Lynd's Fruit Farm...apple picking time

It is late and yet I am feeling so grateful for the moments of the day. We rose in the chilly morning to catch a quick cup of coffee and and a bagel from MickeyD's and then off in a glorious charge to the fruit farm. We arrived with a few other young mothers and their charges in tow. We met with our tour guide and she helped us to understand how an apple tree starts and produces 85 different varieties of apples. The children were from 4 months up to the professional five year old. Due ti illness and such several of our group were home in bed. Then we were literally off to the golden delicious section of the orchard to twist twist twist our apples to fill the bags of our cherished fruits. I do believe the photos can say what I am too exhausted to coherently put together in sentences.

We had a big breakfast at Bob Evans and went home to make sweet apple crisp, some homemade bread and delicious chicken pot pie filling to dip our warm bread into and sop up all the juices. I said "we" but really I was spoiled by Erin because she and Cole did all the cooking for our Autumn feast. Ken went to teach his classes and we put our little ones down for a nap after being out in the fresh air this was relatively easy today. Instead of resting ourselves Erin and I relaxed on the couch and had time for a warm intimate conversation about "mother " concerns and what we are working on on the next couple of months. In the last five years I do not think we have had such a luxury to have 90 minutes to sit down, stop and chat with one another. Simple pleasures.

Dinner came and went and before we knew it it was time for us to head home to Newark. I hope you enjoy the photos and tomorrow we will have energy to fill in the gaps. Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart

my day in the sunshine...tomorrow it is a trip to Lynd's Apple farm....

Today after I went to the post office I found my way to a friend's "Memory Lane" to make several selections for my continued search for "fiber" design elements...stains and all. Business is very slow in the resale business downtown so I do try to make purchases to keep these vital small businesses alive and open for future use. The gentle people who run these small businesses help to collaborate my dreams and actualities. I found a few more buttons and hankies and linen runners to paint and transfer my photos onto in the expansion of stories . I found three ceramic crocks with lids and wonderful designs to add to my button storage ...they are beautiful and from 1968. I came home and selected buttons and washed them to discover that some were made from glass and when cleaned they were sparkling jewels to sew on one of my women.

Then I hit Goodwill and found a jean jacket to embellish for my grand daughter and some more buttons in an old plastic bag that I found to be quite intriguing in itself. I trimmed the edges and will sometime soon sew it into the button story. I discovered a shining butter dish I think...I will put some of my smallest beads in it as I attempt to pick them up with a quilting needle to hand sew them one at a time onto the surfaces on my quilted narratives. Lord please help me keep a steady hand and maintain my eyesight. Life sure does not get any better than this!!!

On my drive home I stopped to play with my camera...I found some wonderful rusty mailboxes and brilliant red trees and berries as another wood turner called out to me from the roadway to say Hello. I then went to my favorite farm to study and document the water pump, the small out building and simple but earthy mushrooms and fading glorious flowers to transfer with my women and their images bonded together on top the assemblages and small quilts I was under a strict supervision of one lone bull calf... oh bad boy was in "time out" from the small herd and found me somewhat amusing for a short time. I then drove a little closer to home and found a reflective pool that mesmerized my inner muse. This time a small pug dog guarded her front lawn and private territory but was in a quandary to watch this lady taking pictures of muddy puddles and foliage that was a brilliant gold, red and orange. I had an incredible day playing with my camera and hopefully when the snow is flying around my hill I will be able to SEE the colors Mother Nature gave me. I hope you enjoy my simple gifts and textures. Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart

whoops...sorry Desdemona

I came home from my afternoon in explorations and the air was just beginning to chill...maybe a little bit more than my 18 year old cat prefers. She gave me the cold shoulder when I pulled up the driveway...as if she was asking to see my hall pass...or where the heck have you been? All is well right now and she is showing me who is the boss by sitting regally in my favorite "Taco" chair. Do you think I asked her to move? We all know when you share your heart and home with a cat as beautiful as Desdemona she is the one and only one in charge. I have been so blessed to have her in my life...she came as a stray and I am sure she was abused. She graced us with seven kittens which I found a home for all seven. Then she was spayed and has been part of our lives for 18 years but only on her terms. Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart

The rains have arrived...

