One of those days!

Yes, today was one of those days.

The freezer wasn't freezing ice cubes.

The refrigerator temperature is not cold enough and is running all the time, so I am going to have to throw out some food.

I have hurt my right elbow somehow, and in certain positions, it is very painful. No ice cubes makes it difficult to ice the elbow. ;o)

The birthday card I was making had to be remade, and once finished, it still was not "perfect."

Basically, it has been a day of redoing and figuring out how to resolve the challenges that kept surfacing.

Finally, I decided I needed to create something "just because," so I made the two mandalas I have posted here.

I titled the first mandala, "Hearts & Flowers" for obvious reasons. ;o) The picture I used was taken on a lovely September day just about the time the sun was setting, which gave the flower a very vibrant appearance.

The second mandala is called "Morning Glorious" and was taken on the same September afternoon.

I do love the wide open loveliness of morning glories. This perky blossom was surrounded by a sea of green leaves and other buds here and there. She seemed to be saying--"Hey! Look at me! I'm happy here, blooming in my little corner of the world!"

Making these mandalas was a challenge because of my elbow, but I loved the surprise they brought me when I finished them. Perhaps the message for me is that "one of those days" is like a slice of a digital mandala. You never know what the final result will be just by looking at the first slice.

Any today is just a slice of Life. When it is pieced together with all the other slices, then I will be surprised with the amazing results and with what hidden pictures I can see.

So the next time one of those days comes my way, I'll do my best to accept it just as it is and realize that a new "today" is just a sunrise away. ;o)

--Vicky Lynn :o)

"Hearts & Flowers" Mandala
"Morning Glorious" Mandala
Digital mandalas created using Photoshop
Copyright © 2009 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Mushroom Star

I am posting a new digital mandala along with the source image I used. I took this picture in September while taking a walk near our apartment. The day was lovely and I actually remembered to bring my camera with me. ;o)

What I love about the process of creating these mandalas is the unknown factor. When I pick the slice I will use, I am only seeing 1/5 or 1/8 of the final result. In the case of the Mushroom Star, I didn't know there was going to be a star until I had made 3/5 of the mandala.

The other interesting occurrence is how my perception of what I am seeing changes. For example, in this mandala, I kept feeling like I was looking shells from the ocean, which made me wonder if mushrooms are the shells of a grass sea or a dirt sea. Just a different way of "seeing."

--Vicky Lynn :o)

Mushroom Star of the Sea Mandala
Digital mandala created with Photoshop
Copyright © 2009 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Walking in the Forest of Mystery

The mandala posted here is my first attempt at a digital mandala. It was so exciting to make since I pieced it together section by section. The final result stunned me--the geometric designs, the hidden pictures I see, the flower design made by a tree branch. All so amazing and such a feast for the eyes. What do you see hidden in the greenery of this mandala? What message do you hear when looking at it?

--Vicky Lynn :o)

Forest of Mystery Mandala
Digital mandala created with Photoshop
Copyright © 2009 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

A Few Words about The Artist: Me! ;o)

I brought my greeting cards to sell on consignment in an angel store here in Montréal. The name of the store is Ange Neige. Along with the cards, I brought an artist card that shares a bit about me. I have posted it here for readers of my blog, so they can learn a little more about me and my art. :o)



I have also created my own set of marketing bookmarks. You can see the 5 designs I made below. I had great fun making these bookmarks. I took parts of different collages, doodles, and Life Stamps to make the individual designs. And, of course, there is one that is more traditional, featuring the logo of Blue Heron Visions and Two Chairs and A Window Greeting Cards.



--Vicky Lynn :o)

Artist Card, Bookmarks
Copyright © 2009 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

All About Seeking

Here is an interesting video about "seeking" that someone I follow on Twitter mentioned. I really love what the narrator has to say about the idea of seeking much more than I like the actual video--with one exception: when the words "This Is It" show up on the screen. That phrase really caught my attention. And the phrase showed up again in my life a few days after viewing the video when I noticed that the title of Michael Jackson's posthumous new single: "This Is It."

This video inspired me to make the mandala seen in this post. I call it "Eternal Seeker" and it shows the struggle and entanglement that happens to me when I get caught in the idea of seeking and searching and striving to find the Answers.

--Vicky Lynn :o)

"Eternal Seeker" Mandala
Ink, felt pens on paper
Copyright © 2009 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Final Versions: Angel Message Bookmarks

Here are the final versions of the bookmarks (in English and French) that I made for my friend Karen, the Angel Therapy Practitioner. I created the collage part and she wrote the words. Karen is selling these bookmarks.

