Monday Musings about Feeling Human with Flaws

Last week I had full panel blood work done and the results were mixed. I knew the A1c would be higher than last time because I ate like the worst possible foods over the past few months. But I didn't expect other things like the beginning of signs of heart disease (what my Dad had). I have glaucoma from my Mom's side, I guess it's no surprise I might have a few traits belonging to my Dad's side besides diabetes. What disturbed me was how I got here not physically but mentally. I am usually a fairly positive person but when I learned I had glaucoma I spiraled a little in realizing there would be a challenge ahead with art and my eyes. I'm not unable to create art yet, not really even close, but the thought is there. And so over the past few months, I decided to eat an extra sugar free cookie, have a little more pasta during a meal, slowly pushing fresh veggies aside and going for the potatoes. You get the idea. Bad choices happen. The good news is it's close to becoming salad season and I will enjoy more salad and will add some heart-healthy foods to the diet hopefully bringing the borderline numbers down. But I surprised myself because I thought I was handling things really well until the constant chronic pain started in my body and the feeling that it just was too much of an effort to exercise the way I like. I did spiral, as I said, but just a little. I'm trying now to get back to the exercise routine that I truly do love and reminding myself I can snack but only in limited amounts. Right now I have to wait about a month before I can talk to my doctor (lots of reasons but not important for this paragraph to make sense) and so I have time to pull myself up and start again or continue again and not try to slide back down the hill.

We'll be celebrating my oldest daughter's birthday tomorrow. I'm so proud of her and love her very much. I hope she knows how special she is. If she doesn't, it's my job to let her know! 

First attempt with the die cut machine - pretty cool!

 

Meanwhile, I have been making art. Even when I felt sorry for myself or even a little more than sad, I created art. Thank the Universe for that one!

I'm getting one more piece of furniture for the Purple Palace this month so the organization will continue.

I finished both art journals that I started last year (I know I shared them recently here - scroll down to find the post if interested). Put them on the proper shelf in the Purple Palace and called them done. Now in 6 months, should I decide to go back and look through them and maybe add a mark here or there, is anyone's guess. But meanwhile I tried to decide how I wanted the next few art journals to look. I pulled apart an old book, separated some pages and kept some pages glued together. In that way I can use some for collage fodder and some for small journals. They are very gratifying. More so than the huge books I've did last year. I like about 10 pages to a book, I've discovered.

Soon to become art journals!

 

I've worked on cards. I want to put these in an accordian style instead of a flip book. 

Both sides are collaged but not all the mark making is finished

My sticker book is up-to-date!

I also did a little watercolor last week. I'm building quite a supply of cut outs for journaling and other collage.

I never tire of peace signs that look tie dyed!

 

Enjoy your week!

Cindy,  EarthMotherMosaics - Mixed Media Art

Instagram: @artbyearthmothermosaics 

Stay Peaceful and Enjoy the Journey

A Look Back

I'm still working on organizing the Purple Palace in between doing art and doodling at the appropriate tables. Some days I do a little of all things. Other days I think about what I want to do for a very long time. The energy passes and I wait for the next wave. In other words ... it's taking a while.

As I was moving a few things around in the Palace the last time energy hit I glanced at the wall behind me. What a wonderful display of art!

This wall is filled with mosaic birth flowers

I appreciate the mosaics I've made over the years. This break from them might be exactly what was needed (besides giving my hands a rest from the tools involved in creating mosaics) to see -- really see the art. Remembering the stained glass and dish pieces I used, where I sat to create them. How many seasons I weathered to continue creating.

I'm extremely grateful for the gift given to me to create them. I'm mindful that I still have that gift each time I walk into the Purple Palace. I do know I have a lot more to get organized before I can start creating mosaics again. The fact is I still want to make them! They still bring me joy and that's a blessing. Which keeps me going when the energy arises to pull heavy glass and dishes here and there. Not easy work but rewarding once it'll all be finished. I know I'm honoring the gift by giving myself a break from it all to get everything placed where I feel it's necessary and then begin again.

My walls are covered with blessings. Not just my own but from my family as well. Mosaics, paintings and collage live on the walls and the alters. There's room for more! Huzzah!! Some of the hangings get askew on occasion when doors close or someone moves something heavy enough to make walls rattle (it happens). I'm still pleasantly surprised at the emotion I feel when looking, really seeing, the art here.

 

Enjoy your week!

Cindy,  EarthMotherMosaics - Mixed Media Art

Instagram: @artbyearthmothermosaics 

Stay Peaceful and Enjoy the Journey 

The Journey So Far

I've been having a lot of thoughts these days about my mosaic journey and how it has evolved into more paper mixed media although my mosaics over the years are considered mixed media for the most part. And where do I want to go now with mosaic? Part of the reason for this is because I'm working on organizing the Purple Palace where I used to just work on mosaics and now hope to utilize space to store the mixed media supplies I've accumulated over the years. That has already begun and I'm liking what I've done so far. I felt I hadn't utilized the space properly for a long time and now ... I'm getting there!

Along with paper products needed I have room now for ribbons, cut out alphabet letters and beads, clay, assorted glue, packing tape and sawtooth hangers as well as D-rings for hanging wall art.

It feels good to get everything on the pre-built shelves and of course the area behind them has space for artwork and so it's still a gallery of sorts.

This is a hanging file folder for the door but works on the poles in the Purple Palace as well. Next to it is a journal hanging to dry after putting some paint embellishments on it. The curtain hooks with clips are awesome to hold it in place to dry. Behind the hanging folders is a plethera of mosaic supplies like mirror pieces and small tiles that I really have to get containers for and get them organized. I love the thoughts I'm having of still wanting to create mosaics, I just don't want them to be all I do.

 Next month I hope to start considering where my mosaic future will go and also, where all the supplies will go as well. I'd like to purchase a small bookshelf, maybe two. I have a lot of dish shards and tiles, stained glass and tempered glass to play with. I'm low on grout and substrates but can and should replenish those in time and continue the mosaic journey as well as the collage adventure.

In any case, I came across a few photos of mosaics I've made over the years and thought I'd share them here as I sort through piles of paper and get it filed or placed in folders. 

Candle holders circa 2014: 

 

Meditation Shrine circa 2016(?):
 

Various mosaics from pendants to wall art over the years have become favorites. There's more ... many years worth of favorites ... but these are a few I'm particularly fond of.

Mosaic Pendants with Buddha head and peace sign charms

Can lids turned into mosaic magnets and wall art - the night sky is the favorite here

Breaking Bad's Walter White for my grandson - using Smalti*, black stained glass and Mottled stained glass

*Smalti is a specialized, opaque, hand-cut glass mosaic material, traditionally used since the Byzantine era for its brilliant color and durability. It is made by mixing molten glass with metallic oxides and pouring it into flat slabs, which are then cut into small, irregular pieces known as tesserae.

Mom's Home - lots of fun things from earrings to mirror - look closely and you'll see little eyes peeping through the window of the house which is how it got it's name

Of course there's peace signs, suns and moons galore many surrounding me and keeping me smiling each day I have a particular struggle in life. I'm proud of my mosaic journey and hope to continue.

Please feel free to leave comments about the mosaics you've seen here in my blog or on social media somewhere over the years. I am thinking some of you may mention a mosaic or two I've gifted or sold you as well. I'd love to hear from you too!

Enjoy your week!

Cindy,  EarthMotherMosaics - Mixed Media Art

Instagram: @artbyearthmothermosaics 

Stay Peaceful and Enjoy the Journey