Anyone who knows me well, knows that I LOVE mackerel skies. Living in the southwestern desert, any sign of moisture in the air is a welcomed sight. A mackerel sky is a sign of changing weather. Where I live it usually indicates rainy, cooler weather to come. This afternoon we had a glorious mackerel sky (called that because it looks like the scales of the mackerel king fish), with rain and cooler weather in the forecast, of course. Snow in the high country and rain the valley. I always feel better under overcast skies and when it rains, regardless of the season. Lighting incense, playing mellow music, opening the doors and listening to the soft trickling of the fountain outside my studio and kitchen door takes me to magical, dreamy places. It is this time that I completely embrace life. Creativity flows effortlessly through me when the lights are low and the sun is hidden. I am inspired by the earth and sky. I become intoxicated on nature and the elements. There is no other high that can compare to a natural high. Memories of places where I have traveled surface that are associated with the weather that I have experienced in different places. Warm and balmy will always be Hawaii to me. Fog is California. Snow is Colorado and northern Arizona. Rain is every beautiful place where I have ever been. So, YES, my heart is singing under the mackerel sky!

~ “Mackerel sky, mackerel sky. Never long wet and never long dry” ~

These creations are the latest products of my paper mache binge! I am certainly far from finished having fun with this medium. I have winged hearts and other small, primitive masterpieces in the process. The birds are made from newspaper, masking tape, paint, found jewelry pieces and wire. Then sprayed with a high gloss, outdoor, clear varnish. They weather the outdoors very well and should, basically, last forever. They are $20 each (plus $5 s&h). To purchase one or more, please contact me at Tracy@tracydove.com. ~I accept PayPal~.

They are each approximately 9″x7″x3″ (length, heighth and width) and they are lightweight. Each bird has a wire hook at the top so you can hang it with monofilament (fishing line) or wire.

bluebird

greenbird

goldenrod bird

pinkbird

blue heart and star bird

Every now and again the opportunity arises to take personal inventory, regroup, be still and listen to my inner guidance. I tend to place too many irons in the fire, so to speak, which always leads to a sense of unrest and becoming completely overwhelmed. Before arriving at that inevitable destination, the time is now to walk the labyrinth in my mind. Meandering with purpose through the path of my life into the center and back out again. It is only in the stillness and through reflection where I find peace and direction. Thinking with my brain often misguides me, taking me places where I really don’t want to be. Moving deep within my heart always leads me back to my true path. That is when I find myself playful, free and easy. Then I am able to create with an open mind and heart.

In the stillness, everything becomes a meditation, of sorts. The ordinary becomes extraordinary. Mundane tasks become a time of quiet teachings and clarity. Washing dishes, doing laundry, sweeping the floor, preparing meals, etc. all become part of daily meditation. Within this space and time it is easy to let go and trust the Universe to take me to higher places…. the next step. Little by little, one by one, it enables me to pull back and move forward at the same time.

I have walked several labyrinths, each one at a time of transformation in my personal life. As with any seemingly simple motion, there are always challenges. Gathering thoughts upon entering and releasing thoughts upon exiting. Focusing on each step, rather than the whole enables me to overcome whatever obstacles that appear.

Walk the labyrinth in your mind when a physical labyrinth is not available. Move from your mind into your heart and there you will find all that you need to know.

In the shade of a big mesquite tree, my hubby is building a chicken coop using recycled materials. The shingled walls are made from an old fence that was torn down from his childhood home. There is quite a ways to go on this project, but it will be finished and filled with four or five chickens before we know it. We will be painting the back wall that is made from an old, political sign that he found laying around on a job site. And, of course, the trim will be painted. We are not sure what else will be covered in paint, on the outside. He is still working on the doors, but I have a feeling they will be on by the end of the day today. We cannot wait until this project is completed, but it is fun watching it all come together, piece by piece. The chickens will have a pretty large, shady area to run around in. I have been painting a few signs to hang (of course) and being a female, I am eager to decorate this little house. This takes me back to my dollhouse days, as a young girl. We have much to learn along the way, but my sister has a successful flock and we are getting a lot of “hip tips” from her. Before this time next year we will have fresh, organic eggs. There will probably be a lot of quiche and egg dishes in our future!

Delightful, colorful paper mache birds and large beads are all hanging on my back patio tonight, drying and waiting for the next stage of construction. One of my closest friends came by this afternoon and we visited and created on the back patio outside of my studio, well into the night. My friend made a rainbow crocheted purse while I made paper mache birds and beads and painted them. Creating is best done with a friend, each of us working on our own projects, drinking coffee and solving the world’s problems.  Speaking of problems. There has been a graffiti issue on a part of the sidewalk in front of my house. After the brief moment of disgust went away, I broke out the paint that I had left over from painting one of my bathrooms recently and painted over the illegible scribble that covered a portion of the sidewalk. I think that tomorrow there will be something cool painted on this new canvas. I am thinking of painting some botanical designs on top of this.

It has me thinking of painting the whole sidewalk, but I am not feeling that ambitious. As soon as the graffiti goes up, I paint over it. Once the alley side of our back fence was spray painted on, I painted peace signs and hearts over it. It wasn’t touched again. The biggest drag of living in a barrio, besides the random gunfire, is the lack of respect and pride in the neighborhood. Whatever, I just deal with it all the best that I can. But, when it comes to painting on everything, “they” don’t know who they are dealing with. I am not above breaking out the glitter!

