Dec 10, 2009

Have you given up on me yet?

I'm here. I really am. I have been so sidetracked. I don't know what possessed me to start painting the inside of the house but I started and had a hard time quitting. I did quit before it's finished but will get back at it right after Christmas. Had some other house issues going on and before you know it, it's 10 days since my last post. I have lots of cool stuff I've received in the mail to share with you, but I'll save it for early next week. For now, thought I'd prove I AM, in fact, still making something!

Dream Some Wings


copyright by Marsha Jorgensen 12/10/09. All rights reserved. You may not copy, print, download or use without my permission.
This is an approximate 5 x 7 original collage using a face from collagevisions.etsy.com, a body altered and made from a piece from cemerony.etsy.com, tape measure from keeperofthenest.etsy.com, crown from spiceitup.etsy.com, arms from collageanonymous.etsy.com, legs and boots from my own collection of images. The wings are from Itkupilli.etsy.com. These were all hand trimmed and hand colored with ink and pastel. The word wish and many of the border pieces are also from collageanonymous.etsy.com, again colored and altered. Other border pieces are from Studio Maya at Scrapbookgraphics.com and my own collage sheets at tumblefishstudio.etsy.com and scrap paper. Letters for words were created from vintage music sheets from shabbychicpapirskatter.blogspot.com. Everything was attached by hand to a background from flickr's SkeletalMess that was further altered with ink and pastel.


This next piece is for a very special couple. I want to share the work (because it's always fun to show the last thing you made) but more importantly I want to share their story. I am not sure I will have the words to describe how important it was for me to find their story, but it has been one of those experiences that you remember all day every day. It has changed my life in that it confirmed what I suspected about how to live life but to date haven't fully committed to.

After doing some Etsy business, I was inexplicably compelled to google the name of the person I was working with. I am not usually so curious, but something was pulling me to them. After a full day of doing other stuff and it nagging in my brain, I googled and discovered a story that touched me down to my soul. It moved me. Maybe it touched me because it struck a chord, a deep ringing chord. If there's nothing else my husband has taught me over 20 some years of being together, it is that life is all about your attitude and you live the life you choose so there's no sense whining about what you yourself can fix or chose to live with - it's all up to you. Honestly, I am tired of those that lament over what is not going right in their lives when they fail to see it could all be so different with a little shift in good ol' gratitude and attitude for what they have or realizing their problems are just plain trivial. We can all be happy if we just choose to see the big picture. Ryan and Carrie are THE examples of that. Ryan was born with a birth defect that left him with very small arms, no hands, very small legs and feet. I want you to really think about how that would impact your life, in all areas of it. It didn't stop Ryan. He drives, he works, he has a beautiful wife, and beautiful family. He even jet skis and does so to inspire kids with disabilities! (look here at pictures) Some of you may know Carrie, his wife. She is the artist of Pinkadoo blog! Have you ever once seen a complaint from her about how hard her life is? Nope. She is inspired by her husband, motivated, and supportive. I am failing at what I want to say to you and how important they are to me, but I will leave that to another time when the words have surfaced to describe my utter admiration. Knowing their story has lead me to commit myself to permanently change my attitude about what constitutes a problem and what doesn't. And, with that commitment, maybe someday I can share Ryan's story with someone and hope it changes their life too. For now I leave you with the link to Ryan's story (Ryan also goes by Hudson Peralta) http://www.hudsonperalta.com/mystory.htm

Beautiful Souls


copyright by Marsha Jorgensen 12/10/09. You may not copy, print, download, or use this image without my permission.
This is an approximate 5 x 7 collage using the faces of Ryan and Carrie Peralta. Their bodies were made from pieces from cemerony.etsy.com, their wings are from Itkupilli.etsy.com, and their crowns are made from keeperofthenest.etsy.com. The windows are from Studio Jen at Scrapbookgraphics.com and were used with a commercial license. The hearts are from designer Nicole Young and also used with a commercial license. Most of the border pieces are from my own ephemera or scrap paper but the piece at the top is from collageanonymous.etsy.com and the black and white portion is from Crowabout.etsy.com. The words were created from my own vintage ephemera and from music from shabbychicpapirskatter.blogspot.com. All pieces were reprinted and hand trimmed with scissors, most pieces were hand colored with ink and pastel to some degree. Everything was attached by hand to a background from flickr's SkeletalMess and further embellished with ink and pastel.


Photobucket

11 comments:

TheresainMS said...

Hey Marsha, great to see you! I love both these pieces you've posted. Your style hasn't suffered one iota with your absence from the blog :-) You remain an inspiration to me!

This story you've shared here is so special. It's ironic because I was having an email conversation about this very subject tonight. A friend in Australia and I discussed the same subject with uncannily similar examples used. We are all blessed in so many ways that we take for granted. We don't realize the true scope of our riches until we lose something we'd been taking for granted. Or, as in tonight's case, until someone we admire shares a story that jars us into introspection.

You've got to come visit and see my new blogwear. I had Susie Jefferson custom design the graphics and she fixed my comments glitch, YIPPEE!!!

I'd also like to invite you to my blog giveaway at My 100th blog post giveaway. The drawing is Wednesday, the 16th and I'm hoping to have lots of entries.

I won a future prize at one of your pay it forward type blog giveaways and one of the suggestions was to do 3 random acts of kindness. I've been working on those and am not letting the number '3' stop me. It's been such a joy to consciously try to come up with ways to be kind for no reason other than the pure joy of it.

I'm always wanting to meet new blog friends and my blog giveaway is a great chance to do just that.

Have a great Friday Marsha!

XOXOXO
Theresa in MS

Hayley Egan said...

Of course I hadn't given up on you... I knew you must be quietly making awesome collages over there in California...

Marit said...

I'm here too... I never give up on somebody! Thanks for sharing this story... you may think you didn't found the right words - it spoke to me between the lines! Have a great weekend friend!

(Oh, did I mention that your art pages are AWESOME again?)

Janny said...

I am glad to see something from your hand again , they are both beautiful. You are having a clean start in 2010 with your painted house, it it one colour;o) Have a great weekend!

Leslie said...

Stunningly gorgeous portrait of the Peraltas!! You really worked your special magic!!

Grandma Yellow Hair said...

Just found your beautiful site this morning. Love your work and am joining you so I can come back again and again
Happy Holidays
Maggie
PS
I do a post called Temptation Mondays you might want to put your work on it

Cathy said...

wonderful art, as always. wonderful tribute to the peraltas--and a great reminder of how we shouldn't let the little stuff get us down.
miss you? of course.
do i think you're a nut for tackling painting this time of year? of course!
but then again...i always think you're a nut. after all, it takes one to know one....

lilylovekin said...

What an inspirational story! I'm glad you are ok and that you've been busy painting your house. I'm sure it will look wonderful for Christmas. Great work as always.

said...

I was just thinking about you Marsha! Love your new pieces.

Unknown said...

Marsha, you are absolutley right. Attitude of graditude. We live in abundance, when so many around the world have NOTHING.
I find myself whining about things I can't fix. Then I have to surrender and give it to God. It's a process.
Thank you for sharing.
ps what ever possesed you to start painting your house right before Christmas? Hey you have some super energy there girl.

beth

WingingIt said...

as usual...your work inspires me...i am knee deep in monster dolls right now...after the holidays i hope to get back to my mixed media...missing it!!!