Death of The Christmas Tree

Every year during the holiday season thousands, upon thousands of innocent evergreens are merclessly chopped down, and shipped to tree lots all across the country. They are then forced to stand in neat little rows as life slowly drains from their branches. So that you, the holiday shopper can select your tree amongst bright christmas lights and cheerful holiday music. But sadly the horror doesn't stop there.
The happy shopper having finally selected their tree, then carelessly hoists it up onto the roof of the car, only then to crudely tie the tree down, so as to prevent escape. The poor helpless tree has to then endure a rough, windy ride. Staring all the while at the blue sky it will never live to see again.
Upon arrival at your home the ritualistic torture of this once majestic tree only continues. The poor little tree is then stuffed into a tree stand, where sharp screws are then twisted into it's fresh tender trunk. Reminisant of some medieval torturer's device. The tree is then given just enough water to guarantee it remains barely alive for the holidays festivities.
It's strong once sheltering branches are hacked away, trimmed to satisfy your need for a trangular uniform appearance. Now the festive holiday family further humilate the slowly dying tree, by decorating it with strings of bright holiday lights, tinsel and ornaments. Perhaps to hide the little tree's sadness. To which everyone then gathers round the tree "oohing" and "awing" at how beautiful the tree now looks. Oh how much you just love and admire the decorated little tree as it now stands there all aglow!
We forget as presents are piled underneath it's branches, that this was once a thriving, growing healthy tree. Which not only housed many of nature's creatures, but also gave us all life sustaining oxygen.
And every year it never fails to surprise me that as we proclaim the season to be of love, compassion and giving. We at the same time contribute to the unneccesary killing of thousands of life giving helpless trees. Only to toss them out after the festivities are over.The once adorned and adored holiday tree now blowing around in the streets and curbsides with reminants of tinsel still hanging from their now dead little branches, like Christmas corpses year after year. No longer will the tree be a haven for wildlife. No longer will it give us our precious oxygen,shade nor shelter or the sweet smell of pine.
Perhaps if we must celebrate with a tree and all the decorations. We could use an artifical tree instead? Leaving the sweet little trees to keep on living? Artifical trees are very elaborate now, often looking more uniform and full than their natural counterparts. As well as the money saved, as you need only purchase this kind of tree once, for years and years of enjoyment. While at the same time doing your part to protect the environment as well. Maybe then the death of the Christmas tree will be a thing of the past.........

Art Supply Junkie LoVe

Okay I posted a blog about this in Suzi land but thought I should post one here too.
I am that excited about my new art supplies, that I must share these wonderful goodies with all of you too. I finally got my packages today from Jerry's Artarama..And OMG do I love my new inktense watercolor pencils!! They are just amazing! They work just like regular watercolor pencils, but when you add some water, like a wash to them, once it dries..they become permanent!! YUP! You can add layer after layer and not worry about bleeding or smearing at all!! This is just great for art journaling and mixed media collage too. You can add wet glue on top and no smearing!! I love em !! And I got a great price too!! 24 set with a free little journal just 19.99.. Best price around..I checked..LOL
Also I got a tabletop easel..since my daughter moved home and took my art room away..I've had limited art space again..And my larger studio size easel is just too big to fit into my art space corner of my bedroom..So I really needed something smaller to work with. I got this Trio tabletop easel that works great! It is lightweight, not too big..fits on a desk or even a tv table. But it is made of nice smooth elmwood and the top holder rises up and holds canvases or birch wood up to 25 inches high..Having some birch peices here that are the larger size Suzi uses 12x24 this little easel does the trick..It was also 19.99 but there is a coupon on Jerry's main page for 10% off..so I got it for 17.99 instead..LOve it..I figured I would share these great finds with all of you..In case you need a smaller easel due to limited work space, or you would love some watercolor pencils that don't run or bleed.I am now hoping and wishing that Santa will bring me the 72 set of inktense pencils for Xmass..yay..