You can read more about Karen and get more information on her web site: http://www.angelsconnecttospirit.com/

--Vicky Lynn :o)

Autumn, Falls, and Balances

Happy Autumn! Happy Fall! In one way, it's funny to think of wishing someone a "happy fall"! Falling usually isn't something we want to do. I know because I fell on Sunday while waiting for a light to change. I was on my bike and had to stop for the light. For some unknown reason, I reached for the ground with my left foot instead of my right foot (which is the foot I use almost ALL of the time). I didn't plant my foot well and even though I almost managed to keep my balance, I didn't. And down I went! I have a series of evenly spaced scrapes on my right leg, where my pedal branded me and a bit of a sore left arm and wrist. Just a reminder of how important it is to maintain my balance.

And as I think about my fall, I am also thinking about the autumnal equinox, the second day of the year when a perfect balance is reached between night and day. That happening occurs tomorrow in Montréal where I live.

Isn't it amazing that out of the 365 days that we live each year, there are only 2 days in which night and day find a perfect balance? Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned from this natural cycle--equality, more light, equality, more darkness. I don't think I have ever tried applying that cycle to my own life.

As do most people, I try to hold on to what I want in my life and avoid or try to change that which I don't want. But the fact is that everything changes and everything eventually passes away.

The doodle posted shows dawn on the first day of Autumn. I used hues that are mostly red, pink, orange--the colors of Fall. The sunlight of this season is warm and golden yellow, making Life feel rich, full, and abundant. For me, Autumn sunlight is fairy-like, hovering and lingering as it caresses the trees and flowers, coaxing their beautiful colors to emerge before the darkness of winter takes over.

I wish you a Happy Fall. May today bring the balance of the equinox to your life. And may your time of falling leaves, falling rain, and, very soon, falling snow be a glorious one!

--Vicky Lynn :o)

"Dawn on the First Day of Autumn"
Ink on card stock, felt pens
Copyright © 2009 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

An Angel with Attitude ;o)

Here is the Angel of Coins & Feathers. I almost decided that I needed to recreate her but then several people told me they loved her exactly as she was. I was going to introduce her, but she would rather do that herself...

"I am the Angel in charge of Coins & Feathers. Are you surprised? After all, some Angel has to be responsible for making sure coins and feathers cross your paths!

I love shaking coins from my shield and sprinkling them on streets and fields, in métros and on staircases, wherever you may “happen” to see them.

I blow the feathers from my sleeve, one by one, so they gently float to the Earth. I want to make sure you get the message that all of us Angels are watching out for you.

The laces on my sleeve reveal my secret passion: I love playing jacks!

You will certainly notice my Whimsical Nature. My face is heart-shaped and radiates my Love for you. My wings are not necessarily positioned in the best place for flying. But because I am a Being of Lightness, I get around quickly and quite nicely, thank you very much!

Remember to keep your eyes open as you walk your journey each day. Receive the messages that we Angels send your way. Rejoice and give thanks each time you find a coin or a feather. Realize that you, too, are a Being of Lightness, which is my special message to you!"

--Vicky Lynn :o)

Angel of Coins & Feathers Mandala
Ink on paper, felt pens
Copyright © 2009 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Angel of Waves comes sailing in

I made a new doodle last night and it became the Angel of Waves that you see here.

She's the angel that does all sorts of things with "waves." Not only does she make sure the ocean does its wave thing (with the help of the moon, of course) but she also makes waves in our lives when we get too settled or too stuck or need a boost of creative energy.

Sometimes her waves are calm and gentle and at other times, she produces large, massive, tsunami-type waves to get our attention, to overflow us with goodness, new ideas, and fresh perspectives.

Her shield combines Her Eye that is always watching and waiting for our call and the Web of Water--a reminder of field of unlimited possibilities where all Life begins, whether human, animal, or plant life or the life of new thoughts and new ways of seeing.

Shells and sea flowers decorate her robe and her wings carry the waves of the ocean. She is quite a Free Spirit, and she is waiting to hear from you!

--Vicky Lynn :o)

Angel of Waves doodle
Ink on paper, felt pens, "Web of water" color added in Photoshop
Copyright © 2009 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Angels on My Mind and Under My Pen

Last night I created the doodle posted here.

I had two criteria:

1) Use paper that had been bled through on because I hate to waste paper; and

2) Don't put the doodle in a circle.

About half way through the process, I realized that there were some places in the doodle that were wing-shaped. That idea did affect what doodling designs I decided to use--feathers anyone? ;o)

And in the end, when I had finished doodling all the nooks and crannies, I realized the entire doodle was wing. I titled it "Angel Wing Doodle."

I am still wondering if I want to add color. There is something interesting about having the bleed-through marks be just where they are in the black and white drawing. (You can see the marks more clearly if you click on the picture.)

