Friends...are the people who know the words to the song and sing them back when you have forgotten the words.

The last day of May 2009 and when I look back I can see how many connections and friends I have connected with throughout my week. Today after being the the public schools last week I have realized I finally caught a summer cold complete with deep painful coughs and sinus throbbing. I stayed home today and took my vitamin C and aspirin along with my other prescribed medications. I am hopeful that in 24 hours I will be able to bounce back and welcome my dear Amber Rose in a week of wedding invitations and final preparations for August 1. She is bringing her companion Rusty who is fragile and up in dog years. Let us all pray for a sweet miracle!!!
On Tuesday I have my fused glass class with my ladies at the Works with Abby Rice from 6 to 8 pm. I have selected a wide range of ages to get together and play together in the glass studio. I absolutely am enthralled with this beautiful process and a definite leap of faith. Abby is very patient with us and once the group gets their groove on laughter is on schedule for the rest of the evening. Throw in some cold wines, sweet treats and the day is complete with fudge!!! No calories...ask Ken.
I need to view "Taken" from netflicks so we can get our next movie. I kept falling asleep before and it seems a wee bit contrived but I still want to see it. Ken is framing my poster Russell Merritt gave me from the "Silk Road" exhibition up in Canton, Ohio. The colors are sublime and I want to study the vibrancy of the silks before I actually begin dyeing my cottons in whole yard lengths. I am praying you all had a relaxing weekend and sorry to say I never made it back downtown for the Strawberry Festival. Continue sending me "white light" to heal this wicked cold! Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart

Art saves Lives...pass it around....

This morning we delivered a huge industrial roll of cotton muslin to Weathervane Playhouse for their stage and costume department. I met a young costume designer who was originally from Kent England and study contemporary theater at the University of Kentucky. She was delightful and I made plans to go get her for lunch in a week or two. Ken was relieved to get "something" out of the house once again but I was just as happy to see these materials go to a great use and save some money for our wonderful grassroots Summer playhouse.
I then came home to collect my quilt that is in progress and a basket of embellishments to be one of the demonstrating artists from the LCA in the downtown Newark public library.Tony Reynolds demonstrated wood turning, Susan Kamps and Carol Vasenko demonstrated Artist Trading Cards, Russell Merrit had several manga and Japanese painting calligraphy and painting techniques and I worked with my buddies on the quilt surface and stitching. For two hours we all worked along side of each other and Babette made us feel welcomed and encouraged us to return. possibly in the Winter months. We only had two young visitors but they were appreciative and to be honest we were competing with a beautiful sunny day's weather and the annual Strawberry Festival in downtown Newark. We were happy to be there and we will return and check our calendars for major conflicts. To be honest I had a hard time stopping here at home and going downtown with such a glorious day outside.
Tonight we celebrated two incredible young people who are preparing for their life together...Mike Morris and Anna Walker. He is a wonderful empathetic writer and she is a wonderful artist who will be moving to Houston in August to work with our friend Gwen Ruckenbrod. We live in a very small world don't we? These young people come from wonderful families that will be blessed with years of happiness as a new family begins. Congratulations!
Tonight we had a major scare when Maya Rose hit a tooth Tina thought was permanent and the tooth was hanging by a thread. After a rush drive to Columbus the specialist ended up pulling the damaged tooth and assured Tina that it was her last baby tooth. I won't go into the nightmares I was imagining about a toothless little Maya. Yes, Maya you DO have a guardian angel. Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart

technical difficulty...where did my other pictures go...

I tried to add a couple photos but for whatever reason I could not get my format to work for me tonight. So let's see what I can do with a new short blurb.
What
the
HECK??? I will try to add them tomorrow when Mr. Ken is awake and can show me what I have done wrong. One of my friends had a virus invade her computer and has spent the last four days clearing 64 infections!!! Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen

Today began with a gloomy gray sky and then the sun came out...

