Creating a Blessing Bowl

I recently watched a video

from the amazing and inspiring

Jamie Ridler

on "Creating a Blessing Bowl."

I loved everything she spoke about!
She demonstrated how to create a small bowl 
filled with offerings, little prayers
and requests for blessings.

I decided to create my own 

and wanted to share her

wonderful idea with YOU!

I first was on the hunt for a bowl,

not just any bowl,

but one that truly spoke to me.

Here is mine:

Is this not beautiful???
The bowl is as important
as the ingredients inside.

I began to fill my bowl with

 precious things of meaning to me

white sage, beads, charms, 
small cut out words and significant things
that mattered to me.

In Jamie's video she demonstrates

how to create blessing cards

I cut my cards 2 x 4

then found images that I loved for the

front of the card

from different magazines.
All I needed was a glue stick!

On the back I took the time to contemplate

on the blessings I wanted to list.

Several came up for me

family, my unborn granddaughter, my art, 
health, writing, thoughts, faith and so much more.

I mindfully chose all the items I wanted

to place in my blessing bowl.
These would become my
personal requests for blessings.

I slowly began to fill my bowl with

my treasures first.

I could feel it was becoming something

special already!

As the bowl filled,

I placed my blessing cards into the bowl.

What a treasure it quickly became.

Now I take the time to choose 

a blessing

and practice gratefulness.

I keep my blessing bowl in my studio,

where all my other treasures are

and I look at it at all times.

This was an awesome project

and I am grateful to Jamie

for sharing such a wonderful idea.

I am encouraging you to create one as well!

Summer Solstice Today

Summer Solstice

The passing of spring

in all of it's freshness

The first day of summer is here

A time for reflection,

renewal and strength.

I welcome you here

my personal

Solstice

Being present in this moment

I am setting new intentions

for my life,

opening the doors

of possibility.

Lighting the sage

being quiet this morning,

thinking and dreaming 

of what will truly be.

I don't just want this

to be an ordinary day!

I want to set it apart 

from all of the rest.

Knowing and trusting

it's significance to me.

I am open ...

I am here ...

 Willing to accept

all that lies ahead of me

with excitement and anticipation.

Summer Solstice

a day unlike any other day!

I will celebrate

in my very own way

this moment.

I am present

with my arms open wide

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Collaboration . . .

My finished Zendala

Heather's finished Zendala

I discovered Heather Cox

through this wonderful internet world of ours.

We participate in a lot of the same projects

and then I discovered her

beautiful Zendala artwork,

I was drawn to her beautiful style

and her presence as an artist.

I then visited her beautiful blog

"Joyfulwise"

and her amazing artwork

can be found here

in her own Etsy shop.

I realized that her style and mine

were quite similar

for creating our Zendalas.
We are always encouraging
each other's work.

I was struck with the thought

of how wonderful it would be

if we collaborated together

on a Zendala.

I reached out to Heather

and she immediately responded

with a lovely

"Yes, let's do this!" 

We decided on a size of 5 x 7

We would each paint 
a background of our own choice
(I chose the new Twinkling H2O's)

and then begin drawing

the Zendala,

then we would mail to each other

and finish the work!
It would then be ours to keep.

Here is my journey . . . 

I was excited when my package arrived from Heather
I was couldn't wait to begin

 Just beginning the process

 So hard to decide where to take it

 It slowly began to evolve for me

how I love the creative process!

I enjoyed the creation of this piece so much

and now I have a keepsake to always remember.

Thank you Heather for saying YES!
Her blog post about this experience
can be found right over here

There have been so many wonderful 

friendships that have come my way in life.

I must say the friends of mine who share 
a love of art

are simply the best!

Try collaborating a piece of your own artwork,
(whatever that might be)

with someone else.

You will gain a new perspective

and have something to treasure for a long time!
I know I sure will.

Happiness Is . . .

I was just reading a blog I love to visit this morning

Book Chatter

"Chatting with friends about books and life"

I encourage you to get on her mailing list,

her posts are always inspiring for the reader.

Today she posed the question

"What makes you happy?"

and she listed her 100 things

Okay so here goes mine ...