I wonder why I don't see my life that way. Why aren't the "bleed-through dots"--those effects of previous choices and decisions that still remain as part of the picture of my life--why don't they seem like an interesting addition instead of something I want to evict and erase?

Something for me to think about.

--Vicky Lynn :o)

"Angel Wing Doodle"
Ink on paper
Copyright © 2009 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Autumn Leaves and Leaf Doodles

Today, I looked at a blog that was recommended by someone in the mandala egroup. It's called The Doodle Daily. Today's post had a picture of a "doodled" leaf that brought a smile to my face.

Leaves are special to me. Here's why. Almost 9 years ago when I still lived in California, Michel (my boyfriend) sent me a picture of an Autumn leaf from Montréal on which he had inscribed a poem he had written. He sent this to me before we had met in person and only knew each other through our correspondence and chatting on the Internet and by phone. Every year when the leaves start falling here in Québec, I think back to that emailed leaf and what has transpired since I was touched by Michel's gentle and romantic gift.

Here is that most memorable leaf.


--Vicky Lynn :o)

Black & White or Color: Obeying or Breaking Rules

The mandala egroup I belong to has been talking about breaking rules that we, or others, set for ourselves--in art or in Life.

For me, obeying the rules is like seeing in black and white. And I have always been a very strict "rule-follower"! Taking the risk and challenging or breaking a longstanding rule is like seeing in color. All of a sudden the scenery changes. There are nuances that you didn't notice before. There are possibilities that emerge, hidden behind the rules that you obeyed blindly because you were supposed to, because that's what good girls do.

The two mandalas posted here illustrate for me what happens when I can find the inner strength to challenge a rule that some authority figure in the past (sometimes the long-distant past!) decided was good and proper and you better do it or else! I start in the black and white world of shoulds and should nots and open up to the living color world of wonder, magic, mystery, and possibility.

What rules do you long to challenge and break? Maybe today's the day!

--Vicky :o)

"Seeing in Black & White" Mandala

Ink on paper

"Seeing in Color" Mandala

Ink on paper, felt pens
Copyright © 2009 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Another Angel Arrives

Meet the Angel of Comfort. She's also called The Tear Gatherer because she collects in her hands all the tears that we humans shed and stores them in her heart as the precious treasure they are.

Her shield shines like the sun, reminding us that Light and Love can conquer any pain and any sorrow. The flower on her shield represents the blossoming and transformation we experience as a result of difficult times.

Her lamp shines even in the blackest of nights and during Life's darkest hours.

The web on her skirt shows that growth and healing (represented by the color green and the leaves) can happen in the most tangled of situations. She is the one who comforts and brings hope even in the most hopeless of times.

May she shine her comforting, healing, and loving Light on you!

--Vicky Lynn :o)

"Angel of Comfort: The Tear Gatherer" Mandala
Ink on paper, felt pens
Copyright © 2009 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Another Dreamcatcher Mandala

I am posting another dreamcatcher mandala I did today. It took a long time but it is quite colorful. I call it "Kaleidoscope." That's what Michel said when he saw it, and I thought that was a perfect name.

Creating mandalas gives me lots of time to think while making art. But what is really happening isn't really thinking. I am focusing on the repeated patterns I am drawing and thoughts flit through my mind. I am guessing that I don't become too attached to them because my attention is more intently somewhere else. I do know I often feel more calm after I finish a mandala or a doodle. And the added benefit? I get an inventive and original work of art as well. Now that's a "win-win"! ;o)

--Vicky Lynn :o)

"Dreamcatcher: Kaleidoscope"
Ink on paper, felt pens
Copyright © 2009 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Dreamcatcher Mandalas

Here are two new mandalas using the form of a dreamcatcher. A fellow mandala e-grouper said that the one in color reminded her of "a bunch of Tibetan Prayer Flags waving in the wind." A beautiful image, indeed!

Enjoy...

--Vicky Lynn :o)

Dreamcatcher Mandala

Ink on paper

Dreamcatcher: Guiding Eyes

Ink on paper, color pencils

Copyright © 2009 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Angel Mandala

Meet the Angel of Service. This mandala was inspired by my Angel Therapy Practitioner friend, Karen. Here is a bit about this sweet and loving angel.

As you look at this angel, you see hearts pouring out of her sleeve. They represent all the blessings she gives so generously to others.

The central eye is what alerts her to those who need her help and service.

The leaf at the bottom of her robe represents the growth that she lovingly brings to those who call on her.

Her shield is purple and yellow, reflecting the background colors of her mandala:

• Purple (violet) representing the crown chakra and the purity of Divine Love
  
• Yellow representing the Solar Plexus chakra and the strength she brings to her charge's self-esteem and self-worth.

The Angel of Service is all about Love and helping others to see themselves in their Highest Light and to achieve their Soul's Mission.

