Word Paths • My Always....

 Busy in the studio creating some word art and exploring word paths. 

Loving my acrylic ink, oil sticks, and pencil. I use these a lot in my work. 

If I work on a canvas instead of paper in making word art I replace the acrylic ink with acrylic paint.

All work by Deborah Velásquez
My Always Friend ©2011, Black Belt Pillow Fighter ©2011, Black Belt Pillow Fighter tee ©2009

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Word paths for me are like a line of movement. One word leads another, linked by thought first then by pen and paint in my case. Everyone has a word path, we all take different paths with our word expression in emphasis, pause, cadence even language. 

It may also depend on who is on the receiving end be it your husband, wife, child, mother, father , sister, brother or your friend. 

I want to make my word paths a Friday feature. 

 I plan to work them out artistically and process them to share with you here. It will make a nice bridge to Monday. The plan is to present three to five words or three to five lines. I may go to seven words or seven lines but probably not often only if needed. 

You know how artists are! 

I want  keep things in an odd number format. I like odd numbers. Sounds like something I remember from art school. 

Remember, as I have said before say them out loud. 

Here is my word path for today.

My Always Friend                                                                        Deborah Velásquez ©2011

We move along

                                                                                            our paths

                                                                                                our route

                                                                                                     the road

                                                                                                          a lane

                                                                                                            a track

                                                                                                        a byway

                                                                                                the footpath

                                                                                               a crosscut

                                                                                             a course

                                                                                         a purpose

                                                                                    a way of life

                                                                                  el paseo

                                                                                 direction

                                                                                 an avenue

                                                                                   a trail

                                                                                      the fairway 

                                                                                       a circuit

                                                                                         the way

                                                                                            el camino

either deliberately running, or hesitating with each small step we take. 
Like the first time you told someone you loved them. 
Even the way we string our curse words together sound like poetry. 
I admit I do like to curse sometimes. 
I usually do it in Spanish these days.....and then you hear "MOM! I know I don’t know what your saying and no one else knows what you are saying but I know you are cursing". 

I just laugh. 
He sees me as a real person, faults and all. 
I love that. 
I am usually cursing at things not people. For example, like chairs that get in my way, steps that move and make me trip. 
The other day I got into a fight with my paint and it ended up all over my white shirt and the floor. 
Boy did the room fill with Spanish poetry and song! 

Here is a little history
My word paths began when I designed my wedding invitation which contained the words Courage, Love and Laughter silk screened onto vinyl cards that I made into a mobile and sent to our guest. The reverse side had the same words but in Spanish. 
Valor, Amor y Risa. It continues to this day with my magnets. I think in Spanish sometimes not just curse! I always run my word paths in my head in Spanish, I find the language to be beautiful, musical and fiery. 
So when you stop by again my word paths may be bilingual

Wedding Mobile Word Art©1999 by Velásquez

Happy Weekend • Make Art • Enjoy the Language of Words

There is only silence without words.

Sharing Inspiration

I have had some great days. My days have been peppered with Eric Carle's Brown Bear Brown Bear and some Kevin Henkes  Birds thrown into the mix with the little one. I have also been spending time with my oldest child and making art. 

I love when I find the balance between being a mom and a working artist. 

I took some time to spend with my oldest son sans the baby. My boy thanked me for it while at dinner and said the loveliest thing. “Mom I savor these moments, when it is just you and me.” Sweet kid. Just hearing this makes life so wonderful and joyous. 

My heart, silent with love.

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Angie Lewin article in Handmade Living         •         Angie Lewin  Linocut Card, Scarista on my desk

During our outing we made a magazine stop of course because my oxygen was running low, you know me and mags! 

I picked up the latest issue of Handmade Living and Vogue Living Australia. Both never fail to inspire me. 

Handmade Living was a must have because one of 

my favorite artists was interviewed in it, her name is Angie Lewin. Angie is a printmaker from the UK. 

Her linocut prints are so gorgeous. 

Graphic yet softened by their setting in nature. Her plant forms are delightful. She has a fabric line that can be found at St.Jude's Fabric and her designs can be found in cards and noteboooks and pillow covers as well. She founded the St.Jude's Fabric company with her husband. I keep one of her cards at my desk, it just lights me up. 

Here she is at work. 

Take a minute to enjoy the video. 

Love the process. 

