Open Doors Status Update #5: Word Angels

I wanted to call my latest creations Tattered Angels, but then I remembered that is the name of a company that sells art products. So I was thinking about calling them Shabby Angels, but with all the shabby chic hoopla, it wasn't very original. So I went to the dictionary, then the thesaurus, looking up the words shabby and tattered -- the results were rather dismal and depressing, and since my angels aren't any of that, I decided to simply call them Word Angels. Introducing my first batch of Word Angels (they'll be for sale at the upcoming Portland Art Collective Open Doors Show and Sale in just one short week . . .).




Some of the details include hand cut copper wings, to which I rusted and added lovely green and blue patinas and real German glass glitter on the base (which should tarnish over time). And each one has one of my favorite words stamped on her chest. Here's a peek inside my studio at their creation.

Yellow Freedom Shoes - HOT

Last night was the November gathering of the Orange Dream Monkeys, my visual journaling group. Our theme for the night was Yellow Freedom Shoes, although only Candace did a page using that as her inspiration. Shelby provided healthy treats AND a beautiful gift of her photography for each of us.



The evening was spent in a glorious mess of creativity, laughter, and just a bit of naughtiness.





So in case you'd like to see some of what we worked on, here goes.

Tory didn't bring her journal to work in, but instead, worked on making glass pendant journals for the upcoming Portland Art Collective Open Doors Show and Sale.


Shelby forgot her journal, but she created a lovely spread on watercolor paper using a handmade stencil of her son.


Bobbie had a great evening, working on two, that's 2, two-page spreads.



Destree was on a color-filled rampage last night, as evidenced in her two layouts.



Candace took time out from her university studies to come play with us. (That's a close-up of one of her pages at the top of this post.) Hot indeed.



Dawn played with some vibrant, powerful colors to create her pages last night.


We had a new member join our group, Theresa, and this is the pretty sparkly page she created last night.


I didn't make great headway, but rather lingered and puttered over a few pages already in process. But I did come to the end of my Fearless journal . . .


Our December theme is a doozy!

Peshe

My friend Peshe is dying. I met Peshe in February of 2008 at an 8-week Phenomenal Women's Journal group in Portland. We clicked and remained in touch. Through the past three years, we've taken classes together, Peshe took a class from me, and I sat with Peshe as she underwent a round of chemo at OHSU. A while back, Peshe mentioned that she wanted me to have some of her art things, then a couple of weeks ago Peshe called me from hospice to say that she had sorted through her belongings and had a collection of stuff she wanted me to have. On Monday of this week, Peshe's friends Philip and Keith delivered the first of a couple of loads. I spent Tuesday afternoon going through the boxes and bins. I cried throughout most of the process because Peshe had not only shared amazing art supplies, but she entrusted me with all of her family photos and memorabilia. When I talked to her that evening, she said she knew that whatever she gave to me would find its way into the world, either through the sharing and use of the supplies or through my art work. I was told emphatically by Peshe to do whatever I wanted with the photos and documents - they were not to be treated as if they were precious. I snapped some photos as I unpacked the boxes - I wanted to record Peshe's generosity of not only her stuff, but of her spirit. This first photo is of the journal we made in our very first class together, complete with art, notes, and dreams.



What Peshe entrusted to me is almost too overwhelming, which I told Peshe when I spoke with her. She thanked me for being so whelmed.






















The words on this stamp pretty much sum up Peshe's life.