A Trip to the Gourd Farm brings Creative Inspiration on a Winter Day

I am more than ready for this long dismal winter to be over. This one has been a particularly difficult one on my psyche, challenging me daily to be vibrant amidst a landscape that is like a blanket of brown and grey bleakness. Spring is around the corner and every once in a while Mother Nature will tease us with her sunny warmth. I'm anticipating the new season more than ever, and  looking forward to blossoming life and the dance of colors. A trip to the Gourd Farm yesterday was a definite must, bringing us one step closer to Spring and getting ready for some art shows.

Why make the trip?

I always opt to physically go to the farm to get my gourds instead of ordering them online. Keeping that human connection with the grower and being able to see the process of how the gourds get  from the garden to your studio makes your creation even more meaningful. By supporting local, I can see how the money stays within and supports that family and our community.

When we arrive, we are always first greeted by the guardians of the farm, the dogs. All of them are friendly, and of course if you pet them they are then your constant companions while you are choosing your gourds.

Cleaning of the Gourds
While I have made many trips to the farm, this time I was able to see a part of the production process that I haven't been able to witness before. The farm offers gourds that are cleaned and ready for you, and they do a pretty good job considering the amount of gourds they are working with. Very rarely I will have to do some cleaning, but most times the gourds are ready to work with. This is one of the things that I am most appreciative of with this grower, because cleaning gourds can be the most labor intensive part of doing gourd art.

As I started walking to the pole barn, there were a bunch of gourds in the metal tub getting a bath. I would love to have this set up for gourd cleaning, so effective and time saving.

Choosing of the Gourds

We gather many different types of gourds because we have an array of different artwork that we create with them. We choose large African Bushel, Bushel Basket, and Kettle Gourds for creating our Gourd Art Bowls. In crafting our Ceremonial Rattles we use Apache Dippers, Long and Short Handle Dippers, Goose Neck and Water Jugs. My Folk Art Gourd Dolls are crafted with all sorts of gourds, but I mostly use Chinese Bottle Gourds, Banana Gourds, and Goose Neck Gourds. African Bushel Gourds of a large size are used for our frame drums. Then of course we create pendants and jewelry from the gourds. We use the scraps from all types in doing so, but will also choose some nice Zucca Gourds and Cannon Ball Gourds.
The farm separates their gourds by type making it easy for them and visitors to find what they are looking for.

Walking through the barn looking at all the gourds could be compared to walking through an art supply store and looking at canvas. As you pick them up and check them for thickness and integrity, you begin thinking about what that "specific" gourd could become and all of its possibilities. Whenever I may be feeling a creative block, a walk through the gourd farm can pull me out of it before I leave. By the time we are back in the car for the drive home, I have a  list of themes and ideas for our gourd gathering in the back seat.
Once home I am ready to begin working with them. We grab pencils and start marking what each of them will be so that the cutting, grinding, shaping, and inside cleaning is more efficient. Over the next several weeks it looks as if we have a gourd factory, with various works stations set up to handle their processes.
Now, these two really spoke to me at the farm, although I am not entirely sure what they will become. They are wild cards...and the magic will be revealed later.

The Horse Totem, Healing, and a Little Girl

When an artist is in the process of painting, they never truly know how important that piece is going to become in their life. When I am navigating through my process, the focus is on sharing my journey, my growth, my inspirations, and accessing my intuition.

This week the focus behind my paintings was "overcoming". I was immersed in a creative frenzy, painting almost non-stop for three days. Each night my husband urged me to go to bed at a decent hour, but the palette kept my attention until 3am each morning. 

One of the paintings from this run was of a horse totem, named "Run Fast, Run Hard". There was movement in the strokes and a portrayal of speed, as the painting is motivating you to move fast and work hard toward your dreams. 

