Ahhh August ...

 

“I suppose that’s the way we humans are, thinking too much and listening too little. Paying attention acknowledges that we have something to learn from intelligences other than our own. Listening, standing witness, creates an openness to the world in which the boundaries between us can dissolve in a raindrop. The drop swells on the tip of a cedar and I catch it on my tongue like a blessing.” 
― Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer is one of my favorite books, my desert island book, a book I return to, often.  This month I am beyond fortunate to go see Kimmerer teach, in person - a wish come true!! 

Her thoughts and words are so timely now, as we are blindly racing toward environmental disaster.  Kimmerer speaks of respect and reciprocity, for ourselves, our surroundings, our world and others.  

I highly recommend this book to all!!! 

click below to learn more on Goodreads:
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants
Robin Wall Kimmerer

click here to find an independent bookstore to purchase Braiding Sweetgrass

happy reading and peace, Virginia

Work hard, play hard, dream big, love loads ... and give back!

Work hard, play hard, dream big, love loads, laugh as much as you can, and give back.

Deirdre O'Kane

peace, Virginia

never lose your invaluable curiosity ...

“It is simply this: do not tire, never lose interest, 

never grow indifferent—

lose your invaluable curiosity and you let yourself die. 

It's as simple as that.” 

Tove Jansson, Fair Play

This past summer I learned more about the amazing Tove Jansson because of a  fun instagram challenge I did last summer called #cupfull2022*. 

Here is the illustration/drawing that I created inspired by Tove Jansson and the blurb that I shared about her ~

Cup full: Tove Jansson
Such a wonderful prompt!! I loved trying to recreate Jansson’s luscious creepiness & her wonderful line work 🖤

Tove Marika Jansson (9 August 1914 – 27 June 2001) was a Swedish-speaking Finnish author, novelist, painter, illustrator and comic strip author. Brought up by artistic parents, Jansson studied art from 1930 to 1938 in Stockholm, Helsinki and Paris. Her first solo art exhibition was in 1943. At the same time, she was writing short stories and articles for publication, as well as creating the graphics for book covers and other purposes. She continued to work as an artist and a writer for the rest of her life.
Jansson wrote the Moomin books for children, starting in 1945 with The Moomins and the Great Flood. #wikipedia 

*this challenge was hosted by these lovely artists - if you have a moment, check out their instagram feeds.

@lorisiebert.studio 

@nullsie 

@snippetsofwhimsy 

@michelleallenart 

@joturnerillustration 

be the light ...

“Light is to darkness what love is to fear; 

in the presence of one, the other disappears.

Marianne Williamson

I have posted this collage on my P.O.P. site (society6and Redbubble) and I will donate the entirety of my portion of the sale of this print, 'be the light ... ' to UNICEF to help the children in the Ukraine.

print on society 6:

https://society6.com/product/be-the-light6628744_print?sku=s6-23296111p4a1v45

Print on redbubble: 

https://www.redbubble.com/i/art-print/be-the-light-by-Virginiacreate/103391524.1G4ZT?asc=u

Click here to go directly to UNICEF's site to donate directly:

www.unicefusa.org

When I sat down yesterday to create this month's collage for my #virginiacreates monthly calendar - this collage came quite clearly to me.  I didn't struggle with it or question it, which usually happens with most of my work.  But this piece seemed to flow. 

 I was listening to an interview with the lovely and talented Anne Lamott (see link below) and she was speaking about the importance of being the light - especially for creatives - and so I named this collage, 'be the light ...'  However as I was putting together my March calendar page I started seeing that this piece speaks to the heart-breaking situation in the Ukraine.  

As I do with many of my collages I cut shapes from  pages of different foreign text.  I am always picking up foreign books when I see them!! Unknowingly I used pages from one of my book that is in a Slavic language.  This particular book seems to be about Walt Disney and is in some East Slavic language though I am not sure which language. I love to use text in my work and especially text using different alphabets.  I find lettering/text/language so inspiring and beautiful of many levels.  

Also when I first sat down to make this collage I felt the need to stamp a peace sign, something that I don't always do, but yesterday it felt important.

I mention all this because I really wasn't consciously thinking about the Ukraine crisis, but as I look at the finished collage I feel like it speaks to the crisis, peace & light with a slavic text sprinkled around.  And this is an idea that Anne Lamott talks about, that we, as creatives, need to be open so that we are receptors of the world and that it what feeds our work.

A Conversation with Anne Lamott - 2007:

Best-selling author Anne Lamott returns to San Diego with more hilarious tales of her life as a mother, daughter and writer who is drawn to the struggles of imperfect characters. The humor of host Dean Nelson puts the normally reclusive Lamott at ease and the two keep the audience laughing throughout this edition of the 2007 Writer’s Symposium by the Sea, sponsored by Point Loma Nazarene University. [4/2007] [Show ID: 12220]

https://youtu.be/PhP5GmybvPM