Here is her website:

http://www.angielewin.co.uk

Goodbye to Summer

My most favorite place inspires so. 

My gift to Martha, a word portrait.

Word Portrait of Martha's Vineyard                                                                           Velásquez

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Letting some guilt go because I am a bit off schedule in posting. 
A self-imposed schedule of course. Still getting my feet wet. 
Took the art detour this week, making art is always a good idea.
Worked on some Word Art, which I will be putting into my Etsy shop.

I have added some new magnets and owls, I hope you stop by.

We are into the first full week of school. It starts a bit later for us.

Those first few days of school always signify the end of summer days for me. 
With the school supplies bought, getting that first Halloween catalogue in the mail and the 
mums coming out in full force at the garden center, you know change is coming. 
A shift, a transition.
 I looked out the window and saw a few leaves floating through the air. 
Yup fall is coming.

Aquinnah                                                                                                                                                                            Velásquez

Waving good-bye to summer…

last pickings from the garden,

the closing of the town lake,

saying goodbye to our summer friends,

late sunsets,

toasting marshmallows at the fire pit,

sleeping in, especially sleeping in,

drives to the beach,

blasting the ac,

singing our summer tunes,

putting on longer sleeved shirts,

grabbing a jacket as nights get cooler,

getting the big thick issue of September Vogue

packing the car and driving to the ferry

The Ferry                                                                                                  Velásquez

Rituals change, the leaves change and we are forever changed with our summers. 
Good things happen, and not so good things happen, life happens.

All things nicely placed and packed in our suitcase of memories so we can learn, recollect and reminisce.

Getting on the ferry and saying goodbye to the Vineyard always means end of summer for me. 
Saying goodbye to that special place.

•
Eight more days of summer.
_________________________________________
Hello fall.

Wish

 

Yesterday was the tenth anniversary of 9/11

A moment in time • A minute in memory • A second in life

As time stood still, still we were.

  

I thought, I paused.

I thought, I hesitated.

I thought, I contemplated.

I wanted to write, then I didn't write.

I wanted to say, then didn't say.

they wish

we wish

could wish

may wish

can wish

his wish

her wish

my wish 

i wish

For Peaceful Days 

 

For 
Peace

Full

Days  

In our history,

In our memory, 

In our hearts.

•

Heroes all.






Photographs • Martha's Vineyard • Deborah Velásquez

Words

Wire words on paper  by  Velásquez

My friend Jewel sent me a poem inspired by my first blog post, Wonder.

I wanted to share it here because friendship, love, caring, that is what it is all about.

WONDER (a poem for Deb, in honor of the word)

Wonder.

Wander.

Wave to me,

friend,

from that Wide-open

Winter Window

that frosts Willingly beneath

your Whispering breath.

Will me to find you, friend.

Remember with me

the Wet Walls

of an old English garden, as

I remember your Windswept bridal

Walk of Provincetown.

Wave to me, friend,

down through the Wandering years,

the Wind,

the Wonder,

the Wild leaves of the Willow,

And all our Wonderful Words.

love jewel 8/2011

Jewelkgm©

Thank you Jewel, my poet friend, my sister friend, my always friend.

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Word are amazing aren't they?
Words are powerful aren't they?

Words have power, they can cut you, bruise you, soothe you or calm you.
 For me as an artist they embrace me with inspiration.

Do they inspire you the same way? 

Say them out loud, 

scream them 

paint them, 

draw them

sing them

mouth them 

whisper them

love them
read them

share them

honor them

"Words-It takes the human voice to infuse them with shades of deeper meaning."-Maya Angelou

Happy Weekend

Hard to Part With

Is it hard to part with art you have made?  It comes up for me every now and then.

I have three pieces; no actually four counting the one in a previous post titled Going in Circles named Vintage Velásquez. 

That one I still have. I won’t ever let that one go. I have a friend who to this day still asks for it. Whenever she calls me she doesn’t say hello at the start of the conversation, she always says "how is my painting"? 

The second and third are the circle paintings, pictured above. I sometimes visit the home where one of circle paintings hangs and I get a bit jealous that my painting lives there.

 The fourth one is the this orange flower painting which I use as my avatar, which many of you have seen. 

This one was really hard to let go. 

Why am I so attached to them? Why when I see photos of the ones I sold I get tinges of remorse. 


Why is it like a relationship? 
Am I their mother, their friend, their 
lover?

