JoDee Luna's Blog, page 21

New Beginnings

If hope is the thing with feathers, then new beginnings are the tiny eggs in our heart’s nest.

Emily Dickenson’s descriptor of hope conjures up images of wings fluttering in the winds of change; wings attached to an invisible something felt in the soul, a something you hold onto when circumstances take a turn for the worst.

“JoDee, I’ve got a little nest for you.” Mom cupped the spindly nest in her hands,  twigs interwoven with threads, down, and yarn. “I knew you’d appreciate this.”

She handed me the nest with the four miniature brown-dabbled eggs nestled next to one another. I gingerly placed it into a small plastic box for a safe ride home.

“Ahhhh, this is amazing,” I sighed. I wondered whether the nest had been abandoned or plucked away from an expectant mother bird, but I didn’t have the courage to ask or the desire to hear the true story.

My mother’s words returned to me this morning as I admired the nest. The baby-blue eggs made me think of new beginnings.

New beginnings are like tiny eggs hidden in those places so deep within. New beginnings encase promises of better times, dreams coming true, paths never pondered, bad circumstances changing in our favor.

Yet what if the nest has been abandon? What if the feathers of hope do not rest sweetly on that something solid in your soul, something that makes you want to live another day, something that you cannot frame with words?

He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Revelations 21:5

He is the creator and keeper of all new beginnings. We need only to watch and wait for the tiny eggs inside of us to crack with a fine line of new direction. We need only to wait for the shell of the usual to ever so gently pull apart. We need only to watch as His sovereign plans for us emerge.

So if you are protecting a little nest that has been abandoned by hope, remember there is One who can make all things new!

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Let it go!

The message came in a dream, when I fell asleep on a plane, while praying for someone who was struggling with a relationship, “Let it go!”

In the dream, I could see a mixed media piece—a girl whose shoulders were covered with a mantle, and birds lifting the black cloak off of her shoulders. The words, Let it go, appeared at the top.

I awoke and wrote down the dream and sketched the image.

Then I opened the magazine on my lap and began to read; the message stunned me. The article was about the use of mantles in the middle ages—how soldiers wore them into battle and each had a coat of arms signifying whose side the soldier was on.

The message was crystal clear: Let it go, stop fighting, because God knows best.

The irony of this situation was that I spoke with the person later that day and they said they were overcome with a feeling that they should stop fighting and work at the relationship.

Little did I know that let it go would become my life’s theme for the year. So many times the image and words in my dream have returned to me as a reminder to stop fighting to control what I cannot.

So this weekend, I decided to create what I saw in my dream. And I share this mixed media with you, my readers, because perhaps, just perhaps, some of you are trying to let it go.

 

*A special thanks to the following artists whose Artist’s Paper was used for the background: Artists’ Paper “Neon Nonsense” designed by Hillary Duysen with art elements by Kimberly Ward and Artists’ Paper by Jennifer Razo with art elements by Michelle Johnson.

 

*If you would like to see how I created the back for Let it go, select this link: The Competition Between Career and Creative Life

For more creative ideas, visit one of my favorite creativity websites:

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The Competition Between Career and Creative Life

It’s the second day of a four-day weekend and I’m sitting here, in my art room, staring at a mixed media canvas in process.

“Wish” by Beth McCurdy, Somerset Studio Magazine March/April 2013, Beth’s blog http://puretoken.wordpress.com/

The wonder of what could become of it tugs at my attention, but my “To Do” list argues: You don’t have time for that! You’ve got to finish your presentation for the Collage and Career Conference. The deadline is in a few days and your first grandchild is on the way, any day.

 But I really want to do art and blog and work in my garden, I mentally argue back. So I rip up pieces of Artists’ Paper “Neon Nonsense” designed by Hillary Duysen with art elements by Kimberly Ward and Artists’ Paper by Jennifer Razo with art elements by Michelle Johnson and place them on the canvas.

Then cover the canvas with Medium Gel Mat.

Then paste the paper pieces and cover them with Matte Gel.

I stand firm and cover the canvas with an acrylic wash of aqua and blue. Then take paper towels and try to rub off paint so the paper design shows through.

The process reminds me of the competition between my career and my creative life. My creative life is like the mixed media background, and my career life is the acrylic wash; each is essential to create the design of my life, yet the wash of career threatens to overpower the design below. So I must dip the paper towels in water—time spent creating—and then rub off the paint so who I am outside of work still shines through.

This morning as I process this peril, I empathize with other artists who struggle to manage careers and creative lives. I say, “I understand your predicament, one that becomes even more difficult if you love your work as much as I love mine.”

I also encourage you set aside a little bit of “my time,” even though your career demands a lot of your attention. To abandon your creative life is to squander the talents God has gifted you with and you have developed over the years.