Run Fast, Run Hard a Contemporary Folk Art Painting by Jeanne Fry

Occasionally over those three days I would post a few photos of what I had been painting on our Facebook art page. As soon as I would share the photos I would go back to painting. My cell phone alerted me of a private message through Facebook, with an inquiry of interest about the painting. 

As soon as I started reading the message from my phone, I was engaged in a story, and knew that I needed to sign into the computer and give it more focus.

A mother in California was interested in purchasing the painting for her 9 year old daughter. As she shared with me the reason that she wanted it, my heart moved to another place....a place in my own past.

Her daughter Ashley has a rare disease that she is battling, Pediatric Sarcoidosis. A lump in my throat started forming as I felt the link with my own Lupus, as both attack random organs in the body. She told me how strong Ashley is and how she loves to paint. She has been loving horses as of late, and since her mom can't give her an actual horse, she wanted to give her my painting.

She included a link to the fundraising site they have set up for Ashley to help cover her medical bills so that I could learn a little more about her. When I opened the link, the tears started falling. When I looked into her eyes, I saw my own when I was little. My mind raced back to when I myself was so young, when at the age of 4 I was in the hospital and became an amputee.

During my hospital stay I had been given a gift by a stranger. The man had stopped me in the hall and had given me a painting of Faith, Hope, & Charity. I never saw the man again, but I still have that painting to this day.

I knew that this painting had to be a gift to Ashley, of that there was no question. The gift that I had received had changed my life, teaching me that love and compassion exist in unexpected places. My hope is that Ashley will feel that too, and always be surrounded by love and support.

This trip back in time, flood of emotions, and decision making all happened in just a few minutes. I soon looked up with the tears welled in my eyes and showed my husband Ashley's link. As soon as he saw it, he said "She looks just like you when you were little", and he himself was fighting back the tears. 

I'm sharing her link here, in the case that you might want to donate to her cause, and should you choose to you are not only helping her and her mom, but my own inner child spirit as well.

http://www.gofundme.com/ashwoodfund

I am grateful for this moment in my life as an artist, as it has been one of the most meaningful exchanges I have ever experienced.

In Love and Light,

Jeanne


 

An Artists Day Off with Horse Totem Wisdom and a Gourd Farm

Sometimes you just need a day off, a chance to get away from the grind...the appointments...and let your mind relax in a different space. This is especially important for an artist. Those outdoor excursions are often just what is needed for a breath of fresh air and inspiration.

A trip to Ghost Creek Gourd Farm

This morning as the coffee was brewing and the dog was impatiently pacing, waiting for a bit of something different, we decided to take a trip to the gourd farm. We were already in need of some new gourd stock for our art. We always prefer picking our own gourds at the farm rather than ordering them. This gives us a chance to envision a piece of art in its raw state before we even get it home. 

Packing our coffee and tea cups, the dog, dog treats, bottles of water, bins for the gourds, and don't forget the boots since it's been raining at the farm...we started out. 

Halfway there we needed to stop at a little farm along the way to say good morning to the horses, who quickly come running to see you when they recognize an animal lovers heart. After  a quick conversation with them and a few dog kisses, we were back on the road to the multitude of gourds waiting for us.

Stopping to say hello to the horses

Horse Totem Reminder

The visit with the horses was timely Horse Totem wisdom for us, reminding us to explore our freedoms and expand our horizons while traveling on our journey.

I spent the rest of the drive sipping my tea and watching the tree silhouettes zipping by, thinking about....well, thinking about everything. Art, Life, Pain, Healing, Joy, and Directions. All these things filled my mind until after awhile, finally, all I thought of was "right now". Quietly my mind became passive and open, like a big huge field lying in front of the horse who is waiting for the signal to 

"Be Free". 

Soon I heard the gravel crunching under the tires as we slowly turned down the road to the farm. Off to the side you could see the fields filled with the year's promise of gourds that are just waiting to be transformed by loving hands.

