A Year of Healing with West Coast Herbs

A little over a month ago Tony and I were at our local library and I noticed that there was a Herb Talk beginning shortly. The speaker was Heather Macleod, the wonderful teacher who I spent evenings with in her home last winter for a series of talks about the healing properties of herbs. Tony and I decided to stay for her talk. We had a wonderful evening and, before I knew it, two days later I was attending the first in a year long series of workshops designed to learn about, identify, harvest and process 50 wild plants of the West Coast of Canada.

One of my life-long dreams has been to connect more fully with the land and learn how to treat and feed myself, my family and later on, those in need. And here it was, opening up for me. And I remember: Good things take time... Great things happen like lightening.

 

Each month, we learn about new plants, go on a walk to identify them, learn when to harvest them for their strongest properties, and how to do so ethically to ensure their continued growth for future generations.

We learn to dry and store them for later use, making teas, infusions or decoctions.

 

During the month we harvest our own plants and then learn how to process them into tinctures, salves or creams at the next class.

The last week I have spent foraging to gather what I need for this weekend's class. I head off into the forest, savouring the fresh earth smalls all around me, the dappled sunlight on my body, the breeze in my hair. I marvel at the sheer glory that nature reveals when we take a moment to pause, and wander, and appreciate.  An hour or two passes. Unnoticed. I am where I belong. At home with myself.

20 Steps Outside my Door

A couple of very talented artists, who belong to the same Artists Collective that I do, have started their own blogger challenge and I thought it would be awesome to join them! (Thanks Nicole, for starting this, and Mimi, for inviting me to play along!)

One day every week I will take 20 steps outside my door and take a photo of something.

For the next couple of weeks, I am house sitting on Mudge Island, a tiny island accessible only by a very small boat from Gabriola Island, which is a larger island accessible by a bigger boat from Vancouver Island, which itself is a considerably larger island which... well you get the idea...  every time I take a boat to a smaller island, I step into another world.

So, I thought it fitting that I would start with this photo and quote.

"There is another world,

But it is in this one."

- William Butler Yates

Can you guess what the photo is, and who might live there?

Please visit other "20 Steps Outside my Door"

N Valentine Studio 

Mixed Metal Mini

  

Making a Connection

I began thinking about my word for 2013 late December, and immediately the word "cohesive" came to me. I have to admit that I although I know and use this word, I wasn't entirely sure what why it would have come to me so swiftly.

On the second day of the new year, I had narrowed down what I wanted my "word" to represent: slowing down, attention to detail, thoroughness... and one which would encompass my health, my well-being and the connection between my mind, body and spirit in all that I do.

Connection...

• with people, from my past, those around me now, and those yet to meet... 
• with the land, the rocks, the trees and the ocean that surrounds me...
• with birds, fishes, animals...
• with the food that I grow to eat...
• with whatever I am creating, writing, painting, designing with fabric...
• with whatever I am doing...
• with the events that make up my day...
• with my clients...
• with my business...
• with my body...
• with my self...

I knew that this was the year of connection, of really being present at all times, in all that I do and with whoever I'm with. And that began with myself, truly re-connecting with who I am and what I am here to do.
To re-engage a loving relationship with my body, so that it knows, without a doubt, that I am there for it, so that it may, in turn, continue to be there for me. To understand the connection between what I eat, and how I move... to how I feel.

To slow down and truly connect with people, not just brief encounters that leave an emptiness in our hearts. To remember, unequivocally, that I am an integral part of nature, not separate from it. To seek connection with the other beings that share this earth with us.

To recognize that we are all in this together... the planet, nature, all the species, every single human... just trying to get from one end of this life to another, as best as we know how.

So I had found my word - CONNECTION


In the writing of this blog post I looked up the meaning of the original word that had come to me: "Cohesive"

The root word "cohere" has the following dictionary definition:

• stick together, remain united, be logical or consistent...

The adjective "coherent" means:

• able to speak intelligibly and articulately, being logically consistent... and in reference to physics:  having a constant phase relationship...

The noun "cohesion" is defined as:

• the act or condition of sticking together...

I can definitely see the connection...