Yesterday was gorgeous and I took over 100 photos ...Ken counted them as he entered into our shared computer...I need to buy one of those little sticks to put all my photos from the year on and sort them according to my own preferences. I think it might help the gears in this amazing machine...the computer; and then it will work more efficiently or at least that is what I have been advised. I ran to the bank and did a few errands before he gray of the day settled in on my hill. I put a big pot of black bean soup on the stove and the whole house was filled with wonderful aromas...Ken ate three bowls when he came from teaching. Sour dough bread and black bean soup are a great way to embrace the changing of the seasons and the cool winds blowing into my hillside. Tonight I listen to the crickets and maybe even a katydid or two join in a chorus of combined orchestral performance. I want to remember their symphony because before I know it it will disappear until next year.

I spent some time with the young artists at the Granville Visual Studios Arts yesterday and I hope you can smile when I share their personal free expressions of themselves in pure color and wildness in their brushstrokes. Maurice Sendak"s Where the Wild Things Are" opens soon and I love the courage and freedom of little Max. When I walk into Todd's classroom I can see Max in the flesh in an environment where their voices are loud and clear for all the hear. The pure joy and unsophistication of a child's observations erupt freely as they describe what they see in a painting, how it makes them feels and where it might take them in the future. It is not about is it good Art? Does it cost a lot? Will it win an exhibit? A child sees with his or her heart and personal experiences and from where they are coming ...have they been allowed to speak their mind? Would they like to try a composition like one they have just seen? Todd generously guides the children and learns himself many times as they share a dialogue on possibilities. I hope you can remember some of their feelings they are desperately attempting to bravely share. Authenticity. Integrity. Pure Explorations!!!

Tonight I have been slowly chain stitching onto the lower section...slow and steady...that is how I move into my process of sharing my narrative. Have a great evening and Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart

Bryn Du two....

This is Mugsy the lovable bulldog ...he was painted by a wonderful friend / artist Mr. Art Perry. Don't you just love him...look at those adoring eyes. He sold today at the Bryn Du Mansion "Colors of Joy" exhibit. We went back to actually be able to see the works and I took some incredible photos today of this exhibit. Lynn Logan Grimes was the juror and personally it is a large one but the diversity deserves another look. The room was radiant with sunlight and it made taking the pictures rather easy. Every where I turned the colors seem to explode on the walls.

I then went out on the grounds and did some' just for fun" pictures of the incredible mansion grounds and out buildings. It was then time to stop in and see my dear friend Todd Camps and his students studying Pablo Picasso. It was so great to witness the arts alive in the classroom studio and discussions of personal expressions and abstract images. Ken and I visited the student gallery and I will show their self portraits on another day for future explosions of freedom. The freedom...the joy and the laughter ...oh to be able to the world of wonder through the eyes of a young child. There was no self critic judging their strokes or color choices...it was exhilarating to be there in a safe place to just be free. I was in love with the self portraits and wish I could be as free. Todd is an incredible teacher who begins and ends with where each student is when they arrive in the studio. I had the strongest urge to play with them and their wonderful supplies. The youngest class has begun an outdoor dinosaur made from reclaimed wood from a building site. I will have to check back in a few weeks to see how this group project develops.

The sky was a clear radiant blue and the berries on the trees seem to sprinkle in the wind with their own dance of Fall. The ginkgo trees were still sprouting their crowns in vibrant greens and fungus in the various tree trunks appear to be painted by the invisible hands of time passing. I may not be making too much sense right now because the fresh air has made me sleepy. I had an experience of looking into the rays of fleeting sunshine rippling in the tree tops. I need to get back to my work. Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart

the focus

I spent the day inside the cabin and organized some research...paperwork...watched and taped "rabbit proof fence", an Australian film historically based on a 1931 incident in which the government in their all knowing wisdom attempted to help eradicate half caste children and "help" them in their acceptance in the Australian society. Only the fairest were allowed to be educated and were examined much like one does when you want to buy livestock. Three small girls aged 8 to 14 were physically removed from their mothers and families to be shipped off 1500 miles away to a ever so helpful Christian camp/prison of sort where the Almighty white man Mr. Neville would proclaim their aboriginal beliefs and lifestyle were not acceptable for the future of Australia. Molly, Daisy and Gracie walked along the rabbit proof fence back to their mother and homeland. This documentation exemplifies how in the name of religion "others" try to make a better life and future for the half caste children. The truth is that very few children received an education but were being trained to be of service to the white society and the sexual gratification of the head master of the ranches. In the end a sense of true Faith and a mother's love guides their children home and with the "Spirit Bird" watching over them and some incredible people who slipped them some food and blankets they found their way home despite awesome climate and environmental obstacles. The photography is exquisite and the colors of this much loved
country and the strength of the human spirit will give you reason to pause and be grateful for the simple gifts we have received. I have seen this film several times and while I was working on my Kath Walker piece I mentally began to outline images I want to use in my work dedicated to the girls courage and sense of identity. The colors are coming to me in my dreams and the spirit bird will be a challenged because I have an idea of how I want to portray her but in time we will see how this works for me. I do have original photos of two of the three girls both now and then as they make their story known.

I have an artist flying up from Naples,Fl next week for a week or so and I am already making room for her to spread out her newest works and share some of my journals and such with her. We met in 1990 and though we do not get to see each other physically very often we stay connected through our works and the Art Quilt Network. As we age as a group of men and women the time we have with each other is ever so precious. Our children have grown and our parents are now gone but we share the bond of creating our sacred marks . Our styles are diverse and there is only room for honest , authentic evaluation of our compositions, techniques and evolution has been a real treasure in my life and aspirations. We will check out the famous glass artist Dale Chihuly exhibit at the Columbus Museum and the Franklin Conservatory. The Ohio Designer Craftsman has another art quilt exhibit to check out and I know for sure she will want to make a pilgrimage to our favorite bead store...Byzantium. I am hoping for crisp cool days and nights so we can go to the Dawes Arboretum to sketch and photograph the serenity in the foliage and trees and plants we have changing colors here in Ohio. She loves Nature and Florida is a very different climate zone so if we are lucky she will be able to unwind in a new setting.

I have worked most of the afternoon and I am about 2/3 done on this large work but the embellishments with my natural beads and pearls and bone metaphors for the aboriginal dreaming sequence in Kath Walker's life as a civil rights leader and advocate for equality. She was also an Australian treasure with her poetry and compassionate writings. I met her in 1993 which was the year of the indigenous woman celebration and it was an act of pure synchronicity when we met on my first day in Brisbane. I need to get back to work now but I do appreciate all the support I have received since last February as I stop for a moment to focus on the gifts of my day. Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart

changing of the seasons... my dance with Nature

Ken finally found where I had temporarily misplaced last night's photographs. Mr. Don and Miss Betty are an incredible inspiration for all those around us in the lessons of loving one another. They are much like impressionable teens already making plans for Florida and then on to Cancun, Mexico...I will be babysitting the little Princess...their Siamese cat who reigns as the queen of their homes. When the bitter winter hits in February here in Ohio they will head South for comfort and pleasure in the sunshine and warm sea breezes. I will miss them terribly but I know they will be safe and healthier in the warmth of the sun.

Today I began sorting my transitional clothing and delighted in opening my exquisite collection of silk and woven scarfs... I feel so French and love the art of draping wonderful fibers around my neck and over my heart. Many are documentation of my life since the 70's and as my life changed and evolved over the decades I have discovered a renewal in my heart's memories when I wear my life in silk. Some are quite vintage and yet whenever I pause to think I will downsize and eliminate some from my collection they swing right back into "Fashion for today". I enjoy making them work for different occasions and delighted in making a selection for next Sunday when a plien aire painting date has been planned out at a beautiful rural location and we end the day with another pot luck dinner and an informal critique of our day's progress. I am praying for a sun filled day and crisp Autumn breezes to inspire us to capture the beauty of Nature's simple yet eloquent gifts.