You Just Might Be an Artist..if..

1) If you get excited to have a 40% off coupon for Micheal's ?
Then you might just be an artist..
2) If for Valentine's Day when other women are hoping for flowers and jewelery,but your hoping for watercolor pencils,paints and brushes?
Then you might just be an artist..
3) If your idea of a good manicure is getting the ink or paint stains off your fingers?
Then you might just be an artist..
4) If you forget to even turn on your t.v most of the time, let alone keep up with the latest shows, because your too busy working on some new project?
Then you might just be an artist..
5) If you have seriously contemplated spending your grocery money for art supplies, or actually have done this?
Then you might just be an artist..
6) If the only people who actually 'get you' are others who are just as obsessed with creating too?
Then you might just be an artist..
7) If when you imagine your dream house, instead of the first thing being a nice yard or pool out back, you instead immediately imagine a studio space for yourself?
Then you might just be an artist..
8) If you have been known to get so involved in your latest work that you tend to lose all track of time?
Then you might just be an artist..
9) If the smell of paint is one of your favorite smells?
Then you might just be an artist..
10) If you continue to create your art, despite negative looks or remarks from people in your life?
Yup you guessed it. Then you might just be an artist..

I hope you always keep on creating!! Feel free to add to this list..lets see if we can think up some more tell-tale signs of this condition called artist-itis..LOL
Hope everyone has a wonderful and creative week...xo

I want too....

I want to make messy, messy art in my art journal. I want to forget about getting it right for awhile, and just create. I need to loosen up, relax. Sometimes I am such a damn perfectionist that it turns into a struggle, a battle between me and the art. When I get like this, I can do good art but it's work..I have to try to hard..I don't like that. I just want the easy flow right now..I want the inner critic to just SHUT THE HELL UP!! I want my art to be fun, NOT work!! Soooo thats what I am going to do. Instead of sitting here fretting that I 'should' be working on my petite doll, or I 'should' be working on my oracle card, or my traveling journals..NO! To hell with it all right now. I am going to go and play in my art journal..Because THAT is what I truly WANT to do right now. What I need to do right now..So I am saying to hell with the nagging voice that insists I need to work on this or that instead. I am going to go get myself a nice tall glass of iced tea, put on some favorite music, and play, play, play hookie...HA! And no one can stop me!!! HAHAHAHAHA.

Poetry time pt. 2

Okay here are some more of my poems..tho some of them are a bit on the depressive side..We can't be sunshine and roses all the time..Or can we??

30 Minutes
till the pain-killer,
kicks in.
In 30 minutes,
I'll feel the numbness,
setting in.
30 minutes,
I am counting it down.
30 minutes,
feels like eternity right now.
30 minutes,
Gawd, I need some relief!
In 30 minutes,
I can drown out my grief.
30 minutes,
hurry I pray!
Can't take this much longer,
make this pain go away.
30 minutes,
can be such a long time away...

WHEN I AM WELL

When I am well,
I will not walk.
Instead I will run!
I will not sit inside,
this room no more,
hidden from the sun.

When I am well,
I will not falter.
Nor give in to my tears.
I will face each day,
with new-found faith,
cast away my fears.

When I am well,
I will sing songs loudly.
I will laugh even more.
I will join the children playing,
and dance along the shore.

When I am well,
I will speak more gently,
be kinder to myself.
I will gather up the courage,
to take my dreams,
down off the shelf.
When I am well...

Poetry Time

I thought I would share a few poems that I've written..enjoy..

I Am ME
I am a hidden landscape,
you can not see.
Behind my eyes,
lies mysteries.
I am Joy.
I am Sorrow.
I am my yesterdays,
today,
tomorrows.
I am young.
I am old.
I am a story,
that still unfolds.
I am as limitless,
as eternal space.
Far more,
than just this pretty face.
I am as deep,
as the bottomless ocean.
Made of,
spirit and flesh.
A cosmic potion.
I am Me...


