Monthly Archives: June 2016

Outsider Art and the Zen of Rain

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Do you ever list your favorite things?

Near the top on my short list is water. Snap shots of rain drops splashing or rain angling through the sky intrigue me. I love to look at single drops sitting on a leaf, I can sit for hours watching oceans roll with water. I like to drink it and play with ice. I never get tied of seeing snow fall, or the beauty of drifts and ice cycles.  I look at ice patterns on a window and know I will never see the same pattern and this again reminds me of the endless variety found in the life on this earth and the many pieces of the universe.

I love rain making everything look clean and love the smell of rain in the air and mixed with the ground. Every time it rains I feel like I’m seeing it for the first time. I need to look hard because I’m afraid it will never rain again in just this way.

Just imagine your favorite thing  falling from the sky!

Below is a valentine I made John a few years ago. He is at the top of my short list and I honored him the same way I value rain and now he’s gone for awhile.

Nancy Mauerman

Eve

Eve

Outsider Art Quilt Disappearing Birds

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The picture on this wall is of a full sized quilt. It’s hand pieced and hand quilted. The dark/light pattern is an old one called ‘bow tie’. So as to not break this dark/light pattern the birds on each bow tie are of similar in value, color, and motif. Bird and circle shapes are quilted into the light blue panels and to continue the theme, birds are appliqued onto the boarders.

I’ve made quilts for years but had never known how others made theirs. One day I overheard experienced quilters mention that all quilts have names. I found out later they were referring terns like ‘bow tie’. But that very day I pulled out my dozen or so quilts and gave them all a name, a quote from a favorite book and a piece of music! Snakes and cakes was given music from Carl Orff and a paragraph by C.S. Lewis

Disappearing Birds was matched up with ‘Was you there?” by Blind Willie Johnson and “We are all born with piles of wrapped up precious gifts. Only we can open them by obedience.” by Patrice. I love not knowing.

701 Disappearing Birds

701 Disappearing Birds

Outsider Art- There’s Death In Me Still

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I’m not as alive as I was a few days ago. It was a very hot day close to 100 degrees. I’d found bottles of water cooling in my refrigerator which reminded me of John. He waited for a hot day like kids wait for Christmas! His primary person was the mail lady who comes to our house at about 4:00, but he also handed out water to people collecting bottles, the homeless, and those just walking by.

So, Saturday I ran a bottle out to our substitute mail lady. She was surprised! Delighted! She rolled the cold bottle of water up and down her neck and face as she walked off. I don’t know if she ever drank it because I scampered into the house excited about life and loving John’s idea!

The seeds of death come in all forms but the lady below has just met John.

Theres Death In Me Still

Theres Death In Me Still