Individual & Family Resources is a new addition to the Family/Human Development page on my website. This listing will continue to grow as I share resources with information on topics that may be of interest to individuals and families. One section is Health & Families, which now includes The Cancer Experience...
Also, new to the website is a Links page. The two main areas of these links will be related to Human Development/Family and to Art & Artists. I invite you to check out these new additions–I hope they are of some help to you!
In the art of life, the daily challenges I know can really tax my abilities at times…Gaining needed knowledge and learning new skills can help to encourage us and enhance our experiences.
"Above Dark Clouds", Frayed-edge appliqué, pieced, quilted with rayon on hand-painted & commercial cotton, 11 1/2 x 11 1/2". (c)2011 Joni Beach.
It is satisfying to make a deadline, especially since I missed it last year! 🙂 Also, I will get to send in my new website and blog address with it, which was one of my goals for the year–to create a website and blog before the SAQA Benefit Auction.
This is a design idea I have actually tried before and did not finish. In flying to a health
center during a family health crisis, I would get above the rain clouds and realize how bright and beautiful the sun and cobalt blue sky was continually. It was an encouragement to me and became a symbol of hope and peace.
In experimenting with the design of this piece, I decided the horizontal lines for the sky, while somewhat simple, best portrayed the idea of calm and peace. The variation of the blue fabric I hand-painted to the desired color adds extra visual interest.
For the clouds, I decided I liked the frayed edges for the softness and dimension it gave in contrast to the cleaner lines of the pieced sections of the sun and sky.
In the future I plan to create a series exploring these ideas and theme, beginning with a similar large piece based on this design.
The SAQA Benefit Auction is an annual fundraising event and features a wonderful collection of members’ artwork, which can be obtained at very good prices! Check it out the donated artwork now at http://www.saqa.com/saqa-u.php?ID=1791. The first day of the on-line bidding is September 12th, 2011, beginning at 2:00PM Eastern Standard time.
As life’s clouds sometimes gather, may the knowledge of the warm sun and brilliant, cobalt blue sky that still lies above it all bring you hope and peace…
This past weekend we traveled home to North Carolina. I love going in the summer for many reasons but among them are the fresh garden vegetables and fruit. We visited a produce garden selling in-season fruits and vegetables.
After shopping in boutiques and eating lunch in town and driving past my childhood home, we ended our day out. The rest of the evening was spent with family…and supper included chilled watermelon and sweet iced tea. (Since it had topped 99° F on Saturday, nothing was better!). A quick wind and thunderstorm ended the fishing in the pond. But, all in all it was a great day.
This produce is ripe much earlier than where we live in the mountains. Not only did the farm we visit have patty-pan squash, zucchini, green beans, early cling peaches, they still had strawberries we could pick! Mom added the homemade blackberry jam (with seeds!). Yum!
I bought a new coffee mug…and we enjoyed talking with the artist in his gallery. One day I would like to own one of his crystalline glazed pots…the yellow ones are so unusual in color and very delicate looking. They remind me of Japanese design.
Viewing the artistic creations of potters always inspires me. To learn of their stories, methods, and to get to visit their studios and galleries provides an artistic perspective from a medium different from my own. It gives me new ideas on color and the design process.
And, on an extremely hot and humid summer’s day… there is nothing like watermelon and sweet iced tea!
Individual & Family Resources is a new addition to the Family/Human Development page on my website. This listing will continue to grow as I share resources with information on topics that may be of interest to individuals and families. One section is Health & Families, which now includes The Cancer Experience...
Joni Beach 