Going Back to My Hometown

Falls, originally uploaded by e14studio.

The house where I grew up is about 2 miles from the brink of Niagara Falls. It's the same house my Dad lived in all his life. Mom still lives there and I'll be going back to visit her, my sister and nephew, my aunts and cousins this week.

I left Niagara Falls back in 1978. I graduated from the University of Buffalo with a degree in Fine Arts and no job prospects other than waiting on tables. I thought I was going to stay in Texas only 2 weeks when I came to visit my college roomates and meet their newborn baby. Instead, I decided to get an entry level position in graphic design so I could have some experience when I went back to New York state, Ha! That never happened, but I keep going back as often as I can to visit my family and act like a tourist at the Falls.

My favorite time to go to the falls is early in the morning before the crowds show up. I usually walk on Goat Island and visit Three Sisters Island. I like to sit by the water and watch it go rushing and gushing by. It's a magical place and very powerful. If you ever get a chance to go to the Falls, you will be amazed.

I'll be back in about 10 days.

Fourth of July

flag, originally uploaded by e14studio.

No, I did not rip apart the American flag! I would never ever do such a thing. My father always taught me to respect the flag and what it stands for. I remember back to my college days when Dad came to my college dorm and saw that I used a flag as a curtain over my window. He made me take it down right then and there. I never saw him so red in the face and upset with me.

I found this flag in a very old cemetery in Texas. It was in a ditch, long detached from the tombstone of the veteran buried there. Maybe it was someone who fought and died for our country.

I post it today as a reminder of how fragile our nation is on this planet where war is a daily event and peace is just a promise. It saddens me that we loose sight of our peace efforts and become complacent when we read the ugly headlines.

Pray for peace today and be grateful if you live in a land of freedom. Don't ever take it for granted.

5 drawings

5drawings, originally uploaded by e14studio.

Once I was able to figure out how to do nothing at the beach, I did take out my paper and colors to make a few drawings. I was inspired bySandy Gingra's books.

A week at the beach

beach, originally uploaded by e14studio.

A whole week with no internet! Yes, I could have gone next door to LaQuinta and got online but I was determined to just sit back and do nothing!
Doing nothing isn't that easy. It took at least 2 days to quiet the chatter in my brain. Then, I was thinking I should be drawing and painting but I wound up just sitting and looking.
What you see here was done by my friend Mel. She is Guest artist today...

Takin' a Break

paintedtoes, originally uploaded by e14studio.

Oooh La La. I'll be on South Padre Island way down at the tip of Texas for a week. Plan to sit and be amazed with each sunrise and sunset, splash in the Gulf, shuck raw oysters, spot the dolphins and just be a beach bum. Hope to come back with lots of inspiration...

Happy Father's Day

father, originally uploaded by e14studio.

Here is a drawing I made in 1981 of my nephew and my Dad. My nephew is now 25 years old and a financial advisor and my Dad is in heaven helping out wherever he can.

Jonathan, this one's for you! I know that Grandpa would be proud of you. Somehow I feel that he is still with us. His energy is with us and his love was unconditional.

What I wouldn't give to see him one more time.

Black & White image

e14studio, originally uploaded by e14studio.

Here is my entry for Illustration Friday theme which is Black & White. I was inspired by Zuzana Licko of Emigre Fonts who developed Hypnopaedia. Notice the concentric rotation of a single letterform. When repeated, you can have a unique pattern of interlocking lettershapes. There are infinite possibilities. I created my Black and White image using rubber stamp letters and numbers. It was quite a challenge lining each stamped letter to be in the correct position.

Here it is

pouch, originally uploaded by e14studio.

It felt funny to scan my prayer pouch; as if I were diminishing it's purpose or something. But I wanted to share it, or should I say share the experience of making it, and keeping it.
Wellness is my focus. After years of taking my body for granted, it's come down to the fact that I need to take better care of myself. So I made this pouch as a talisman for such a personal intention.

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There are no instructions for creating your own pouch. You just take materials and beads, tokens, ribbons and sew or glue the materials to create a pouch; write your prayer or intention and seal it inside.
I first learned about the idea of prayer pouches in Belle Armoire magazine.

Prayer Pouches

workinprogress, originally uploaded by e14studio.

I'm making prayer pouches. Each one is unique; each one is very specific. I finished only 2 so far and gave them to my La-La sisters. Inside of each pouch I sew in a hand written prayer and anything else that inspires me or supports my intention. For the La-La's I attached a tiny bottle filled with water from a spring obtained while I was in Ireland at St. Brigit's shrine.

I'm not interested in marketing these but I would like to share them with others. I will make them for whatever donation or exchange seems appropriate. If you are interested in a prayer pouch let me know.

Remember, that with prayer, and the magic of sustained focus, all things are possible.

VW's

vw, originally uploaded by e14studio.

Ah all the memories of my VW bug came back to me (flashback) when I saw my friend's daughter graduation present. Back in the 70's everyone I knew had a VW. I wish I had a picture from days gone by. I'll just have to rely on the flashbacks. Unless, of course, I invest in an antique and buy one of the re-finished originals that I see from time to time for sale. Problem is the mechanically inclined boyfriend I had at the time is long gone and he was the one who kept my bug running for me. Where are you now Jay Finkelstein? Probably tuning up your Volvo....