Gourd Drying in the Field

Gourds waiting to be brought into the Pole Barns

Ghost Creek Gourd Farm

We made our way into the pole barns where Dickie and Linda have bins upon bins lined up and full of cleaned and dried gourds of every imaginable type. With our big reusable bags and empty bins we began choosing gourds for our art...precious supplies for making our frame drums, gourd rattles, bowls, vessels, jewelry, and figurative sculptures. We were assisted greatly by their dogs especially their beautiful male weimaraner who kisses and plays with you with each step you take. 

With bags and bins full, and inspirations brimming to a new level, we loaded back into the car for the trip home.

Gourd Shopping Done

What was my greatest gift of all from the trip?  

"Optimism"

Have a gorgeous day everyone ! And remember, sometimes you just need to take a day off to recharge your batteries :)

(If you are wanting to visit a Gourd Farm in the Southeast, our recommendation is Ghost Creek Gourd Farm.) You can visit their website here

http://www.ghostcreekgourds.com/

They also sell their gourds from their website.

And to see some of our own creations from Gourds you can visit our website at

http://www.consciousartstudios.com/

Inspiration from the Sun Maiden

The Sun Maiden brings a lift to our hearts, a smile to our faces, and a warmth to our souls. On those dismal days of grey skies and clouds, many of us feel a "lack of". We may tend to want to curl up on the couch and do nothing, as if in our own little cave.I am ready to emerge from winters cave. I am anxious for the Spring, sunshine, the blooming of life, and getting my hands in the soil and planting my dreams. 

When the Sun Maiden arrives, she greets me with a blank canvas and says "What can you manifest today?"

Inspiration from the Sun Maiden, Contemporary Folk Art Painting by Jeanne Fry

The original painting of "Inspiration from the Sun Maiden" is available in my Artfire Shop here

Inspiration from the Sun Maiden Available on Artfire

Spiral Crow Art Print Blog Giveaway in Appreciation for our Readers

Hello and I hope you're having a gorgeous day ! In appreciation of those who are reading my Conscious Art Studios blog, following the symbolism used in our artwork, the stories behind the paintings, and the animal totem meanings....we have had over 30,000 views. To celebrate that, I am having a Blog Giveaway for one of my Spiral Crow Art Prints, that measures 8x10. To have a chance to win it, you just need to leave a comment here on this blog post. If you share a link to my blog, I will enter your name a second time. I will choose a winner at random, Monday evening (February 18th) at 9pm. 

Thank you so much for loving the stories and the artwork and the symbolic beauty of Nature !

Spiral Crow Art Print by Jeanne Fry

Seasons of an Artist and Wisdom in a Pumpkin Patch

 

The inspirations that can  influence an artist's work are varied and diverse, but the change of the seasons is usually a common thread between them. Whether their themes are on nature or not, the environment  can lend a hand in their work by color choice or symbolic perspective.

Pumpkins and Gourds posing at the Pumpkin Farm

 

My art does is fact focus on nature, the symbolism of the seasons, animal totem meanings, and how all of these things lend to our emotional and spiritual growth as humans. The arrival of Fall is my most loved season and has been since I was a child. The chill in the air, the comfort of a sweater, the embrace of Mother Nature as she splashes the landscape with fiery passionate colors, and the knowing of how important the need to be grateful for soon a quiet, barren, and introspective time will be creeping over the mountain. Fall wraps around my heart reminding me of tradition and family and a closeness of the spirit.

Brilliant Orange of Nature's Bounty

 

This past weekend we took the day to venture about through Apple Country here in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where apple and pumpkin farms and roadside stands are frequent while traveling down the winding roads. A stop at the Cabbage Shack, where yes you guessed it, they sell cabbage. Not the usual run of the mill cabbage that you see in the grocery, but "mountain cabbage" which are large and a rich green with brilliantly full leaves.