Fridays are a little hectic for most of us and this one was no different for me. I thought I was going back to Miller Elementary to meet Aliki the children's author who has been the guest artist for their last week in this school' location. I began doing little jobs I had neglected earlier in my week and before I knew it I realized that I better get my work done here in the home. My godchild Amber Rose is driving from Charlotte, NC so I can help her with her wedding invitations and hopefully relax before the marriage business begins. She is now a student in Law school and I understand this can be a brutal experience so Ken and I will do our best to make her feel like she is on vacation. I washed dusty curtains and windows, swept my old rugs, sorted art materials on the table, washed some of my cobalt blue art glass and enjoyed LOUD music while Ken was on the golf course. When I would tire I went out to the deck to have iced coffee and was thrilled to see my seedlings springing up from the ground! WooHoo!
We went downtown to see the exhibits for the Newark ArtWalk for Final Fridays and ended up with a private party on the back patio by Skip's deli!!! Jessica Phellps had an incredible opening and the audience was filled with old friends! The Rotary both from Newark and Granville were there in force and thank God for mothers because the food looked like it had been prepared by professional caterers. Witnessing this young talented woman filled my heart with a sense of pride for a remarkable adventure sharing another world of the very poor in Haiti. We were made aware and our hearts could search for a way to help the unfortunate. I know we all have different hardships in our individual lives but the resilience of the Haitian people is remarkable. Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart

WooHoo the Strawberry Festival is here and David Cook is in the house...

This morning I delivered my quilts to the LCA for our first bus tour since the move to Third Street. This collaboration with the Licking County Convention and Visitors Bureau and LCA is one I have prayed for from the beginning of time. Well at least for the last couple of years and Susan Fryer made it happen. We had 24 visitors from Pittsburgh and they were the most appreciative audience we could have prayed for. They were about 45 minutes late but they loved the gallery and I gave them a quickie tour and introduced them to our stars in the Licking county art world. They bought mostly little pins and bookmarks and a couple of Vera Norman's birds. I know we could have sold more if they had gotten here on time but what the heck I felt they were pleased with we have to offer.
Tony and I, and Jan Wilkins and Lynn Logan Grimes attended a new way of networking throughout the arts in Ohio's 88 counties with the beginning of the WEBINAR Series which can hopefully help us all gain and share new knowledge that we can all use immediately in our marketing and branding endeavors for 2009 and 2010. The Ohio Arts Presenter Network is working on this partnership and we all owe the Midland a debt of gratitude for paying for us all to have this opportunity. Four communities had signed on: Clark State University, the Midland in Newark, University of Cincinnati/Clermont College of Batavia and the Fine Arts Council in Warren, Ohio ( they have the Butler Museum... a jewel in the midwest) I have a lot to digest but I will write and condense the 90 minutes interaction but I feel we are just on the edge of a new frontier.
Tomorrow is the Strawberry Festival and Final Fridays for the galleries in downtown Newark. I will try to get around but will be back where we were at 50 South Second with Jessica Phellp's beautiful exhibit of her time in Haiti with the dedicated doctors and professionals who give of their time and valuable services for the Poor in the slums of Haiti. Bravo Miss Jessica! Marcia Downes will host The Works final week with Juan Carlos and we will host Reflective Judgement. Lynn Logan Grimes is traveling to Columbus with the YES students for open mike night and a visit to see the works at the Columbus Museum. Joe Sinnsabaugh will have his works at Liz Argle's beautiful gallery space. Soooo there is plenty to do in downtown Newark so come down and share the excitement and support the restaurants and Buckeye Winery. Be there or be square!!! Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart

Wednesday insearch of summer art and drama workshops...

I got a call to pick up two girls from school and headed over to Granville to Abe's Body Shop to have a new mirror installed on the driver side of my 1998 GEO; yes, I will be keeping this little beauty for a few more years. While I waited for the installation I took the girls to experience Knuckle-heads Ice Cream stand. This landmark has been around for over 28 years and the original owners died way too soon. We had medium soft serve cones that were HUGE! The two young girls could not answer the reason for the name but it has always been a neighborhood hangout after soccer and softball games. The two young attendants were charming to talk to and made the girls feel special on their first visit. We then went downtown Granville and I showed them where the Robbins Hunter Museum was located because they had had a guest speaker today in their classrooms about the history of Licking county. I then drove down to the Bryn Mawr Granville Visual Arts Studio after seeing a sign on a van saying "Art builds Minds". We renewed my friendship with Todd Camps; he is the instructor for the program that was preparing for the very first Art opening on Sunday May 31, 2009. About a dozen students were completing an assessment created by Denison Art Department to ask the children how they could better serve their young clientele. They were eager to show and share their works "they" were installing in their student gallery and outside on the beautiful grounds. Todd is an amazing artist and made his students feel that they have the power to make decisions that control how they to make their sacred marks. I then drove the girls to the Weathervane Playhouse to see the Children's theater and spend a few moments watching rehearsal with the dancers for Sweet Charity. We then went inside to gather info for drama camp/workshop and spoke briefly with Matthew, Pam and Brice for some behind the scenes advise. We left with many more questions than answers as I realize that this was a cost prohibitive obstacle for me to attempt to fulfill the dreams for two little girls.
I dropped them off and then left for home but got caught in a horrendous thunderstorm and down pour. I pulled over until things were manageable and by the time I got to my house I feared all the power was out. I was right so we did what I needed to do and we headed out to Wendy's for one Delicious dinner. Oh well all is well now and I need to get organized for a very busy tomorrow. I have included some photos from last night's drama production at Cherry Valley school with Mrs. Beaver's drama club and Miss Maya Rose! Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart

Say goodbye to Miller Elementary...

This morning I was a guest speaker for Aliki's Medieval Days...a book about life in times of knights and royal ladies at Miller Elementary. I was asked to talked about how I hand dye my fabrics for my narrative quilts. We shared what a natural fabric is like flax, linen, silks and cottons and how they can take the dyes permanently for all sorts of clothing, wall hangings and decorative home furnishes. I had four groups of about 22 students each and we shared vocabulary that they had on their vocabulary lists in the classroom: solutions, conservations, evaporation and suspension and how I defined them to make my permanent colors. They loved touching the hand quilting, beads, buttons and the stories that helped me to create my images. The two hours flew by and I think the children loved having this special day of activities. Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources were there for bow and arrow exercises, other weavers and spinners demonstrate their crafts and a young farmer from Utica brought two sweet three month old lambs and gave us a 20 minute demonstration of shearing the sheep. The gym was filled with delighted children who squealed when the lambs started bleating to one another. Sheep are herd mammals and do not enjoy being separated so this demonstration of despair was amusing. Bakers were there baking homemade breads, cross stitch artists and embroidery guilds shared small projects that some students could take with them. I left with an invitation to come again in the near future. The book's author will be there to say goodbye to Miller and share her life as an artist in publication. I am planning on going back to meet her for one of her presentations. I love her illustrations and colors she has developed over the years.
Tonight We were invited by the Drama club at Cherry Valley elementary for a pot luck dinner and their play concerning bullying and how to combat the ill effects of this disastrous trends. Maya had a couple solos and worked her magic in Grandma's heart. This wonderful teacher Mrs. Beaver has worked miracles with these young aspiring actors. As the year has progressed all of the students appear so much more confident after a year of adventures on stage. Eating the dinner with the other families only amplified the feeling of community in this grade school program. I am so thrilled to know the levy passed even if by a slim margin ...our children all deserve the best our teachers can offer. Maya Rose we are so proud of how far you have come! Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart

Monday was quiet and peaceful...

Do you remember the movie "Alien" and living things explode from inside astronaut's body...that is exactly how my body felt for most of the day. Ken continued bringing down more stuff from the studio and I gathered materials for tomorrow's art talk at Miller Elementary school. I needed some hand dyed fabrics, small quilts that tell a story, embellishments that I use, small" hand about" samples to show how I use a machine for one part and then draw with my cotton threads and stitches. Then Ken and I hang Jessica Phellp's photos in the central gallery and come home to prepare a "pot luck"dessert for a drama gathering at Cherry Valley. Maya has her first play production and is excited to have us see what she has worked so hard on the last few weeks. I am almost ready to put the final touches on the supplies, get a shower and then quilt until I tire around 11:00.
Seth's Altered collaboration has been a huge success and now I am finishing a collage project made from Junk Mail for another internet group. These are small and unimportant little play dates but it does help set a mood for creation. I am not too sure what will develop but it is relaxing to sit and play in the spare moments in between Housework jobs. Seth has demonstrated the power of words, information, and challenges on personal blogs. He hit 100,000 viewers/artist this past week and has given away three incredible gift packages to anyone who left a comment on this process. Congratulations to all the winners but to be honest this is an awesome experience with gentle spirits from around the globe. Wish me luck tomorrow...Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen

a cleansing afternoon rain...

