MERAKI

Leaf Forms by Barry Smith. See blog, here.

While preparing for this post I kept coming back to Barry Smith's metal leaf forms. Barry is a generous soul who creates his metal artworks with love. He teaches his craft to others and sends his leaves into the world like little ambassadors, spreading peace and goodwill wherever they land.

Leslie Avon Miller. See blog, here.

Leslie Avon Miller's art speaks to me on an emotional level. I can't put my finger on it, but I'm thinking it has something to do with meraki.

"Please keep demonstrating the courage that it takes to swim upstream in a world that prefers putting away for retirement to putting pen to paper, that chooses practicality over poetry, that values you more for going to the gym than going to the deepest places in your soul. Please keep making your art for people like me, people who need the magic and imagination and honesty of great art to make the day-to day world a little more bearable". - Shauna Niequist

History by Donna Watson. See more from this series, here.

When Donna was struggling with a creative block I kept thinking ..... when she returns she will create art that will catapult her to another level ..... and I wasn't mistaken! Her new pieces incorporating cold wax, oils and collage are beautiful. 

Leaving Egypt by Mary Ann Lehrer Plansky. See blog, here.

A lot of research goes into Mary Ann's art. I enjoy tracking the ideas and thoughts that gently meander through her blog, culminating in beautiful artworks. 

Gabriel Lalonde. See blog, here.

I visit Gabriel Lalonde's blog regularly because I enjoy his work. I detect a playful spirit with a "what if" attitude when it comes to his art. 

Hanelore Baron

This exhibition of Hanelore's work is well worth the browse. I enjoyed reading the press release too.

Lawrence Carroll

Ikuko Ando. See more, here.

" I would like to envelop myself ..... to enclose a sense of space, of landscape, within clay. Creating day by day, like putting entries in a diary"  --  Ikuko Ando

Lynn Chadwick

"And what is it to work with love?
It is to charge all things you fashion with 
a breath of your own spirit." 
- Khalil Gibran

Totem by Robyn Gordon. Website, here.

I felt a deep connection to this piece. The person who commissioned it shared just enough of her story for me to recognize similarities in my own life. I could relate to her story and was able to create the totem for the both of us.

"One of the loveliest words in the English language is the word 'inspiration'. It signifies the creative breath. It also has to do with spontaneity, with the arrival of the unexpected image or idea in the mind. Inspiration is the flash of connecting light that suddenly comes from elsewhere and illuminates."  -  John O'Donohue

TOWER, TOWERS, TOWERING

Safe House by Kim Schoenberger. Found objects, metal and clay. See Kim's blog here.

When I set out to do this post it was not with the Twin Towers in mind but it was difficult not to think of 911. David Nash did not set out to create a sculpture with Twin Towers in mind either but he found himself carving An Awful Falling 911, from a piece of beech wood. You can read a full post about David Nash on the blog That's How The Light Gets In.

An Awful Falling 9.11 by David Nash. See more of David's towering pieces here.

On to more positive imagery. I find Richard Shilling's land art very uplifting. Generally, landart overlooking a wide landscape gives me a good feeling, as do all the towering sculptures featured in this post. Scroll down to see the innovative work of Ken Munsie.

Land Art by Richard Shilling. See Richard's Flickr photostream here and his website here.

Iron House by Hao Ni. See Flickr photostream here.

Tower of Pans by Sally Mankus. I LOVE this piece! See Sally's website here.

Tower of Babel by Clifford W. Tresner. Photograph by scilit on Flickr, here.

Ceramic sculpture by Mary Fischer. See more of Mary's work here.

Ceramic Sculpture by Mary Fischer. See more of Mary's work here.

Ceramic sculpture by Christina Wiese. See website here.

Sculpture by Barry Smith. Rosegum and rusty metal. Height 1.4m. See Barry's website here.

Towered by Ken Munsie. Timber, metal and paper. See website here.

Chain Mail by Ken Munsie. Timber, metal and paper. See Ken's website here.

Sculpture by Dave Kinane. See here.

NATURE LOVER

The Birdwoman's Nest by Fidelma Massey. Website here

The sun is out this morning after a few days of rain and everything looks scrubbed, clean and sparkling. The stream is rushing; the baby Robins we saw testing their wings a few days ago have survived the downpour and are out searching for food; the air is crisp and fragrant with earth and lavender.

Still life project by Jessica Still. See Jessica's Flickr photostream here.

I'm in a state of wonder when outdoors or even watching from the window. Whilst typing this post I'm aware of the Hadedas on the lawn delving long beaks into the softened earth, pulling out 12 inch earthworms. They have a way of pulling the earthworms from their holes without snapping them, very carefully, inch by inch.

Jos van Wunnik. See Flickr photostream here.

I'm drawn to artists who have an affinity with nature. Jos van Wunnik springs to mind. I discovered his art and photos on Flickr some time ago and have been a follower of his photostream ever since.

Earth Mother by Jos van Wunnik. See Flickr photostream here.

The work of Patti Roberts-Pizzuto touches me. These pieces encourage me to pause and take notice of the minute details of nature but nobody sums it up better than Patti herself.

Page from the Book of Broken Branches by Patti Roberts-Pizzuto. Blog here. Etsy shop here.

"Stillness. Somehow I need stillness to see clearly, to look, to process what I am seeing. In a culture totally obsessed by the moving image, I feel rather lost in time, as I struggle visually to keep up. Our times thrive on bigger, faster, louder and we move too quickly....it's no wonder we can't remember anything in such a blur of rapid movement."

"In viewing, the work demands a one-on-one experience. These are not works that can be even remotely seen across a room, in a space shared by others...a moment of privacy is necessary to view the work, to slow down, to look, to see and to be...all alone. Whole worlds can unfold inside us when we slow down. " - Patti Roberts-Pizzuto

Inner Compass. A journal by Bridgette Guerzon Mills. Blog here.

Another well known nature lover in the blog world is Bridgette Guerzon Mills, whose art effects me in the same way as a mindful walk through a forest.

From the Heavens to the Earth by Bridgette Guerzon Mills. Blog here.

St Davids Locals by Amanda Wright. Website here.

Queen of Beasts by Fidelma Massey. Website here.

Take a look at Donna Watson's lovely post, Bound by Nature . We often pip each other at the post with similar topics .... but very different content.

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. " - Lao Tzu