Walking in the Winter Air

 

At the beginning of January, we were getting some frosty hillsides. Take a close look at the branches and notice the long spines of white.  Spines?  Nope, rime frost.  Rime frost happens in areas of dense fog and the liquid is super cooled before it comes in contact with a surface--that's why it looks like spines.  This is formed in the fog and cold.  Hoar frost is similar to dew and forms on cold, clear nights.  The rime frost created some beautiful crystals.

Little bird feeder with rime frost.

Purple coneflowers and grasses in my prairie yard.

Giant yellow hyssop in the prairie.

 

 

Walking across the river is full of interesting sites.

The wind can be a bit chilly.  My pace moves swiftly.  

The day started with lots of grey.  Beautiful and I need to work to keep my spirits happy.

At the end of the afternoon, the sun began to peek between the clouds.  The day feels warm.

River walk

That sky makes me happy.

Social distance walks with friends on Holzinger Trails.

A little snow creation

My friend, Dawn hugging her favorite tree.  Where do you like to walk, hike, snowshoe, ski?  Hope you get to out to be in the fresh air soon.

Industrious Octopus

I decided to make this little sweet stitchery for my friend, June.

 

 

 

I bought this little stitchery/embroidery kit from Jovy Rockey Gallery and Studio in December.  

 

Here's the octopus embroidered with a bit of the red thread started.  This kit is from Hook, Line and Tinker from Nova Scotia.

 

 Let's take a peek at the back:

 

 

Next I decided to add a red and blue border. I finished the red border on December 22, 2020.

 

 

I trimmed off the extra red bits and then sewed on the blue border.

 I decided on the final size and sewed the batting and backing on the little quilt.  I decided to added some machine quilting too.  Here's the finished piece, front and back.

   

 

My friend was delighted at the whimsy and the fun of this little piece.

Jovy's gallery is closed for the month of January. Jovy Rockey Jewelry is available for online orders. Watch for her gallery reopening in February with more to delight the eye and fill your world with joy and wonder.

                                                                                                                                                                              

2021 Vision Board

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A new year, 2021, what is coming?  What is hoped?  Or desired?  On many January firsts of previous years, I've joined with friends to bring images and words together to bring our visions of the new year into fruition.  We'd share pictures from magazines and words we would cut out to collage some of our hopes and dreams. My word for this year is Freedom. It feels full of energy; though I'm not sure what it means yet.

Here are some things that I'm imagining and hoping for 2021.

Tundra swans rest in the back waters of the Mississippi River.  They feed and rest and chat with one another.  Their sounds are very loud.  This happens in November; then they take flight to their warmer climates south of Southeast Minnesota.  What will they discover?  What is on our paths to discover?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I image more peaceful times.  I imagine people of all colors being respected and listened to.  I'm learning and reading and becoming an ally to all people.

Everything flowers from within

But sometimes it is necessary to reteach a thing it's loveliness

tell it in words and in touch

It Is Lovely

Until it Flowers again.

Be a star, too

along with a friend, a listener, a peacemaker, a creative, a dancer, a maker.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No matter, where

we come from,

we can walk together in hope.

No matter what we believe,

we can share one dream of peace.

No matter who we are

we can be one in the spirit of love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Share

The Courage to Change

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I Am Powerful

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let's talk about Race, and water, and life. 

Here's to 2021.

Painting Rocks

 

 

Painting rocks has become a fun activity to share with children and adults.  Paint a rock, hide a rock, find a rock and re-hide a rock can be all part of the fun.  This is one of the activities in the
Sharing Creativity Project.

I decided to paint a base layer of white on my rocks. I used an inexpensive acrylic paint that one could find at Art & Sol, Hobby Lobby, Target, or Walmart.

Here's the fresh paint.

And I wrote a little saying on the back.

I sprayed a fixative over the rocks and they are ready to hide in fun places for others to find!  Hope you find a rock in Winona, Minnesota and it brings a little smile or joy for you.

Sharing Creativity Mixed Media Cards

 

This set of Sharing Creativity cards was created with watercolor paints. When the paint was dry I glued printed images that I gathered from magazines, pamphlets, etc. Hand written text was added last. 

I like the color way of this set.  The magazine images are from the Minnesota Conservation magazine.  The dark blue is ice as it is breaking up with light shining through.  The turtle card "You're Doing Great," is going to a friend who just had a baby.

These colors of blue and gold are quite fascinating.  More ice images.

If you have good

  thoughts they will

shine out of your

   face like sunbeams

                  and you will always              

                                                                      look lovely.

            Roald Dahl

                                                                        Easy Does It

                                                                                hope

Feel the caress 

of the Universe.

Listen

                        Do you hear magic?

Expect the Unexpected

To learn more about Sharing Creativity  click here.

Sharinig Creativity

 

 I joined a group called Sharing Creativity to help myself and others feel more connected in the time during a pandemic when we need to stay socially distant.  This project is part of Artists Respond: Combating Social Isolation, a project of Springboard for the Arts.  Jamie Schwaba, Managing Director for Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts is leading Sharing Creativity.  She got us thinking about how to share by introducing four projects that we can share with the community.  We each got a bag of materials and last Wednesday, November 11th, we joined her for a zoom meeting to learn more. We've started this week by making tiny notes that we will leave for people to brighten their day.  If we run out of people to pass them to, the Friendship Center will help us spread joy to those in need.

Here are some cards that I finished and are ready to give someone a lift.

I plan to leave this one on my neighbors door knob.

 

These two are going to dear friends who used to live in Winona.

Another friend is caring for her parents and I thought a little light may bring them joy.

 

 

Words to bring joy.  This is the first set.  The next set will have a more mixed media feeling with collages of images along with words and paint. I'm posting some of these on Instagram and Facebook, #sharingcreativityproject.  Stay tuned!  If you'd like to receive one of these little cards, send me a message at mleischen@gmail.com with your address or where you'd like me to leave you a note. 

 

I'm grateful for this project.  It's getting me using my hands and imagination and making again.  Some new fiber art pieces are going to be coming too.

Be well, be safe.