March 18, 1925 to August 7, 2012 Life on this Earth and now she continues the journey in the arms of our Lord

MY MOTHER , MY FRIEND,  MARCH 18, 1925 - AUGUST 7, 2012..
Words I can not speak, words do not come, words are just a motion, words unspoken, words of  LOVE  I
can not express because the pain of  loss is just too great..  I Love you Mother,
K

Have I been sleeping?

I can not believe how long it has been since I have posted. NO....I have not been sleeping.!!!!!!!!
 I have been busy with the every day of Life..Things have been changing..Life is rearranging .  Some days are good and some days so not. Yet God is always there with me.  My Mom has gotten worse..She takes up most of my days and nights..Some days she seems like her self and then days like a little girl that has to be told to do everything..I suppose I am tired and a little sad and sometimes angry.. Anger is such a terrible thing and it takes away your joy..So I just try to give it to God and ask for peace and now I ask for patience.  I must learn so I am like these tiny bird eggs..I sit and wait to see what will happen. One day I will break through all the troubles and sorrows and be broken open and filled with joy and peace..I just have to have Faith and Trust.

Sorry I have been gone so long and not posting and not saying hello but I think of all of you guys out there from Alabama to Washington to California to New Mexico  Florida to New York and  also around the world..
May God Bless you and keep you close..
Katelen

Book Pages

Just playing with words in a old book..The pages was falling out but the paper was strong..A little gesso and water colours and oil pastels.   Have a good weekend and May your Heart  be filled with Joy.
Katelen

The Shepherd does it For Love

I am but one single sheep but I am not afraid. Why because I know my Shepherd. I know his voice and I listen to his voice. Did you know  the Good Shepherd calls his sheep by name.

Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even thought I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Are you a lost sheep? Are you looking for green pastures and quiet waters that will restore you.
There is a Great Shepherd looking for you and He comes to guide you and protect you. Only one person can walk with us through death's dark valley and bring us safely to the other side.It is the God of life, our shepherd.
The Great Shepherd our Lord and Savior Jesus.  He knows you by name.

Katelen

The Joy of Rain Drops

Rain Drops..The joy of watching the rain and when more rain hits the water how it splashes into Fun .
I had to pull over because it was raining and You know we start to grumble because we are human. Then I pulled my camera out and starting to take some shots of the rain.. It was just like being as a child it was fun. Did you ever run out in the rain and just dance until you were soaking wet and then run back into the house..Freezing and shaking and listen to your Mom saying I told you to stay out of that rain..You will catch a cold or be struck by lightning..That was my Mom anyway...LOL... Yet we did not regret one moment of that dance.
This time I saw it in a different light..It was a joy but it was more the beauty of the dance. How the drops splashed and danced upon the water . How they looked like crowns when they splashed up..Truly amazing..The rain comes down from heaven. Abba, Father, Thank you for the rain.. Teach me how to dance.

May you Dance in the Rain with the heart of a child again..And Laugh out Loud...
Katelen

Do you take the time to stop and just enjoy the beauty of things that surround.

 I do not have a lot of days that I have to my self but when I do..I try to go to a place I have never been even if it is only a few miles away from my home...Somewhere I go and take my camera and capture the simply things that most do not even notice. I love the small things and the simple things that have beauty..I know they say the beauty is in the eyes of the bolder.. So these things to me are beauty..Hand made by an artist from the past..



Another simple but beautiful  piece..Hand forged by an artist from the past.. Rusted and forgotten. The rust  has made the piece that more beautiful. It brings out the smallest of details. .


 
So another piece of beauty..  Another artist that used their hands to mold and carve this piece.. Old and forgotten now.   So I suppose you know I am walking the local cementary..It is a peaceful place with trees and flowers and artists from the past.  It is also filled with graves of lifes that once walked this earth and had dreams.. They no longer dream, they no longer get to enjoy the simple things for the time on this earth has past.  So Live your days with joy and enjoy every moment of your day.. Praise our Lord and thank him for your blessings and give your heart to the creator..The one who gave his life for you. Jesus our Savior.
Blessings,
Katelen

VASE or VESSEL

Vase or Vessel? .
This is just another little sketch in my little book.  I saw this beautiful hand blown glass piece in the Huntsville Art Museum.  This sketch does not even come close to it's beauty but just for a quick sketch it will remind me of its beauty.  So I wrote down Vase..But if I could change the word it would be Vessel.. A vessel reminds me of our own body for we are a vessel...
Katelen

Ernst

Ernst Fish born January 2012.. Lives in a small book with other friends and his world begins in 2012.
Just another face in my little book..Another story and another step..
Thanks for stopping by in this new year..
I am still searching and waiting for My word for this year.. I see some of you have already have your word for the year.. I am still thinking..Next post I will let you know.