--Vicky Lynn :o)

"Angel of Service" Mandala
Ink on paper
Copyright © 2009 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

The Angel of Song Comes Along...

She's small and carries a big voice, the Angel of Song showed up under my pens today. Here's what she has to say. (More to come)

--Vicky Lynn :o)


Angel of Song
Ink on paper doodle
Copyright © 2009 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Another Angel Doodle Appears

Meet the Angel of Fire, Light & Second Sight. She speaks in rhyme and always has an inspired message to spur you on your way.

"I am the Angel of Fire, Light & Second Sight.
My Eternal flames forever burn bright.

Creative ideas & a turbo-boost of Will are but two
Of the en-lightening gifts I have for you.

Sparks of Intuition & Insight I inspire;
Flashes of Wisdom & Foresight leap from my fire.

My wings are powered by a Spirit of play,
A reminder that too much "serious" can ruin your day.

A butterfly at my throat reminds you to keep Life "light";
Each moment the Eternal Eyes offer you "Second" Sight.

Love overflows from my Rainbow of Hearts,
It embraces your Soul and enlivens your art.

Never be shy to call upon me
My help & guidance are always free.
My deepest desire is for all to see
The magnificent Divine Spark you came here to BE."

--Vicky Lynn :o)

"Angel of Fire, Light & Second Sight"
Ink on paper doodle and poem
Copyright © 2009 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Venus Rising: A Star Is Born

Here is my newest collage mandala and the poem it inspired me to write. Enjoy!

--Vicky Lynn :o)

Venus Rising: A Star Is Born

From the floods of darkness

Where emotions reign supreme;

She finds her Self awakened:

A voice whispers, "You are Queen!"

Her Heart quickens and responds

To this calling of her Soul;

Love pushes her emergence--

"Up! Go up! There awaits your goal!"

Unfolding and stretching,

She reaches toward the Source of Light;

Her wings unfurl, her Self reflected

From watery depths, to star-filled night.

The Love she Is becomes the Light

You see shining at dawn, at dusk, at night;

She whispers to you--truly seeing Who You Are--

"Up! Go up! The world awaits your Rising Star."

"Venus Rising: A Star Is Born"
Mixed media collage and poem
Copyright © 2009 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

New Angel Doodle -- The Guardian Speaks

"I am the Guardian, the Watcher who walks with you and who carries the Highest Vision of You within my Heart. My shield and sword are useful tools not weapons to be abused. My shield protects you from your small self and from your harsh words about your True Self. My sword cuts away energetic cords and attachments that keep you from being All You Are. My wings bring comfort and breezes of peace. My brilliant colors reflect the person I guard and watch over--YOU. Know I am with you every step of your journey, reminding you that the Love you seek is always Within. I am the Guardian, the Protector of your Heart and the Watcher of your Soul."

--Vicky Lynn :o)

"The Guardian"
Ink on paper doodle
Copyright © 2009 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

In "Living" Color -- Sort of ;o)

So I decided to add color to the Butterfly Breath Angel and here she is. What a fun project!

--Vicky :o)

Another New Art Form--The Doodle ;o)

Several people who belong to the Mandala Oasis egroup also do some tremendous work with Doodles. Here's one site that is certainly stupendous! I've posted my first doodle.

Right now she is in black and white. I am considering whether I want to add color or not. She's called "The Butterfly Breath Angel." In my mind, she is the angel that makes sure that every butterfly's wings plump up and then have the air it needs to fly into its newly transformed life.

--Vicky :o)

"Butterfly Breath Angel"
Ink on paper, Doodle

Copyright © 2009 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Exploring a new art path--The Mandala

I joined an egroup a while back called Mandala Oasis. I've always been interested in the mandalas created by monks from sand. My mandalas will not be quite as intricate but I am enjoying "throwing something" in the circle and seeing what results. I have used different media--colored pencils, markers, oil pastels, in addition to adding some collage elements.

I've posted my latest mandala, which I made yesterday. I was feeling out of sorts: I had what my mother called "a piss-poor mood." I decided to make the mandala using oil pastels and not care that the shapes I used weren't perfect or that the colors spread into each other while coloring. I just flung everything on the page.

Then, I got the idea to add some collage elements. I added the clock and felt there was still something missing. I kept feeling like I should find an eye in my collage stuff. Coincidentally (or synchronistically?), as I began looking through my stuff, there was an eye in one of the clear, plastic envelopes staring back at me. I never had to open up envelopes or binders to search for it. It was just there. Once I had the eye, I found three other elements that completed the piece.

It turns out that the eye was very important since it gave me the title of the mandala: "Wh(eye)?" Someone had left a comment about one of my older blog entries the other day using word play like that.

And that's how this mandala came together!