I had a quiet day doing whatever needed to done at my own slow speed. I planted a few more small irises in the garden and put some plant food out into my rocky almost soil. I went in to have a peanut butter sandwich and the sky became a velvet blue dark blanket and the rain washed the pollen and any other allergens out of the air. The lights flickered and went out for a brief time but it was one of those afternoon down pours that romantic novels were written for. After the calm filled the air I went down to the man cave where the computer is located and prepared for my monthly live chat/blog with Phyllis Dobbs who is a designer of stationary, textiles, home decorating accessories etc. She graciously answered our questions about designs and licensing in many different products. Marketing appears to be a very complicated progression of creation and then distribution of products so an artist can hopefully receive royalties on their vision. I have a lot of further research to do now and more questions than before. I also met ...so to say..Sharyn Sowell and visited her website to see her amazing cut work designs. She also gave the participants details from New York city and the art scene there. Watermarking, textile designs, license procedures, copyrights...and negotiating the business of making a life in Art. My mind is spinning but with some rest I am sure I can review from my notes and begin my learning quest. "A life of learning" was my lesson for the moment and gave me an expansive directory of avenues to explore.
I am still in awe of the art works I saw yesterday in remembrance of our nations veterans. Art saves lives and honors the works of men and women who attempt to keep us all safe from harm. I am a pacifist by heart and yet if someone would hurt my family I guess I would not know how I would handle violence. I suppose it is sad to think that I see the armed forces as a violent powerful force needed ...but frightening in so many ways. I will put a few more photos up tonight when I am finished so you might be able to enjoy the "Lens a Hand" art group.
I watched the circle of love reruns for Jon and Kate plus 8 on TLC channel with a solemn affirmation that this public "reality" life will survive the scrutiny of making a marriage work and flourish. I have been through a divorce and you have a hole in your heart during your lifetime. I suppose it is considered silly to be even discussing this "reality" but marriage is ever changing and hard work. I know Ken has worked hard to get me through my medical roadblocks but it is never easy seeing someone you love suffer. Tell those you Love you love them today! Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart

Thank you to all our Veterans...

This afternoon Ken and I attended the first annual Veteran's Memorial Art and History Exhibition "Honoring our Courageous"veterans from all the wars our armed forces have participated in. The group that organized this unique celebration is a group called "Lens -A-Hand" and several Licking County Arts artists participated including Michelle Channel, Russell Merritt and the second prize winner our very own Sandy Gartner. I will include several photos tonight but tomorrow I will try to collect my thoughts and impressions of this worthwhile remembrance of those who serve in the armed forces. I found myself impressed with the works represented by the artists but more interested in the aged and line faces of the men and women who were strolling around downtown Newark. Their eyes told a somber and revealing story and I tried to make contact and when possible actually Thanked them for their dedication and service. Politically I do not understand the reasons we are where we are in the state of the world today. Yet my admiration for these young men and women moves my heart and somehow I felt the meaning of Memorial Day authentically in my spirit. I am still just beginning to see with different lenses that have widen my views and a desire to truly understand. Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart

empower...lead...excel...HOBY leadership 2009

I had a very inspirational day at Denison with the "Lunch with the Pros" and a group of 7 future artists. This was my second year to volunteer and I always walk away feeling optimistic about the future of Youth in America. This leadership retreat brought 190 sophomores in high school to inspire them to aspire to be more that they could have imagined. The core values are : volunteerism,integrity,excellence, diversity and community partnership. The vision is to empower individuals to make a positive difference within our global community, through understanding and action, based on compassionate leadership. Cole was an energetic young man who loves portraits in pencil and would like to explore this world to experience the diversity in the world. Kate is interested in creating art works for a positive change in humanitarian rights and explores mixed media processes. Morgan enjoys visiting different exhibits that challenge her comfort zone...like Andy Warhol's exhibit that was at the Wexner. Melissa lives in Holmes county with a variety of artistic influences different from the urban exhibits in central Ohio. Painting is a very challenging goal in her technical processes. Jessica enjoys colored pencils and photographic explorations. "The purpose of Art is not rarefied, intellectual distillate ---it is life ... intensified brilliant life." Alain Arias-Misson. I found myself answering questions that I had not returned to in my own life and we shared the focus and ideals they were hoping to achieve by the end of the weekend. The pros were surgeons and nurses, nutritionists, lawyers and publicists, ODNR park ranger from Malabar Farms, Scott scientists and research developers, radio and TV professionals and this year I am proud to say there were 4 artists/performers/teachers/ballet met directors. I came home energized but exhausted from the heat but what a great day to volunteer to support the importance of the Arts. Imagine and live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart
P.S. Carol Slavka is the director who arrived, organized and worked for the HOBY retreat and her traveling companion was two week old Ethan...this is dedication! Baird Kruger...has worked for 20 years in making this event such a success! Bravo!!

today is for celebration....

