Hope

Today is a new day, and soon to be a bright shinny New Year. Today I feel alive and I realize that nothing much has changed except my thoughts. Today I feel full of the miracle of life. The feelings and rumblings of something new one feels deep inside your being when something is about to change or happen... a birth of sorts. Birth is never less than a miracle and the gestation of new and creative ideas and life force are what often propels us forward.

The darkness of events still reside deep inside for us to ponder and work through, but somehow today the veil of time has lifted, if for only a short time and high enough to reveal the glinting hope that is ever present in the winter season if one peaks out the window long enough to see the miracles. One can find out of the darkness if one digs deep enough the tiny formation of new ideas begin to crystalize and grow.

This is the miracle of life it everywhere around us, waiting to take wing.


"Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all."
— Emily Dickinson

Lori Singer

Deep Waters~ On Diving and waves~

On Diving~

Yesterday while spinning my top trying to make sense of everything flowing through my own mind and world right now, I thought of the perfect metaphor for fear of feeling feelings that have lay dormant or enshrouded by the mind's own protection. Feelings that are deep in one's subconscious, registered in secret files for a time one is wiling to discover the truth and be set free from the binds and chains of the past... stamped upon ones mind for protection until one is ready... or if one is ever ready. I believe the mind's intricate storage is why it's so very difficult to make true and lasting change in one's life. Even when we do make change we are occasionally confronted with the vintage memories. It's as if they tease us and call us back to the place were they origianally protected us. But now there is no protection; only dysfunction that keeps us trapped doing the same old thing and often creating trouble in our life.

Sitting on the kitchen floor, I am embracing Michael in a moment of need, reassuring him that old feelings can't engulf him, for he has already survived... wanting to climb inside and protect him from all that he might feel. Wanting to climb inside and attach for fear I too might loose him, but instead my mind begins to drift in the seconds of our secure hold.

I whisper gently into his ear, now there is nothing to be afraid of, for you have already survived, only work to be done. Once those feelings are released and aired out you will have freedom of mind, body and spirit. Freedom to live as you please, no longer trapped or guided by things in which you had no control. Freedom and time to accomplish so much more and too feel strong and alive. Yes, it frightens me to allow you to go to places where I am unfamiliar with, for I don't know if I will be included, but the reality is I have lived for so long in a place were I have not been introduced to, a world you have kept secret that has limited our life together and that has kept you on guard at the palace doors.

Then my mind wanders trying desperately to understand, why? I think of water both deep and shallow. The tragedy is to remain in the shallow end, especially when you have had a glimpse at the deep waters. Much of what brings on unhappiness and fear is avoidance, it is never best to remain once you have begun to feel. It's time to dive into the depths and free yourself. Feelings are not unlike waves which peak and flow crashing to the surface, only to recede leaving you feeling a calmness you have never felt, sure sometimes those huge waves need to be shore more than once to free what they are covering up underneath, but don't let the height of the wave keep you from the freedom you will feel.

I was thinking about fear and the diving. It is never the deep waters that you will bump your head on, but yet some continue to remain in the shallow end and jump in to the shallow end, only amazed that the keep hitting their head and no change comes about, victimized by their fear. Remaining in the shallow end once you have seen more only brings discontent and the need to hide from yourself even more if you remain in the shallow shores of your conscience. Standing on the side or wading in the shallow end limits your life experience. The one thing I have discovered is that nothing that is deep will hurt you, for you have already survived the depths, but not ignoring it can hurt and destroy you. It can tear at your soul making you do things that you never dreamed possible, keeping you trapped by your fear of diving deep.

I hope that you decide to risk it all and dive deeper than you have ever allowed yourself to do. Noticing each ripple of wave that encircles your being as you come up, riding the waves, knowing that they will not overwhelm to the point of no return. You will not be swallowed by your past, but freed to live as you please, wide open, tossed by your own direction, no longer controlled by events of your mind. You can retire those old feelings by diving deep. So diving in and see what it feels like to live life from above not patrolled by the waves your mind has long been afraid of.

