Day 12: My Born Day

I'm a fall baby and my favorite thing about the fall is the beautiful fall trees.  Fall will be gone soon, so I spent my birthday trying to capture my favorite thing about fall, before it's gone.  Enjoy the pictures I took on my nature walk!

Destiny's Designs: Persistence Pays Off

Destiny:  AHEM!

Me:  Just where do you think you're going all dressed up?

Destiny:  Shopping.

Me:  And how are you gonna get there?

Destiny:  You could give me the keys . . .

Me:  Yeah right!

Destiny:  Or I could just wait until you get dressed.

Me:  That sounds like a better plan!

Destiny:  I can shop online while I wait.

(It takes me an hour to get dressed)

Me:  You ready?

Destiny! What did you do to your hair?

Destiny:  I wanted Rihanna ringlets . . .

Destiny:  So I googled it.

Me:  Rihanna ringlets?!  What did you do?!

Destiny:  What?  We have the same red hair!

Me:  Let me see that laptop!

Me: Hmmm. She is kind of fly.

Destiny: I know!  Can you help me take my curlers out?

Me: You mean straws . . .

(several minutes later)

Me: Wow!

Destiny: Let me see!

Destiny: Oh yeah! Rihanna ain't got nothing on this!

Destiny: Let me jazz it up a little.

Me: (shaking my head) I'll be waiting in the car.

Destiny: I'm ready for my close up! 

Me:  Finally.

Me: Who are you calling?

Destiny: Gotta call Savi . . . (her best friend Savannah)

Destiny: Hey girl! Yes! It came out perfect!

Destiny: Okay Savi, gotta call you back.  Let's go Mom!

Me: You look fabulous! Where to?

Destiny: Thanks! Let's go to the fabric store!

(To Be Continued)

Nadia the Navigator: The Little Bored Beauty

Nadia: SIGH!

Me: What's wrong Nadia?

Nadia: I'm bored.

Me: Well, you look beautiful bored!

Nadia: Thanks Mom.(with a hint of sarcasm)

Me: It's beautiful outside.

Nadia: Can we go out? Please!

Me: You changed your clothes!

Nadia: These are my play clothes, can we go outside, please? Please!

Me: That was fast! Okay, let's go.

Nadia: I think we should move these in the sun.

Nadia:  Look at that!  I love the color purple.

Nadia:  They smell good too!

Nadia:  That breeze feels good.

Nadia:  Look!  A wild strawberry!

Nadia:  The view is great from up here.

Nadia:  Will you build me a tree house?

Me: LOL! Not today!

(To Be Continued)

Trees and Nature: My Sanctuary

During my process of becoming a woman and a mother, I have realized that I am very much like a tree. This realization has had a significant impact on my work. I view the oppression and liberation of women and nature as interconnected. In my artwork, nature represents power, energy, and spirits of place as female deities.

Trees represent strength, endurance, and fertility. It seems as though they carry the weight of the world. Many of them have been around longer than any of us have. Can you imagine the things that they have seen? I often wish that I could look inside their memories.

Trees are my muse. I am always admiring and observing them. I'll pay homage to these kindred spirits under the heading "My Sanctuary", because they are sacred beings and natural environments are sacred spaces. There is one tree in particular that I used to drive by everyday. She was my favorite. I watched that tree throughout the seasons and was inspired daily by her grace, so I named her "Grace". She was very old and started to decay as time passed. Thankfully, I got a picture of her before her family cut her down.

I still look at that empty space everyday and catch glimpses of her spirited thighs anchored deeply into the earth and her weary arms reaching towards the heavens giving praise to her creator. She still inspires me to be more like her everyday. As I get older, I hope to grow stronger, wiser, and more graceful despite the weather or season just like my favorite tree "Grace".