PERFECT DAY in Phoenix today. Doors and windows are open, Jack Johnson playing on itunes, cats basking in the sun, and I’ve been gluing flowers, dried okra, butterflies and birds to a big, painted gourd. This will be the head of a scarecrow lady, although it’s not so scary. I was inspired by a gorgeous scarecrow that I saw at a house in Cornville, Az. The head is only resting on the main stake that will be the body of the scarecrow. This is a small project that I’m working on in between other art projects. Sometimes I need to mix it up a little. Having a few art projects going at a time makes it possible to flow with the inspiration that comes. This is definitely a fun project to let my imagination run wild on. I can’t wait to attach her arms and begin dressing her… so many possibilities.

I’m thinking that my cat, Whitey is digging this whole Sunday afternoon scene, as well

~“Close your eyes and tap your heels together three times. And think to yourself, there’s no place like home.”~

I broke out the Tassajara Bread Book this afternoon and fulfilled my need (”knead” LOL!) for Olive Oil and Fresh Rosemary Bread. Of course, it came out perfect and so delicious. To grind up the rosemary, I used a hand held grinder that most people use to grind up other herbs in and it worked better than any electric grinder. I love how this bread recipe is more “hands on” than some other breads. I delight in brushing on the olive oil and sprinkling the unbaked loaves with kosher salt. After rising three times it goes into the oven for a short baking time of 25 minutes (my 1950’s oven cooks a little hot, so I have to refer to the oven thermometer often).  While the bread was in the oven I went into my studio to catch up on a few finishing touches on an art project. When I returned and went back into the house, it was filled with the most fabulous aroma of rosemary and bread. Now my world is complete. This was the perfect ending of another magical day.

******

“If thou tastest a crust of bread, thou tastest all the stars and all the heavens.”    ~Robert Browning

These loafs were placed in the oven for baking at midnight. Baking bread has become a regular activity for me lately. The initial goal was to avoid buying commercial breads and since then has turned into a meditation. It was late last night when I realized we were out of bread. It is becoming second nature for me now to pull out the flour and yeast and other ingredients and begin the process. Kneading for 8-10 minutes is a time when I think of the people, places and things that I love. During Christmas our home became baking central, I simply could not stop baking. Breads and cookies were handed out to everyone who stopped by. The word got out and we were blessed with more visitors than ever before! Now that the holidays are over, the bread baking has become a part of my everyday life. Not that I bake bread everyday, but we haven’t had store bought bread in over two months now and every meal that includes bread has been delightful. Knowing that each loaf is baked mindfully with lots of love definitely improves the flavor. My intentions, thoughts and feelings are baked into every loaf and it nurtures far beyond the body. The simple practice of bread making has rewards beyond measure.

So, if you are in the neighborhood, stop by and we will break bread and if I happen to have an extra loaf on hand, I’ll send you home with one!

My entire family consists of artists. My mother painted in oils and I spent most of my youth tagging along with her to painting lessons, art guild meetings and traveling to her art shows. Posing for the portrait, above, was done during my mother’s portrait phase. I think I was the only one who actually had to SIT for the painting. Eventually, she painted the rest of the family members by looking at a photograph. But, since I was the last of five kids and the baby, I was pretty much at my mother’s artistic mercy! I remember taking the tours of local artist’s studios and homes and dreaming about how my life as an artist was going to be. I always knew that I would grow up to be an artist and I would try to think of other great things that I could be instead, like a teacher, a nurse, or any typical thing that a young girl would want to grow up to be ~ nothing fit. Nothing felt right besides the knowing that I was going to be an artist! I wasn’t even quite sure of what that even meant because I was taught that this is a journey, without a predetermined destination and no estimated time of arrival. I heard all of the parent/artist’s advice on how this was going to work and the best that I could figure out from what I was taught was that it would all happen naturally and that it would take a lot of time in years. So, I studied the paintings that were hung all over our home, painting over them in my mind and dreamed of where I would fit into all of these paintings~these artists~my family.  I’ve since found out that they were all correct with the advice they gave. It happened naturally and eventually I would find myself amidst the creatives in my family. Everyone of us has a different style, with different interests. These paintings that now hang on the walls of my home are a journey through my mother’s paintings. Sweet memories.

~ famiglia è arte ~

Most of the Christmas decorations are put away and last year is over. Our home became quite the salon last month. We are abundant with friends and our walls have been bursting with creativity and lovely gatherings of eminent folks. I have been blessed in the friend department. Though, I am still cleaning out the residue of unwelcome energy that lived in my studio a year ago. Clearing the space with sage and incense, laughter and good vibrations has been an on going task. Schlepping furniture and organizing art supplies, cleaning with natural concoctions of lavender and vinegar have made it possible to restore order and reclaim my sacred space so the creative inspiration is able to flow with ease. Everything is illuminated and even though I have only managed to complete half of the cleaning process I can already feel my world coming together again and I am reaping the benefits of letting go of the old and embracing what lies ahead, as well as being in the moment ~ one moment at a time.

Everything has an ending so beautiful new beginnings can occur. I have completed most of my commissioned paintings and am ready to ship them this week. I am now looking forward to the next project. My creative cup is full and overflowing. The amount of inspiration that my friends have brought to me is too big to capture in a single drawing or painting. I am so grateful to be on this journey, full of love and light.

Between creative projects and socializing I have been baking breads and cooking up a storm. We have shared the most magnificent meals with some of the most magnificent people who are dear to our hearts. I couldn’t ask for more at this point. While the bread doughs are rising, it gives time to paint and play.

In a world full of challenges and difficulties it is possible to gain and maintain balance through finding the extraordinary within the ordinary. Moving within each moment mindfully, gently and slowly has great rewards. Whether singing my heart songs with my art or cleaning, cooking, or kneading bread dough, every movement taken is enough reason to celebrate.

Ah…. LIFE….. with it’s ups and downs and all around.

Still I rise

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I’ll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don’t you take it awful hard
‘Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I’ve got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

~Maya Angelou