Happiness is 

my family's love

my relationship with God
my two sons and their wives
expecting our first grand baby
loving my hubby of 36 years

time spent with girlfriends

feeling my toes in the ocean

painting and creating

writing

reading poetry

time away from the office
feeling a cool and gentle breeze
moonlight
summer solstice

good music
watching the sun rise and set
taking an e-course
having good conversation
a clean house
Instagram
a cozy fire
new furniture
birthdays
picnics
weddings
outdoor music concerts
sharing my thoughts
wearing my red boots
watching Parenthood
dreaming
collecting sea shells
early morning coffee
quiet time
weaving at my loom

long naps in the afternoon

a delicious meal

shopping just to shop

creating zendalas
dancing (when no one is watching)

being with sheep

knitting

journaling

collecting words
playing with my grand doggies
meeting someone new
cooking with my own herbs
reading my poetry at open mic night
learning something brand new
forgiving someone
loving others
time spent with my senior writers group
good conversation

picnics

bike riding

 early morning walks
reading an awesome book
writing my blog
vacations
hugs
birds singing
going to poetry readings
artist dates with myself
time alone
being healthy and well
love notes in the mail

my hot tub
giving gifts
spending quality time with others
listening, really listening

art galleries

coffee shops
Aromatherapy

Jerry's Artarama
meditation
buying fresh flowers just because
Trader Joes
time spent with my best friend Minna
Holiday celebrations
quaint book stores
Popcorn and a movie
Pandora
the smell of lavender
Zentangle
Art Retreats
Squam by the Sea
Thunderstorms
photography
pajama days
candlelight
incense
hot baths
watching my boys play softball
eating gelato from Strawberry Fields
wearing cool eyeglasses
bird feeders

my backyard sanctuary
old movies on TCM
gardening
yoga
time in my studio

I guess I could list so much more
but especially today ...
I am celebrating the birth
of my baby boy Drew!
He is 30 years old today.
Happy Birthday Son
your mom loves you so very much,
everyday watching you live out your life
makes me so very happy!

It's hard for me to believe that
last year on Drew's birthday
I began my 100 poem journey
you can visit here ...
Wow time is passing quickly!

donna lee

The Healing Power of Art

Creating through emotions

This past week I lost a very dear friend to cancer.

The news hit me pretty hard

and I found myself unable to deal

with all the emotions and unanswered questions

that were stirred within me.

So I found myself retreating

quietly to myself . . .

praying

thinking

writing poetry

and doing my artwork.

I created the above artwork

with watercolor and ink

and all the while

with each and every pen stroke

worked out my emotions

of losing my friend Jim.

Art heals in so many ways.

It forces us to come

in a very raw state of mind

and let go ... to create.

It allows us to be present

in the very moment

of wherever we are

and work it through.

I am so grateful to be an Artist,

to feel confident enough

to now call myself an Artist.

It is a gift in my life

and creating through emotions

has taught me to be a better person.

When I completed this piece of artwork,

I stood back and observed,

feeling grateful for having known 

a very dear man

and 

grateful that I now have a 

beautiful reminder 

as a keepsake

for all time.

Art Saves

Art Heals

Art Reminds Us

Art Renews the Spirit

For that I am truly grateful

Donna Lee

Five thoughts on a Saturday

Early morning is definitely the best time of day

Cancer is a wretched thing

We are responsible for how we choose to feel in a day

We must look for moments of tiny graces

Rains storms are more fun with pink leopard boots on

Finding charm in your life

There is so much charm in the world around us

if only you will see . . .

From quaint little shops

in small country towns . . .

To unusual independent bookstores

offering more than just stories . . . 

To beautiful historic home fronts . . . 

To Old Bicycle Shops still going strong . . . 

To finding a wildflower patch

just off the highway . . .

To wonderful bookstores

tucked way down the road

Our lives are filled

with moments

to find some charm.

Just look around you

see what you can find!

Slow your pace down

just a bit

and see all the wonders

that are right around you

waiting to be seen!

Five Thoughts on a Monday

Freedoms in life should never be taken for granted

True friendships are a gift beyond measure

Writing Poetry is something everyone should at least try

Ocean Sand between the toes is always a good thing

Time alone nourishes the soul

The Meditative Process of Zentangle

The beginning process

Complete!

I started my interest in Zentangle over a year ago,

I have dabbled in the process of drawing and doodling

for quite some time now.

I have even take a few awesome

 Creative Doodling courses

online and loved them,

I truly learned a lot.
It wasn't until I discovered the
true Zentangle process
that my "doodling"
became "tangling"
and I haven't looked back!

I wrote a post a few weeks ago about

Creating Zendalas

and how much I loved the process.

When I have quiet time usually this is
what I am drawn to these days.
It helps to keep me centered, alert and calm.
Here I can incorporate my Zentangle
and my love for watercolors.
(You will find a link to my Zendala art on the side bar!)

Most of you know that my mother
suffered from Dementia for quite some time,
and it is a journey I don't want to re-visit.
I have found that Zentangle
has so many attributes;
keeping the mind sharp and focused
are just a few.
That is the reason I was originally
drawn to the Zentangle process.
I have received so much more
since I started down this path.

Black tile with metallic pen

I have slowly evolved into

the discovery of

Zentangle

and I am totally in love

with the meditative process.
It is truly a different experience!
Zentangle is purposeful drawing,
doodling is carefree drawing.