Is it easier for you to part with your creation? 
As an artist what is 
your relationship with your art?

Are you the mom, nurturing it every step of the way and saying goodbye breaks your heart?
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Are you the friend, giving a pat on the back saying go on it’s okay?
_____________________________________________________________________

Are you the lover, holding it in such a tight embrace that when you do let go your arms ache?
_____________________________________________________________________
Are you the teacher, showing others how things are done, so you don’t mind sharing it ?

_____________________________________________________________________

Are you the student, learning from it then letting it go to move on to the next thing?
_____________________________________________________________________

Are you the storyteller wanting to pass on visions and illustrated stories?
_____________________________________________________________________

Are you the pimp sending it off without care, with a just give me the cash attitude?
_____________________________________________________________________

My belief is that your relationship with your art never ends. Our art is our treasure.

The more I thought about it I figured it might just be me. I have a hard time lending books and clothes as well. Is it because the book may have been a favorite growing up? Perhaps it is a new art book and I need to visit it everyday for inspiration and it has become a friend. The outfit or that dress, maybe it is because I wore it the day I heard news I had been waiting two years to hear. Perhaps I wore it at my most favorite place at one of the most favorite times of my life,


 I don’t really know the answer but I do know that everything has a special place in “our” time, in “our” timeline. Therein lies our attachment. As artist don’t you feel that we see the world differently and just feel things and about things differently?

As I was running this post in my head I kept hearing songs. I was thinking, I am so tired I must be cracking up! I just ended cracking myself up! But I think I am normal and this happens to everyone right?

We all have that song whether it drives us mad because we cant get it out of head or it takes us to that place in our memory or our hearts where it took on special meaning. We all have that song, the one that signifies summer. You know the one we listen loudly in the car to with the warm wind blowing through our hair. I always think of Will Smith's "Summertime". We have our wedding song. Our bad break-up song. And so it goes. Our art is our song.

These songs were floating around in my head because of the thoughts on parting, and leaving.

Never can say goodbye-Michael Jackson

Never, never gonna give you up-Barry White

Never gonna give you up-Rick Astley

Love will tear us apart again-Joy Division

In the end-Linkin Park

The Scientist-Coldplay

You don’t have to say you love me-Dusty Springfield
(reminds me of my mom)
Feel free to share your song and add to the list......

So I decided to pick one and leave you with it. I had a good laugh watching it. 
Sharing some laughter.....

Oh come on I dare you to have a listen go ahead press play!

Great news to share, I opened my Etsy shop! 

 Please stop by for a visit. And yes there is at least one owl I had a hard time parting with!

Hurricane Interruptus

Trying to write about something else today.
Trying all week to sit and write! To be honest my time was stolen and or lost.

I do want to stay true to the artistic conversation in this blog but the storm and 
what came from it kept gnawing at me, so I am sharing this.

Fury at the front door

New England was in Irene’s path on Sunday and as you can see from the photos, quite scary. 
We are back to normal now and have power. 
The water quickly receded once the rain seized.

Back to calm

This week I have been trying to get back on track back and on schedule. 
I was thrown off my game, thrown off center. 
When you lose a few days, as know, the to do list moves to the next day and so on. 
 The best-laid plans are tossed up in the air. 
I am here to say that in the end it was a great experience. 
It was right up there with a snow day. 
We stayed put for part of the time and enjoyed the quiet time and 
the silence of not being plugged in.

We had friends up from NY because parts of Brooklyn had a mandatory evacuation. 
I felt awful because they came up to our place only to witness flooding and downed trees. 
For future reference my house is not the go to house during storms. 
In spite of it all we had a great time. 
The kids played, we read mags ( favorite pastime for my friends and myself) 
had a few glasses of wine, enjoyed a nice meal and just relaxed. 
I just love that sometimes it takes a hurricane!

So, gift wrapped in chaos and uncertainty came an expected surprise 
to slow you down and witness joy and a few more things:

friendship

family

connection

silence

appreciation

conversation

slowness

refuge

smiles

and

laughter
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Glad to be back at the desk, my new writing spot….

I plan on giving you some artistic food for thought next week and plan to share more art. 
I am also working on introducing a fun Friday concept 
centered around words and the paths they take. 
So stop back in.

Have a Superb Weekend • Stay Creative • Make lots of Art