At the Cabbage Shack

Mountain Cabbage

Choosing one of them is like choosing one diamond from a mine..they all look wonderful. And while getting a cabbage at The Cabbage Shack may seem like a very mundane chore...to me it is getting a gift from the Earth, a gift that was made specifically for the good of my body. You can feel the nutrients through those leaves and at that moment I am present and in tune with listening to my body, it's needs, and our connection with the Earth. The nurturing of my body is almost a meditation for me.

And soon I am drawn further down the road to the pumpkins and the gourds, for what would Fall be without them? Today everyone is out getting pumpkins. Many tourists have come to our little spot in the mountains for this experience, and the choices are many. I of course have recipes running through my mind, because I couldn't imagine just cutting one up, but need to have a use...so my plan is to roast pumpkin seeds, make a pumpkin seed brittle, and to make a Sausage Pumpkin and Sage Casserole.

Choosing my pumpkins

And as you can see, we both have different likes

And of course, this one needed to find it's home with us

Now you may be thinking I have totally veered off topic here...what does this have to do with the seasons of an artist? Well...everything. Because it is about the art of living, the art of being, and the art of connecting with natural elements. When we have mastered this, we have unlimited inspirations in creating  and it allows us to sit at the canvas with our authentic selves. Our ability to make our mundane chores become a grateful meditation, and our appreciation for life in all forms, brings a wider scoped perspective to our artwork.

And while my art always revolves around nature and empowerment, it does change during this season...bringing a different color palette and a different view of ourselves as humans during this season. A deeper richness comes forth, and because I personally resonate with this time of year...my work will come from a deeper place within me. Since Autumn arrived it has reflected this different tone...

Artwork by Jeanne Fry

Happy Fall everyone and I hope you resonate with the magic of the season.
Namaste



If you are interested in seeing more of my current artwork you can find it in my Artfire Studio here

Original Painting Greeting Cards on Artfire

Original Paintings on Artfire

Abstracts in Emotion ~ Passion

Sometimes life throws you a curve ball and you are forced to change.The transformation can manifest in many ways. As an artist, I find our creativity evolves with these life occurrences and our personal growth.

Recently I found this evolution in my own artwork yet again. My art usually represents my philosophies and experience, and as I grow and evolve personally and meander through my own journey in life, as does so on the canvas. A few days ago  a canvas sat before me and my physical body was greatly fatigued.I studied on that canvas...almost a meditation. Inside my spirit had so much it wanted to release even though this body did not necessarily want to follow suit. Knowing that my usual style of painting would be too intricate and controlled, that day I needed to bring my feelings to the canvas with a graceful ease, a flow from the heart to the hand. This was the creation.

"Passion" by Jeanne Fry

The inspiration behind this painting is symbolic of a "feeling"....a feeling that comes from that place deep inside your belly where your desire..your passion for life..and your creativity reside. No matter how many things are piled on your shoulders, no matter the challenges that you face, nor how weathered you may feel....deep inside this place you are vibrant, alive, and your passion burns on.

I am not sure how long this style of work will stay with me, but I am grateful for the inspiration and ability as always, and will release and create as long as the fire burns in my belly.

Namaste,

Jeanne

This painting is not available any longer. You can visit our Artfire studio to see available paintings.
Conscious Art Studios on Artfire



Edgar Allan Poe Inspired Mixed Media

Sometimes you need to change it up a bit....explore a different place...dabble in areas where you don't usually play. It stirs the pot of inspiration, pulling more ideas into your artful spirit.

Recently I created a piece for a call/challenge that asked for a piece that was Edgar Allan Poe inspired. This intrigued me, but which piece of his work would be the source of my focus? I wanted to choose a story that was different than the ones that immediately come to mind. So after perusing many Poe stories and poems I decided on "The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether" that was published in 1856.

I was quickly drawn into the story, soaking up each word, allowing his master of the word to draw me into the journey through Southern France and the antics at the Maison de Sante.