Tonight I was invited to a very special intimate open house for a young and exciting designer I have been privileged to witness her growth as a fiber artist. I met Anna Aschenbeck years ago when I was working in the LCA gallery. She began her road to discovery at my Alma mater ...Kent State. Anna was fortunate to work the last four years Elizabeth Rhodes who is the director of the Fashion School at Kent State University. Elizabeth inspires and models the appropriate work ethics and has created industry partnerships with fashion retailers in New York, Italy, and an exchange program in Hong Kong. Enrollment rose from 300 to over 1,000, raised millions for the fashion school and increased academics required of the school's students. Anna has studied abroad in Italy and created at least 12 maybe even 14 design books and her portfolio from her children;s wear line that enabled her to be chosen by Kolh's headquarters in Milwaukee starting next week. I was blown away by the professional quality of her craftsmanship and the attention to details Anna has developed including screen printing, machine textile knitting designs, and employing natural fabrics like bamboo cloth and fiber reactive dyes. I will include some photos of her finished garments but they do not her work Justice. Anna also works with Amy Butler during her summer breaks and has been published in Amy's child patterns in her latest publication. No one succeeds alone and Anna has a wonderful family where her Mother and Father supported her adventure from day one. I do love Kohl's for their quality and durability in their clothing lines for adults and children. Now we will just sit back and look for Anna's creations in the near Future. Congratulations Miss Anna...you are Wonder Woman and I am inspired to have known you!!!
I planted in my tiny garden today and believe me Summer has arrived in Newark. I worked in my p.j.s with my Jegs yellow baseball hat to guard against the sun's rays but I have to admit that I did not want Ken to take my photo. You all will all have to use your imaginations and Smile. I am working late tonight because I feel that I am behind in my scheduled deadline but I just have to keep one stitch after another. I bleached another zip-lock bag of buttons in the sun today and tomorrow I will rinse and dry in the sunshine. I am very excited by the rusty elements on some of the buttons and who knows where they will guide me. Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart

the ground has been turned and the seed's gifts await the warm rains coming....

I have dusted off my green porcelain seed box with the hope to bring a variety of color outside my back door. I can close my eyes over my morning cup of coffee to listen to the birds announce the new gift of the day. I am getting back to writing with my pen in hand into a book that can very well travel where my heart leads. The journals are in my car, on the dining room table, in my studio and by my bedside. They come in all sizes and seem to help me focus on the task at hand. I am reviewing the steps for different fiber reactive dyes in the next week or so. I need to begin the blues/ aquas and mystical greens for my Great Barrier Reef woman in the water. I have forgotten so much...use it or lose it. "Ripples of thoughts coming home to renew my colors.
I am suppose to be using my junk mail for the month of May to depict a narrative work...of some kind...I am still cooking ideas on the back burner. I also spent about two hours sorting, cleaning, separating the mother of pearl buttons that I received two weeks ago from two good supporters of the arts. I plan on using them on my works and for some reason I find this work meditative and soothing ...especially if I have some good music in the background.
I picked up the girls after school and Maya stayed for her drama club rehearsal for next week's play about standing up to Bullying. This after school program is a precious gift for the students who happen to love the theater and are sometimes very shy students. We will all be there to cheer her on next Tuesday as well as doing her make-up...she sports a black eye in this production. I am at Miller Elementary in the morning to share some of my works and hanging Jessica Phellp's photographs in the Central gallery on second street for the final Friday's Art walk in downtown Newark on Friday 29th.
I did quilt for a couple of hours tonight as I am finishing up the final third of the quilt surface woohoo! ...then I can add my mother of pearl embellishments and fine silk threads. The day ends up being a whole day of living in the Arts...thinking, making concepts, research, sorting materials and making preparations for the next unveiling of my mind's and heart's desires. Have a great evening and tomorrow get busy! Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart

the dust and the nerves are settling...