The Trees and I

The leaves fall like tears,
Abandoned hopes and unanswered prayers.
Like lost dreams that drift afar,
both the leaves and me,
are worn, scarred.
The trees sigh.
A sad goodbye.
The leaves now gone.
Silently we cry,
the trees and I...


~Winter~

The deep cold darkness,
wraps around me,
like a cloak of despair.
Frozen silence,
fills the air.
Sweet song birds,
no longer sing here.
Sun shines cold and pale,
against the gray.
All the green,
has died away.
Naked trees,
stand bare, alone.
I feel their frozen sadness,
deep in my bones.
Winter has come.
Winter has come home...

Happy Halloween Everyone!!
Well I was just chatting to my wonderful friends Suziblu and Joyful Artist and it got me thinking about some things.We were chatting about our school days amongst other stuff,so I started thinking back to those days.I was very quiet and shy in grade school. And having a condition (xlh) which caused my legs to bow, made for some serious hard times. I was picked on a lot! I didn't have many friends then, and would often 'fake sick' to stay home.I was quiet, shy, and almost too nice. Then my brother died tragically when I was just about to turn 13 and start Jr. high (or middle school, as they call it now.) and something inside me changed. Looking back I think it was a combination of things. Anger at losing my brother, anger towards all the kids who'd bullied me for years, normal teenage hormones, rebellion, the need to fit in, etc. So I entered Jr. high determined to fight back! And I did. I wasn't truly a bad kid, but I did start getting into a lot of fights. Mostly with the same kids who were notorious bullies. I started to wear this mask, this persona that wasn't really me. It worked well for me, I was no longer picked on. I became more popular, probably because some of the kids were now scared of me and wanting to remain on my good side,others maybe respected me for standing up for myself..Who knows? But as the time went on it became more difficult and confusing for me to have these almost dual persona's. At home or among my closest friends I was just Kelley, with a pink room, who wrote poetry, drew flowers, loved animal etc. But at school I was totally different I was Kelley who wore a black leather jacket, smoked butts, swore and got into fights. No one picked on me anymore. The so-called cool kids were now my friends. But most of them weren't my real friends. They just wanted to hide behind me, or fit in themselves, be fake too. My real friends were a small select group, who saw the real me, and accepted both sides of my personality.
As I grew up and left school I thought I didn't need the mask anymore. That I didn't wear it anymore. But I was wrong. I still sometimes hide behind my mask. I pretend to be braver or more confident than I really feel. I hide my fears, my insecurities, my anxieties. Sometimes I even hide my talents. Afraid to rock the boat. Afraid that others may criticize or think I am being conceited. If I allow myself to shine to bright, others may feel threatened. So I hide. I hide my fears, my insecurities. I hide my talents, or downplay them so as not to ruffle anyone else's feathers. And I wondered tonight sitting here, remembering my school days, realizing I still have a mask..Does anyone else feel the same? Do you have a mask you hide behind? And if you do, what does your mask look like? What does it hide? And how wonderful it would be if we could all throw our masks away....and just be ourselves scared but shining...

Well here I am.

Today I finally took the leap. I signed up and created my first blogy thing..hmm did I mention I am new to this? I realize I have so much to learn about blogging, decorating my page, and my blogs..I hope whomever reads this will be patient with me, and maybe enjoy taking these first baby steps with me? You get the oppurtunity to be with me right from the very beginning..Now doesn't that sound like fun?? I would love and deeply appriciate any tips you could share, and sure would love some blogger friends here..It seems a bit lonely here at the moment..kinda like "Hello anyone there?" echo echo echo..LOL I hope to share my art journey here, any wonderful art techniques or tips I may have to share, my art work and art journals, as well as encourage and support others in there art paths too. And to be honest occasional rantings or venting as well..sorry. I will try to keep that to a minimum. But no promises. ha. Well thats all for now...Blessings..Kelley