--Vicky :o)

"Wh(eye)?" Mandala
Mixed media on paper
Copyright © 2009 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

The Art Says It All

Sometimes extra words detract from what the art's message is. The art posted here is the memorial card I made for my friend Sue who died of ovarian cancer last month. The art says it all!

--Vicky :o)

Collage card/Memorial card
Copyright © by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Another Life Stamp Completed!

I am posting the artwork I created and the poem I wrote for another Life Stamp. (Life Stamps are a way to commemorate special events in a person's life. The link takes you to the one I made for Michel.) Ironically, the Life Stamp I just created is a gift for another woman who is celebrating her 60th birthday next month.

I painted the abstract before I scanned it into Photoshop to add the collage elements. The name of the painting is "Windows into Unseen Worlds." To me, the background painting was the woman's Soul and the collage elements are the windows into the Unseen Worlds that exist within her.

As I was working on the collage in Photoshop, the words "The best is yet to be" flashed through my head. Those words became the theme of the Life Stamp and the poem.

The Best Is Yet To BE

For many years
Your love you shared,
You gave yourself,
You showed you cared.
Always there
To offer your hand,
To listen, to comfort
And to understand.

But forever present
Deep inside:
A precious treasure
In your Soul abides.
This wondrous gift
Is Who You Are:
A wise woman of Grace,
An Eternal Star.

Just like the sun
Your Star shines bright;
No doing required,
Just BE the Light.
And always remember:
Your presence is enough;
Your Soul holds the key;
As you journey through Life
The best is yet to BE.

As always, the message is for me, too! The Universe is generous that way.

Here is the finished Life Stamp:

--Vicky :o)

"Windows into Unseen Worlds" Acrylic & Graphic Collage
"The Best Is Yet To BE" poem
Life Stamp
Copyright © 2009 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Long time...no blog!

Life (and death) has been happening since we moved to our new apartment on June 1. Besides some glitches in our move and the apartment we chose, Michel's uncle died on July 5. Literally, he dropped dead while mowing the lawn. Then, on July 28, one of my friends who has been living with ovarian cancer for several years departed this plane. (The entry "Finding Grace" is about this wonderful woman.)

Michel's uncle Marcel left behind his wife of 40 years whose birthday was also in July. The collage shown here is part of the Life Stamp I made to commemorate her 60th birthday. Here is the poem I wrote that illuminates the collage. Enjoy!

--Vicky :o)



The Valley of the Butterflies

In the Valley of the Butterflies
My Love waits there for me…

With eyes that see who I am:
My glory and my worth;
With strong arms to support me
As I journey on this earth;
With caring thoughts to soothe me,
To calm my wild mind;
With tender words to comfort me
When no peace can I find.

And though I always thought
My Love was the loving man I knew;
In the Valley of the Butterflies
I made a wondrous discovery
That I now share with you:

All that I admired in him—
His strength, his love, his care—
Are the qualities that I possess
Reflected in Life’s mirror so fair.

And so it is with everyone
Who walks this path with me;
Each is Life’s reflection of My Love:
Of Who I am and Who I decide to be.


Valley of the Butterflies, collage and poem
Copyright © 2009 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Bonne Fête Michel!

Yesterday was Michel's birthday. (He's my boyfriend.) I have been so busy making cards for other people, packing for our move on June 1, and finishing up a course at the local women's center that I hadn't had a chance to make him a card or buy him a present. (I did order his favorite cheesecake as a birthday cake.) ;o)

So late Sunday night--or rather early Monday morning--I decided to make him a card (shown above) and send it by email. Because I was starting at the last possible minute, I chose a collage I had used for another card a couple of years ago. Next, I found a Rumi quote that seemed to fit with the collage, both in the meaning and how the words could be placed perfectly on the collage. Then, I decided to include a poem.

Writing the poem was an amazing experience. I have rarely had a poem flow out of me so easily. I was so tired and yet the words and rhymes marched through my mind and appeared on the page as I typed. I was so grateful to God!

Michel seemed very pleased with the card and the poem. He said something interesting, though. He mentioned that the card looked like a mini-Life Stamp. (A Life Stamp is something I created and designed to commemorate a special event in a person's life.)

So I decided to see if I could change the card into a Life Stamp. Again, the process flowed so effortlessly. Here's the result:

For me, this Life Stamp created itself. Said in another way: God/the Universe really wanted me to create this Life Stamp for Michel! And, I learned a few valuable lessons along the creative path:

1. Simple collages (this one only has 3 elements--flowers, picture frame, eye) can still have profound meanings.
2. Letting the words flow is more important than listening to my inner "word" critic.
3. Sometimes (maybe all the time (?) and I have not been aware of the fact!) the art creates itself.

