Altered Heart

Yes, it's been WAY too long since I've updated my blog. I've been taking some down time and doing a lot of reading: lots of poetry and some fiction. The poetry has really been calling to me, helping to feed my starving Muse.

I've discovered many new (to me) poets that have really spoken to me. Among my favorites right now are Matthew Zapruder, Alice Fulton and Andrew Hudgins. I've bought their latest books and have been poring over their words just breathing in the inspiration through their imagery. It's been wonderful! So,that's where I've been.

I put together this digital piece this morning while listening to some music. I love the idea of using ink blots as images. Tangie Baxter at Scrapbook Graphics had a really cool new digital kit out that did just that and I had to grab it up and play with it. I also had this verse of a poem by Lawrence Ferlinghetti in my head called, "The World is a Beautiful Place" and thought I'd put it with this piece. Here's the complete verse:

"The world is a beautiful place

to be born into

if you don't mind happiness

not always being

so very much fun

if you don't mind a touch of hell

now and then

just when everything is fine

because even in heaven

they don't sing

all the time..."

And now that Fall is finally coming and the oppressive heat and humidity is starting to go away maybe I'll be a bit more motivated to make some more art! I do know that words and images are bombarding me and I'm excited about where the direction they are taking me. And hopefully I will be checking in here a little more regularly!

Spontaneous Collaboration

HOME (by Ramona Davis)

I'd like to live in the kind of house
with plenty of windows
so my muse can see the beauty
of the trees
and the creek across the way.

I'd like to live in the kind of house
where the floor creaked slightly
as old ghosts came out to play
and sip coffee
they'd like my cappuccino best

I'd like to live in the kind of house
whose haunts come from the past
and not from me
where freedom dwells and my life is my own

I'd like to live in the kind of house
that I could call a home.

Published March 27, 2008, by PoeticJava

At the Artella website we have bi-weekly contests that are meant to inspire both artists and writers. The latest contest was called Spontaneous Collaboration. The challenge was to find a piece of art, either written or visual, from the gallery or blogs at Artella and to issue a response to it, either in writing or visually.

I love the poems of Ramona Davis. Her blog is called PoeticJava and she usually posts a poem a day. Not only is she very prolific, she's an awesome poet. The link to her blog is http://artellacafe.com/blogs/poetic_java/ .

I had already altered the above photo in another post, but after reading her poem I was inspired to alter it again, using the ghosts that she mentions in her poem. I especially liked the line as old ghosts came out to play. This brought to mind children and dolls and frivolity. I thought I would add vintage dolls to all of the windows and the little fairy girl balanced on the gate; all of these images would be a memory of times past that took place in this house. Again, I just love this house! As soon as I saw this photo in the Artella Daily Muse it grabbed my attention and has been haunting me ever since. I imagine I will find more uses for it in the future.

This challenge has brought forth a lot of very good responses. Someone even chose one of my pieces of art to write a poem to! I was very flattered when I saw her poem. Her blog is called Ophelia Blooming and the link to the collaboration of her poem and my art is http://artellacafe.com/blogs/ophelia_blooming/archive/2008/04/16/faeries-blog-topic-of-the-week.aspx .

I hope we do more of these collaborations; they are fun and inspirational!