through ellie's eyes: love

Showing posts with label love. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

wowzers!

i was surprised that ALL of my beautiful peonies opened! they have been teasing me for so long...

then BOOM! Thank you, my pretties!

{and a shout out to all the little ants who helped them open!)

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Saturday, June 30, 2012

i had a wild dream this week. a wild, beautiful dream.

with all the usual oddities about time and place and who is who of the dream world, i dreamt that i was part of a spectacular renovation of maybe a downtown adjacent group of space.

i only wish that i could describe what was done in these spaces. innovative, creative, striking, liveable, simply gorgeous spaces.

there was an eclectic, stylish to her bones black woman who oversaw the first project. she had a vision of what she wanted but not down to the particulars. she brought in different people to take charge of different rooms. one designer did an amazing job. the lighting was magical. illuminating but soft and transcendent. like being in the glow of a giant firefly. the space was three open stories and there were some pretty fabulous dividers. as the tour went through showing us what was done, the dividers in the three story space were retracted showing a completely different and truly amazing space. a totally new flow and incredibly inventive space. i was brought to tears by the sheer beauty and creativity that went into the room.

another space was a mosaic of natural water features and plants and sitting areas that were organically incorporated into this space. i thought how creative these waterfalls and moss beds and things, again, i can't even explain here, were. stunning.

after this, i was told that i would be in charge of the next group of spaces. i panicked internally. i couldn't produce something that could come close to the sheer genius of the first group.

then a little voice in my head said 'you don't have to know what to do. you don't have to be as creative as these people. it's a collaboration. find the right people.' and i felt better. and more empowered. someone said i would make a gm.

i often have dreams that are delivering me messages. often i will wake with a phrase from a song that is running over and over again, telling me something that i need to hear.

so upon awaking from this dream, i thought, 'oh, i get it. i don't have to know everything. i just have to pull the right people together who can create all these things that i could never think of.'

pause.

and then i realized that it was ME who created all of the things in the dream that brought me to tears. it was me.

Friday, April 27, 2012

my first and i am totally in love

i have waited, not patiently, to see my first bear in the wild. i have waited for a long time. stomping my mental foot when i see people in LA having a bear sighting. passing all the bear crossing signs where, by the way, i have NEVER seen a bear crossing. or even loitering.
but this week, up in the smoky mountains, i saw her. or him. at close range. i am so grateful and will forever love this bear. thank you, little bear baby, for coming to meet me! big bear hugs!

looking right at me!!!!!!!

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

art every day....yeah, yeah, yeah

okay, i know that i am only close to a month behind in posting. i have, however, created every day. today i made something for a couple who is getting ready to marry. i am purely delighted with this. they stand only about 2.75" tall. handmade from clay and their little stems are fine copper tubing. this is not a great photo...just doesn't show the wonderful color or texture because there was little natural light. and they are sealed yet. the little speck on mr is one of the tiny metallic flakes in the clay. the mr photo shows the pear-ly color goodness. so darling. get it? they make a perfect pair!? hope they like them!

Saturday, January 28, 2012

art every day...a touching reminder

i love to create.

i really do. but it can get a little lonely sometimes. when i am in the process, there really isn't much else i am aware of. but when i am done and i am doing the other stuff...photographing, describing, measuring, listing, sending things out into the world, it can be a solitary process.

this morning i received notice that a pair of earrings in my shop had sold. yay! i do love sales!

but this one will stay with me, i imagine, for a really long time. this note was attached to the sale...

"My father's name was Ellie (Ellis) and sadly, he passed away last week at 93. He loved birds. I will give these charming earrings to a family member. Thank you."

my heart goes out to this thoughtful person and their family. i understand only too well how hard it is to lose a parent. and yet this note filled me with gratitude...that this man was loved so much that he will be missed and that his child chose something created by my hands as a positive reminder of someone important.

if i ever forget that my work matters to someone, i can think of this note.

i know that i will think of this man when i see birds, as i do with my mom when i see clouds.

Friday, January 27, 2012

art every day...falling deeper in love

did i mention yet how much i am loving this new camera? still haven't learned how to use it...i will get to it eventually. this was a shot from just after nightfall and the moon was laying there all come hither like. who could blame a girl?

today i am grateful for my eyesight and ability to more fully experience nature.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

art every day...i m p e r f e c t

the reason that i chose to do art every day was because i want to uncover the artist in me. find my own style. practice and get better.

well, in doing so (yes, i am saying this in just 4 short days), i realize that i am perfectly imperfect. i am working on letting go of being 'good' so that i will get better.

hence the i m p e r f e c t sketch of the day. read it anyway you want.

and i have to confess, i miss my camera. expect some photos very soon!

today i am grateful that i am free to be imperfect!

Saturday, December 31, 2011

photo a day...reflections

my last photo of 2011.

when i began my photo a day on january 1st, i wasn't sure that i could do it. some days i had great enthusiasm for the process. i had dozens of photos some days. some days i had to force myself to take one. and posting could be a challenge.

but i did it.

like the year before, when i said that i would keep a gratitude journal. as it happened, it was one of my most difficult years, but i did it. and continued, every day, this year as well.
the other day, a very good friend and client of mine asked me what it has meant to me to keep my commitment and do a photo a day for the whole of 2011.

i am proud of myself for the consistency. not generally one of my fortes.
i love that i have a photo of one moment of each of my days. while the memories escape me, seeing a photo of the time i am immediately back in the moment and remember everything.
i realize that my year has been quite localized. didn't travel, maybe even outside the state, this year. hm. too bad.
i love my little camera but found that i needed more power. just ordered a new one! thank you, my dearest little canon. you were with me every single day this past year and i appreciate you so!
i was surprised to find that people i know and even those i have never met have followed this photographic journey of mine. and enjoyed it! a number of people have urged me to continue in the new year. thank you so much for your support!
my sister in law in england also did a photo a day. she always had a great eye but this year, she became an extraordinary photographer. i have found it thrilling to watch her art grow. and it also gave me pause to think about my own photos. some days the photos were good...you know, good composition, color, subject, and all. sometimes, they were just photos. and i went through a time of thinking that my photos needed to be good. you know, like art good. it was a good mental exercise to go through because my whole point was to document one moment of each day of my year. not to be a great photographer. so i got to celebrate my sis in law's extraordinary journey and my own. i could release being good at something and just be. accept.
BUT what i take away in greatest measure is being present. i found that some times are inspiring and beautiful. and some times are not. but there is ALWAYS something of interest. always something of some beauty. always something that wants to looked at and admired, if only for a moment. i may have had to look closer, or from another angle. i had to slow down sometimes and sometimes speed up. i had to be ready.
taking time to BE in that moment has really made a difference in my life. and yes, i have put this quality of being present on my gratitude list on more than one occasion.
so as the year closes and another one calls, i want to thank each of you who have traveled on this journey with me. through the striking and the mundane. it has been my life.
i hope that 2011 brought each of you joy that you didn't expect.
may 2012 bring you inspiration, prosperity, love and unbounded joy, one lovely moment at a time.
so what's next? stop by tomorrow for my announcement 2012 "___ a day" adventure.

until then...happy everything, my friends!

much love and hugs to all!