Happy Birthday, Michel!

--Vicky ;o)

Birthday card and Life Stamp
Copyright © 2009 Vicky Lynn Macchione

Many Changes & 2 "-FlyDesigns" Postcards

How busy life can get in such a short time! In the time since I posted last, we decided to move, found an apartment to move to in June, finished up tax returns for U.S. and Canada, prepared to show the apartment we live in now to prospective tenants, went to a family birthday party, and planned how we are going to take 7-1/2 rooms of "stuff" and put it into an apartment with 4-1/2 rooms! (By the way, here in Québec apartments are described that way, not by number of bedrooms. The "1/2" refers to the bathroom.

Before all this activity commenced, I was working on the idea of collaging my own postcards. The two shown here are for some mythical funky clothing company called "FlyDesigns," which is short for Butterfly Designs. (My apologies to any company, clothing or otherwise, who may use that name!)

One postcard is in the shape of a butterfly; an idea that came to me because I once received a postcard from a friend that was in the shape of her country. Of course, it helped that the background paper already had a butterfly on it!

-FlyDesigns Postcards...Just in time for Spring!

--Vicky :o)

FlyDesigns Postcards (I and II)
Paper Collage
Copyright © 2009 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Another Postcard Collage

Here is another example of my postcard play. I call this one "World of Advice." You may have to look very closely to see that there is a map outline of the world that forms the basis of this collage.

I actually started the text for this post a few days ago but got hung up with describing the collage and its meaning. Ultimately, I find it more rewarding to let others see what the collage means to them. That's the great advantage of images and collages. In fact, a friend told me recently that every time she looks at my Christmas card collage, she sees something new!

One comment about the title--"World of Advice." Have you ever noticed how much advice there is in the world? And with the Internet, we have all that advice at our fingertips; we don't even have to go to the library to look through card catalogs, books, microfiche, etc. any more!

I wonder, though, how much all that advice keeps us from finding and listening to our own advice, our inner wisdom. Of course, taking time to listen and then to actually act on inner wisdom is a process and certainly not instantaneous. Not like the Internet, which provides instant gratification day or night.

But living life based on instant advice is not the same thing as living life in the NOW. Usually I look for advice when I have a problem that I want solved immediately. That process of looking for the answer takes away from the time of being with and experiencing the question, or what I think is the question.

In other words, seeking a World of Advice for that which I think I need or lack keeps me from Being the World that I am.

--Vicky :o)

"World of Advice" Postcard
Paper Collage
Copyright © 2009 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Playing with Postcards

In the last few days, I have been thinking a lot about postcards so I decided to create some. Here is my first one. The title is "Playing with Color Postcard." Yes, for some reason I included the word postcard in the title. ;o)

Much of the time, a postcard depicts a place or point of interest or some souvenir of a person's travels. My postcard seems to depict a spiral of colors both in appearance and in the way I created it. This collage began its life from the middle. Starting with the figure, the snowflake house and the peacock swirls, I just kept adding different blocks of color and melanges of blocks of color as layers. The final touch was the postage stamp.

I find it interesting that while most postcards are rectangles, mine is almost perfectly square. I'll have to figure out why that is. (Does it reflect my need for perfection? Is there anything more perfect than a square? Well, maybe a circle!)

There is also one very illegible word--"fairytale." I didn't discover it, though, until the collage was done and I used my trusty magnifying glass to see what those black scratches actually said. :o)

Postcards provide a rather intriguing way to communicate since they force a person to write either the most important messages or the most mundane. Perhaps postcards were one of the earliest versions of Twitter, lacking only in the instantaneity (yes, that really is a word!) of this present-day communication gadget. Surely most postcards do answer Twitter's question: What are you doing? Or at the very least, they answer: What were you doing when you decided to write?

Now, what was I doing before I decided to write this post?

--Vicky :o)

"Playing with Color Postcard"
Paper Collage
Copyright © 2009 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

The Dying Mind--Take 2

When I chose "the dying mind" for the collage in my last post, I saw that there was at least one additional meaning when considered together as a simple sentence. The dying mind.

Now, the interpretation of that sentence all depends on one's definition of the verb "mind." Here are three definitions from which to choose (thanks to One Look Dictionary and Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary):

1. to be attentive or wary
2. to become concerned
3. to pay obedient heed or attention

Definition #2 was my choice of meaning. The dying care about their state. They are concerned that they are indeed "dying" and what that is going to mean to themselves and to the world at large. However, each definition brings a different shade of significance to the collage card.

The interpretation rests in the mind of the beholder/reader. Which definition describes and illuminates the collage for you?

--Vicky :o)

Job Title: Worrier

The other day I created this collage card trying to use some different materials (an autumn leaf, a maple seed, birch bark) and several disconnected images to see what would come of it. I am not sure it is a very uplifting collage but there is an interesting feel to it. ;o)

I scanned the card and filed it away, not really thinking much about it. Until today. I was reading a book in which this alien species had the assigned job title of "Worrier." As I read about the Worrier and how he/she/it(?) offered all the various reasons and possibilities to do or not to do a particular mission, I thought how well I could perform that job! I am so well versed in worrying that those few times when I was not worrying, I actually felt an empty space inside where the worries usually dwelt. That was an amazing and somewhat disconcerting feeling!

For some reason, as I was thinking about the job of Worrier, this collage card popped into my mind. Perhaps the message of worrying actually creates "the dying mind" pictured here--a mind that can't fully embrace creativity and inspiration when it is preoccupied with all the "what ifs" and all the possiblities of darkness, doom, and disaster. The card also points out that "dreams of day" and "dreams of night" all face the same end: they all pass. In fact, the same outcome holds true for "the dying mind": It too shall pass, along with all those worries that occupied so much of its time.

Now, if I can only embrace the ideas captured in this card; maybe I can finally give up the job of Worrier and find a job title I like much more!

--Vicky :o)

"All Pass"
(Inspired by Jennifer Black, Somerset Studio, March/April 2006)
Mixed Media Collage Card
Copyright © 2009 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Skyla's Magic Box

For my granddaughter's 6th birthday in December, I collaged a special box for her. I call it Skyla's Magic Box. Inside are lots of different paper cutouts, stickers, ribbons, flowers, and various other items to be used for decorating cards, gift tags, and her very own little book. I also included a glue stick. She is now equipped to create and give cards with that special "Skyla" touch.

The box took a very long time to get to California (45 days!--another story for another time). She received it on Thursday and was very pleased with all she discovered in the box as well as with the card and poem I had made for her. I have posted pictures of her box.

I am reminded of when my kidlets were very small. I would buy them the latest and greatest toys for Christmas or their birthdays only to discover that often what gave them the most pleasure and entertained them the longest was the box in which they found the toy. There is no "toy" inside this box. What it does contain is special magic that needs Skyla's imagination, time, and creativity to be manifested in the world.

Happy Birthday, Skyla!

--Vicky :o)

"Skyla's Magic Box"
Collage Box

Copyright © 2008 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Make your own kind of Magic!

"Magic is something we all secretly wait for, no matter how hard-bitten and cynical we become as the passing years vanquishes our spirit. We hope that somehow, something or someone will arrive and turn that magic wand and our life will flip over.

To create magic we need to do two things:

• Believe in magic.
  
• Be the magician of our life and bluff our way through life's inevitable difficulties.

We must know that the New Year is not a Genie that will bring us all that we have secretly been wishing for. We need to get inside that bottle and be that Genie ourselves." --Nazia Mallick

The above excerpt is from an article that I read recently on Ode Magazine's Readers Blog: "How to create magic in your life this year" by Nazia Mallick. In her article, Ms. Mallick continues with her own formula for creating magic in her life this year.

One of my favorite quotes corresponds quite well with Mallick's first bullet point:

"... for magic to happen in your life, you must believe in magic."
-- Grandmother, quoted by Lynn Andrews

If I don't believe that magic happens, then I certainly won't be seeing any.

As I continued thinking about the idea of making magic, I decided to look up the origin of the word itself. A very early definition (c. 1384) describes magic as the "art of influencing events and producing marvels" (Online Etymology Dictionary).

How well that definition corresponds with Mallick's second bullet. In order to make magic, I have to "be" the magician in my life--the one who influences events and produces marvels, the one who keeps on believing and being even when obstacles show up along the way. Here is what what Rob Brezny had to say about obstacles last week to those born under the sign of Leo:

"Obstacles are a natural part of life, just as boulders are a natural part of the course of a river," notes the ancient Chinese book The I Ching. "The river does not complain or get depressed because there are boulders in its path." I'd go so far to say -- this is not in the original text, but is my 21st-century addition -- that the river gets a sensual thrill as it glides its smooth current over the irregular shapes and hard skin of the rocks. It looks forward to the friction, exults in the intimate touch, loves the drama of the interaction. --Rob Brezny, Freewill Astrology

What a sexy way to look at obstacles! So now the choice is mine--how will I view the challenges that come my way? Will I continue to believe in magic and in my abilities as a magician? Obstacles are only obstacles if I declare them to be.

The collage above is from my Collage Journal and illustrates to me how I can make magic happen in my own life. The pictures and words are my magician's tool kit with its secret messages and magic spells. Now, it's time for me to add the "abracadabra" of believing and being.

--Vicky :o)

"Making Magic"
Collage Journal Page
Copyright © 2007 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

Too much noise in my head!