I encourage you to visit the link

I have given you

to learn of the original creators

of Zentangle,

Rick and Maria

and how their process evolves

with this magnificent

meditative art form.

Zentangle is creating a quiet moment for yourself.
It is relaxing, fulfilling, healthy for the mind,
meditative and unlike
any other art form.
It requires very little supplies,
a good micron pen, zentangle tiles,
(just 3.5 x 3.5)
a pencil and no eraser!
For there are no mistakes in the
process, only learning moments!

I have been able to study
with several
CZT's now
(Certified Zentangle Teacher)
and each one has had a
wonderful insight to the process.
I have learned so much from them all!
Each teacher has a slightly
different approach.

Recently I was able to take an
advanced Zentangle class
with Kim Herman, CZT
at my local
MOCA
(Museum of Contemporary Art)
It was an awesome day
and I learned so many new ideas
and techniques.

Our treasure here in Virginia Beach

I first met Kim when she and I sat next
to each other at a Zentangle 102
class
with Suzanne McNeil
at Art and Soul.
Talk about SERENDIPITY,
she was quietly sitting next to me,
a CZT herself
 and we live not even 10 minutes
away from each other!
I sought her out for private instruction
and learned the true foundation
of Zentangle drawing.

I was also able to have
private instruction with
Mary Campbell, CZT
and she took my Zentangle practice
in a totally different direction.
She taught me so many new
and fun tangle patterns and
I learned to use metallic gelly roll pens
on black Zentangle tiles
another fun process!

I am grateful for what I have learned,
the examples of artwork
my eyes have seen,
for the philosophy of Zentangle
being reinforced for my own
well being
and I am totally in love with the process.

I am enjoying learning
more and more each day,
I carry a small kit with me
for those moments when I
might need to slow myself down
while waiting somewhere.

Lately I have been working
with an awesome book
by Beckah Krahula
"One Zentangle A Day"
She explains everything I
have been talking about
So I am trying to create
a new tangle everyday!
My journal is full of notes and patterns
and I am gaining quite a collection of
Zentangle tiles!

I even created my own

Zentangle bookmark for my book,

it makes reading all the more fun you know!

This was so much fun to create

So I encourage you to give it a try,

perhaps you might learn one technique

that you can incorporate into your

mixed media work,

never stop learning something new!

The steps to beginning Zentangle:

Relax ~ Breathe ~ Admire your paper and tools ~ 

Appreciate the opportunity ~ Draw the border ~

Draw the string ~ With pen draw the tangles ~

with pencil shade the tangles ~

initial your work ~ sign and date

reflect and appreciate

Renewal at Springtime

What a beautiful time of year it is right now!

Everywhere you look there is beauty all around.

We are witnessing new growth, new blossoms

and what was dormant is waking up.

Life is such a gift

each and every day

So many times we simply take it for granted.

This spring is so amazing

that it got me to thinking 

(You know I do that a lot!)

I am soaking in this idea of Renewal

What a perfect time of the year it is

to let go of what has been bogging us down,

renew our hearts and our spirits,

thinking of only things that make us happy

and to practice gratefulness

for not only what WAS, but what is!

We are given the gift of spring each and every year.

I think this year was a little slow in getting started

but it came around,

bringing along with it the promise of

new things to come,

color, new life, happiness,

and the shedding of what was.

My favorite time of day is early morning.

It is when I choose to write and create

each day.

I am blessed to have birds return to our backyard

(my private sanctuary)

each year.

Just hearing the familiar sound

of birds singing their songs

I ask you . . . how can anyone be grumpy?

Don't let spring just pass you by,

take the time to renew your mind, fill your spirit

with only good and amazing things.

Each and every morning we wake

is a chance to say to ourselves

"What will I do with my amazing and wonderful

life today?"

Don't take a moment for granted!

Look around you

Soak in the colors, the textures,

the sounds of this season.

There is so much beauty

all around YOU!

Reach out and touch this life.

Seek out moments to be happy,

to be creative,

to be alone with your thoughts,

to write something 

(even if you never have before!)

Try something new.

Don't be bored and unhappy

Spring is here!

When I look at the beauty of flowers,

which come the same time each year,

I can't believe the intricacy of each and every petal,

the colors that God has created

and the variety of flowers.

It is so amazing to me!

This is my favorite . . . Primrose

I know there is certainly a watercolor painting

in there somewhere!

Renewal in Springtime

a chance to be reminded that there are

opportunities for growth,

happiness, and stepping forward.

I plan to take the time

to stay refreshed,

slow myself down this season,

write some beautiful words,

read some incredible poetry and books,

paint some watercolors

Just taking the time

to renew my spirit,

my heart and my home.

Join me won't you?