Stay in the race, embrace the struggle, and let your creative life run wild. Just for today, do a little bit of what you love, whether that is painting or dancing or sculpturing or writing or gardening… Push your artistry forward, if only a little bit. I assure you that you’ll be glad you did.

This is as far as I got with my present project, “Let it Go,” but that’s ok. In fact, it feels pretty good to have pushed through to this point.

[image error]

 

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Flowers, Photography, and Photoshop

Here’s a few tips on how to photograph flowers and then alter the images with Photoshop to create a soft, romantic mood.

First of all, I use the Manual setting, “M,” on my Canon XTI Rebel camera.

Next, I place the floral arrangement outside where there is a bright light source behind the vase; not direct lighting but bright lighting. This creates an effect that washes out most of the background, only leaving muted images off to the side that I can decide whether to crop out or leave in for added interest. For example, the garden pots on the left side of the above photo.

When photographing the flowers, I play around with different shots. For example, this next photo cuts off most of the vase but provides an close up of the flowers.

 

You can also alter your camera’s position from horizontal to vertical, which includes the vase and an up close of the flowers.

The manual setting will shoot in raw format, which will allow you to make adjustments to the image when you open it in Photoshop.

I reduced the clarity of these images to create the soft, romantic effect.

I also love to take photos of flowers when the sun is streaming in from behind. This will wash out the images saturation but provide an interesting lighting effect.

If you want the flowers to become more pronounced, you can increase the saturation and adjust the hue with Photoshop. The actual color of these lilacs is a pale lavender, but the added saturation makes the flowers pop. Also try increasing the “blacks” setting for added depth.

I increased the vibrancy of this blue iris to create a deeper blue center. Then I reduced the clarity to give the image a blurred effect. Cropping decisions are also part of the artistry. I decided to leave the yellow flowers in the left background of the image because they were yellow, a complementary color to blue.

Try placing your flowers into interesting objects, such as this silver teapot. My sister-in-law, Belinda Scheurich, co-owner of Buds in a Vase, created this arrangement.

Here’s a close up of the arrangement.

So if you are looking for a relaxing and creative hobby, try growing, photographing, and altering images of flowers. I guarantee these activities will clear your head of worries while providing unique, creative expressions.

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Mother’s Day Gratitude

I am a daughter most blessed, to have such a wonderful mother by birth…

and a mother via marriage…

I am a mother most blessed, to have so many wonderful children, both naturally…

and through precious relationships…

So today I celebrate the women and children in my life who continue to pour blessings upon me; these are the precious people who make my life worth living. May I never forget to make them the priority!

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Give the Gift of Mixed Media

If you’re looking for a creative gift, try making a mixed media collage using photos of your loved ones.

I created this first mixed media, “Forever,” using a background of acrylic paints, lace, vintage-style tissue paper, and Golden Gel Medium.

You can use Photoshop to make the photo look aged; however, there are many free photo applications that you can use to create this vintage look.

Other embellishments, like the heart, were added using Golden Gel Heavy.

I used plaster cloth to create the smaller heart.

This mixed media piece includes pressed leaves and flowers from my garden.

You can also cover part of the photo with vintage-style tissue paper to create an aged effect.

 

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Freedom Walkers: Living with Both Feet on the Ground

There are those gifted with wings, mighty successes that soar on currents of notoriety, and then there are freedom walkers, people who live with both feet on the ground, those who stumble through the ordinary.

We freedom walkers cheer for American idol contestants while our guitars sleep in coffin-like cases, tucked away in closets.

We sing to modest audiences, shampoo bottles perched on soapy ledges that hug shower walls.

We work hard and long, and steal artistic time like famished thieves snatching loaves of fresh-baked bread.

Although we long for powerful promises fulfilled to lift us above the average, few will ever know our names or celebrate our crafts or adorn our graves with flowers.

Yet, we help other little feet find their way.

The allure of seeking success in and of itself is our Achilles heel, the intoxicating potion that unravels reasoning, the kiss of death to pure desires.

So we work at the fine art of sipping slowly from notoriety’s cup to keep our minds from swelling and our feet from stumbling.

For God measures freedom walkers’ impact on a heavenly scale, which reads the motives of the heart, acts of obedience to His will, and the ability to cherish what He cherishes…helping a child learn to read, listening to an elderly person’s story, creating a piece of art that inspires someone sitting in the darkness of desperation.

And in thousands of little ways, we touch the lives of others, as we stumble along life’s path.

Yes, we are freedom walkers, those who walk with both feet on the ground. Those who embrace the Birds of Paradise along our paths.

 

 

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Complementary Colors: Divine Faithfulness and Human Surrender

Often unexpected circumstances take us where we do not want to go. Yet the resulting blessings of acceptance form a beautiful bouquet of complimentary colors—a mixture of divine will and human surrender.

