Mantilla

One of my favorite places to visit and play is Inspiration Avenue.

This week the theme is Spain.

My entry is a pencil, pen ink drawing with a water color wash.

A Spanish woman wearing a traditional lace veil

worn over a tall comb

known as a mantilla.

Flowers are often worn with a mantilla.

I love to wear flowers in my hair too.

In fact I have one behind my ear as I post this.

It's from my birthday bouquet.

OLE

OLE

OLE OLE

:-)

Angel faces

Inspiration Avenue supports a lovely charity called Angel faces.
It benefits children who have been burned or otherwise disfigured.
The members of IA are having their
2nd annual Charity art auction from May 1-May 7th
for Angel faces.(more information on side-bar)
While I am not a member of the  Inspiration Avenue team,
I do support them in their weekly challenges and certainly support this cause.
With that I submit  a page from my journal,
my entry for this week which is angels.

Her wings surround her face with a love heart.
Love helps her fly.

Black,White,Pink Puzzle

Here is my entry for Inspiration Avenue theme: Black,White, Pink.
A puzzle.
All the pieces are there...
but she is uncertain.
Should she wear her Pink tutu with the Black sequins or the White faerie wings?
Such a perplexing problem.
but...
She'd rather try to solve this one
than the problems of the world right now.

Celeste

 Sometimes I try too hard 

and force art.

And then other times it just comes out.

This week when I sat down to draw a celestial theme for

Inspiration Avenue.

Thought perhaps I'd draw something 

like a curtain of stars across the page 

but

Celeste came out instead.

Thanks for the inspiration IA team.

Faded Love

Virtually everything fades away eventually.

The challenge for Inspiration Avenue this week:

FADED

Often when things fade away we let go of them

not so with my old faded jeans.

Using fabric marker  I proclaim my love.

dreadlocks valentine

Yesterday at the post office I saw a guy with dreadlocks to his waist.
His hair was so furry, it reminded me of the Inspiration Avenue challenge this week which is fur.
In my sketchbook I drew a tangled mess of smudged up words in my art.
They represent the message in furry dreadlocks which is often natural freedom, spiritual journey.
...and ONE LOVE

Matinee de Septembre

This week the Inspiration Avenue challenge: What is your favorite month?
Loving all the months....
I will choose my birth month.
Born in the morning on a September 30th....

This lovely painting of a nude maiden by French painter Paul Chabas
is entitled Matinee de Septembre or September Morn.
It is altered here with colors and texture for Inspiration Avenue.

My mother told me she loved this painting because of my birth hour.
I had a poster of it when I was a young woman.
The image stays with me....though many years have past.
It is one of sweetness and innocence that comes with the morning.

Believe

As for me and Gemma..... we believe.

Peaceful Interlude

sharing a quiet moment with a Cactus Wren

Thich Nhat Hanh reminded us to be present in every moment to find peace and joy.
PEACE is the theme at Inspiration Avenue this week.

Peace is Every Step

Peace is every step.

The shining red sun is my heart.

Each flower smiles with me.

How green, how fresh all that grows.

How cool the wind blows.

Peace is every step.

It turns the endless path to joy. 

The Collected Poems of Thich Nhat Hanh. Parallax Press

Atilla and the Mermaid

Once upon a time

A few weeks ago 

a girl named Atilla 

went to a Fairie Festival with her gemma.

She adored the fancy fairies,

fearlessly faced the goblins,

bartered with the hags.

She danced on stage with the gypsies

but

Mostly she fell in LOVE with the Mermaid

 

Flowing Blue hair

bubbles and beauty

pearls and sweetness

appealed to Miss Atilla

~Imagination soaring until twilight where dreams are born~Sarah Ban Breathnach

PINK

Inspiration Avenue theme for this week: PINK
Immediately I thought of Terri Tharpe aka "Ninnie". She's a good friend of mine, and has been since I started blogging several years ago. She is a creator extraordinaire. She's a motorcycle enthusiast, a grandmother,a photographer,and a tattoo designer. Recently she designed a tat that her SIL tatted on her and her daughters. Earlier this year Ninnie was diagnosed with breast cancer. She blogs about it at Ninnies journey through breast cancer. She kindly told me I could draw this portrait of her from a photo on her blog. I've never actually met Ninnie but I know her heart.  Praying this attempt to honor her is appropriate.
Sending love to her this day and to all who are having this devastating experience.
Let's find a cure!

Inspiration Avenue visits Mexico this week.
This little painting is my entry:

I am daily immersed in the Mexican community living here in Arizona. I work at a barrio school, I love the colors and flavors of the Mexican culture.Spicy!!  Politically I'm involved in some local struggles and don't like to see families torn apart and children hurt because of racial profiling. Mostly  I love the people....and that could be said for all people because we are ONE!

Uncalled for

What is uncalled for?
Is it this "too much Birthday cake"
self portrait?


Original was nude.
Or is it the purple lingerie that is uncalled for?
 Perhaps both.
 For more  uncalled for things please visit:
 Inspiration Avenue

Metamorphosis

From a pod to a crone

the

~The wee one is already a Goddess but it will take many years for her to learn this.In time she will crawl out of the bunting pod and become a Goddess child.
~During her childhood years, she will learn about about magic,dancing, mother earth, animals, angels,and she'll have fun following butterflies and faeries and things that sparkle.
~On becoming a Goddess she remembers the ancient fire & the other world, the house of Sidhe and she is enchanted with light and music. She is full of wonderment for healing and herbs, bells, intuition, moon time, and all of the gifts of nature, in this abundant life. She trusts herself, the directions, the elements, she holds many keys, and opens her heart fully.
~The Goddess years are long and full of service keeping her sanctuary whole, and keeping time with the seasons.She continues to dance and make music.She is in tune with nature,has a useful and beautiful garden,
a friend of the birds and bees and trees.
The wind whispers her name, the sun shines and the moon glows for HER.
~As more time goes by the the Goddess earns the right to be called Crone. During this stage of metamorphosis, knowledge  is passed down to younger ones. The Crone is fierce. She is the wisest of all.Never under estimate the oldest among us.

Thanks Inspiration Avenue for this challenge.