I wish you well on your path, our path and I hope that I am included on the other side in a way that only my deepest dreams could imagine. In the way you have always painted the picture to be. I hope that we discover both new and old things about each other and that you can for at last believe that I have always been here for you to lean on and I have always been here for you to grow and for us to grow together, to play, to love, to experience good and bad. To love with arms wide open and closed to those who are not safe. To be together as two, as one together standing strong, teaching others how to love and see clearly, but for now we must teach each other, so that we can move beyond today.

I love you with all my heart.
Lori

Spring Rain

Spring rain on my face,
lips and soul thirsty for for adventure.

Spring rain calling from deep inside,
watering places that have been ignored...abandoned.

Spring rain, reminding...
yearning, passion to be found
Reminding soul, of who she is.

Spring rain calls her out to play.
Calls her to explore the forgotten and discover the new.

Spring rain sweeps the drought and eases her out.

Where will my path lead? ~ Lori Singer

Where will my path lead me? I've been doing a lot of wondering about path and where it might lead. Reading, thinking, collecting of thoughts. hmmmm?

My Room with a view~ Lori Singer

My Room with a View~


My room with a view is not unlike my life. There are stones turned wonky, stones that are broken, some straight, and some in place, but as a whole the picture is pleasing to me. My life is... just a life nothing great in comparison to some, but it holds a beautiful light that keeps my heart in the right place when life's "weeds" try to invade and wear me down. The golden light resembles the golden Daffs that appear at the end of the dark winter's days and they always seem to whisper to my soul a voice or maybe a feeling that lets me know that the path I lead is the right one for me. I find myself pulling weeds that try to invade the deepest part of my existence and send me down a wrong path.


We each have our own path, and there should be no shame, no blame or ridicule, for we each can choose our unique own path to walk. What lets one she is on the right path is when her life is filled with golden light even in the darkest of dark places. When you are on the right path one can feel a beam of warm light that keeps us open to the better days even in the greyest of grey.

Life is but a ton of choices and we can choose to be who we are and we cannot change how our view if it is misinterpreted by some who see things differently, but we can choose to make choices that are for the best for ourself, somedays we fail, and others we grow and move further down our own personal path.

Wild for Textiles~ Acrylic ~ Lori Singer

Pray for a Cure~

Today the world has one lost one wonderful soul~

I was looking at what to post today and had just recently photographed the newly bloomed Daff and had no idea that they are also the symbol for cancer research, very fitting for today while I just learned our sweet friend and neighbor passed today. We will never forget you and each year the daffs will remind us of the short joy you brought to us as friends and neighbors.

Daffodils have the flower meaning of rebirth, respect, regard and unrequited love. The daffodil is one of the first flowers of spring, therefore it is a symbol of rebirth.

May your family find peace and rest. We are all a lot better off knowing that you'll be above watching over us. As I told you, you'll make a great Angel to watch over your family and friends. Rest in Peace and may you plant a beautiful garden with lots of fruit trees to run through and fresh fruits to pick. My memories will be of you as a happy vibrant man who loved. The last time the kids were up they played in the trees and climbed....please plant more. We will miss you dearly.
Lori Singer

Just Playing~ Acrylic ~ Lori Singer

A safe place~ Doodling saves spirit~

Doodler takes it to the canvas. I am a doodler and always have been. I used to spend ours doodling on the side of my school work as a child and believe it saved me in many ways. Maybe my next painting will be dedicated to the flower on the side of my homework that protected my spirit. One of my other loves and obsessions is about wild vibrant colors. I long for the day when I can fully master color and get it to work the way I see it in my head and the world. This canvas is a merging of two things I love and it's a piece of who I am and have always been. It's been fun to see the merging of line and color. When I finally manage to master color, I think this quote will have come true for me and I will finally feel like a painter. For now I fumble along trying to manage dirt and minerals.