I need to get back to my handwork so my mind can process as I meditate in my own way to focus on the personal narrative in my Kath Walker aboriginal work. The stitches seems to guide themselves if I really trust my intuitive muse in this personal narrative. The cotton flosses are the simplest of materials to create with and yet this simplicity is what makes this process so inviting. I began a new journal and even before I take the moment to write down a thought...fleeting if I can touch the paper with my pencil...and yet I like to embellish/decorate and add images from my older magazines or newspapers . This simple application seems to erase that "empty white page" feeling I might encounter when I open up a blank white page. I also enjoy just expressing colors onto the empty pages and make twilight and horizons to write into and off into sunsets. Have a great weekend. Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart

a shared family of artists sharing a wonderful meal

Tonight we went to our dear friends Don 84 and Miss Betty 84 for an evening dinner filled with delicious foods and very good cheer. The LCA board were all invited as well as some other good friends who support the Arts, everyone had the opportunity to just sit down and rest after our busy weeks activities and just "be". The love was palpable in the room, multiple generations and situations to be with one another for a quiet evening of friendship. It sounds so simple doesn't it. I love being in this circle of people who think and share their passions and ideas; the sacredness is evident and the ritual of celebration is missing in so many aspects of our lives today. Gratitude is a small word and totally inadequate in expressing my appreciation for these special members of my heart's rhythms. Love is a powerful energy and acceptance is the returned gift.

The coolness of the day creeps into my energy for the day. I had to temper my ambitions today because my body was sending me messages to be still. You would think I would have learned this lesson by now but I still have to stop and" be still". I was afraid for a short time that something serious was going to invade my serenity and space. Trust is a quality I can not always have for my body's self defense system. With the extra rest, I was able to have a date night with my dear Ken and be with people I happen to love. The sky was awesome with a trilogy of gracious blues soothing the coming of a Harvest moon aglow in my night 's sky. I went outside with my guard dog...she would love you to death...and while were outside I felt the green cape of the trees canopy embracing my whole self body and soul. The rustle of movement on my hillside assured me that we are never alone on this planet. Like the tiny bird I found yesterday and thinking about her short life in flight reminds me that we radiate and generate an energy that touches all even those on the other side of our mother Earth. Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart


Sorry I am having trouble with tonight's photos...maybe tomorrow if I am lucky. I am going to bed.

new treasures to play with...

After I sat in the dental chair with a very lovely hygienist for an hour I treated myself to a wonderful tuna sub from Subway with every thing except the oil on a multi-grain fresh baked bun. No, it is not zero calories but the flavors were wonderful and gave me the energy to" seek and find" fragile fiber pieces from anonymous women for me to layer into my narrative pieces. I spent more than I normally do but they are just exquisite touches of threads united for a function and form. I also found two delightful plates for the fireplace as the winter snows blow outside my windows drifting on my steep but exquisite hillside. The child in me could not resist and they were only $2.50 each and will be quaint on display...one for me and one to give away to a loved one.

After this exciting thrilling hunt for treasures I hit another art supply/ and fabric store and bought vintage looking patterns on sale for 99 cents...usually $15.95 ...such a steal. I found a jacket design I will alter in a funky way....Project Runway is on in the background....make it work Mary!!! LOL. I discover soft alphabet stamps on clearance for $1.43 instead of $9.99 and perfect for adding the printed text onto my painted and dyed fabrics...I am so inspired by Seth Alter's delicious layers he is employing in his Handbook. I realize they are totally different processes and final projects but looking into an other's works and really seeing the beauty inspires me to say "what if???" I found a new glitter in a burnt coppery color; to incorporate into my fabric paints..I have never done this so who knows what will happen...isn't it exciting not knowing exactly what will happen? I need to grab some quick photos to share as they works come or not together. I also found a new product to practice my photo transfers of my women for my planned...well at least I am thinking out loud...planned. It was great being out and find such wonderful art supplies today...I know the cashier looks at me in dismay not really knowing what I want to do with the materials but some of the regular staff is beginning to know me as Lady Art....she stretches her bang for the buck and the clearance wall is one of my favorites!!!!

When I came home I found a beautiful creature ; a small little bird ...green and sweet...yet somehow she broke her neck hitting a window. ( I have colored glass in every window to make the windows visible in the bright sunlight to hopefully prevent this disaster.) I photographed her in different settings to maybe commemorate her short life on this planet. I felt a sense of grief and real loss and wanted to give her a proper burial but Ken came home and said "Did you touch that dead bird?" and threw her away. I was devastated but bit my tongue because he is just worried about germs. I was so touched by her fragility of her small body in a green cloak of feathers and her speckled breast that once held her tiny beating heart. A miracle in design and form...once in flight on the whispers of the wind. I may commemorate her short life in a small intimate fiber piece so I can bring her spirit back in exquisite tiny Delica beads. Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart