urbanrosary

Annie's Altar Bottles

Beautiful Old Bottles

Annie, an artist and art collector from Texas sent me these wonderful bottles.  They are old treasures she has found, and over the last months we have spoken via email about adding my creative expression to them.  These bottles are old and heavy and have incredible color of amber, olive green, and clear cut glass.   I am so excited to work on these pieces.  I will unveil them as I make them through my posts, and then send them to their new home in Annie's upstairs art studio in South Texas!

Thinking Pink Again

In the "spirit" of pink I created these small bottles. When I find bottles with removable tops, I am thrilled. The only altar piece with the removable top is on the far right in the photo.

With removable tops.... prayers, hopes, dreams and good wishes could be written on paper and stored inside. Actually, they make great baby gifts for girls....lockets of hair, baby teeth or scriptures could be put inside as a keepsake.

Idaho Safari

As much as possible, especially during the nice weather, I need to get out and explore. It feeds the creative spirit within. In those moments I breathe in life.

Sunday morning, Scott and I decided to get up prior to the sunrise and find adventure for the day. Scott packed a picnic brunch and we headed out. On dusty gravel roads we followed signs to tiny towns that were so quaint and filled with history. In these towns, dogs playfully run in the streets, fresh eggs are sold from the porches of country homes. At one point, we stopped to get a cup of coffee from a "mom and pop" store. When we went to pay the owner, she said "OH, it's Sunday.... coffee is free today".

Along the way, the hillsides were filled with wild daisies of gold and white. It was so beautiful. The morning sky, the dusty road, the flowered hills, birds of all kinds, deer, abandoned old mine shafts, old log cabins with wagons, and lots of cattle blocking the road, we had found our moments of "awe". We followed rivers and streams, watched kayakers, and ate our food by a small pond. I called that day my first "Idaho Safari". I thought I would share some photos of that day....

Poetry in Pieces

What I love about modern technology is this ability to connect to people you would have never been able to connect with.

Actually, when I think about it, I now know people who have become dear friends, that I have met online. I have reaquainted myself with long lost friends too! Funny....I even met my boyfriend online.

Well.... because of being ONLINE I have been able to connect with other artists as well.

One artist in Texas, who has purchased some on my pieces was so kind, and sent me a photo of one of my bottles next to the incredilble mosaics she creates. I would love to tell you Annie's age, but I think I will keep this in confidence. I have to say the fact that she gets online, tackles the technology and keeps going is amazing to me! Recently, she became a great grandmother again! She calls her mosaic art "POETRY IN PIECES".

I thought I would post the photo she sent of both of our pieces together. It was so wonderful to see where my pieces end up! Thanks Annie!

It's all about the flowers

After my trip to Ojai, I was inspired by all the flora and fauna.

Recently I found some great vintage perfume bottles with removable lids. I decided to embellish them with crystal flowers and other findings. I thought these lovely bottles would be wonderful to hold essential oils or perfume.

Taking my breath away....

Recently I had the opportunity to travel back to California to see my daughter who is in University there and to visit the world I left to live in Idaho. It was truly SO beautiful.

My girlfriend, Lydia who is a water color artist from Laguna Beach came to visit. My mom, nieces (ages 5 and 8), and myself had the opportunity to paint with her in my sister's garden. Lydia is a self taught artist who began painting after being bedridden because of a car accident years ago. Due to a back injury, she couldn't move very well for about a year and decided to try water color painting during that time. Inspired by music and the medium Lydia found her passion and talent. She is an inspiration to me and so many on so many levels.

Her site is www.delgadowatercolor.com.

Spending time with my family, especially my mother and watching HER paint again was really wonderful.

I wanted to share photos of all the California foliage, and what was an inspiration to us only because it took my breath away.
Cactus Flower....these flowers are so large...about 6 inches!

View from my sister's balcony....feeling fortunate to be able to visit and see such beauty. I felt like I was breathing in all the color....especially green!

We called this the "fried egg plant" growing up but it is actually a poppy that grows in certain places in California.

Back in Idaho, tiny leaves are starting to show themselves on the trees, and I am back at my studio. I will be posting more of my altar and devotional pieces as I make them.

Springtime Mandala

Springtime.....I am so glad it is finally here! It is getting warmer and the grass on the hillside is getting greener.

In the spirit of springtime, renewal and new beginnings I created this piece. Although I have an attachment to every altar piece I design and create, every once in a while I make one that I just have to keep for myself. I just connected to this piece. It is simple yet elegant to me. It stands ten inches tall and four inches wide. The sterling silver rosebud on crystal chandelier chain is a little off center with delicate glass beads that lead to a dangling sterling silver dragonfly. The mandala reminds me of nature waking up as it begins to burst in a delicate new way.

Pretty Devotional Art

I have been working with some brass jewelry findings to embellish the crosses and mandalas and to add strength to them. The little metal pieces I added to the cross form "vines" that travel up from the base of this cross to the center which features a sterling silver rose. Two faceted crystal quartz teardrops sit at the base of the cross.

Junk Jewelry

My grandmother's sister Victoria, who like my grandmother, has had an altar in her home FOREVER. She is quite the personality. A vibrant older Sicilian lady who is 4 feet something tall, she still works at a job, and is well into her 80's. She says her rosaries daily, reads tarot cards, never married, smokes cigarettes and is known for her JUNK JEWELRY. She has tons of it! I would classify her as a gypsy soul. She is also my Godmother.

She has been sending me some of her junk jewelry. Not really sure what to do with it all, I decided to make a cross out of one of the necklaces and pin.

Working with the mother of pearl amber beads and a clover pin that is accented with mother of pearl and small rhinestones, I created this cross that sits atop a amber bottle.