Mixed Media inspired by Edgar Allan Poe story by Jeanne Fry

The characters described in the story peeked my interest and so for this piece I portrayed three of them standing outside...standing inside...the Maison de Sante. So many scenes I could have portrayed but truly the thing that had set the mood for me in the story was the feel of the Maison as the visitor was making his journey there and how it would have felt from the outside looking in.

I loved doing the challenge, exploring a piece of literature and portraying it with my hands. And  of course, if you haven't read this particular story of Edgar Allan's I encourage you to do so. A lovely read for a Saturday afternoon.

This piece is available as an Art Print in the Fine Art America shop here:

The Bizarre Dinner Party Art Print





The Popularity of Frida Kahlo and her importance to Me

The popularity of Frida Kahlo, Mexican Artist and Inspiration to many women, has grown leaps and bounds over the years. Her rich history, life as an artist, challenges with her health,zeal for life,  and passionate yet stormy marriage to Diego Rivera, all lent to our fascination with her and her importance in the art world.

Each of us that admires her, more than likely has something in common that they can relate with in her.

For me, what is it that lends to my affection for her?

As an artist with a disability, I admire her for her endurance..her endurance to continue to live a full and rich life in spite of the challenges, to create what was in her heart, and her ability to use her voice in so many ways.

I think of Frida often when I am painting or sculpting, especially in those moments when I am living with great pain and feel empty..and I am soon revived in Spirit.

To me, Frida lights the candle in a darkened room.

Frida Kahlo by Jeanne Fry

This weekend, I completed an art doll of Frida - a reminder to live a passionate life.

Frida Kahlo Art Doll by Jeanne Fry

 

My Frida Kahlo art doll is no longer available, but you can see more of my art dolls in my Artfire Studio

 

or on our website

http://www.consciousartstudios.com/WisdomKeepersArtDolls.html



Perseverance ~ We're all in this Together

I have been reflecting this past week on the economic slump our country (and world community) has been in these past two to three years. A lot of focus and debate has been had by the experts on why it has happened and how to improve it, but not as much attention has been paid to the effects it has had on us mentally, emotionally, or spiritually.

I have watched people close to me over this period of time go through a series of changes to their spirit, that sometimes I don't even think we are always aware of consciously. I have seen some of the most amazing artists step away from their art, feeling a loss of inspiration and drive. I have watched friends with a strong and secure base have it yanked out from underneath them leaving them in shock. I have watched teachers put under extreme stress of keeping their jobs while at the same time trying to be an inspiration to their students. People losing their homes, that place where you go at the end of the day to rejuvenate and heal the soul. The loss of jobs, homes, careers, financial security, and faith has been widespread and harsh.

So, what now? I can't even pretend to know, except that we take it one day at a time, one moment to the next. That we reach down to the deepest core within us and know that this to will change, maybe not in the way we think, but it will.

This is the time to truly connect with our own intuitive sense, to connect with your passion, because I feel like it can guide us through this leg of the journey. Along the way, take the hand of your friend, and assist them. We need one another, now more than ever. We're all in this together.

Perseverance : Mare and Maiden ~ For Strength and Free Spirit

I look to Nature to help with a grounding balance when the world seems overwhelming. It can change your perception of things in a moment, quieting the mind so that you can re-focus. I look to the animal totems as reminders of attributes that can be helpful. And I Create in order to release, inspire, and share. Find those things that can help you find the balance you need, urging you to take the next step.

It is usually the simplest of things that can help us take that deep breath in and out and center.

Some of the easiest joys for me personally to experience that help me STAY me...

Walking Meditation

Visiting Gardens

Music

Painting

Potluck Dinners with Friends

Laughing

Writing

The Smell of Lavender

Movie Marathons

Connecting with Animal Totems

Helping those Around me

My hope when the economic tide turns for the better...that we find a renewed sense of ourselves and a closer human connection to one another.

Namaste

**My original painting of Perseverance is available in my Artfire Studio here Perseverance Original Painting

http://www.consciousartstudios.com/