A humble offering to Japan's refief

My humble offering to Japan:

I get immuned and numb when I see the same pictures over and over on the T.V screen.

On quiet moments if I zoom out, and try to think that it is just not two dimensional, what happened to those people is real, I shiver. So many people have lost their homes, lost their loved ones, so many children can't find their parents or food...

It could happen to us too. Can I fathom that?

Japan is such a beautiful place. I have been there several times on my way to India. Yet, all those sky scrappers, modern equipments and highways look like a child's toys, as if a child is playing with his lego set, in contrast to the vast ocean when you see it from high above - when you take a bird's eye view.

We human being are so small, so insignificant against nature's vast force!

I have high regards for that nation. They are so disciplined, hard working, spiritual people. They are resilient and will recover, but right now what are they going through.

As I watch out, I see our cherry tree in full bloom through the window. I think of Japan. I was first introduced to flowering cherry trees in Japan. Being a young girl from tropical India I had never seen a cherry tree before that. And I planted a wish that some day may we have a cherry tree in our home.

My wish was granted. The tree is full of rosy whisper soft bloom today.

My eyes well up as I work on my beading project. My knitted wire work gets blurry. I wipe off. I put the last crimp to secure and decide to offer this humble creation with my prayers to the Japan relief fund.

Agony of artist's life

I had been reading about Renoir and  how he painted.  It is interesting to note that even artists like him had to go through such misery concerning money..  The story opens , Renoir with a broken limb trying to manage painting. He broke his arm trying to paint part of a house and fell down from the ladder

In his dreams he visualizes known people, common people as his models.  He murmurs to himself never to waste time doing things that you do not love to do.

He wants to sketch normal life, happy stories of his time in history...but the agony is, he has to compromise to things that pays him more.  He hated to take  salon commissions and paint aristocrat families all  seated on velvet sofas but that is where the money was coming from.

Do you feel like that some times?   Do you hate the marketing and selling aspect?

I do when I have to make the same pieces over and over.  I try to stay away from that.  And since I am not that famous and no one is really bugging me to do the same pieces, I do have the luxury to not do what I hate.

Actually at this phase I kind of like when people asks me to do custom order.  A friend of mine asked me to make some thing for a girl born in October.  She bought a  turquoise in copper  book marker I made earlier.

So I made two book markers this time.  One with tiny  pink tourmaline beads and the other one with rose quartz chips both knitted in silver heart.

Rose Quartz in silver heart

 Now Pink Tourmaline tiny beads in knitted heart

Both are October birth stones depending on the Zodiac signs -  Libra or Scorpio
Which one do you think she'd like?  Which one do you like better?

Knitting with beads and wire

Knitting with beads and wire is my new passion now.  I used to knit a lot when my girls were little, then I picked up beading.  Now I find that I am inclined to knitting with beads and wire.

Knitting with wire is quite different from knitting with yarn.  Wire knitting can tense your fingers.  Now it is getting better each time.  The wire loops will not be the same as working with yarn.  Then again knitting with wire has its own good things.  It is much forgiving in terms of shape.

My very first book was Knitting with Beads  which I got as a Christmas gift in 2009 from my daughter .I did not see too many books in this area.  So this time from the library I brought some craft books ( March is National Craft Month, I came to learn) and one of them really caught my eye.  It is Element of Style by





I think I'll try quite a few designs from here.  I came to know that there is a yarn named Habu which is just what I was looking for.  I knew it exited but I was not sure what to ask when I go to the knitting store.

Now I am a person who cannot really follow a recipe or direction all the way.  If I am not really judged or tested, once I understand the basic I deviate.  So this is what I tried from her book

and this is what I came up with.

Did you see any books on bead knitting?  Will you please let me know? 




 

The Modern Anna Karenina

The Modern Anna Karenina

Would a girl kill her self like jumping on the train track, the way Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina did?

I was thinking about that as I woke up this morning.  Yesterday night we watched Anna Karenina,   the black and white version of the movie.

Just a few days ago, we, ladies were gossiping about a girl we all knew. Her life resembles very much like Anna Karenina.  Let’s call her Mia.

Mia had a caring, loyal dutiful husband, Greg and a sweet little boy Tommy.  But, Ryan, a character, all on a sudden barged into her life like a comet and topsy turvy her whole being.  Mia’s tranquil, safe life was changed. 

Mia found a spark in Ryan’s eyes, a different kind of caring, some irresistible attraction that brought a new meaning in life to Mia.  Mia came to know what she was missing.

When she was confronted with the choice of her safe, secured married life with Greg and Tommy, as a bonus in one hand and Ryan on the other, she chose Ryan.  It was hard to leave Tommy, yet Ryan won.