We spent yesterday celebrating Ken's 61 birthday the whole day long. We went out to breakfast at one of our favorite's...Dave and Flo's Bake and Brew...for some pretty good/OK food. This is a swinging place to meet and greet your neighbors and have plain good old food. The whole family works in this unique restaurant and if your spirits need lifting this a great place to have a meal with your friends. I had a Greek omelet and if I closed my eyes I could pretend I was back on Paros Island in the Aegean Sea off the coast of Athens, Greece. We met up with a couple of artists and caught up on the day's events and plans. I missed Jay Yung's opening on Friday in Granville and heard only glowing reports of his latest Ohio barns exhibit. I will try to get there this week to check this out because I have known this young man for 20 years and he has only grown in his skills and applications of color and textures.
In the afternoon we all made our way to Reynoldsburg to have a Pizza Party for Ken with all of the grandkids at Erin and Chance's new home. We do have a video made and lots of pictures. Erin made a delicious coconut creme cake and with ice cream, big bubbles and wands to play with and homemade "child created" pizza life does not get better. Happy Birthday Ken.
Today I began my review from my classes back in the 1980's with Dr. Lapitsky's fiber research books and Ann Johnston's three fiber reactive dye instruction books. It is that time of year and now I want to review the lesson plan before I just jump into this next production. Color by Accident is a low water immersion technique and if I remember correctly it is the one style where I can draw fine line images and design elements to later add brilliant colors. Ann will be teaching once again at QSDS Surface Design Symposium this summer so I am hopeful I will be able to get over and see her again. She is a wonderful teacher with an adventuresome spirit in fabric design and play. I have two other of her books but this one is kind of like a recipe cookbook for fabric lovers. Well It is time to study now. Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart

a magpie has to have a place to nest...

I am feeling violated at this present moment. Ken is upstairs organizing my stuff. How does he even know how I organize? My god-child is coming June 1st so I can address her wedding invites and I am sure I can get her guest room ready by then and the bath is a day away with fresh towels and such. I love to work with tons of stuff and yes others may not like it but my efforts have been steady to put supplies that are alike together in clear visible storage. I am the only one who has the power to know where I want my art to be made and stored. I feel like screaming so I think I will. Thank you for letting me vent....I am so frustrated because I do tire quickly and I do work slowly and I am easily side stepped by what I discover... does anyone out there understand my anxiety of someone else going through my art journals and supplies? I need to find Peace! RIGHT now. Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart

calling all angels....

Tina called as I was on my way out the door to get a five dollar haircut...yes you can sometimes still find a bargain so we can put our best foot forward. Instead I went to pick up the girls after school...Fridays are special because we go to get our caramel sundaes to celebrate the end of the week. It was a hot and humid day and melting ice cream with those you love is better than just about everything. We then went to Joanne's Fabric store to search for remnants at 50% off the clearance price. We decided on our cotton jewels to make our upcoming projects when school gets out in three weeks. The last stop was Michael's special sale with 25% off everything including clearance. We rejoiced to find a small projector to assist us in some of my images for the canvas collages, already half price and now I got an extra 25% off this price. We went up and down each aisle and the girls want to make a bear to dress for this summer. We can only imagine what outfits and designs they have planned. They each picked out a wooden doll to paint with their gel pens and then adorn with sparkle fireflies, angels, stars and butterflies. Making these plans lifts me as well as the girls as we make small steps to our collaborations.
Maya and I made homemade sauce for tonight's dinner and I assured her that it turned out better than I had expected. Cooking with those you love is an art all by itself and the proof is in eating a good dinner with fine foods with those you love. Grandpa showed Maya how he creates his world famous hot fudge sauce to pour over Bryer's vanilla ice cream complete with bananas, walnuts and lots of whipped cream. Manga!
The rains will re arrive sometime tonight but hopefully I will get to plant my zinnias and morning glories with my precious four o'clock seeds so they can bloom forward in a cascade of colors. "Something" ate my clematis bud or maybe one of my angels picked it on an impulse. I need to find my fertilizers to sprinkle and feed as I sow my hopes and wishes for cut flowers for my dining table. They will be so happy if these wishes grow forth to bloom and we can pass out favors of happiness.
My dear friend in New York; my and the world's special artist Seth reached a monumental landmark yesterday with his 100,000 comments/visits to his blog. Ken is amazed how many different people from all over the world are celebrating with joyful sounds and affirmations. The power to connect with others in this internet format is so tricky and definitely not an easy maneuver to accomplish. Seth you are my gift and we have never met in person. Our words, poems, photos and collaborations have proven to be thought provoking affirmations and inspirations to continue making our art. Not for a juried exhibit, not for a commission, not to make a sale ...even though these processes are all critical in the world of art, but inspirations to make it, share it and often give it away. I have everything I need in this world. This is my heart's journey and thank you Seth for all your support. Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart