Memory Shrine Project

I realized today that August was my last post.  Time sure does fly by with work and daily routine. I just recently did a project that really resonated with me and I wanted to share.  My Sister-in -law and I get together about once a month to do a creative project.  For November she hosted and the project was assemblages/shrines.  She got me a beautiful wooden box shelf at a flee market for my project. It is rustic and worn just the way I like.  I brought some of my own items but she had this wonderful collection of items she picks up at garage sales flee markets, thrift stores not to mention all the embellishments that she let me use. I had in mind that I wanted to do nature, I started down that path with a vintage cardinal picture and nature related items including this moss that looked really neat on the shelves.  We both noticed some sinus issues while I was there but did not think too much of it because we were using glue and some items were dusty.  When I got home to complete working on it I started coughing,sneezing, my eyes watering.  I realized my moss was not going to work, it was causing a reaction.  I needed to do something else.  During that day I visited my Sister-in-law I had brought one of my Grandma's poems that I thought about using as a theme but decided to go more nature.  I think the moss did not work out for a reason because I felt this sudden strong inspiration to use the poem as my theme. So glad that I did because this little Memory Shrine just means so much to me.  There are 6 shelves for my box.  Each shelf has a special meaning to me personally and the poem.  All of  my Grandma's poems are signed HDC.  This poem I have always loved because it speaks of dreams, femininity and that sacred bond with nature.

When the clock chimes

Twelve she glides out from

The forest

Takes the exact center point

Of the meadow

The moon nods his

Greeting, she in return

Spreads her mist green skirt

In a regal curtsey,

Lifts her arms into the

Air, stands posed as the

Stars form a chorus line

And then she dances and

Dances to the music only she

Can hear

And when the sun chases

The moon and the stars

From the sky she glides

Back into the forest

HDC

Below I am going to share some pictures of my Memory Shrine and explain the meaning behind some items. There are different ways to interpret the poem.  The Memory Shrine is not an exact interpretation but more of what the poem brought out for me personally.   

I chose to display my Grandma's poem on small wooden block houses.  I love the house shape and collect items with houses.  I felt like this was perfect for this poem because I picture my Grandma safe in bed yet her spirit or dream self going to the small woods and meadow that used to be behind her house. Leaving the security of the home and wandering out into the wilderness. The small girl sitting on the spoon represents the connection to home and how we can sometimes from the inside looking outside see glimpses of our true self. The spoon is the anchor to the domestic that is being temporarily left behind to pursue nature and spirit.  

The clock is at Twelve, the witching hour when only the wild creatures dare tread into the darkness. It is the time of mystery and unknown. A forbidden time for a woman to be out wandering alone through the woods. The crystal is the subconscious or dream state hanging in the air above the world of reality.
 

The shovel is for digging deeper into earth or truth of living. The watering can contains the essence of life. The bird is the higher self or spirit as witness.

Rabbits are there to symbolize fertility and creativity.  They are there hiding among the brush and can spy the female spirit moving in the meadow. They are nature as witness.

The largest section is the dance among the moon and stars. The freedom of spirit to travel beyond physical boundaries.  In the poem the moon is referenced as masculine nodding his greeting. Is she dancing for the moon or herself? Maybe both. There are no words only dancing.  The language of movement.

In the nest are pine cones and seeds, representing this idea of growth and femininity. The seed of life.

The owl represents that deeper knowledge or intuition, seeing beyond the facades of everyday roles to the natural or the true spirit.

  

The rolled paper in the corner shows how the knowledge of words are hidden behind the jars of seeds, dirt and moss, the items of earth and life. Words do not have a place here.

 The heart door and the key dangling in the air represents how we all carry our our key to freedom.  It is always with us but sometimes we cannot find it.

The tree growing in the pot is a contrast to freedom.  The tree grows but is confined, this is the body.  We can leave that confinement only in spirit.

 The wings represent how the Sun chases the Moon and Stars from the sky.  The call back to the physical or real. The chasing away of the dream.

The birdhouse is the home waiting for the return. 

The bird represents the spirit flying home.  Notice the key can no longer be seen but the door of the heart is still there.  She moves back to confinement, the tree in the pot.

The squirrel is the contact back with the physical, storing away the nuts for the winters of our lives. However the squirrel also shows playfulness and freedom. We cannot take life too seriously. 

Below are a couple shots of a copy of the poem written in my Grandma's hand.  I just love her handwriting.  I have never had good handwriting so I appreciate the beauty of others. 

'The August Break' day 20 Peaceful

Peaceful to me most recently is the idle time I spent with my husband and my dog in our hammock. We live in a little woods so once we lay there for a while quietly the birds, squirrels and other wildlife come out. The breeze blows through the trees and the leaves dance in the light of the sun. I took several pictures with my iPhone as we were laying there.  I also took a couple videos so I could visit in the middle of a stressful work day.  When I saw this prompt this is the first thing that came to mind.  Nature reaches through all the clutter of my thoughts and brings me home to my soul, brings me back to the magic, restores inner peace.

'The August Break' project  www.susannahconway.com

'The August Break' day 19 black + white

I had fun with this prompt and converted some of my color prints to black and white.  

'The August Break' day 15 Blue

Today's prompt was to look for blue throughout the day.  Blue is one of my favorite colors.  I wear blue at least two or three times a week.  I like blue decorations in my home.  I had the day off today so when I was out and about I payed more attention to all the blue in the world, the bank, an old brick building with blue peeling paint, blue cars...blue berries.  We are boiling our corn on the cob in a blue pot.  Pictured below are just some blue items from around my home that stood out to me when I first read the prompt.  Lovely lovely blue :)

To check out 'The August Break' project go to www.susannahconway.com

"The August Break' day 10- Drink

Love this prompt- Based on Tammy Strobel's project 'My Morning View'. Check it out  www.rowdykittens.com -

A photograph of my morning view along with my drink of choice-  coffee.  I have never been very much of a morning person or should I say social person in the morning.  It takes me a while to get going.  The morning is my time, calm time to reflect on the day and to greet the new dawn.  We live in a small woods hidden from the road.  The morning is the quiet time before the rest of the world is out and about, you can hear nature the best during these hours.  There are no cars zooming by, lawn mowers running or voices in the background, just nature's music.  

To check out the project 'The August Break' go to this web site  www.susannahconway.com

'The August Break' day 9- In my bag

This prompt for day 9 of 'The August Break' seemed simple yet it got me thinking-

A pic of the basic contents of my purse minus the huge pile of cluttered paper and receipts and of course my phone which I used to take the picture. I always feel like I am carrying so much around in my purse but truly this is about it. This is all I need. Interesting how all the clutter of life fills all the spaces in my world, just like the closets, the drawers, the rooms.  Just like my mind, full of unneeded clutter, if only it were this easy to sift through the debris of thoughts and find the ones that truly matter, lay them out and take a pic. I could use it as a map when the rooms in my mind become too cluttered to find my way out.

You can check out the project on  www.susannahconway.com 

'The August Break' Day 8 Selfie

Hello- I am a day behind.  Hope to post day 9 later today.  I am posting day 8 of 'The August Break' project www.susannahconway.com.  The prompt was Selfie with Vivienne McMaster. I have to admit this one is out of my comfort zone.  I am not a big fan of having my picture taken but have been working on that lately so this prompt fit right in.  So here is me and my friend. I do like applying effects to my iPhone pics so I had fun with it.  

day seven- Today is- 'The August Break 2014'

I joined a project called 'The August Break 2014'.   Being that I am fairly new to blogging having an issue adding the badge. The web site is www.susannahconway.com. Check it out. This is a great site with online courses and other goodies. There is a new photo prompt everyday of August. 

Today is... like a hundred other days of my life. I get up and make the long commute to work. I am sharing a photo of my commute route. The idea of the prompt was to share where you are now. The truth is the first part of my ride is beautiful. I live out in the country and my ride starts off relaxed and gets progressively more stressful as I move towards the city. I am present in these first minutes of the drive but as I approach the city and my work day, my mind wanders to the future, upcoming deadlines and tasks. I am no longer fully in the moment. I scatter into a million pieces to meet my work day. However on the ride home as I approach the long winding country roads, like magic I feel the pieces return and I am once again fully present. 

Dragonfly Visit

While weeding in one of my flowerbeds my husband pointed out this dragonfly that was hanging around. Usually they are here and gone so quickly that I barely get a look.  Luckily I had my camera there too because I had taken some flower pictures earlier.  It was as if this dragonfly was posing for me.  I could not believe how close I was able to get.  As with all of nature's creatures I like to look at some of the symbolic meanings.  I decided to do a couple of  journal pages on the topic. Some of the symbolism that I used on my journal pages is evolving, seeing beyond illusions and letting true colors emerge. Below I have shared a couple of my photos and my two journal pages.  I have a feeling dragonflies will be showing up more often in my art. I have always enjoyed watching them dart about quickly in all their varieties of colors. Also like the fact they eat mosquitoes which we seem to have an over abundance of this year. Thank You, Dragonfly for stopping by for a visit.   

Morning Bunny Visit

I love living in a woods.  We often have nature's lovely creatures come right up to our home.   I often will journal about these visits. There are mornings I sit at our kitchen table and work or browse the internet on my computer.  I treasure this time because I can always see things going on outside. Rabbits, humming birds, butterflys, deer, squirrels and chipmunks pop in and out of my view.  One morning recently I spotted our patio rabbit and snapped a shot with my iPhone through the glass.   For the past few years we have had a rabbit that hangs out on our patio.  Rabbits can symbolize abundance, creativity, vulnerability,fertility and many other characteristics.   I like to contemplate nature's creatures and what message I can learn from them that may apply to my life at that particular moment.  Today I am sharing a journal page I did last year and the snap shot of the patio rabbit from the other day.  I am so blessed to live among nature.  I am graciously overwhelmed by the magic and inspiration that surrounds me. 

Dandelions

Dandelions though I know considered a weed to many people are one of my favorite plants. They bring back sweet childhood memories of warm sunny days running barefooted across the lawn without a care in the world. It is interesting how different people perceive Dandelions. I have this memory as a child; I was always fascinated with flowers and nature and saw these beautiful yellow flowers everywhere.  Being that there seemed to be plenty I picked several bouquets and decided to give them as gifts to my Mom and some neighbors. Well, let's just say I did not get the response I was expecting.  Every single neighbor but one practically slammed the door in my face, laughing and saying those are weeds.  When I went home with almost all of my bouquets I explained to my Mom what had happened while she found little cups full of water for my bouquets.  She said she loved them and not to pay attention to the neighbors they must not have any sense. So for a bit we had dandelion bouquets all about the house. Funny now I understand my Mom's comment.   She was disappointed that the neighbors hurt a little girl’s feelings.  The one neighbor that accepted my bouquet was an old woman that was a friend of mine.  I only knew her a few years before she passed on but she was one of the best friends I have ever had. 

 Dandelions represent characteristics such as survival, clarity, faithfulness and happiness. They have for many years been used as a food source and have some medical uses.  Dandelions are sensitive to light and dark. During the night the petals close and open up again when the sun shines. Though I do dig the Dandelions from my flowers beds, we still have some wild areas in our little woods where they can grow freely.  Even as an adult I find myself blowing the magical little sphere of seeds and picture what it would be like to float freely in so many directions.

For this post I am going to share a poem I wrote that was inspired by an old family photo of my uncle when he was a small child holding a Dandelion that went to seed.  He seemed to be totally captivated in the moment.  I am also sharing some photos taken in my little woods of Dandelions. 

Wild Geraniums

Every May in my little woods a huge patch of Wild Geraniums come into bloom.  There is an explosion of  lavender-pink in contrast to the darker shading of green and tree bark.  I visit this area often during this time of year. I find the plants are always moving, dancing with the wind and when I take photos I get some interesting effects.  With this flower patch some areas of my photo come into focus while the background blurs due to all the movement.  I never get bored taking pictures of these blooms and never know what I will get.  These plants grow in North America in wet or moist woodlands and meadows. There are some pharmaceutical uses and it has also been used by Native Americans.  One of the most common medical uses is for stomach ailments and diarrhea. For me this little piece of the earth provides a boost to my spirit. I find my soul moving and swaying with them each time I stop by for a visit.

Mayapples

Although my woods is just a small dot on this huge planet of ours, I always find something magical and new to learn.  This year I became interested in the Mayapples that grow in the woods and along our trail.  Every year I see these leafy umbrellas in large patches throughout the forest floor and they peak my curiosity and imagination. I sometimes picture them as little huts where fairies can find shelter from the spring rain. When the plant blooms I see little white flower princesses standing under their green umbrella hiding from the sun's burning rays.  These plants definitely make a statement and are often found in large colonies scattered about wooded areas.  I did some research to find that these plants have been used for many many years back to the Native Americans.  The plant itself is poison but when ripe people and animals eat the berries.  The plant also has some pharmaceutical uses. The berries ripen  at the end of summer.  However this is not a recommendation to go out and try them unless you have done your research and know for sure berries are ripe and safe to eat.  The berries too are poison until ripe and then should only be consumed in small quantities.  Also interestingly, this plant is also called the Mandrake. The Mandrake is in a scene of one of the Harry Potter movies, though I believe a different variety.  There are many resources for more information on the web.