Like Tolstoy’s Anna, Mia hung onto Ryan and whispered in his ears “Remember I have nothing else except you”.  Ryan kissed her back.

Couple of years passes, now Ryan wants Mia’s divorce papers to settle in the society rightfully.  Mia cannot manage to get them.  Ryan changes.

Mia finds that it is nothing but time that takes away that special spark.  Ryan and Greg are basically very similar.

Mia is a lonely single woman struggling each day over this issue.  Would she crush herself like Anna Karenina did, I wonder as I knit absent mindedly.

May be Mia will find that there is more to life. Of course she did the right thing listening to her inner self, leaving her secured life for challenges. Of course she did the right thing leaving Ryan too.   Mia, I salute your strength for following your heart for what you think is right.  You have a lot of hurdles on your way, but believe me, don’t you quit now.

May the morning sun beam embrace you with its warmth, may the hungry humming birds in your feeders remind you that you are needed.  May there be a little boy waiting for you at the corner of the road like Anna found one in Venice, who stretches his hand for you.  Let there be something to show that you are valuable, you are needed.  May you hear these messages inside yourself.

May you find that there is more to life that just men’s appreciation. Don’t you kill yourself like Anna Karenina.

My knitted jewelry  piece is done now.  Here it is:

Inspiration for art

Inspirations for art

Inspiration is everywhere, especially today.  It’s one of those days.  First of all – did you watch the Oscars yesterday?  I am talking about Natalie Portmans dazzling dangler.  Oh what a design!  That red-purple tassel brushing her soft shoulder kept me up for quite awhile yesterday night and the first thing I did this morning is visiting my STUDIO ( I mean my bead storage) to find what do I have to create some thing like that?

Well. As soon as I come up with something, I know it may be quite different; I assure I’ll share it with you.

In the mean time I hopped two blogs and was just mesmerized with all the things they have to share. 

Lori was talking about this sumptuous Bead Soup event.  I wanted to be part of it even not knowing exactly what it’s all about.  But I did it.  I learned how to put it in my web blog.  I can see your smirk. But hey, I am learning.  I am not techno savvy okay!

Then I went to Mortira’s blog and oh my, I hopped from one link to another, reading all the book reviews she had and found that I have spent the whole afternoon.  The sun is down, I did not fix supper, did not clean the dish washer… my house is a mess.

But hey, there is some thing I can share too from last few weeks– my knitted jewelry

These days I am doing a lot of knitted jewelry.  I got inspired from a knitting blog and got hooked with the needles but could not let go my wire  or the beads ….so this is what is happening.

When Life is Messy

Yesterday I stumbled upon an interesting blog article. It is about Life is Messy.

True, there are too many things to do, all cluttered in the head, and too short time in a day.

The author says, some of us are not successful, not because these people are stupid or dumb, we are just not consistent.(Look at my last blog post...rings a bell!) Then some times these people  even do not have a plan. No direction or goal where they want to go.

May be they even are not clear what they really want out of life.

I remember of a class assignment  that I had taken years ago. I was asked to find five things that I consider most important in life.

After that, we were asked to document how a normal day flows in our individual lives. I mean, we had to document all that we had done over the whole day. Surprisingly, we found, at least I did, that it had no correlation to those five most important things.

It is as if my life is driven by some one else and I am experiencing it passively. Well, to go where you want to go you need to drive your own life, like driving your own car. Of course, some times I like to be the rider, just enjoying the show and not worry about the to do lists.

It has its pros and cons. So we have to find a fine balance.

Now talking about having a plan, here is a wonderful product this gal has made and she very graciously is offering it free as a give away.

Here I want you to know that I have no commercial affiliation with these products.  I am sharing just what I found interesting.

I was amazed to see how much thought she had put into it. Not only a daily,planner, she thought about a weekly and monthly goal thing too. Also a goal setter including all the areas of your life. If you go there you'll be able to see what I mean.

I know, it is just not winning this fabulous product ( I have never won any lottery ever in my entire life), or just buying it for $20. It is implementing in life. It is training my self to be disciplined to think about those important five things and weave it into my life with some regular pattern.

It is to visualize the whole big quilt - the life quilt and then go through every detail,  make individual stitches count  to accomplish it.

I came to know about these artists from the tweeter vine fields , through another talented  artist Jess Van Den.

Jessica says  somewhere, if you are a writer do write. If  you claim to be a jewelry artist then go to your studio and create some thing every day. Be true to yourself.

True. So this is what I created today, Jesse.

About the big life quilt, I am thinking... will share with you soon.

The Modern Native American Indian Artist

Did I meet my modern Native American artist?

About 15 to 20 minutes away from Sedona, if you drive down HWY 260, you'll see a badly posted sign that says "Tuzigoot" What is that?

Tuzigoot was an ancient Indian village or pueblo made by a culture known as Singua. They lived here in the Verde Valley for four hundred years, from AD 1000 to 1400 and then disappeared.

Today,as you follow the signs you find yourself driving up hill leaving a huge expanse of valley, and a thin silver line of a river called the Verde river snaking somewhere far away. You'll see some marsh land meandering lazily through the valley.

It was not like this when the Native American Singua people lived here. It was green with lush vegetation that provided habitat for many animals and birds, even parrots.

Now it is barren. As you park your car in front of the museum and climb up the stairs you reach at the roof top. It may seem like you are rather on top of a fort.

Spanning the valley you see the ruins of the old pueblo that consisted of more than hundred rooms made out of stones, and were two or three storied high.

You may feel any minute those people may return on their horse backs. Those people who were mainly farmers, knew very well how to use the irrigation from the Verde river water and cultivate corn, maize and so on.

They were great artisans. You have seen their pottery in the museum and the incredible tools they made, out of bones, to make shell jewelry. They had great trade relations with people hundreds of miles away. How can they be vanished just like that?

When they return what riches are they going to bring? What stories to tell?

Instead you hear a shrill cry of a bird - may be a blue heron or something. This place is an Audobon designated site today, for watching rare birds.

Where did those people go? Why?

May be they could not deal with the diseases that the European foreigners brought

May be it was the great drought of the late 13th century that dried up every thing and the people fled from here leaving their beloved home and village to an unknown territory. The 14th century was a time of great migration, conflict and ultimately amalgamation.

The Singua people merged with other tribes like the Hopi, Acoma and Zuni and became one of them. I read all these in the museum and other books.

When the Europeans met them in the 16th century they did not give much credit to these Indians or their art. I can visualize how the Spanish looked at their jewelry styles and workmanship- the smirks,the disparaging nods.

The Native American artists gulped it. And rather learned from the Spanish silversmiths and eventually created their unique style the squash blossom design.

The squash blossom design necklace

The Europeans decided to cultivate and educate these native people and take them to missionary schools ostracizing them from their own families and culture. When they fled the "Indian schools" they were penalized and punished.

Frustration set in. Alchohol soothed. Alchoholism broke the families.

When there was no money, no food in the house, these native artists took whatever they had, their precious jewelry to the pawn brokers which were never retrieved

These are good deals today if you can find an authentic one.

My heart feels heavy thinking why do these people always had to flee? It was theirs land to begin with, but what destiny... they had to give away their home, their art, their pride and run away to some where else.

This is when I met my modern Native American artist.


We had to stop at a rest area for a bath room break on our way to Phoenix airport.
Here, near the WOMEN sign I find a girl sitting on the floor with a rug stretched out with jewelry pieces.

I stoop down. They are made out of silver beads and semi precious stones like moon stone, turquoise chips, tiger eye, coral beads, hematite and agate.

"I use quality 49 strand silver beading thread Ma'm. Look at the clasps...This is a dream catcher and here this leaf is good luck - it chases away your bad dreams."

"Don't you go to Art Fairs? You don't belong here near the bathrooms. These are quality stuff and you have good workmanship." - I say.

Her face lit up. "I make them my self Ma'm. I can't afford the booth fees and... too expensive." She smiled sadly.

Her name is Bear. She is a Navajo. Bear has learned making jewelry from her mother, who had learned it from her mother. They were an artist family. "My great grand dad made great jewelry" she said.

In my mind's eye I could see a jewelry box that is kept high on a shelf in their home. In it lies a squash blossom necklace with sleeping beauty blue turquoise, bordered with tiny coral dots framed in beautiful silver.

That is saved for Bear's special day, when she'll be a bride. Bear's grand ma's grand ma had saved it.

When the pawn broker came in and asked -" What else do you have that is worthy? any jewelry?"- she nodded- No, Nothing. For years they remained hungry and had to put up with many hardships but she never let go of that squash blossom necklace.

Bear will give it to her daughter and it will always remain with them. It would never be sold.

I was startled - "Ma'm, please take this set. I'll make it $18 for you instead of $20."

I had seen the same design selling for $69 yesterday in a posh Sedona shop at Tlaquepaque with a big SALE sign.

"Do you take credit card or is there a ATM? I spent my last bill."

Bear's face dimmed.
Her mom came running. "The security is here, hurry baby"

Wait a minute. There is something like a crumpled piece of paper in my pocket. As I take it out and unfold - it is a $20 bill. Bear shines up.

"What would you like- the dream catcher or the dream chaser?"

Then she had to quickly roll up her rug and run to a bitten up car to flee somewhere again.