect from it drips in the horizontal steamer. I do it a little differently for the vertical bullet steamer but will save that for another post.

There has been a lot of chat on the Silk Painters International (SPIN) Facebook Page about how people roll their silk to steam it. The discussion reminded me of a time when I had used interfacing to roll my silk in for steaming. I was commissioned to do some large paintings for a magician and stage actor to use in his stage shows.The paintings were too large to steam in my horizontal steamer but there were a lot of paintings in the order so I bought a bullet or vertical steamer. My framers paper roll was too small to roll the big paintings so I started asking around and found out that a lot of my friends that had actually studied fiber arts in collage had been taught to roll the silk in interfacing for the steaming process. The idea being that it was more gentle and flexible than the paper which can be ridged and cause wrinkles, and because it is a non-woven synthetic interfacing the dyes simply would not adhere to it and bleed. You can just keep using it over and over again and throw it in the washer when needed. You can sew pieces together to get the size you want, the sewing part is easier if you wash it first to soften it up. Also be sure that you do not buy fuseable or heat bond interfacing. You want just the old fashioned sew-in kind with some weight to it, not the really thin stuff.

I still added a piece of paper as the final wrap around the bundle to protect from drips. It may not be necessary but I wasn't in the mood to find out on this painting.

Loading the silk painting wrapped in interfacing and an outer layer of paper into the steamer

After 2 hours of steaming the painting came out of the steamer damp but in excellent condition

When I washed the painting the dye was extremely well set and there was very little surface dye coming of in the water. After washing I rolled it in a white towel and there was not staining from unstruck surface dye.

The wet painting drying on the line after washing, waiting to be ironed.

Silk Painting Almost Done

2012-02-02T04:27:00.000-08:00

I have a Dr appointment today so this will be a quick post but I am just about done with the silk painting and will most likely be steaming it this afternoon unless I do any more tweaking.Here are some photos I took yesterday of various stages during the painting process. I have not taken a photo of the finished piece yet because I kept adjusting it last night. I will photo it before and after I steam it and will post photos tomorrow of the finished piece.

Adding Some Dyes to the Sheep Painting

2012-02-01T05:47:00.000-08:00

I layered in some dye on the sheep painting yesterday. I was really battling fatigue so I didn't get as much done as I would have liked to but today is another day!

My Silk Painting Studio

2012-01-31T06:04:00.000-08:00

Wasn't feeling well yesterday so I didn't make any new progress on my silk paintings but I did take a couple of photos of my studio and I will share those with you today.

My assortment of dyes and brushes and a double stainless steel sink

Another shot of the area around the sink where I keep my dyes, brushes and resists

Looking out the door towards the deck and hot tub with Bilbo Baggins (Billy) soaking up the sun on the floor

Half of my work table folds down in case I want to set up my easel and work with oils or acrylics or if I am doing very large work and need more floor room


My drawing table and stacks of sketchbooks and inspiration

Looking back towards the end of the studio where I keep my silk steamers and stretchers. Kind of hard to see in this photo

You can see my 2 silk steamers and two burner Garland in the background and my stretchers hang above them on the wall

Bilbo and Mia my trusty studio companions and sun soaker uppers ;~)

Steaming Silk & Studio Assistants (of the Furry Persuasion)

2012-01-30T04:46:00.000-08:00

I steamed 4 silks yesterday to set the Resistad resist that I used on them and took some photos of the process.

Rolling the silk between sheets of framers paper in preparation for the steamer

The roll of 4 resisted silks ready for the steamer. You can see my 2 silk steamers in the background.

Loading the roll into the steamer. Hot, hot, hot......

Unloading the roll of steamed silk 1-1/2 hours later. The roll is extremely hot so I just sort of pull it all apart to let it cool off a bit before handling further.

The steamed silk hanging on the line and ready to have the layers of French dyes applied

My 2 silk steamers and my Garland. Above those hang my silk painting stretchers.


Bilbo Baggins, laying on the floor on the right, is supervising the whole steaming operation from his spot in the sun

Bilbo Baggins is one of my fury studio helpers

Miss Mia or "Momma's Mia" as Don like to call her is my other furry studio assistant

I can't stress enough the importance of having studio assistants of the furry persuasion. These guys are my comic relief when things get stressful and they offer free unlimited cuddle therapy

Applying Resistad to Silk with Air Pen Pro

2012-01-29T05:42:00.000-08:00

I have been using my trusty Air Pen Pro, (not the same as the regular Air Pen which I am told is not very good), to apply Resistad to 4 silk paintings. The Air Pen Pro is great for people with arthritis in their hands.

The day before I mix my Dupont noir/black dye with some Resistad (about 50/50) and I let it thicken over night. Resistad is available from Procolour in NZ: Procolour Website

Then I gather all of my Air Pen Pro accessories and fill the applicator with the Resistad that has been colored with the Dupont noir dye

This last relapse I had left my hands pretty weak so I needed to go back to wearing my compression gloves and my lines were a little more wiggly but then again my customers are always telling me that the wiggly, whimsical nature of my paintings is what draws them to my work. So that may be a good thing ;~)

After the resist has been applied to the silk and it is left in the stretchers until the resist is dry.

Once the resist is dry I remove the silk from the stretchers and hang it on the line for safe keeping overnight. Tomorrow I will steam the silk to set the black Dupont dye in the resist. The steaming process will also activate the holding properties of the Resistad. Steaming creates more of a wax-like resist than heat setting with an iron does, however some people also get remarkable results by just heat setting with an iron. The alcohol in the Dupont dye is very caustic to the Resistad so steam setting it works best for me. Another bonus to batch steam setting the resisted silk is that I can roll them all up pop them in the steamer for 1-1/2 hours and go onto working on something else. I can't imagine standing over all of these paintings ironing each and every line until it is properly heat set.

Conte Pencil vs Quilters Pencil on Silk

2012-01-28T05:31:00.000-08:00

Conte Pencil

Ok so I have done 4 drawings on silk with the Conte pencil instead of the grey quilters pencil I normally use and I am really loving it. The quilters pencil was causing too many problems, so when my silk painter friend Don Baker recommended vine charcoal or Conte pencil to trace drawings on to silk I jumped at the chance to try something new.