So what's your word for 2013, and what does it mean to you? I'd love it if you would share it with me here...

More from the "Wonder" Book

I finally made a choice for my "Wonder Book" for this year - a beautiful little red Chinese "Diary" with a cover made of silk fabric and edged with tooled canvas. Measuring 5 x 7 inches (125 x 178 cms) it fits snugly in any bag, and has, very approximately, 380 pages, allowing me to do double page spreads when the need arises. With designs already faintly printed on the page, the wafer thin paper accepts light watercolour washes surprisingly well without buckling, and handles as a whole assortment of markers and crayons quite nicely.

Here are the start of a couple of pages. The first represents the year long Giraffe Class I am taking with  Carla Sonheim, an absolute dream come true for me. (this was actually my first quick giraffe sketch... from a photo!)

The second page depicts the day we spent last weekend on Mudge Island, where I often go on retreat to house and cat sit. It is always a journey to another world for me and I loved how the old sailing ship already ensconced on the page fits right into the theme.

Both pages are unfinished, designed so that I can go back and forth as the days go by and add little touches. Together with a tiny art kit I sit up in bed in the evening and reminisce about the little "wonders" that have made up my day, or week.

So what else might find their way into these pages? Here are some more examples from my own life recently:

• the day Juniper, one of the lovely cats I cat sit who is painfully shy at the best of times, came to lie beside me, turned over, and presented herself for a long, delicious tummy rub...
• the email from a friend, written in gratitude, that sent tears coursing down my cheeks...
• the quiet meal we shared last Sunday with a very precious person in our lives...
• the walk I took earlier today which soothed my weariness...
• the comment from a client, that reminds me why I do what I do...

Years ago I knew a very wise young man who believed that his day could begin anew whenever he wanted to. That even in were late in the evening of a rough day, he got to start that day afresh. I think this "Wonder Book" should be a lot like that, not restricting it to having to start at the beginning of a calendar year, but allowing us to begin, at any moment of the day, the week, the month to make a brand new start.

I don't have to fill in every day, but I do try to find one little seed, one little nugget that stopped me in my tracks, took my breath away. Something that reminds me of who I am, why I am alive, and why this life, even on the worst of days, truly is quite wonderful...

So what would fit into your "wonder" book today? Have you begun one already? If so please send me an email with photographs so I can feature them here on the blog. 

The "Wonder" Book

Often a new idea emerges from a series of separate events. On New Year's Eve, there was a quote posted on my Facebook page that read:

 

Stark, to the point. No discussion. Serious food for thought...

On New Year's Day, a second quote appeared:

 

Now there was no ignoring it... 

A few weeks previously a wonderful suggestion did the rounds: to take a glass jar and fill it with all the things that you are grateful for during the year ahead, as they occur, and then at the end of the year, open the jar and read about all of the wonderful things that have happened to you.

I had read a great blog post a while back about a man who, instead of writing about his day, sketched it. His daytimer page was filled with tiny images recording the special moments of that day.

All this, combined with an urge to have more connection with every aspect of my life this year, sparked an intense desire to begin keeping a book that would record the wonder that each day brings. I journal extensively and would never want to be without one, but this book would contain those precious moments, those things that mean so much at the time, but are so often forgotten in the busyness of our days.

I began the search for the perfect book. Would it be a daytimer, plain and simple, with a day for each page. Or a book that contained.365 pages? What size would it be? Spiral bound or hard bound? Lined or Unlined? These are individual choices that only you can make. Those who make their own journals may consider making signatures of 8 folded pages for each month, giving in total 32 sides to work on, binding them together at the end of the year in one book. The choices are endless.

After scouring the stores for the perfect daytimer, I have narrowed it down to three books: a regular daytimer, a blank sketchbook and a beautiful little Chinese diary that I already had at home, with fine paper that already has light sketches on it, perfect to doodle with.

So what can you record in your "Wonder" Book? Whatever made your heart sing that day...

• a photo you took of a special sunrise...
• a quote that touched you to the core...
• a sketch of something happened...
• something someone said to you that meant more than they'll ever know...
• a link to a thought-provoking video that shifted your thinking...
• another person's thought that inspired you...
• a piece of something that you want to keep for any reason...
• a line from a book that spoke to you...

