- The third day of the new year flies in on wintry wind. It sounds like a train whooshing through the streets and tree tops of Glen Oaks at full throttle. It is icy cold, penetrating layers of down and wool, like cold fingers wriggling under warm blankets. I have one outdoor errand to do...a meatball run for ingredients for a game night dish. It feels like snow could be in the very near future so it behooves me to have my supplies on hand before things get messy. I'm getting my little nest warm and cozy for this phase of winter. This is the time for indoor activities.
- Today I'm doing some heart art. I'm putting my other projects on hold for a short time while attend to my heart. Hearts find their way into much of my art...hearts and eyes. This time I have a heart-shaped book I'll be altering with paint, paper, clay, metal, wire...you get the idea. My dear Christina from www.skybluepink.com sent some gorgeous pink and fuchsia punchinella. I am in seventh heaven...sparkles and hearts and stencils...oh my!
A few years ago I participated in a LMAO (land mail art object) exchange with a group of fellow artists at nervousness, where many of us had quite a bit of fun for a while. The concept of this exchange was simple...create an artistic representation of your heart. Any medium, any form you like, but it had to be small enough to be easily mailed anywhere in the world. I decided to use a jigsaw puzzle for my heart. I labeled each piece for a part of my life I held in my heart...people, pets, places and ideals all separate, but connected. In fact, if one piece was missing, the heart was not complete. I really liked that heart...I use a picture of it as my avatar on nervousness...but off it went to Norway. The heart I received was from the USA. It blew my mind. I opened the envelope to find a tiny matchbox shrine, covered in red paper. On top was a pearl heart. A red ribbon wrapped around the tiny container. When I slid it open I found eight iridescent beads glued to dark background paper. Then I found the note in the envelope. "These beads represent the people in my life who make up my heart. One is for my daughter, two are for my parents. The others represent the people who gave their lives defending me, including my dearest friend, the love of my life. They died in a fight for my life. I hold them in my heart for eternity, although I fear it will remain broken for eternity, too. If you should decide you don't want this heart at any time, please return it to me. Thank you." I still have that heart and keep it safe.
You never know about hearts. Some seem so full of love and joy, almost overflowing. Others seem small and dark like pieces of obsidian, hard and cold. Then there are the broken hearts...some have tiny cracks, some are fractured and pieced together again and some are torn asunder, leaving an abyss impossible to breach. Most hearts are a combination of the full and the broken. In any case, your heart has a voice. We all hear it on occasion. I think we are wise to listen to our hearts...it's that little voice people talk about when they say they should have listened. I don't have any resolutions, they are a waste of time for me. However, I decided to really listen to my heart...to ease up on the thinking for a while. As someone near and dear to me said..."you're losing your focus, lighten up, stop thinking, just go with the flow." That may be my mantra, along with 'follow your heart'.
I'm setting up my heart art...I even wrote a haiku this morning :)
My Heart Has No Name
My heart has no name
each piece holds the key to love.
Timeless roses bloom...
Got my book, got my glue, got my punchinella and I am ready to rock this heart. Crank up the music, mr. dj...maybe some Canaro tangos...I have my wire cutters...I am armed and not so dangerous. It's time for some heart to heart art <3
anonymous shrine~nervousness~2004?
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