In the past I have tried the disappearing pen and I hated it. The blue water soluble pens, also hated that, so I settled on the quilters pencil as the lesser of 3 evils. The problem I was having with the quilters pencil was that you had to push really hard and that hurt my arthritic hands......a lot! Plus by pushing hard the pencil tip was constantly breaking, I mean like every few strokes it would break again. Then there was the problem of the lines not washing out all the way, that was really annoying because it it supposed to be a water soluble pencil. The Conte pencil flows so easily onto the silk that you need to apply very little pressure. It takes such a light hand to draw that I was able to put 4 drawings onto silk in one day. I never could have done that with the quilters pencil or my hands would be aching! Also the tip never breaks, not once during all those drawings did the tip break!!! Wooo hooo!!!!!


Pentel Click Eraser

My biggest concern with the Conte pencil was that it also would not wash out and I am still in the testing phase here but today I discovered something cool about it. In the past when I incorrectly drew a line with the quilters pencil I used a Pentel Click Eraser to erase it but it would not come out totally. Even water would not take it out all the way. Yesterday when I made a mistake with a line on the silk I tried the Pentel click Eraser but it was not taking it out all the way so I got a paper towel and dampened it and it came out so easily with such little residue that I feel confident the dyes will cover it. So I am loving my Conte pencil on silk!!!! Thanks so much Don Baker. In return for this great tip I am posting your web link here: Don Baker Silks Website

Wiping the Conte pencil off with a damp paper towel worked great. You want to draw lightly with the Conte pencil but to me that is part of the beauty of it, you don't need to press hard and wear out your hands!

My stash of Conte Pencils

Prepping the Silk & Transfering the Drawings onto Silk

2012-01-27T07:29:00.000-08:00

In the above photos I am cutting/tearing the silk to the size I need it to be for the paintings I am working on. Then I coat the silk with an antidiffusant that will help me get more of a watercolor effect when I paint the dyes on the silk. It will also give me more control over the spread of the dyes. After the silk is coated it is hung on a line in my studio to dry.

In the photos above I am pinning the silk to the wall so I can transfer my sketch onto the silk with a Conte' pencil. I usually use a water soluble quilters pencil but have been having a lot of problems with them so Don Baker suggested using soft vine charcoal or Conte' pencil. The vine charcoal did not work because of the small details in these paintings but the Conte' worked great. I have to say it was a heck of a lot easier tracing the drawing with the Conte' instead of the quilters pencil! It was so smooth and required nowhere near as much pressure as the quilters pencil does. I just pray it washes out because there is some wax in the Conte' pencils and that was one of the problems I was having with the quilters pencils, the wax in them was not allowing them to wash out totally.

The photos below show the silk with the sketches already traced onto the silk hanging on the line for safe keeping until I am ready to apply the resist.

Another Sketch & Preparing the Silk

2012-01-26T09:38:00.000-08:00

I did two more sketches for silk painting ideas but I only managed to photograph one. I think I will call this one "Watching and Waiting"

Cutting the silk to the right size for the paintings I am planning to do. Actually I tear the silk more than cut it because tearing it gives a nice clean line

Coating the silk with a special starch prior to transferring my sketches onto it


Hanging the pre-coated silk to dry

Shores of Avalon

2012-01-25T05:44:00.000-08:00

Dedicating this song to my Husband's beloved Mother.
Dad will be there waiting for you Mom, you both have waited a long time for this sweet reunion. The heavens are ringing with joy today in celebration of your reunion.

The Shores of Avalon
"Be brave my love,
The time has come,
To cross the Tintigale sea,
The fragrant air,
The apple blossoms,
Have all been beckoning,
And there we'll stand,
Looking out upon the world that we've known,
All fear will be gone
When we reach the shores of Avalon,
You'll be greeted there,
By maidens fair,
With eyes of the royal sea,
In the garden they will braid your hair,
With violets and rosemary,
And there we'll stand,
Looking out upon the world that we've known,
All fear will be gone,
when we reach the shores of Avalon,
when we reach the shores of Avalon,
when we reach the shores of Avalon,
Feel the wind on your face,
As we cross the stormy sea,
Close your eyes,
Dont look back,
Theres nothing left to see,
The other night,
You came to me,
Like an angel you appeared,
And we climbed the endless sky,
And held each other near,
And there we'll stand,
Looking out upon the world that we've known
All fear will be gone,
When we reach the shores of Avalon,
When we reach the shores of Avalon,
When we reach the shores of Avalon,
Be brave my love."

3 New Drawings....Which One Should I Paint on Silk First?

2012-01-24T07:08:00.000-08:00

I finished the 3 sketches I was working on and I'm trying to decide which one I should paint on silk first. What do you think? Also I need ideas for short titles of the paintings.

New Spring/Summer Sketches on Paper & Silk

2012-01-23T10:51:00.000-08:00

Went back to the drawing board today....literally! Today I was blessed with enough energy to work on some sketches for some paintings to send out to my galleries when they do the spring/summer inventory change out. There are 3 new sketches on paper that I am working on and 2 drawings that I traced onto silk last fall. The 2 on silk were meant to be fall/winter scenes but I never got them completed and am now toying with the idea of transforming them into summer paintings.

Every time I started to think ahead to transferring the drawing to silk, applying the resist and dyes and steaming etc I got overwhelmed. The chronic fatigue has been especially intense on this cleanse, I am told that can happen. So anyway I set my mind to just enjoy one step at a time and today it was sketching and once I gave myself that space I really enjoyed being back in the studio!

Click to enlarge

Sketches on Silk Click to Enlarge

Sketch on Silk Click to Enlarge

Hubby is building 2 more Tiny Houses

2012-01-21T06:36:00.000-08:00

Tiny House by Don Marcille of Small Dog Handyman (Click Photo to Enlarge)

This is a photo of a "Tiny House" my husband, Don Marcille, built in Morgan, Vermont. It measured 16 x 24 and had a loft and a screened in porch.