It really is endless. Limitless. What can you think of that would make it to this list? I'd love to hear your ideas.

We're not that far into the year that we can't begin this now, with what was wonderful about today. And we can forage back to the last week for something each day that meant something special. That stopped you for a moment, made you think, took your breath away or simply caused you to smile...I'll be sharing my first few "wonders" over the next few days, and would love to post some of yours in the upcoming weeks.

Our lives are so fast these days and I am hearing from so many how much they want to slow down. Maybe this is one way to savor our days, recall magical moments, remind us of what really and truly matters. I wonder...

Once in a Blue Moon ~ Wild Things Special Sale

In an effort to raise funds for my next Artist-in-Residence trip to the Lighthouse, I am offering a special price on my Wild Things and Wild Thingy's for this weekend:

"Once in a Blue Moon" 

Labour Day weekend only
Friday Aug 31 thru Monday Sept 3, 2012

Special Price on Wild Things and Wild Thingy’s

(Save $ 3.00)

Wild Things $ 20.00 incl S & H

Special Price:  $ 17.00 incl Shipping and Handline

Wild Thingy’s $ 15.00 incl $ & H

Special Price: $ 12.00 incl Shipping and Handling

anywhere in the world!

TO ORDER:

1. Go to the Wild Things Tab at the top of the page
2. Scroll through and choose the Wild Thing(s) and or Wild Thingy(s) that you want
3. Make a note of the reference number(s) you want to order. PLEASE CHOOSE A SECOND CHOICE TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT (I will update sales page as quick as possible but it's a worldwide sale and I'm going to need a bit of sleep...)
4. Email me the reference number(s) at byshena@shaw.ca with your name and shipping address. I will then confirm availability
5. Use PayPay button to make the payment

SHIPPING INFO:

• Please contact me directly to save on the Shipping and Handling for multiple quantities
• Items can also be drop shipped to another address at your request

DELIVERY INFO:

• Orders received by Sunday September 2nd will be processed immediate delivery
• Orders received after Sunday September 2nd please allow 1 week for order processing

PACKAGING INFO:

Wild Things and Thingys are shipped in padded envelopped, packaged in a clear plastic bag with a "By Shena" label with the message: because inside each and every one of us there is still a Wild Spirit ... dancing and includes their story: "Remembering who we are" as seen below...

MATERIALS INFO:

Wild Things are made lovingly from predominently recycled materials ~ Wild Thingy's also... (who are simply Wild Things-in-Training but appear to get into just as much trouble...)

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SUPPORTING MY
ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE VENTURE

HAVE A GREAT LABOUR DAY WEEKEND

Shena

Remembering who we are

Their history is seeped in the dark recesses of time ~

They began life with their roots entwined with Mother Earth

and were nurtured as the sentinels of harmony and peace

amongst all living things ~

But humanity in time forgot all of its wisdom

and in its ignorance began to purge the Earth of its values ~

Until almost nothing remained ~

And so the Wild Things were sent forth

to intermingle amongst humans to nurture them

and remind them once more of

who they are deep down inside,

and to share with them an ancient and timeless remedy...

that of love, freedom and pure joy ~

For as we remember who we truly are,

wild spirits one and all,

our future as a human race and that of our Mother Earth

is destined to thrive ~

because inside each and every one of us there is still a

Wild Spirit ... dancing

Shena Meadowcroft & Tony Gibson
Copyright 2010

Hanging out at the Clothesline Show

One of the greatest days of this summer was being a part of Coast Collective's "Clothesline" Show held on the eleven acres surrounding the Pendray House, where over 155 artists display year round  a wonderful, top quality, eclectic array of art. 

Overlooking the Esquimault Lagoon, which overlooks the Juan de Fuca Strait, I cannot imagine a better setting for an artist to show their work. Perfect weather, beautiful surroundings, soothing music, great people... and a wonderful selection of art... not to mention great food!

Art lined the avenue leaving up to the house. Hung on clothesline, laid out on tables, leaning against trees, laying on the ground...

People meandered through the displays, pausing to admire the work, chat to the artists and buying that special piece that caught their eye...

