My Muse

Hello dear lovely peeps.  How are you?  Life has gotten so busy for me these days that I am beyond happy to be here with you to catch my breath.  I've been working so hard behind the scenes getting ready to show my large paintings that I have completed so far.  I painted TWO large 2 by 3 foot paintings last week.  (I think it's my best work yet). It was so challenging and physically exhausting.  I am meeting some important peeps on Saturday to hopefully lock in a solo show.  (Fingers crossed please). I am so happy to be back at my work table creating little faces that don't make me break out into a sweat.

My little man Owen has been really enjoying having his Mama coach his basketball team.  I'm going to milk this special time because I know that he may be asking me to walk five paces behind him someday and may not be giving me high fives for scoring an "11 out of 10 for coaching on Wednesday nights"  (Thanks Owen). Why is it my heart breaks just a little everyday when I watch him walk from the car towards the school...  (I need a pause button).

 I know I don't paint little blond girls often and yesterday I painted two!  The yellow tubes just ended up in my hands...The one on the far left was supposed to be a brunette, but it wasn't meant to be. Sometimes it's like these paintings paint themselves!  High fives to all the blonds out there! All three of them will be listed in the shop tomorrow. 

Last but not least, I am so proud to share my very FIRST POST on this amazing site: Your Heart Makes a Difference.  Remember a while back when I announced that I would be a contributor?  Well it's my turn! Please pop in to check it out.  You will read about my muse.  What it is and why.  (It's  heartfelt. Big time!)

Before you go, please know that I am wishing you a lovely Wednesday.  A day filled with green lights, patient people, and kind hearts.  Here it is. xox 

A New Collection

Thank-you all so much for sharing my happy dance with me!

Still no magazine to show you yet...

I guess it will be that much sweeter when I finally lay my hands on a copy.

The guy I've been stalking at the book store has assured me the 

Somerset magazines will be in next Wednesday!  ;)

Stay tuned!

In the meantime, 

I want to show you my latest Paper Poetry Dolls!

For those who missed the last post...

They are made from poetry pages found

in vintage poetry books...

I am having SO much fun creating these little papered dolls... 

Each one of them has their own little personality!

They will all be in the shop on Monday! 

 

 

I hope you are all enjoying your weekend.

Mine started off with a Christmas Gala last night with my sweetie!

It was so fun to dress up and wear my long black feathered earrings.

 

Today, I'm heading to a French Art Gallery with Owen and my little brother Bubba.

Then we plan to have an early supper and head out to watch a movie at the theatre.

THANK-YOU so much for all the kind and loving words...

You have no idea how much it filled my heart to read them.

 

Wishing you a wonderful weekend with your family and friends...

I'm off to spend the day with two of my favorite people.

I'm feeling so blessed and then some!!!

xoxo

Mom, I'm Published!

I have BIG NEWS!!!!

I'M PUBLISHED!

and not ONLY am I PUBLISHED...

But, my name is on the 

COVER!!!

I can't even tell you how loud I screamed when I found out...

or how high I jumped up and down on the bed like a five year old...

FEELING PURE JOY!

I was hoping to have a copy in hand to show you...

but magazines take so long to get to Canada...  we don't all live in igloos...seriously!

I just couldn't wait another day before sharing this with you!!!

I am SO grateful to the kind and supportive editors

at Somerset Studio Gallery for featuring my work.

All the way from Northern, Ontario, Canada.

A girl who dared to dream is seeing it unfold before her very eyes...

Not even two years ago I put paint to canvas for the first time.

I believe this is what happens when you do something with your whole heart.

When you see the fear and still move forward.

Until...

  I saw this!

(the proof of the magazine article)

I almost started to hyperventilate...

I yelled NO! NO! NO! Really loud.

Steve thought something was very wrong and called out from his office.

There it was in  

BIG BOLD LETTERS:

"I AM AN ARTIST"

I wanted to crawl under a rock.

I wanted to respectfully ask the editors to change the title of the article.

My inner critic ridiculed me, judged me, 

went up and down my heart and back...

But after a couple of days..

OK, it was actually more like a couple weeks...

I started to laugh about it...out loud

To acknowledge the words.

To accept the title.

To believe I (might) even deserve it.

To practice what I preach.

It's funny how even though you say it on your blog, 

to your friends, 

and to total strangers...

How you can even write it in the article 

for the magazine...

BUT 

when you see it

"I AM AN ARTIST" 

When you see it in print as a declaration, 

all of your gremlins come knocking...

Ms. Jennifer Jackson,

thank-you for believing in me.

Thank-you for the gifts you have bestowed upon me.

Thank-you for giving a small town Canadian girl

with a big bold dream- a chance.

I promise to show you all the actual magazine 

when I get my hands on one...

The magazine officially hits the news stands December 1st!

Set your dreams free!!! 

GO FOR IT! 

AMAZING THINGS

are waiting to happen to you!

Waiting for you to breathe deep and press GO!

xoxoxo

In Between...

(a selfie in my studio)

I'm in between...you know that place.  After a big thing that has filled your heart with pain.  The drain you feel after you fight. hard.  I'm in that place where distance sits...  waiting for me to take the next step.  I'm in between... you know that place where you feel a shift, a new beginning of sorts.   The place you are after you know you gave it your very best and now you just have to wait...  I'm in between...you know that place.  Wrapping up some important projects and on the cusp of some that are bigger than I am.  That place that says YES! I can totally do this and the other one that says WHO who do think you are?

I'm here.

  Taking a step back.  

Breathing more and thinking less. 

Asking and listening. 

In between. 

Open. 

Thank-you for the birthday wishes. 

It was beautiful from start to finish. 

My boys spoiled me. 

I felt loved.

Have a beautiful weekend.

xo

HAPPY 37 to YOU and ME!

This self-portrait was taken with my timer. Totally inspired by the amazing Vivienne McMaster. 

I wanted you to be the first to know that I will be having a

ONE DAY SALE

tomorrow!!!

EVERYTHING

in the shop will be 37% OFF!

Tomorrow is the beginning of my 37th year 

and I want to celebrate this!

I want to honour my journey.

The path that hasn't always been easy

but the one that has always been worth it!

I'm so happy to be alive,

to be awakened,

to be living with my heart wide open and,

to finally be working towards my deepest dreams.

LOVE to every single one of you. 

Thank-you for sharing this journey with me.

xox

PS.  I have a feeling 37 is going to be Astoundingly Beautiful!

PSS.  In case you haven't heard...Our story made the NATIONAL NEWS!

Our city counsellors are meeting this week to discuss these issues.

And, I'm off to meet with my Provincial MP today.

Changes...they are coming. ;)
Buckle Up McGuinty!

The Many Faces

It's a new day.

  I'm still trying to process all the emotions I have felt during the last week.  I thought I would try to explain myself by also using the self-portraits I have been taking in Vivienne McMaster's You Are Your Own Muse class. This class is opening me up in a different way.  It's allowing me to see the many sides of myself, even the ones I tend to repress or try to ignore.

 As you read in my last post, it has been a difficult week.  I was brought back to a place of pain that still sits inside my heart.  It felt like a scab was ripped off a large wound.  I was reminded of the injustices so many people still face today.  I was deeply saddened by the event that took place on Sunday and the aftermath of it all. 

I have also learned that some people are not comfortable with anger.  Some may think it even an unnecessary emotion to express.  I am trying to live a FULL life with my eyes and heart WIDE OPEN. And sometimes, this brings me to a place that I don't want to be, but, a place that I cannot deny.  Anger is a human emotion and one that helped even Rosa Parks stand up and say ENOUGH!  Anger is part of the human experience.  Without anger, there would be no need for peace.

"Anger can spur an entire culture to change for the better, as witnessed by the civil rights movement of the 1960s and the earlier women's suffrage movement."  Not everybody has equal rights in our society.  I can no longer sit back and politely ask for this to change. 

Without sorrow there is no JOY.  