He is building another one in Guilford, this Spring and possibly one on Brattleboro this Summer. The owners of both plan to rent them out as an extra source of income.

After we move to the Westminster/Putney Vermont area we are considering building the shells onsite and taking orders for them.

Dug out 2 UFO's & Added Dragonflies and flowers

2012-01-20T05:32:00.000-08:00

Fooled around with some dragonfly images yesterday. The background on each of these was painted last year and set aside in my UFO pile (unfinished object pile). I dug them out and added foreground images on yesterday.

Gotta go clean house today because we are showing it on Saturday...wish us luck!

Blindly Sewing Into the Forest

2012-01-19T05:48:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I dragged out my old Brother sewing machine to see if there was anyway I could get those dang feed dogs to go down but no such luck. So I proceeded to try and do some stitching on my small art quilt despite the fact that the presser foot was solid and I could not see what I was stitching at all. Well it didn't work out to well and I got a killer back ache but I loved the process of tracing around the drawing with stitch and it made me even more motivated to try to find a quilting machine with feed dogs that drop within my almost nonexistent budget.

The sloppiness of my lines is testimony to the fact that the pressure foot was completely blocking the view of where I was trying to go with my stitching. Still I just couldn't make myself stop because I was really loving it.

I finally did give up because my back was killing me. I think in the future I may try stitching on my tall work table with my painters stool in an almost upright position.

This is the back side of the piece showing the tree outlines.

I finally did give up because I truly could not see where I was going with the stitching. Perhaps I will play around with some hand stitching on this next.

Mixed Media Paintings Begging to be Stitched

2012-01-18T07:00:00.000-08:00

I have been working on some mixed media paintings, actually the backgrounds were painted months ago and lately I have been adding more layers to them. Looking them over last night I feel like they are begging to be stitched. I have been dreaming lately about buying a sewing machine that will do free motion embroidery but finances are tight during this midwinter lull in sales. Do to the economy I actually had the worst holiday sales season I have ever had, so buying an expensive sewing machine feels a bit like a dream. Perhaps I will explore doing some hand stitching on one to see how it goes. If you know someone that has a free motion embroidery machine they want to find a good home for at a very low price let me know.

Creating with CFS: Abstract Digital Paintings from Food

2012-01-17T06:21:00.000-08:00

Digitally Manipulated Photo of Romaine Lettuce

Well this cleanse I am on has not made an impact on my chronic fatigue as quickly as I had hoped it would and I was starting to get pretty depressed about not being able to work in the studio. Creating during bouts of oppressive fatigue or pain flares seems impossible most of the time and this cleanse diet is taking so much of my time and energy each day just preparing the juices and raw foods that there is no energy left for the studio.

Yesterday as I was washing the 4 pounds of organic produce it takes to make our daily batch of juice and I was inspired by all the beautiful veggies lining my counter top. There was a rainbow of textures and colors and I had a little burst of inspiration. I grabbed my camera and took photos of the veggies and then digitally manipulated them on my computer. Even if I didn't create anything brilliant I really enjoyed getting deeply lost in the creative process. I have missed that so much over the last couple of months. It seemed like such an appropriate subject for me to play with since healing foods have become a bit of an obsession with us while we are on this cleanse.

Digitally Manipulated Photo of a Tomato and Cucumber

Digitally Manipulated Photo of Vanilla Extract on Almond Milk

Digitally Manipulated Photo of a Garlic Bulb

Digitally Manipulated Photo of Blueberries

Digitally Manipulated Photo of an Apple

Theif in the Night, Goodbye 2011

2011-12-31T06:33:00.000-08:00

"Light Bearer" is a painting I did after seeing the Brazilian healer John of God

Happy New Year's Eve! Hard to believe that tomorrow will be 2012. A year of promise and new opportunities.

Last night I had a dream that a thief came during the night. That's all I remember, all of the other details were lost in the deep folds of sleep. This morning I woke happier than I have felt in a very long time and I had the distinct sense that through all of this hard work I am doing with this cleansing way of eating something wonderful is occurring within me. I think my "thief in the night" was invited by me to steal away all the things that no longer serve me. In opening my heart, cleansing and detoxing my body and leaving the door to my deepest self ajar I invited this "thief' to steal away my illness, inflammation, pain, depression, anger, grief. Bit by bit he comes at night while my body rests and each morning I awaken with a little less pain, a little less inflammation and a lot less depression.

My heart is so filled with gratitude this morning. Through this very limited way of eating I really think I have finally found the key to beating this inflammatory-autoimmune disease. 11 years ago I was bitten by a tick and my life descended into a living hell for the next 6 years with no diagnosis. Finally I was diagnosed with Advanced Neurological Lyme Disease and Ankylosing Spondylitis. For the next 5 years I tried every possible means to get well and some things brought improvement others did not. Last winter I was using a combination of a wheelchair, walker and cane to get around. I was paralyzed by fatigue and suffered constant pain. To say I was depressed is an understatement. I was told by my Neurologist to "Go home, get cable TV and a comfy recliner and to make myself comfortable". I looked her in the eye and said "I can't do that, I'm not done yet"

I went to see the Brazilian healer John of God in September and began doing some deep spiritual work. I continued to work with an intuitive healer using biological medicines and I began to make small changes in my diet. Once I felt comfortable with these small changes I cut everything out of my diet except for large amounts of organic vegetables and limited amounts of beans, tofu, nuts, seeds and very limited low sugar fruit. I began making fresh juice and continued drinking my VitaMix green smoothies. The change in my condition since I changed my way of eating has been remarkable in a very short time.