Recently, I wrestled with acceptance of a situation that was causing me consternation; I was challenged to trust God during a directional change I was not prepared to take. I wanted to scream, “Wait, Lord, I’m not ready to move on.”

Then an unexpected comment appeared on my blog:

“Hi, I found your website by looking for a picture of a tree by a river. The picture you took of a willow tree by the river is what came up.

Would you be willing to allow us to print a 17 X 22 copy of that photo for use in our church for one year?

I would like to include a Bible verse – Jeremiah 17:7-8 – with it and hang it in the church. One of our themes for this year is trusting the Lord and this is exactly the picture that Jeremiah gives of a person who places his trust in God…”

(The Tree of Life and the Hidden Element)

When I read this request and then looked up the scripture, Jeremiah 17:7-8, I knew a spiritual message had come my way:

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord

And whose trust is the Lord.

“For he will be like a tree planted by the water,

That extends its roots by a stream

And will not fear when the heat comes;

But its leaves will be green,

And it will not be anxious in a year of drought

Nor cease to yield fruit.

As I read the scriptures, an awareness overwhelmed me. The promise of fruitfulness only had one condition: “whose trust is the Lord.” I realized, in that moment, that no human being can create fruitfulness in me; the source is spiritual in nature, so not dependent upon circumstances or people.

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And then the rush of serenity followed: I don’t have to be afraid of changes outside of my control. I just have to trust in His trustworthy character.

Yes, often we are not privy to the ways and plans of God. We can get so attached to the last direction we pursued that the sharp right turn throws us off-kilter.

Yet, it is when we trust in God’s ability to produce fruitfulness in and through us that we truly blossom.

*I have since discovered that the person requesting use of the tree is a missionary in Japan involved in church planting, so the scripture on the image will be in Japanese. God does work in mysterious ways .

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How to Make a Coral-Colored Floral Arrangement

Here’s a delightful diy project for making a floral arrangement using coral roses, snapdragons, ranunculus, baby hydrangeas, and red tip bush trimmings.

Masterful artisan and floral designer, Belinda Scheurich, co-owner of Buds in a Vase (and my delightful sister-in-law) demonstrates how to make an elegant floral that will brighten up your kitchen and serve as a focal point for any event.

Step 1: Slice oranges and put them into a tall vase. Next, put floral foam into a square container that fits snuggly into the top of the vase. Belinda snipped filler from my red tip bush to start her arrangement.

Step 2: Add snapdragons, coral roses, and baby hydrangeas.

Step 3: Keep adding flowers while designing a shape that appeals to your sense of artistry.

Continue to fill in any empty spots with a selection of snapdragons, coral roses, ranunculus, and baby hydrangeas.

Tweak your design as desired.

 

 

Add more orange slices as they float up to the top and leave a space underneath.

Lastly, sit back and enjoy your creation.

 

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A Travel Adventure through the Exotic Land of China

“Where’s my avatar?” Have you ever wanted to explore exotic lands? My daughter and her boyfriend’s journey through China has taken them to some pretty amazing places, like the mountains where the movie “Avatar” was filmed in Zhangjiajie, China.

 

Elya and Chad longed for an adventure so they set out for a month-long trek through China before teaching English in Thailand for a year.

Sounds romantic, huh? Well, when you hear the back story, you’ll be tantalized on one hand and horrified on the other. She got lost in the mountains and had a random man drive her back to her hotel. Doesn’t that just give you the warm fuzzies?

Here’s Chad and Elya on their adventure into the Tiger Leaping Gorge.

“Happy before the food poisoning incident…the mushrooms had gone bad.”

Elya’s Instagram comment warmed my heart. NOT! I heard all about her brush with death while in these mountains. Apparently, she ate at a small road stand and the mushrooms were bad. She vomited for 12 hours straight and barely made it back down. What’s a mother to do with that news?

You’re probably wondering “Why China?” Well, according to Elya, “China has the most exotic places.” Having already traveled extensively in Europe and Asia, Elya set out on a quest to “one up” her previous adventures. Here she is eating locusts. I thought I raised her better than this.

Who would imagine she’d feast on these foods?

But feast she does, on China’s interesting edibles and on the adventurous side of life. From captivating cities so full of life, such as Guilin…

to the breathtakingly beautiful Longji terraced fields…

Yes, Elya and her boyfriend, Chad, have thrown all caution to the wind and embarked on the trip of a lifetime. They meandered down a river in Xing Ping, China…

Found a Spot on the back of the 20 Cny bill (whatever that means).

and I’m sure pondered life atop the Great Wall of China.

So as I prepare for my other daughter, Andrea, to join them in Thailand in a few days, I ponder what it means to practice letting go of those you love so they can discover what they love. I also might come across as a real coach critic; however, I wrote in Andrea’s card, “Have an exotic adventure so I can live vicariously through you.” If truth be told, I have seen the world through the eyes of my children as they’ve documented the extraordinary.

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