"Color has taken possession of me; no longer do I have to chase after it. I know that it has hold of me forever... Color and I are one. I am a painter." Paul Klee

Lori Singer
Doodler takes it to the canvas~playing with colors/lines~ Acrylic ~

Abstract ~ Lori Singer

Abstract ~ Lori Singer

Love U ~ Hand Painted Greeting Card ~Lori Singer

Part of a series of hand painted greeting cards collection.
Lori Singer

The Dance~ Quick Acrylic charcoal ~ Lori Singer

The Dance~

It's all about the dance and color. Life is a dance between two. We weave in and out trying to find our steps, swaying to our individual rhythms and beats hoping not to step on each others toes. Dancing the dance of life.

Learning to Fly and being a Beginner

Birds~ sewing project ~ Lori Singer












Birds~ sewing project~ Lori SInger




For me there is nothing more rewarding than learning, and I love how my life has set me up to be a forever student. There is no shame in not being a master, in fact, being a novice is often a great place to be. It's awe-inspiring to think of all the things there are to learn and wonderful that I have found so many wonderful people to be my teachers. I just love the feeling of conquering a new task or goal and being successful in my own eyes. It's the small milestones that bring me great joy and I love how the creative live offers a life time of learning without mastery. I think if Art were about mastery most Artist would have long given up. I don't know that I will ever be a skillful master of anything, but I take great pride in being and sharing the learning experience with those I am surrounded by.

Today, I mastered the art of the most basic beginning sewing tasks, with a very old sewing machine and no manual. I remembered how to thread a bobbing, perhaps after years of watching my mom do so and with almost a 30 year break. The real challenge was figuring out how to thread the second thread and needle. I did it and then sewed six bird wings for the school play. So here are a few photos of todays success. The wings are still in the design process, but I did sew a few straight lines! Hoo Ray!!
Cheers to new learning! Never be ashamed to begin or be a beginner! Just let the ego take a vacation and create!
Lori SInger

Chasing Clouds~ Lori

Rover~






Trailing hearts~ finding the hidden hearts

















Yesterday,....Yesterday was one of those magical times when both weather and inspiration collide. Driving home over the ridge line these magical clouds seemed to reach out to the girl in my soul, as if to say, come, come, lets play! As I continue to drive home thinking on my days post, I try to find the hidden hearts and then I ran home to get my camera. As you know, lighting and cloud formation is morphing as the seconds tick. Cloud chasing is not easy business. So I jump back in my car to retrace my drive, hoping not to miss a moment in my minds eye. It was contagious following clouds. I drove to places never driven. It was such a freeing experience. Me the camera atop the ridge line. So forgive me I could not choose a single image, so I picked a few to post because I wanted to share them with you, trust me I wanted you to see them all!

If you have never chased a cloud I suggest you try! Cloud Chasing leaves a certain warmth and happiness on your spirit that does not fad as quickly as the cloud do! Take a mini cloud chasing vacation!
Have a beautiful day Ladies! Anyone want to cloud chase give me a ring!
Lori Singer

Surrounded~ Digital Image Lori Singer

heart definition: a plane figure with rounded sides curving inward at the top and intersecting at the bottom

Our family likes to make a game of finding the hearts in nature. We find them everywhere.Try it sometime and you will begin to find your life is full of more Love than you ever thought.

The Lost Art of Hand Made Valentines

This year I convinced my daughter to make old fashion handmade Valentines. It was a project near and dear to my heart. There really is nothing like handmade Valentines, especially now with all the commercial boxed ones that mean little or nothing to the after the fact. There really isn't anything better than a handmade Valentine made with love.