May you always dream in color.
May you always listen  first and think before you speak.
Katelen

HELLO IT IS ALMOST A NEW YEAR

SO I HAVE STARTED IN STEPS TO FIND MY CREATIVE SELF AGAIN..FOR ME I HAVE TO START IN SMALL STEPS AND I STARTED WITH A SMALL BOOK AND I TAKE IT WITH ME AND SOMETIMES SOMEONE SHOWS UP AND SOMETIMES SOMETHING SHOWS UP..TODAY IT IS FRANCOIS.  FOR ME I HAVE EXCITED FOR THE NEW YEAR..IT IS A NEW BEGINNING. TIME TO LET GO AND STEP INTO THE NEW YEAR..
I HAVE REALIZED IF I LISTEN TO THE CREATOR, I BECOME MORE CREATIVE..
IT IS A SIMPLE THING BUT IT IS THE SIMPLE THINGS THAT WE GET CONFUSED. 
OR  AT LEAST FOR ME. 
FOR THE NEW YEAR I WISH FOR EVERYONE TO BE CREATIVE AND BLESSED. 
 Katelen  

The Perfect Picture of Love and My Studio which waits for My Return

  My Beautiful Mother .......

  My Studio that waits .....

The picture at the top is of my Mom.  One of my best friends had her open house for the holidays at her Antique Shop..I took my Mom and she enjoyed it very much..She was placed in the Queens seat.. She does not remember now but in the moment she was happy.

The other pictures are of my Studio..I thought I would share .  It sits waiting for my return and it understands that one day I will be back but now we know what is the most important..My wonderful Loving Mother.

I hope everyone will have a wonderful Holiday Season and enjoy those perfect moments that become precious memories.
May God Bless you and your family and friends..  Thank you for visiting and I am sorry I have not been posting but I am still taking care of the important things...Family...
 I do take a look, at all your wonderful blogs where it be art or antiques or just about your life.  I enjoy all of them.
May you always dream in color.
Katelen
  
Katelen

He Is Amazing

As the story goes I walked out my back door with my camera in hand ,or no maybe I ran back in to get it.  Anyway as I was walking outside I said out loud, so he would hear me, Hello God , Thank you for another day. And as I step around from the back porch I looked around and saw the sky. I was so struck with the beauty of it and the love of our sweet Father.. Just WOW!!!  How he loves us to give us such beautiful skies.
Yes, I know he hears us with out us speaking out loud but he loves for us to talk to him..  Did you know that? 
Have a wonderful and blessed week and remember Jesus is always waiting for you to talk to him..He is a good listener.. Just look at what he gave me for just saying Hello..

Blessings and Inspiration.
Katelen 

EXTRAORDINARY DAY

Our Tree.....

I am just getting around to a post of this day..10-17-11....The first thing that day my Mom says let's have an extraordinary day.. It was for us.  We went outside and I made her  a sign so we could put it on the tree..The tree she calls hers..She loves trees, I must get that love from my Mom.. It was a extraordinary day..We enjoyed the sunshine and she got out and rode her scooter around the yard and drove her scooter right up to the tree and placed our sign on the tree..
Another wonderful memory...

Yes I am still here and I do check in on you guys and look at your wonderful art and read about your Life.
May God Bless your day.
May you have an extraordinary day.
Katelen

It is time to take a extended Break

This is My Mom and Me..I have been trying to do to much of so many other things..I am exhausted mentally and physical.  My Mother is my first priority..Why because she first loved me and cared for me and gave everything to me..She worked a full time job and then she came home to clean our home and cook and everything else that needed to be done..Why because she loved me and she put me before her self.. She gave up things she might have wanted because she wanted to give me more.. 
So I choose to do the the same thing for her..Not because of quilt because of love..She has taught me more about Love in these years of taking care of her.  Yes there are things I would like to be doing but God has blessed me with her and I want to honor her and God...
She is slipping away from me every day more and more..So this is the place I need to be taking care of her.
As you have noticed I have not been posting very much..Why because I have not been creating.  Now is just not the season..I have realized that..
I will post now and then but it will be pictures of Her and the things she is doing and the words we share.
Yes, it is stressful for Care Givers and I hope if there are more of you out there caring for your parents..I hope I can give you were of encouragement..  You are not alone and if I can ever help or just listen..Let me know..Yes there will be days you want to give up..But you want..There will be days you will want to scream and you will..There will be days of tears..Let them run down your face...But the best is there will be so many days of Love and words you will share.. I love you Mother and I kiss her soft cheek and she kisses mine and says I Love you more.  It is worth every moment.

I love you Mother.
Your daughter,
Katelen

If the Shoe Fits

Sketch Book ..Did You know what it takes to step into one of these shoes with a four inch heel..
It takes Confidence and Courage... All of us women have it we just hide behind the fear..Where does the fear come from.  Do we create it our self ?   Yes, we do sometimes  but a lot of it comes from our enemy..The enemy is real.. He wants us to fall and stay on the ground.. So it is time to step into those shoes and defeat Fear and Let us rule our own steps with the help of our Creator..He can help us walk through anything and if at first when we step into those shoes and we are off  balance..He is there to hold our hand until we are steady on our feet..To walk onto new ground  and into new journeys.

Have a blessed week...And remember it does not have to be a four inch heal shoe, it can be your old converse.   Just put them on and be not afraid..

May you always dream in color.
Katelen

Looking through the Camera Lens through My Eyes.