"Radiance" is another painting I did after seeing the Brazilian healer John of God

I am over the moon excited about what 2012 is going to bring. I can't wait to build up enough energy to get back in the studio so that I can explore this new passion I have for creating Art Cloth and making Art Quilts. I feel so energized at the thought of this new creative path and doing some work that is more geared towards abstract, intuitive work than my silk painting, which is more realism based. I am more stirred up creativity than I have been in years. Maybe all that pent up creative energy from all those years of illness keeping me out of the studio is ready to burst forth.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Wishing you an abundance of peace, joy and health in 2012

Green Gold, The Art of Healing via Juicing

2011-12-30T12:28:00.000-08:00

In my never ending journey to kick this autoimmune diseases butt I have radically changed my diet. Don and are are on what could best be described as a combination of vegan/raw/grain-free/juice cleanse diet. We have survived our first week and are settling into this way of eating quite nicely. I have lost 6 pounds in 5 days which is a nice bonus.

This diet is not for the faint of heart because I spend most of my day buying, washing, chopping, juicing and preparing veggies for meals. It is a lot of work, but from what we have read and seen in documentaries it is a sure fire cure for inflammatory-autoimmune diseases among a holy host of other conditions as well.

The inspiration for this way of eating came from many sources in our lives but two documentries had a very strong influance on us. The first one was "Forks over Knives", you can see trailer here: Forks Over Knives Preview and the other was "Fat Sick & Nearly Dead", you can see that trailer here: Fat Sick & Nearly Dead preview. Both of these films are incredibly inspiring and after watching them I had to try this way of eating for myself. It all just made too much sense not to. Don and I were also intrigued by The Gerson Therapy diet. You can see a movie preview about that here: The beautiful Truth

I bought the book "Juicing, Fasting, and Detoxing for Life" by Cherie Calbom MS and with our Doctors guidance we are following a modified version of her cleanse. For the first few weeks we are eating 50% to 75% raw organic veggie, green smoothies and fresh veggie juices. The remaining 50% to 25% is cooked veggies, beans, nuts, seeds and tofu. Our goal is to move to as high a percent raw veggie diet as possible cutting back on the nuts, tofu and beans. Then we will start her colon cleanse program. We are adding the fiber drink included in her program 1x a day starting tomorrow.

So that is the plan of attack. I will keep you posted on our healing through cleansing journey! Here are some photos of our juicing process.

Getting all the veggies out of the fridge and onto the counter and starting to wash them. I will end up using about 4 lbs of organic produce.

Washing the veggies with "Veggie Wash" and then rinsing them with filtered water.

Setting up the juicer and gathering up the washed veggies

All that work and 4 lbs of organic produce for a bit of this liquid, green gold!

Putting the surplus washed veggies in containers for easy storage in the fridge until the whole process starts over tomorrow

The Unleashed Mind: Why Creative People Are Eccentric

2011-12-18T05:51:00.000-08:00

Almost scary how much of this article relates to my personality, very interesting! Explains why socializing is so utterly difficult for me among other things ;~)

"The Unleashed Mind: Why Creative People Are Eccentric

Highly creative people often seem weirder than the rest of us. Now researchers know why

People who are highly creative often have odd thoughts and behaviors—and vice versa.
Both creativity and eccentricity may be the result of genetic variations that increase cognitive disinhibition—the brain’s failure to filter out extraneous information.
When unfiltered information reaches conscious awareness in the brains of people who are highly intelligent and can process this information without being overwhelmed, it may lead to exceptional insights and sensations."

Click here to read entire article

Printing on Pretreated Cotton, Side by Side comparison

2011-12-16T08:24:00.000-08:00

I had purchased some Tailor Computer Printer Fabric at a craft store in Keene last year and that is what I printed my "Moonlit Yurt" painting on since the other inkjet cotton sheets I had ordered had not arrived yet. The print on the Tailor cotton came out really faint and a lot of the color was missing so I further embellished it with fabric pastels, paints and stitch. The paper was really flimsy and didn't want to feed through my EPSON R2400 (which prints with archival pigmented inks not regular inks). When the print came out of the printer is was smeared and it had hit the print head on the edges so there was black ink all over the edges.

Yesterday my EQ Printables Ink Jet Fabric (Cotton) Sheets arrived so I tested them and there was a huge difference in quality and color. Here are some photos showing the differance.

The Tailor sheets on the left were really flimsy and curled up. The ink smeared on the painting and the edges hit the printer heads leaving smeared black ink all over the edges. Both sheets were printed using my EPSON R2400 with archival pigmented inks. There color was very faded on the Tailor sheet.
The EQ Printables sheet was a totally different story. The color was rich, fully saturated and true to the original art. There were no smears at all and the sheet feed through the printer perfectly. The print remained flat and the edges did not curl all up.

The Tailor sheet, on the left, had to be taped down to get it uncurled enough to even photograph. The image smudged across the whole painting shown at the top of this photo.Also the edges were smeared with black ink, which made a total mess of everything it touched.

No comparing the color the EQ Printables, pictured on the bottom, won hands down!

Another shot showing the smearing of the painting on the bottom and the black ink on the edges.

So for ease of printing, color saturation and color matching, high quality thick sheets that feed easily through the printer EQ Printables won. However after soaking and rinsing as directed ,when I went to quilt it it was still quite stiff and did not show the stitches as well as the softer Tailor cotton did. I am further experimenting with washing with Ivory liquid dish detergent (can be used as a substitute for Synthrapol). I scrubbed the fabric back sides together to soften it up and I now have it soaking in fabric softener. I will let you know if this helps soften it up to allow the quilting stitches to show up more. Also if it retains its rich color after all this abuse.

More Stitching on my "Moonlit Yurt" Experimental Art Quilt

2011-12-15T07:32:00.000-08:00

I did some more stitching on my art quilt experiment "Moonlit Yurt" last night. I love the slowness of the stitching. I am such an impatient artist and my silk paintings feed that need for immediacy because in silk painting you must work very quickly while the dyes are still wet. The slowness of working up this image using different mediums and then stitching back into it is proving to be very calming to my hyperactive mind. I find it very restful and addictive.

I experimented with different threads and found that the old silk thread I used broke with the slightest pull but the cotton thread could be pulled tightly with no problems. The metallic thread in the moon was very thin so I doubled it and I am not sure if I am happy with that affect. In some places I fell more into embroidery type stitching so in the grass area I tried to settle into more of a pattern of stitches.

I used two different types and colors of thread in the grass the light green was the old silk thread I had hanging around and the breakage gave me fits in spots.

The photo below shows it as it is now. Not sure where to go from here, more stitching, or what type of backing/mounting to use?

I ordered some books and DVD's that I hope will help me learn more about quilting stitches and materials used. I posted questions on Facebook on SDA, TAFA, SPIN but I did not get much of a response at all so it looks like I need to hit the books ;~)

Art Quilt Experimentation 1st Attempt

2011-12-14T07:11:00.000-08:00

I have been really craving creating something with more texture and more experimental than my traditional paintings on silk. I have long admired art quilts but I am by no means a sewer myself so I never really thought of going that route. However lately the pull has been so strong I decided I want to experiment with some stitches on various pieces of art cloth. I will post some photos of my first experiment in process. It clearly shows me that I need some instruction on the stitching aspect as mine is incredibly sloppy but so far I love doing it.

Last night while Don and I watched a movie I stitched away on my little painting and I found it very relaxing. I did not have a plan in mind for the stitches and that showed up in my work so for the next phase on this piece I think I will try to be a little more consistent in my stitching.

The photo below is my image before I started stitching

In the photo below I have stitched the moon, tree and part of the border outline

Still working on it but clearly need to learn more about stitching. Really enjoying fooling around with it though.

House with Large Bright Artists Studio For Sale

2011-10-21T06:43:00.000-07:00

This Charming Bungalow, in the award winning, artsy town of Brattleboro, has been extensively renovated and is packed with surprises. There is a front screened porch, a back sun porch, a circular stone patio, and a deck complete with hot tub, all on a lushly landscaped, fenced lot that is walking distance to shopping and downtown! And if that's not enough there is a large bright artist's studio with a double sink and sliding glass door that leads to the back deck (and hot tub)! The house is close to the hospital and doctors offices so if your not an artist the studio would make a perfect space for a chiropractor or massage therapist etc. It would also make a great family room or in-law apartment.

The adorable carport with it's high pitched roof offers plenty of storage above and also has an attached shed at the back . There is even an extra parking space to the right of the house where we park our RV.

We have created a website with lots more information about the house: http://www.brattleborohouse-studioforsale.com/

Color Sketch for Painting on Silk, John of God

2011-09-20T13:53:00.000-07:00

Here is a color sketch I did on my iPad for another painting on silk I want to do. I have been quite sick for the last 2 weeks but am leaving to see the healer John of God from Brazil in a few days so my hopes for healing are high.

New Sketches Betsy's Hens and December Morning

2011-09-16T05:14:00.000-07:00

Have been struggling with the health thing for the last couple of weeks so I am spending a lot of time in bed or resting. I did one sketch on paper but the other one I did on my iPad while in bed. I am so grateful to have the iPad to use as a creative outlet when I am really struggling with the fatigue issues.

The painting with the chickens is named after my High School friend Betsy. At our 30th high school reunion she asked me to do a painting with chickens in it, She has her own flock of laying hens and they are her beloved pets. So here it is Betsy! It will eventually become a painting on silk.

Commisioned House Portrait on Silk

2011-09-07T14:40:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of the commissioned house portrait I have been working on. It is such a beautiful house it was a joy to paint it.

House & Studio For Sale 52 Belmont Ave, Brattleboro, VT

2011-08-23T12:30:00.000-07:00

Click on link below for more info:

House & Studio For Sale in Brattleboro, VT

Commissioned House Portrait on Silk

2011-08-23T07:54:00.000-07:00

I have been working on a commissioned house portrait on silk. It is my first silk painting since my relapse last fall so I am feeling really blessed to be back in the studio working on silk again. My fatigue is still very high so it is slow going but it is coming out nicely. I will post photos below of my progress so far.

House with Art Studio for Sale in Vermont

2011-08-21T18:49:00.000-07:00

Hey folks, We are selling our house and it has a great art studio. It is in Brattleboro, VT Here is a link to the website advertising it, there are lots of photos and more info on the website. Please pass the link onto anyone that you think may be interested. House and Art Studio for Sale in Vermont

Update, we got a slew of panicked emails from friends and customers this morning after posting this news last night. Everyone is wondering where we are moving to. Don't worry we are just moving 20 min up the road and Don will still be working in Brattleboro 3 Days a week. So no fears we will be close by! Just want to be in the country again.

Transparent

2011-08-02T07:16:00.000-07:00

When a person asks me why I choose to be so open and transparent I'm honestly perplexed. What benefit would come from being the opposite? We're all on the same journey from birth to death and we can only learn from others if they share their true selves with the world. My teachers have always been the ones that displayed their wounds and flaws as if they were brightly colored prayer flags stirred by the breeze of our collective breath.

I'm not as interested in your ascent and the comfortable place your sucess has brought you to. I'm more interested in what you brought with you from the depths of your lowest point. What did grace bestow upon you in your pit of despair? Are you willing to open an old wound, allowing the flame that still burns within it to become a beacon for others so that they may not stumble in the dark?

Show me who you really are and you will have taken the first step in healing the world.

~L. Marcille

katieg88's favorites

2011-07-27T10:57:00.001-07:00

katieg88's favorites on Flickr.

Awesome collection of studio photos on Flickr. Mine is included in there somewhere!

The last Robin chick hatched, Legal to treat Lyme in NH now!, Elizabeth Chalker Update.

2011-06-17T07:30:00.000-07:00

There are 4 chicks now keeping Mama busy as you can see by the worm in her beak.

"New Hampshire residents suffering from chronic Lyme disease will no longer have to worry about finding a doctor who will treat with long-term antibiotics.

A bill, HB 295, that states doctors are free to treat Lyme disease with long-term antibiotics and cannot be punished by the Board of Medicine because of such prescriptions was passed Thursday.

The bill's prime sponsor Gary Daniels, R-Milford, said the bill is an important step in helping both patients and doctors as it acknowledges chronic Lyme disease is a real ailment.

The text of the bill reads, "No licensee may be subject to disciplinary action solely for prescribing, administering, or dispensing long-term antibiotic therapy for a patient clinically diagnosed with Lyme disease, if diagnosis and treatment has been documented and monitored in the physician's medical record for that patient."
Link to Whole Story

For those of you interested in helping Elizabeth Chalker, here is more info.

SICK WOMAN'S LAST CHANCE RELIES ON FINDING CHARTER FLIGHT TO OUT-OF-STATE DOC

Internet “Family” of Chronically Ill Patients Races to Save One of Their Own

BOCA RATON, FL (June 15, 2011) – Forty-year-old Elizabeth Chalker was a hardworking psychologist and athlete when she became debilitated eight years ago. For the past four years, bed-bound and ravaged by pain, Chalker's been alone, with only her dog, Symon, at her side. Misdiagnosed, then denied treatment by numerous local doctors, Chalker wrote a book from bed on how “raw faith” has kept her Hanging On by the Scratch Marks My Nails Left Behind.

Symon is gone, but Chalker is no longer alone, and her chance for recovery relies on the help of an unknown pilot and a group of people she's never met. A Facebook page of over 150 people – most strangers and severely ill themselves or caretakers of those who are – are working night-and-day to get Chalker on a private jet by Sunday, June 19, to see a specialist in Maryland.

Chalker suffers from late-stage Lyme disease, multiple co-infections, endometriosis (resulting in nine surgeries), and other complications. Though her conditions are treatable, the years of misdiagnoses have left her in such a frail condition that no area doctors are willing to treat her.

“We tried every doctor here,” says Corey Cameron, a Boca Raton, Fla., chiropractor who says Chalker “is like a daughter” to her. “Close to a hundred doctors. They all said, 'She needs the specialists who can treat her properly, her case is too complicated.'”

It was Cameron who found Dr. Shoemaker in Pocomoke, Maryland, and will make the complicated trip, requiring – among other things – a cooler of ice packs to keep Chalker's temperature stable. “Dr. Shoemaker has reviewed her case extensively and believes he can help save her life. Because of Florida laws, he cannot come here. We have to get Elizabeth to him.”

The “Save Elizabeth” campaign has spawned a youtube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbvQBZ9KUt0), website (http://www.helpelizabeth.net/), and raised $10,000 but organizers say either a pilot who can donate their time, or $15,000 must be raised in the next four days.

Writer Alice Walker, who once endured Lyme, herself, responded to Chalker's friends by sending a “Save Elizabeth” message on Twitter. The volunteers hope this will help raise funds for the charter jet.

The volunteers are often hampered in their efforts by their own struggles. Shelly Schrolucke of Orlando, Fla., had two planned radio appearances to speak about Chalker's plight. “I ended up in the hospital with an infected central line in my chest,” she says. “I was septic and in no shape to talk to anyone.” Now, however, Schrolucke is emailing everyone she knows, pleading for her friend's life.

Helen Raser, also of Orlando, visits Chalker as often as she can, but is limited by providing full-time care to her daughter, Teri, also a Lyme sufferer. “I can't begin to fathom [Chalker's] terror – being alone in horrific pain and suffering [around the clock] except for a couple visits a week from [Cameron],” Raser says, who has been in tears many times at the generosity of those who are also ill and strapped going to great lengths to raise funds. “Especially because she can't sleep more than a few minutes or an hour at a time. I'm so grateful to everyone who has made Elizabeth know how much she is loved.”

A Special Needs Trust Fund has been established for contributions. Contributions can be made online via PayPal at http://www.helpelizabeth.net/ or by checks, payable to 'Elizabeth L. Chalker S.N.T.' and mailed to Elizabeth Chalker c/o DR. Corey Cameron, 6292 La Costa Dr., Suite D, Boca Raton, Florida 33433.
Cameron believes it fitting that this group of ill strangers has come together to help her friend. “Despite all of the impossibilities of her health, the unspeakable pain, and her circumstances, Elizabeth remains the most loving, giving, caring, funny, and remarkable person I have ever known. If there was ever anyone who would pay forward this sort of help, and make a difference in this world, it is Elizabeth.”

"The Butterfly Girl", a painting I dedicated to Elizabeth

I hope you will visit and "Like" my Facebook Studio Page! My Facebook Page Link

Butterfly Girl, Elizabeth Chalker, Robin's Eggs Hatching

2011-06-16T16:16:00.000-07:00

I finished up the "Butterfly Girl" painting today. I painted the red hair in honor of Elizabeth Chalker who is currently battling for her life against Advanced Neurological Lyme disease. I surrounded Elizabeth by butterflies in the background and while I was working on the painting I set the intention for her to be well and pain free!!! For more info on Elizabeth's battle with this terrible disease go to: http://www.helpelizabeth.net/

I am having a huge pain flare in my jaw making it impossible to chew so I am eating soft foods and drinking a lot of green smoothies. The pain has traveled up into my ear again and is causing a lot if dizziness and balance problems. Despite that I was still able to get out and go for a walk and I am still feeling so blessed that I can walk again. Here are some photos from my walk this morning.

And last but not least the Robin that has nested in the lilac bush outside my studio has hatched a third egg. I guess number 4 is a late starter ;~)

I hope you will visit and "Like" my Facebook Studio Page! My Facebook Page Link

Photo of Baby Robins Hatching & Paintings

2011-06-15T16:50:00.000-07:00

Mama Robin in the nest

Robins Eggs Hatching

I found a baby cardinal in the road, when I looked up there were a bunch of fuzzy little baby cardinals in the tree above. Mama and papa cardinal were having a fit so I picked him up and put him back in the tree. Then I got home and found the robins outside my studio were hatching. Been a bird day ;~)

Here are some photos of my latest mixed media paintings. The girl with the red hair is a work in progress, need to paint in her hair detail tomorrow.

One Painting Done, Another in the works

2011-06-07T15:05:00.000-07:00

It was cranking hot today so I went out for my walk really early and when I got back I made up a batch of green smoothies in the Vita Mix and headed into the studio. I finished "Twas a Robin Taught me How to Sing" today and started another mixed media painting.You can click on the pictures to enlarge them.

Below is the background. I put a layer of taping compound on the canvas and carved out various textures and shapes. After it dried I coated it with gesso and started to paint the background layers. At this point I had no idea what I would paint on top of it so I just went to town on it.

Then I started to get a vision for the lady that appears here with the Robin. The saying came to me after the painting was finished.

Here is the one I started today. I forgot to photo the background after I had finished it. The surface painting came to me right after the background was done so I started to sketch her in with paint. It will be interesting to see where she goes from here.

Mixed Media Painting and a Smoothie to Boot

2011-06-02T06:28:00.000-07:00

I did a mixed media painting on paper yesterday and it was a blast!!!!! So much less demanding that painting on silk and more suited to the exploratory style of painting that tends to be so healing and delightful. Don took some photos of me working on it. Just as I was taking the photos of the finished pairing we got an intense thunderstorm and the lighting in the studio got very dark and grey/blue so the color is way off on the finished painting. It is not that muddy looking. I will have to re photo it at some point.

I called today's breakfast smoothie "Summers Bounty" it has a lot of goodies in it and may seem over the top but if you just use a small amount of each of the following ingredients it is awesome. The ginger gives it a nice little spicy bite ;~)
1/5 a container Tofu
1/2 cup Coconut water (not coconut milk)
watermelon
peach
celery
pineapple slice
1/2 a small lime
Kiwi 1/2
papaya slice
Kale, part of a leaf
zucchini chunk
cucumber chunk
Spinach
very small amount of ginger
2 TLB Walnuts
Ground Flax seed
a handful of a spring mix that included the following:
Beet greens
Red & Green romaine
Red and green chard
Muzuna
Frisse
Arugula
Tat-sol
Mustard greens
6 or more ice cubes

Cool Morning Dew Smoothie

2011-06-01T06:47:00.000-07:00

I am so in love with my Vita Mix! I took Bilbo for a walk this morning and by the time we got back the sun was already getting pretty hot. I wanted to make my morning green drink real crisp and cooling so I went to the fridge and started pulling out fruits and veggies. It came out so cool and refreshing I thought I would share it. I used a lot of ice so it was really thick, light and cold!

Cool Morning Dew Smoothie:
Spinah
Kale
Pineapple
Lemon
Watermelon
Kiwi
Mango
Flax Seed
Ice Cubes

Celebrating Healing and Increased Mobility!!!!!

2011-05-31T06:13:00.000-07:00

My life seems to be one celebration after another lately. Here is just a few of the things I am celebrating:

I can once again move about the house without a cane and lately I have been experimenting with not using it in the grocery store....I can always grab the cart if need be.

I can go for short walks alone around the neighborhood

I can stand for the length of time it takes to shower so the shower chair is GONE!!!!!!

I'm able to do some light house cleaning so my house is cleaner

I'm able to prepare and cook meals and have the energy to make my green drinks in my Vita Mix again!!

I am doing the laundry (even carried a small load up the stairs) freeing up more time for Don.

I am sleeping more hours during the night and have less pain at night!

I am able to do short stints in the studio playing around with acrylics and easy projects

Brain swelling is decreasing so I have less brain fog (although still have a ways to go in that department), less headaches and vision is a little better

I find that I can go out a do short activities as long as I plan to rest the next day. Two days in a row sets me back too much.

Pain is better, legs are stronger, mobility is much improved

Inflammation is improving

Hair is growing back Yay!!!!!!

Anyway this is just a short list of some of the many ways I have seen improvement since being brought before John of God and working with the healers at Sojourns. perhaps the most exciting thing is that Don got the bikes out today and I was able to take a short spin around the neighborhood. Don was so blessed to see me on the bike again!

Looking at the photos below it is easy to see the difference between now and a few months ago!

2 Batches of Smoothies for a Hot Summer Day!

2011-05-30T10:21:00.000-07:00

I am really falling in love with this mixed media painting trend so Sunday Don drove me to Michaels in Keene and I bought some supplies and then we went out to lunch. Today I was feeling really fatigued from the tag sale we had on Saturday and shopping yesterday so painting was out of the question. I though instead t it would be relaxing to make up a couple of batches of smoothies in the Vita Mix.

The first batch (will last 2 of us about a week) was a Green Drink that included veggies and some fruit I needed to use up. The ingredients were:
watermelon
pineapple
apple
mixed spring herbs
mixed spring baby salad greens
Spinach
celery
cucumber
coconut water
The coconut water make it so scrumptious but be sure it doesn't have added sugar or other added junk.

The second batch is one that has been a favorite of our for years. It is very thick almost the consistency of creamy ice cream when you eat it straight away. We eat it with a spoon fresh from the Vita Mix and freeze leftovers which turn out more sherbert like. You need to thaw slightly before eating the frozen batch this can be done by poping it in th emicrowave for a few seconds.
All fruits are FROZEN
Mango chunks
Blueberries
Strawberries
Black and red raspberries
Plain low fat yogurt we use Stonyfield Organic
Very small amount of cranberry raspberry juice
Small amount of water...add more water if Vita Mix jams up because mix has gotten too thick.

Studio Activity, Another Acrylic on Paper

2011-05-25T07:50:00.000-07:00

I started a third experimental painting using acrylic on paper and so far I am not lovin these acrylic paints. Thinking of switching back to gouache or water soluble oils. The acrylic is just so plasticy and dries too fast. At least with the gouache you can blend it even after it is dry. Anyway this is a small complaint compared to the joy I feel at being able to spend time in the studio creating again.

Feeling antsy to get back to painting on silk and screen printing some silk scarves but I don't want to push too hard and set myself back again. I seem to be on an even keel and I want to really honor my body's healing process and not push too hard....still the creative mind is bursting with impatience :~)

Here is the one I am working on now. So nice to see photos of activity in the studio after it being empty for 8 months!

Gratitude

2011-05-19T05:25:00.000-07:00

Having a wee bit of a set back this morning (probably from over doing it the last 2 days), so I have decided to focus on gratitude this morning. Sometimes healing happens so slowly and in such small increments that I think we forget to look back and see were we were and where we are now. Shifting our perspective and looking at our progress from a different vantage point can remind us of the progress we have made on our healing journey.

I was lying in bed and all of a sudden it dawned on me that I no longer need help getting in and out of the shower and a few weeks ago we removed the shower chair from the tub. Being able to take a shower when I want is a huge blessing and the shower chair made me feel so geriatric that it makes me happy every time I step in the shower and it's gone.

I no longer wake up so filled with pain that I feel like I have been sleeping on a stone pillow, instead I am able to lay in bed and meditate for a while before getting up. When I eat my jaw no longer feels like I am chewing on pebbles and I can eat things like steak and apples again! I no longer need a wheelchair, rarely need a walker and around the house I rarely need my cane. And the biggie is that I can hold a brush and paint again for short periods with less pain.

Spending the last 2 days in the studio was so wonderful. I really didn't have much energy to put into my painting projects but just going through the gestures was an awesome experience. Even though I am pretty fatigued this morning I may spend some time in the studio just putting paint on paper with no agenda. Just a light painting experience as exercise for the soul. Then I think I will rest and read some this afternoon.

Below is a painting I was playing with yesterday, I didn't finish it and am not sure I will go back to it but it was fun.

Wooo Hooo first day back in the Studio!!!!

2011-05-18T06:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was an amazing day as I was able to get out some acrylic paints and actually push some paint around on paper for the first time in many months. It was an amazing feeling and I was so filled with gratitude to just be able to be doing some sort of artistic expression that involved physical involvement. I only had enough energy to do a small abstract painting but it felt like a huge accomplishment to me.

I was so charged up I couldn't sleep last night and I am exhausted today but I am thinking of giving it another go to see if I can paint a bit more today. I have never like acrylic paint, preferring oils on canvas or dyes on silk but I have to say I really enjoyed the simplicity the acrylics on paper offered me yesterday. Cleaning up was a snap with is important until my energy levels improve more. I don't have a great selection of colors, just a odd assortment of tubes, I am not even sure where they came from but it is enough to play around with.

Here is my first non digital painting in months. Acrylic on 80Lb paper.

"Beneath the Surface"

I just want to take a moment to acknowledge others that are suffering from debilitating inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. I am holding you in my heart and sending you compassion , love and hopes for remission today.

My Life's Feeling a Bit Like a Beatles Song These Day's........

2011-05-17T06:31:00.000-07:00

The last week has been a week of steady improvement and I am feeling so grateful. I keep thinking of the Beatles song:
"I've got to admit it's getting better
A little better all the time
I have to admit it's getting better
It's getting better
Since you've been mine"

Each day feels incredibly pregnant with possibility. I still have to submit to the fatigue and pain when it comes but I am able to get more done each day in between flares. Yesterday I finished straightening up my studio and after it was done I had wicked pain spasms but I was so overjoyed to see my studio looking so good that I couldn't leave it. Eventually I literally got stuck standing in one spot, frozen with a pain flare, and I had to have Don come in and help me to a chair. It didn't matter though because even just sitting in my studio felt so great.

Last night I did another digital painting in my iPad so my creative juices appear to be flowing again which is awesome! The infection in my arm is healing and although it is still quite painful at times I am able to use it more. I am really dieing to do some real painting in my studio and although I have never been a big fan of acrylic paints I may pull out a dusty old basket I have of them so I can play around a bit with real paint on paper. I have been so grateful for the ability to do the digital paintings while laid up but for me it just does not give me the same release as when I am pushing real paint or dye around on paper or silk.

Here is my latest digital painting. It's called Celestial Angel.

Awakening

2011-05-14T04:46:00.000-07:00

Awakening

I feel as if I am slowly awakening from a long slumber
That I am remembering for the fist time who I really am and why I am here.

It has been a long journey and it is far from over
but it is clear that I am not the only traveler here

There is someone always at my side,
Ready to take my hand the moment I remember to offer it

~L.Marcille

What a Long Strange Trip it's Been!

2011-05-12T07:54:00.000-07:00

Wow it has been a month since I have written a blog post so I am not even sure where to start. After a long period with a really bad A.S. inflammatory flare I seem to be improving again. Slowly but steadily I am getting my strength back and am able to go for walks and do more around the house. I still have pretty high pain and fatigue levels so I have not been able to go back to my silk painting yet but I am still holding out hope that one day I will be back at it.

Because I am no longer working in my studio every day it was becoming a "drop spot" for all sorts of things and that was getting me really depressed because I am still really hoping to be able to walk in there one day and get back to work. So I had a chat with hubby and he removed all the "stuff" that he had accumulated in there and yesterday I went in and did a small bit of sprucing up. I wasn't able to do much but the little bit I did really made a big difference in how I feel emotionally. I have also been getting out more, I went to a fundraising event downtown and have been going for frequent short walks and this extra activity is such an incredible blessing. The mild weather has been a balm as well.

Below is a digital painting I did recently called surrender. For about a month my hands had gotten so swollen and painful that I could not even do the digital paintings on my iPad. I would love to get back into the studio to play around with some real paint...soon perhaps!

Images Continue to Flow, Healing Energy From John of God

2011-04-07T06:46:00.000-07:00

Seems to be a lot of "Dark night of the Soul" themes in my paintings these days but it's all good because I sense the dawn is drawing close. I have been filled with this electric pulse lately that is stirring something very deep in me. I feel it might be related to the John of God healing process I am undergoing. I am currently taking the prescription that was made up for me in Brazil when my photo was given to John of God. This current that I feel is a strange sort of energy that feels like an omen of change, I feel that I am on the precipice of a very big change. I am also becoming more open as a sensitive and this all leaves me feeling a bit raw and unprotected at times so I often ground my self throughout the day with healing prayers and mantras. I feel blessed and grateful that these images and art continue to flow through me.

I had a nasty virus with a fever of nearly 103 and could not even work on my digital paintings for a few days. But yesterday it finally started to lift and I was able to finish up some of the work I had started pre-virus.

Night Above the Forest

Beyond Night's Borders

Storms over Avalon

A Silent Place