In fact, the inspiration came from the sweetest Valentine a dear friend from my past made. I have kept it over 15 years and when I come across it I think of how special it is and how special the woman who made it is. In this age of computers and electronic mail, it is refreshing to know that a hand written and made message can still warm the heart better, faster and longer than the alternative. The best part is even though the years have parted us the sentiment and friendship is almost alive and new when I find this tiny piece of art in the back of my dresser drawers. After almost 8 years of no contact I have found my friend Kendra again, and thanks to electronic mail we correspond via Panama and I was able to communicate my special thanks and love to her after all this time. She is living the Rolling-Stone live style...free and on the beach! Happy Valentines to you all and Miss Kendra. My love to you all and I hope you too make your own Valentines! I promise you will not be disappointed! The process is heartfelt.

Tiny Handmade Valentines:
two sheets of watercolor paper
watercolor/ brushes
water
Glitter pen in colors of your choice
tiny ribbons
hole punch

Cut water color paper in to strips and then cut those in half
fold in half, you will paint on the cover then let dry
Once they are dry use a sparkly glitter pen or gold pen and create squiggly lines on top of heart.
Next punch two holes on the top on both sides and tie with your favorite ribbon color.
The final thing is to write your special message to your Valentine.

Have Fun!

Hearts On- Line~ Lori

"The greatest treasures are those invisible to the eye but found by the heart." Anonymous



Recycled Heart Garland~

These were supposed to be the backing of a lesson plan I was preparing for this afternoon, and when I saw the cardboard shapes together I thought…done. I have a long tradition of "Heart Art", and it is ironically symbolic for me in so many ways now. This garland is yet another example of how "All Hearts" deserve love!

These garlands are very beautiful and fun to make. It's a great way to save and make art all in one!

To Make: Recycled food boxes (w/red or pastel colors for Valentines Garland)
Scissors
Heart Template
Thin ribbon from craft store~( cost about $.99 total to make)

Have FUN!!!!

Lori Singer

Sweet Violets

I think I love gardening because it gives me inner peace and confidence to know that some things last and are recurrent for a very long time. For me, there is this wonderful feeling of certainty and awe every year to have my perennials, tubesr, rhizomes, and bulb friends show up each year. They're so consistent, constant, and such loyal faithful friends, they give me reoccurring hope in my world. When so much change happens and relationships fade, they're there to greet me and remind me that some things are lasting for an indefinitely long time.

These sweet violets are something that has been with me since I was a toddler at my mom's side in her garden. I have such vivid strong sensory memories collecting tiny bouquets. I can't even begin to express how full I feel to see that they somehow they have followed me to my current home and now are beginning to thrive. Perhaps a tiny seed, or rhizome somehow transplanted and stowed away for the very moment I needed to be reminded that there are things in which are enduring, dependable and faithful...something that is continuing and recurrent that one can count on, something that makes one feel whole, sane and complete in the most modest and humble of ways. I like this feeling of complete humbleness!

I like how these tiny flowers can inspire me to create and share. I long for such long deep lasting female relations in my life, while I have a few more are always welcome. Such sweet delicate forever violet friends, ready to share together and sometimes hibernate only to show up fully present, as if not missing a beat or moment in each others lives. Ready to pick up were we left off to tell me of all it's distant journeys.

This is a photo of my new found stow away which I hope someday multiples so that I can share it's beauty with others. The fragrance of these tiny beauties is unbelievably sweet and reminiscent of the violet candies my mother bought for me as a child and a lovely perfume my mother wore. I still see the bottle in my minds eye, it was porcelian whie with tiny violets painted on the bottle and wore a lavender ribbon around its slender neck. We also bathed with sweet violet scented soap. We were very fond of natural floral fragrances in our home the fragrances that are very hard to find today, they contain so few chemicals and bore more natural scents. The new synthectic stuff just doesn't work on my scences the same way. During Victorian times they were gathered given in bouquets These sweet violets were give as gifts by the hundreds and the tiny flowers can often be seen painted in old victorian adds with lovely children and white flowing dresses. hmmmm...I can see why!

Peace Lori Singer Jan 2010