 I have my camera on my shoulder while attending a small art show in the mountains of Alabama.. You ask where are the artist and where are their creative works.. I looked at all of them and there was some wonderful artist there.  Even one of my very special friends.. My camera did not look to the artist instead it pulled me to the ground.. The earth called to me and all I saw was beauty and texture and color.. My hand reached for my camera and my eyes were open and I dropped to my knees and I started see the world from the ground.. Did I notice if anyone was looking of course not..I am an artist and I do not even notice.. I am in my own space now.

 I moved and saw texture and  more texture..I could not paint but my eyes could  see and  my camera could touch and feel the rich color of shades of greys and browns.. So vivid and beautiful.  I took only a few steps and my camera moved  and a new element was added and it sent me in this direction. Of more beauty that lay on the ground.  Right at my feet and no one else had noticed..God gave all this beauty for me to see.. I felt blessed. I moved and my eyes moved to this and my camera became my paint brush. 

A fallen branch that had been stepped on and crumbled by the weather laid among the beauty. Tiny bits of green sprinkled around..Tiny twigs lay in its perfect spot. Then just a few steps away and I say the final destination of this journey .

A pathway of broken twigs and  how they connected to the roots from the tree leading me to follow it with my eyes and my camera a Pathway .  How it was Perfect and Simple to Me.. As Life should be..Everything on this earth made by the Perfect Love, God.  Then as I left this Mountain. I took my camera up for the last time to remember this day and took this Shot.  

May You have a wonderful week full of inspiration and Blessings.

Katelen

Sketch Book

This is from a older sketch book..As you can see I have not been posting very often.. It seems I just do not have the desire to create anything..It is as my muse has left me or maybe I have just left it.. So when I found this sketch I can not remember what I was thinking when I sketched it. but I do remember it was when my Mom was in the hospital the last time.
My Mom seems to be slipping away from me.. It makes me sad when I see her confused and  she can not remember just a few minutes ago.  I watch her sometimes and she just sits and stares at nothing for long periods of time. She also is in what they call the last stage of COPD . She can not do much except sit in her chair and just to get up and take a few steps makes her struggle to get air.. Now that her dementia is getting worse she does not understand why she can not do things like she use to do.. She will say things like I know I can still drive or I know I can plant a garden and then when I try to explain to her she does not understand.
It breaks my heart.
I suppose I am just tired my self.. I am not complaining, just tired and I think I could use some away time.  Just by my self to find me again.  Just a get away from the worries and the stress..Does that sound selfish?

Thanks for all of you who listen to me and I always appreciate every comment.
Have a wonderful week.
Katelen

Repost For The Buried Treasure over at Seth's Blog The Altered Page

This is a really a buried Treasure it is from 2009..One of first post when I started my Blog..I am still taking care of my Mom and it is still a blessing to have her with me..Even though her mind and memory is slipping away from her..Which makes me so sad and I am trying to treasure every moment of each thought she can still remember.
Thank you Seth for doing this again..It makes us look back and find all those treasures we have forgotten and also to see so many wonderful artists.  So if you have not been to his blog..Please do so you will be in for a treat.. http://www.thealteredpage.blogspot.com/

This piece I have done is a 9/12 on canvas.. It is done in all acrylic with a top coat of gloss varnish. The Title is called Shattered.. The reason because of the mind either due to disease or of age the pieces become shattered and the brain can not be repaired and become whole again. So it will always be a search. Looking for the pieces, small or large of  your life.

Today is the Day..
Explore.
Katelen

New Journal Page and New Look.

Journal page in a book that I thought would be fun because of the texture of the paper.. Wrong, So this will probably be the the only page used on this book..So I will tear it out and paste it into another book..That is another day.
I changed  the look of my blog..Tired of the old and not sure if I am pleased with the new.
We shall see.
The heat here in the south is so humid..Just want to stay inside and stay cool.  That is what I do most of the days except to escape to the grocery store.  Like that is a fun escape..LOL.
Have a good week and as Julia Roberts says in Pretty Woman...Stay Cool.
How I love that movie...I may put that on my to watch list again for the 100th time.

Katelen

WHAT IF?

A Tree in it's self..
The texture of its bark.
The depth of its color showing both light and dark.
Leaves of green thus turning to glorious colors in the fall.
Winter it goes into a rest.  I believe it is creating  and thinking of it's new beginning.
I suppose it does take naps. It does have to rest for the new beginning.
Trees are like people.. 
The bark comes in all different colors like people.
The Outside of Bark has texture just like skin.
It you touch it you can either feel the smooth or the ruff..
Leaves the same Has Hair. Except in reverse the only thing about Trees they get to start over.
People do not.
Trees just like People we all have to rest and create . 
This Tree has a scar and so do People..Some are visible some are not.
What if Trees did talk and tell  their stories.
They do talk. You just have to LISTEN....Just like People we just need to LISTEN...

I do love trees and I know a lot of other people out there does also..This one I just took the shot of it's scar
I could just see more than a scar. I could see?  What do you see?
Have a Creative Week and Beyond.

Katelen

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

Shadow Shot...  THANK YOU FOR OUR FREEDOM .   HAVE A HAPPY 4TH OF JULY....