I was so excited when I received my kit for this project as it was filled with beautiful shades of blue beads in an incredible array of shapes and sizes. I was headed down to the amazing blue waters of the Caribbean for the summer to teach scuba diving and knew that my life there would be filled with inspirations galore to help me create an amazing piece. I expected to be blogging tonight from the tiny island of Utila (which is just off the coast of Honduras) to share with all of you the fruits of my summer labors. Sadly it was not to be . . .
Two days before leaving, I received a call that an ailing brother (who I had been caring for the past three years) was failing and had very little time to live. After hastily switching gears, I found myself on a plane to the vineyards of Santa Rosa California instead of to the coral reefs of the Caribbean. I have been here ever since.
The privilege of walking a journey such as this with someone you love so dearly is incredibly profound and I have daily felt honored and blessed to be here with my brother, Jeff. It is also extremely difficult in every way and definitely not conducive to artistic productivity. Or so I thought! At one point, I decided I needed to play the "Life Happens" card that was offered to all of us in our initial Blog Hop letter and Lisa very graciously took me off the list.
In the quiet, introspective moments of my days however, I found my sad heart responding to all the beauty surrounding me and I was flooded with fond memories of my beautiful Caribbean ocean. I remembered how the intense tropical sun reflects so spectacularly off the surface of the sea . . . how the incredible blueness of the water changes to compliment the surrounding depth . . . how precious sea treasures lie gently cradled upon the soft, sandy bottom . . . how free, happy and at peace I feel when I am at one with the sea. And so, I picked up my beads and began . . . each stitch a meditation . . . each tiny bead a singular prayer. My memories became my art . . . my art became my release.
Thank you Lisa for your gentle, compassionate spirit and for the incredible therapy you helped me access to support this journey I am on with Jeff. Thank you also to all my fellow artists for the unique beauty you bring to the world and in particular for the gifts that are being shared today at:
