Tag Archives: Mosaic

November 1, 2013 · 07:30

Try, Try As I might.

My plate is full and I cannot keep up.

Today and yesterday, I installed my 2nd panel for Marian University. Whew.  Taxing event.  But I had good help  (Thanks MC and Holly!)  and it is done.

2 down.  3 to go.

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Came home to very rainy beautiful fall evening.  The leaves were spectacular on the drive home.  I looked up our peak last year and it came a full two weeks earlier last year.  That was normal.  Peak the last day in October is not normal.

Happy Halloween.

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We only have three trick or treaters.   I dont know if they are tricking us or treating us.  Or are we treating them?  Or…. I never understood Halloween.  It falls in the same category as amusement parks and parades for me.  Maybe I don’t know how to have fun.  That’s it.  I’m no fun.

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My mosaic project is a large project for me.  Largest ever by far.   My farm duties, studio work, normal chores are spreading me quite thin.  I am thankful that the mosaic job is not a permanent add to my daily agenda. But am sure glad I have it.  It is all my passions rolled into one.  Art, God, and nature (The nature part is the fact that St. Francis, who the work is about, is a patron saint of nature. and I love him and nature).  He is the bomb.  This work is affording us to visit his hometown this coming Christmas in celebration of him, my work and Marian University.  My job will end and I will be able to resume painting and creating at the pace I am used to.  Everything I love to do will be given more attention.  Including this blog.  I have so enjoyed writing here.  Many days are spent in solitude, which I love, but I also love being connected.  This blog gives me that opportunity to connect.  Especially to those I miss so much from the ol’ hometown.  I am going to suspend writing until my mosaic is through so that I can fully pour myself into my work and  not feel pulled so thin.   I don’t even have any tomatoes put away for the winter  the pulling has been so severe.

I will see you next year!  I love you.   I  pray that God blesses us and keeps us until  next year.  And forever.   He is so good I can’t stand it.

Photo on 11-1-13 at 7.16 AM #2

See you soon!  I will miss you.

God bless,

Karen

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July 30, 2013 · 22:33

The Face of Life Changes

It does sometimes, doesn’t it?

As I try to step back into routine, somehow I have found that my routine has changed. It  doesn’t seem like routine to me.

Yet.

After all, isn’t routine what we settle into once an adjustment occurs.   What do we call that time in the interim?

Ah.  Maybe transition?  Whate’er.   Life is different right now.

Back in March, I got a big art commission that is demanding a huge chunk of my day.  So, I am looking for about 5 extra hours each day.  Do you know where those hours are?  Did you swipe them from me?   Many things have been tossed aside so that I could meet the first deadline of this project.  I finished it yesterday.  So my old routine returned today.  But will be gone tomorrow when the second part begins.

Marian University (Indianapolis) is building a Nursing/Osteopathic Healing Center School.  They chose me and five other artists to enhance the aesthetic beauty of the building.  I much obliged.  I designed 5 images that I felt best depicted their value missions of the University.   They are: prayer, stewardship, forgiveness, justice and peace, and dignity of the individual.   The project is for me to take my 1 sq. ft. paintings and create mosaics that are 6′ x 6′.

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Pack it up time for installation.

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Combine the crate that we built to transport and the mosaic, we figured the thing weighed at least 300 lbs.  It was cumbersome and SCARY.

Delivery.

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A lot of resting  goin’ on here and there.  We were frightened  to continue on with opening it and getting the thing up on the wall.

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But we soldiered onward.

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And there it sits.

Now I only have 4 more to complete.

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The thought of doing 4 more of these things and transporting them up the highway is daunting.  But, God willing, it will get done.  Please pray.

I am grateful for this job.  It feels good to be needed and/or wanted, doesn’t it?

I look forward to  the transition of my day to become routine so that I can resume fun things like blogging, walking in the woods,  buying food for my family,  taking showers, brushing my teeth……..saying hello to God.  All that fun, necessary stuff.

Food for the soul.  And family.

God bless,

Karen

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April 15, 2013 · 13:06

God’s Country

I had the good fortune to travel to a very special place this past week.  Seattle.  AND.  Vancouver.  Wow.

A little background on the event…..When I began my blog exactly one year ago, a follower who popped up pretty quickly after beginning commented frequently on my posts and found my postings by discovering my art on the web.  We quickly became furious penpals,  writing back and forth about art (she is an accomplished artist in her own right),  family,  and the wonders of life.  It was really cool.  This one person in the world out there. Thousands of miles away.   We meet by accident really.  Our friendship is awesome, fresh , not to mention we have lots in common.  Well…I don’t eat Nutella.  But she doesn’t eat cultured veggies.  But chocolate is a no brainer for each of us.  So, almost a perfect match.

Fast forward….I have attended the National Mosaic Conference several times  over the last ten years.  This year it was taking place in Seattle.  Seattle is a super cool place to visit if you have not been there.  That alone is reason enough for me to attend.  But my little pea brain starting rollin’ and I realized Seattle is so close to Vancouver, where my pen pal is from, that wouldn’t it be neat to meet her in real life.

I emailed her about it.  She thought it was great.  And so the journey began.

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I attended my conference in Seattle, which was a great learning experience, and my pal drove down to Seattle to hang out and then take me up to her home north of Vancouver.

Seattle’s year round farmers market, Pike Street Market, is right on the wharf and it is  filled with goodness, tradition, age, color and a great vibe.  A photographers dream.  My photos cannot do it justice at all.  Since I am not at all a photographer.  It is a crap shoot EVERY time I click.

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HUGE bundles of flowers cost 10- 15 dollars. Thousands of them.   I remember one time I was there and bought a single bouquet for 15.oo and was able to break it into 4 pretty good size vases.  ugh.  To have that available for  our wedding coming up.

As you can imagine, having a few short days to talk about our whole lives, I am sure she is as wiped out as I am.  Jabber jabber.  Danga danga.  I don’t have to talk for a good couple of weeks.

We visited the Museum of Glass, and a favorite artist’s studio.  Marc Bohne.  It was a pleasure meeting him after all this time of drooling over his paintings.   He was very generous with his time.  Even shared some painting secrets.   I now have a Marc Bohne painting in my home.

Marc Bohne Painting

Marc Bohne Painting

Then it was off to my friends land.

View from her living room.

View from her living room.

Come on. When you have inspiration like this out your window every day.  How can you not express it in some way.  Good girl.

Again, from her window

Again, from her window

My favorite corner in her home.

My favorite corner in her home.

At the little beach at the base of her street.

The little beach at the base of her street.

It was a whirlwind of fun and learning for me.  If you are out there, my penpal friend, thank you for your hospitality, your loveliness and sharing your awesome family.

If you haven’t visited that end of the world, it would do your soul a bit of good to do so.

God bless,

Karen

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