Finding My Way

For awhile now I have been trying to figure out which path to take with my art work. I have finally convinced myself that my art is not only about making money. Of course, when someone appreciates my work enough to buy it, I am THRILLED, don't get me wrong! But there are many more reasons for me to be pursueing my creativity. My art experience has changed dramaticaly since I have gotten so involved with several amazing on line art groups. I wouldn't trade the friendships that I have made, nor the support that I have recieved from all of my wonderful friends, for anything! The internet has been a wonderful tool for me.

The Internet has also allowed me to keep in touch with my wonderful friends , some of whom have been experiencing major health challenges lately. In my post about my bird assemblages, you were all introduced to my wonderful friend and art sister, Mo. Mo has Breast Cancer and Mo si going to be just fine!!! She has finished up with her chemo, her chem port has been removed and she is now going thru radiation treatments. Mo now has a mission. When she was diagnosed and was looking for info and resources in her area of the country-rural Oklahoma, she found very little. She is now determined to establish a non-profit organization to help women cope with cancer. It will nto matter what kind of cancer, nor will it matter whether they are patients, survivors siblings, daughters or caregivers. This organization will be about women with cancer. Mo wants very much to include art as a major portion of the support offered. the art could take the form of holding Art Journaling classes, Art Therapy, Meditation Classes, or providing art totems for patients to keep to know that they are loved and cared for.

I was writing to Mo the other day about a web site that I found that provides Art Dolls to victims of Domestic Violence. The dalls are called Comfort Dolls, here is the link to that wonderful organization http://www.patwintergatherings.com/Comfort_Doll_Project.html.

When I found this site my thoughts immediately turned to Mo and her plans. My gears started turning and I figured that I could stitch up several blank Pink doll bodies to send off to Mo so she could hav ethe fun of putting something of herself into them. Well I ended up making eight dolls in about 1.5 hours and then I put together a small kit. I added small skeins of various pink yarns (pink- for Breast Cancer) and some polymer clay faces that she can attach if she chooses.

I am going to make several dolls from start to finish , to send to her. I will ask her to hand them out to other women patients when she goes for her radiation treatments, whenever she feels that she is ready.

There are so many ways that we can show others that they are loved and cared for and I now know that some portion of my art work will be used to comfort others who need hugs! Doesn't everyone need a hug now and then!?!?



As soon as Mo gets her Non-Profit up and running , you will find links to it right here. You can also bet that you will be hearing more about it all from me!

Have you had your yearly check up and mammogram yet???????

Each of these blank dolls is about 5 inches tall and I know that Mo will have a blast embellishing the heck out them, using beads and baubles of all sorts! You should see her art stash- I haven't even seen it all!!!

This is the card that I made to explain all of my plottings to Mo. She loves birds as much, if not more than I do. I am so excited about this card as i have been so scared of doodling till just recently. I guess that i have looked on doodling as a "waste of Time". Couldn't be further from the truth!! Why is it that as we age we tighten up so??? Playing is essential for everyone- even things that don't work out for some reason or another, serve a very valuable purpose. So I decided to jump off the "doodling cliff " and came up with this card! I used some of my collaged and paint scraped papers and cut out a bird doodle. I used oil pastels to add some details and slapped the whole thing down on a piece of cardstock. So simple but so VERY difficult!!!