I choose to be real.  I choose to feel it all.  It's not easy, but I would not have it any other way.  I am grateful that God made me the way I am; 

able to stand up for what is right.

I wear my heart on my sleeve and will use my voice until I die.

I wish there were no need for anger in our world today.  I wish it was something that we could put away for good and only focus on the positive.  But that is NOT reality for so many people.  The truth is, so many people still do NOT have equal human rights.  SO many people are mistreated, disrespected and even dehumanized.  I do not believe that thinking positive will improve the quality of life for these people.

I am a real human being who feels passionately and loves fiercely.  

I will continue to speak my truth and honour what I know is true.

Being human and living from the heart means  

telling the truth,

especially when it's hard.

It means standing up when your intuition tells you so. 

It means using your voice and your life 

to help make this world a better place.  

It means teaching my son what to do when you feel anger.

It means finding the courage to speak up,

speak out and hopefully make a difference.

Thank-you to all those who have sent words of support during this difficult week. 

Your kindness will never be forgotten.

 

Anger as a Vehicle for Change

Do not teach your children never to be angry;
teach them how to be angry.
-- Lyman Abbott.

 Anger has fueled me this week.

It hasn't happened for a while...  But this time I could not resist giving into this powerful emotion. I went there. I had already written a letter that I was going to submit to our local newspaper,  The Sudbury Northern Life.  I was already upset about a very important issue and I needed to get it out. I have written several letters to the editor in the past.  In the last week, I have written two.

Anger is a powerful emotion.  

And if used wisely, I believe it can create change.  I have been moved by my anger this week to speak out, to express that some things are just not acceptable, and to raise awareness.  Many of you who read this blog already know that my husband is a Canadian military veteran who became paraplegic due to his service.  I rarely focus on this issue on my blog, but this week, I cannot ignore such blatant ignorance and disrespect.  This week, I used my pen and my voice as a mighty sword and I am grateful that I have the ability to express myself in this way. I also realize more than ever that I have a moral obligation to speak out for those who cannot.

On Sunday, my family made our way to a Remembrance Ceremony only to be turned around at the door because it was NOT wheelchair accessible.  It was horrifying.  It was humiliating.  It was infuriating and then some! 

Here is the link to my interview on CBC 

(The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation). 

The following are the two letters I submitted. This one to the Sudbury Star.

Wake Up Sudbury

I am beyond angry.  My family and I made our way to the Capreol Legion Remembrance Parade today only to be turned around because it was NOT wheel chair accessible.  Are you kidding me?  How can this gross oversight happen?  “We didn’t know”, was their response.  What?  You didn’t know that people in wheelchairs leave their homes?  You didn’t know that some veterans are wheelchair bound and might like to take part in the remembrance ceremony?  You didn’t know that it’s now 2011 and accessibility is a human right?  Shame on you.    Isn’t it part of the Legion’s mandate to act as an advocate and provide assistance to soldiers and their families? I wonder how Veterans with disabilities in the past attended these ceremonies.  How could this still be an issue?

It’s no wonder there is a huge disconnect between present day soldiers and the Legion.  What happened today, to my husband and my family was a slap in the face by the very people who are supposed to get it.  The very people who are supposed to understand what we have lost.  The very people, who should welcome my family into their organization and not make us feel “othered”.  What we experienced today was a painful reminder that we still do not belong in this community.  It was a reminder that there is still so much work to do.  And finally, it was a reminder that Northern Ontario needs to wake up and become accountable for the lack of accessibility in all organizations.  Wake up Sudbury!

Danielle Daniel

 This one to the Northern Life.

It’s More Than Just Wearing a Poppy

It’s that time of year again.  My heartstrings take me to that place of loss.  How I wish my fellow neighbours could truly understand what lies within the layers of my remembering.  This week I cannot deny the pain from losing friends in the Afghanistan war.  This week I cannot stop the flood of emotions as I think of all that we have lost in our own family.  This week I cannot tolerate the outright ignorance and disrespect for those who have served in the name of Canada. 

I will remember all those who have lost life and limb and those who are now living their lives from a wheelchair.  I will remember the unbearable loss from suicides, the ones the military never talks about.  I will remember all those who suffer from PTSD, depression, rage, alcohol abuse and drug addiction.  I will remember all of the broken and shattered families that are no longer together.  I will remember all those who will never be the same because of what they gave in the name of Canada.

I am a 36 year old woman walking around with a poppy on my chest and a hole in my heart.  I am sickened that high schools like Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School are asking their vendors to set up on November 11^th.  I am sickened that their students will be running the halls organizing tables while the rest of the country remembers.  I sent a letter to three people at Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School last year expressing my disdain and how I would not participate again in their Craft show because it was scheduled on November 11.  I did not receive one response.  Business as usual.

This is exactly why this day should be a Statutory Holiday in Ontario, the way it is in almost every other province in this country, so schools don’t go around putting up craft shows to dishonour the dead.  

Are the people of Sudbury that far removed?  I suggest that the decision makers at Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School take a bus trip to Petawawa and spend a day in those schools.  Perhaps they will become a little more enlightened and learn what military children sacrifice daily.  They can look loss in the eye and maybe learn some respect. All of this sacrifice so the next generation at Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School can learn that on Remembrance Day it’s OK to set up for a craft show and make some money because we already reserved a day to remember this week.  

 Actions speak louder than words.  I’m horrified by what we are teaching the next generation.  I pray I’m not the only one. Shame on you and shame on all of us. I choose to remember and not dishonour our veterans.  Let’s teach the next generation by our actions and not our token words.

Danielle Daniel 

BOTH of these letters were NOT published in the paper.

It is clear that PRIVATELY OWNED JOURNALISM is NON-DEMOCRATIC.

I am so grateful to the CBC team  for all the work they do exposing the truth.

The truth will set me free...   

One. Word. At. A. Time.

Introducing My Paper Poetry Dolls!!!

Introducing my latest creations!

Made with so much TLC

I just can't stand it!

There's something about creating a three-dimensional object

that makes you feel you are 

creating on a whole other level...it's almost magical!  

I'm calling these dolls my 

Paper Poetry Dolls!

I have created the structure using various papers and

poems from long ago.

There is something so utterly romantic to create dolls 

with the words that have been strung so beautifully

by writers that lived before us.

They are almost entirely made 

(99%) from recycled materials.

Their faces have been handpainted and their skirts

have been lovingly sewn and stitched using vintage hankies and lace.

I have always ADORED the art of papier machee

and I knew that I wanted to make my dolls using this

medium.  It's amazing to think that you can create a little doll

with so much personality just by using

paper, glue and paint.

This little darling was my first.  

I love her so much.

Her name is Mirabel.

She is shy and has a kind heart.

She always dots the i in her name with a heart.

And this is Zuzu.

She is a feathered one, here to share her wisdom.

She is strong and sure.

Her face has been handpainted along with 

her shirt and decorative collar.

Her skirt is also a vintage linen hankie.

I have added a little word garland.

that can be changed and personalized if you wish.

I'm SO EXCITED to finally share these with you.

I CANNOT wait to make more...

I would love to know what you think about these...

 I have a feeling I could be making a little village filled with

Paper Poetry Dolls.

 xox

They are now in the shop!

New Paintings!

   Hello dear readers,

I hope you are enjoying your day.

I have been so busy in the studio this week.

(How can a studio go from super tidy to where is the floor again in three days...)

I have two new paintings to share with you today.

The one on the left is called:

Big Brave Steps

and it reads...

She took big brave steps in the direction of her dreams...

The one with the black hair is called:

Trusting The Wind 

and it reads...

She trusts the way the wind blows...

They are both in the shop now!

ALSO,

I CANNOT WAIT TO SHOW YOU

(in my next post)

what I`ve been working on...

I`ve been daydreaming about these since before the summer...

I`ve been experimenting, trying, and failing again and again...

until now!

I will FINALLY 

be showing you my newest 

and most heartmade creations thus far..

I can`t wait!

♥