My goal this year is to "lighten my load." And, this morning I discovered another way I can make that happen: Stop unconditionally believing all the voices in my head.

Today, while I was checking my email, I found myself getting agitated. I was reading a newsletter by someone, considered to be an inspirational person by many, who was advocating a way to be more environmentally conscious. Something snapped inside! I found myself expressing disgust at being given yet another thing to put on my Life's "To Do" list.

Don't get me wrong. I certainly believe it is important to be environmentally conscious. However, I am weary of all the messages coming from emails, television, movies, governments, parents--living or long-dead--religions, friends, families, lovers, and the list goes on forever, AS WELL AS my own list of correct living prerequisites. How much of my life and energy do I spend being concerned over all this noise? WAY TOO MUCH!

I decided today that I can no longer put off determining what is and what is not important to me in my Life. I can no longer let others tell me how to live my Life. It's time for me to stop the Noise Madness. For as long as I listen to and unconditionally believe what others say, I cannot hear the "still, small voice" that resides within each of us.

In the last few months, I had started taking my name off inspirational newsletter email lists. I was being overwhelmed by inspiration! Now, I see that I am still too involved in all the wisdom everyone else seems to have. It's time to listen to the wisdom within. My Life, My Way. This collage from my Collage Journal illustrates clearly the message of this post. How interesting that I made the collage over 2 years ago.

--Vicky :o)

P.S.After I wrote this post, I discovered this short passage by Rumi, very appropriate to what I have written here:

"All my talk was madness,
filled with dos and don’ts.

For ages I knocked on a door—
when it opened I found

I was knocking from the inside!" --Rumi

"Start Within"
Collage Journal Page
Copyright © 20o6 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

"People see only what they are prepared to see."

I put this collage on the inside of a birthday card for a friend that celebrates her birthday tomorrow. Happy Birthday, Rola!

You will notice that on my previous posted collage and on this one, I used the same quotation. In fact, I used the quotation as the title of this post as well. This quote is by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

What I find most interesting is yesterday I received an email that illustrated this quote for me. The email came from someone I have known for several years but with whom I am not in frequent contact. She had known me somewhat intimately in the past but we have not spoken in person for at least 4 years, and we rarely exchange emails. In her email, she assumes that I am exactly the same as I was when she knew me--and that my reactions to situations could not change and certainly have not changed.

As I read her email, I realized that everyone tends to categorize people in their lives and, likewise, everyone tends to keep those people boxed in by those categories. And that's one possible interpretation of the Emerson quote. We can't possibly see changes in people if we are only prepared to see what we have always seen, if we wear the blinders of our categorizations and definitions.

I am grateful that I received this woman's email because it confirmed the importance of this quote. Since I used it both on my Vision Collage and the collage I posted here and then received this email that illumined the quote, I believe the Universe is sending me a message: In what areas are you (meaning me, of course) unprepared to see changes or unusual vistas or challenging thoughts and ideas?

That's the question that will on the "front burner" of my life as I go through 2009.

--Vicky :o)

Collage: "The Key to Change"

Copyright © 2009 by Vicky Lynn Macchione

New Year, New Vision!

For the last couple of years I have tried to write in a journal each day--Morning Pages as Julia Cameron calls them. Lately, I have been having trouble making my daily 3 pages. So I have been rethinking those pages and how I really want to use them. In the midst of this Morning Pages reinvention, I got the idea to make a collage to mark the shift from 2008 to 2009. This new collage is posted here.

Many people like to make vision boards as a way to direct their visions and fulfill their dreams for the new year. That's what this collage is all about for me. Two phrases I particularly love are these: "Don't be a spectator on this trip" and "There's no death worse than just waiting around." Both of these phrases come from Michael Green's The Illuminated Rumi 2008 calendar. The poem goes like this:

Don't be a spectator on this trip.
There's no death worse than waiting around.
Set your heart on the hero's gold.
And go. --Rumi

Last year I often found myself feeling like I was waiting. If I had to describe what it was I was waiting for, I would say it was Life or maybe it would be more accurate to say that I was waiting for something I thought needed to happen so I could live my life. I would often have thoughts like: "When this or that happens, then I'll do this or then I'll feel that way." I was experiencing "delayed living," which in Rumi's view is the worst type of death. And as the days of 2008 went by, I realized more and more that whether I spent those days waiting, spectating, or actually living them right NOW, time continued to pass and days disappeared!

In 2009 I want to hang up my spectator glasses, end the "waiting-around-death" experience, and GO for the "hero's gold" of living each day as full and as well as I possibly can. I am using this collage to inspire me to remember and live my vision.

--Vicky :o)

Vision Collage: 2009
Copyright © 2009 by Vicky Lynn Macchione