I delighted in having my work displayed outdoors, in a more natural environment that is usually is...

 And of course, my Wild Things! were having the best time of all...

 And this is my life?

I have to pinch myself on a daily basis to make sure that I am not dreaming...

But tough as it is...

I'm hanging in there...

Win a Wild Thingy!

I finished a reconstructed piece of clothing last night (my new adventure - tutorial forthcoming) The dress was originally long with spagetti straps and far too small for me but, being an artist, I could not resist the hand-painted design on the front (not to mention that this also has sent me off in a whole new direction...) It wasn't until this morning that I discovered the word "Cuba" written across the bottom above the hem. As this is part of my "Artist-in-Residence wardrobe" I thought I should come up with a clever and relevant (to me, about me, or as an artist) definition of what C.U.B.A could stand for...

With so much else to do, I thought I'd throw out the challenge to my blog readers and anyone else who gets to read this post, as well as those who see me wearing my tunic sometime over the next week or so during my residency (only one or two days... I do have others to wear, assuming they get finished...)

So, for a bit of fun - see what you can come up with:

C            Creative....  Cultural.... Categorically....   Cute...   C ??????????

U

B

A

THE BEST PHRASE WINS A WILD THINGY!

(in the colour scheme of their choice)

TO ENTER:

SIMPLY ENTER YOUR PHRASE IN THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW

The winner will be chosen on August 31st.

Help me out here... and wishing you the Best of Luck!

Take time to stop and smell the sweet peas...

The last four months have been a non-stop flurry of work: designing a new series of Fibre Art pieces called Glimpses, making vast quantities of Wild Things, planning class outlines, teaching at Arts Alive, writing and illustrating a children's book, putting together new show material, creating a new card line, painting and sewing to build up inventory, entering art shows, doing proposals for the Fall, and preparing for an Artist-in-Residence which begins next week, not to mention my ongoing Intuitive counselling work. I have barely had time to draw breath, let along stop! And roses??? My presence of my blog has been woefully absent, simply because I have been too busy doing things to write about them!

However, this morning I woke early, went out with my camera, and want to share with you the sunrise from across the road where I live.

Below the deck of my neighbour's cottage above the beach are a riotous bank of sweet peas growing in such wild abandon that they made my heart sing...





  

And I stopped.... and I took a deep breath... and took in the scent of the sweet peas, the freshness of the morning,  the smell of the ocean brought into shore on the high tide, and through it all knew the hope that only a brand new day can bring.

Yes, I am working solidly hard this coming week, and more in the weeks to come, but these precious moments are balm to my soul, and remind me that this is what it is all about... the scent of a sweet pea, the beauty of a sunrise, the sight of the ocean in our backyard, and the time we take to stop, linger and appreciate.

Have a truly wonderful day ~

A Brand New Show Display

My outdoor art show last month was a disaster. The weather had been fine, then  horrendous wind gusts came out of nowhere, leaving only three tents standing. Display stands full of art work blew over. Painted canvases cartwheeled across the lawn. I'm still in awe of seeing my greeting cards sail through the air, but that was eclipsed by my neighbour's huge tent lifting right off the ground (tent pegs not withstanding) and knocking over three table of jewellery with it... Thankfully no one got hurt from the flying glass... which happened to be my "Glimpses" that I had stayed up until midnight matting and framing.

And that was before the torrential rain hit~ with all the packing boxes in the vehicle parked a long way off...

Oh, and just for the record... my Wild Things really CAN fly!

Over several restorative cups of tea and a comfort food supper later, my friend and I put our heads together and came up with a far better, more stable way of displaying my work. Now, columns of wire cubes stack no more than three high and are clamped to folding TV tables covered with fabric.

Sturdy plastic totes are stored under the back table in the event that fast packing is required.

One side of each cube is left open to insert 12 inch slate floor tiles to provide more stability and form shelves in cubbyholes where I can feature some of my work.

Last weekend I did the Acres of Art down at Coast Collective in Victoria and had a wonderful display. People were able to circulate and delighted in discovering the cubby holes and what they held. I am still paring down my display but really happy with the way it is now looking...

                                

and standing!