"El Arbol De La Vida..."

..."a tree of life"...

inspired by old world Mexican ceramic folk art

and drawn and colored with a

"Waterblossoms" twist

in my trusty old black spiral sketchbook.

Psst...

my Muse had such great fun with this one...

that she keeps begging me

to make some more...hint hint...wink wink! :)

Click here

to read about the interesting history

of this beautiful art form.

(You can also click on the image above to enlarge...)

"There is always Music amongst the trees

in the Garden,

but our hearts must be very quiet

to hear it."

~Minnie Aumonier

"A Bit of a Blossom..."

...dusted with dots.

I was inspired by the Oaxacan folk painting style

used to decorate

beautiful and intricate wood carvings.

Methods of painting

Oaxacan carvings are uniquely localized

to the particular village from which they originate.

As this art form evolved

these carvers

incorporated geometric rug patterns

and

mosaic floral designs into their work.

You can check out

some authentic art from Oaxaca, Mexico here

and

some of the various village painting patterns here.

Enjoy! :)

Happy Blooming Tuesday!

"A Blossoming..."

...Sacred Heart Milagros ATC for this Sunday.

May your heart

find a few special moments today

to blossom forth also!

(Click HERE to view my complete Sacred Heart collection.)

"This very moment is a seed

from which the flowers of tomorrow's happiness grow."
~Margaret Lindsey

"Pulse Points of Prayer..."

...Another in my Sacred Heart ATC Milagros Collection.

This post is sent directly from my heart to you,

Aunt Gretchen.

You have been in my thoughts

and in all of our

prayers

these past few weeks.

May you continue to grow stronger and stronger each day.

You are loved greatly by so very many.

May God bless you!

"In prayer

it is better to have a heart without words

than words

without a heart."
~Mahatma Gandhi

"An Agave Heart..."

...and the sacred Heart Milagros ATC series continues...

See the entire collection here...:)

"In art

the hand can never execute anything higher than the heart can inspire."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

"A Flaming Heart Torch..."

...to add to my Sacred Heart Milagros ATC Collection...

ignited

soulfully from my imagination.

The entire series can be viewed here.

“Sometimes our light goes out

but is blown into flame by another human being.

Each of us owes deepest thanks to those

who have rekindled

this light.”
~Albert Schweitzer

My deepest thanks to so many of you...:)

"Turquoise and Coral Inlay..."

...in yet another southwest silvery Sunday

Navajo inspired Sacred Heart

milagros ATC card...

Ckick HERE to see the entire series...

Enjoy!

"To the illumined man or woman,

a clod of dirt, a stone, and gold are the same."
~Bhagavad Gita

"Wrapped..."

in a wreath of red roses...

is another card in my Sacred Heart Milagros ATC series.

This one is drawn to

celebrate the Illustration Friday theme : "Wrapped."

It is posted this day in loving memory

of Jan and Diane

two of my sorority sisters and dear friends from college...

the news of their passing

just reaching me this weekend.

“My prayer today is that we will feel the loving arms of God

wrapped around us,

and will know in our hearts

that He will never forsake us as we trust in Him.”
~Billy Graham

"Coifed in Copper..."

...Heart #6 in my Sacred Heart Milagros ATC Series.

Soft and warm...worn with time...
she is
painted by nature
in glowing shades of verdigris.

"The world is an old woman,
and mistakes any gilt farthing for a gold coin;
whereby being often cheated,
she will thenceforth trust nothing but the common copper."
~Thomas Carlyle

"A Teensey Tiny Heart..."

with a whole lot of soul...

my Sacred Heart #5 in the Milagros collection.

(Actual heart dimensions: a bit shy of 2 inches square)

"Every single life only becomes great

when the individual sets upon a goal or goals

which they really believe in,

which they can really commit themselves to,

and which they can put their

whole heart and soul

into."
~Brian Tracy

Another Shimmery...

...and shiny Sacred Heart Milagros Sunday!

#4 in the series...

Enjoy...but beware of the thorns...:)

"Life is thickly sown with thorns,

and I know no other remedy than to pass quickly through them.

The longer we dwell on our misfortunes,

the greater is their power

to harm us."
~Voltaire

"Every Rose..."

...has its thorns...

Sacred Heart Milagros Series...#3

"Silvery Sunday..."

The second image in my Sacred Heart Milagos Series...

Shining by day...glowing by night.

"Too many people miss the silver lining because they're expecting gold."
~Maurice Setter

"My New Passion..."

"Sacre Coeur"... "Sagrado Corazon"...

or Sacred Heart...Milagros ATCs.

Milagros (also known as an ex-voto or dijes)

are religious folk charms that are traditionally used

for healing purposes and as votive offerings

in Mexico,

the southern United States,

other areas of Latin America,

as well as

parts of the Iberian peninsula.

They are frequently attached onto altars,

shrines, and sacred objects found in places of worship,

and they are often purchased in churches,

cathedrals or from street vendors.

SOURCE: Wikipedia

I am particularly fascinated by the Sacred Heart milagros.

I have a very small collection of these beautiful charms

and they have been crying out for

my drawing attention.

Some that I will draw will be traditional...

others will be from my imagination...I hope you enjoy this

newest "heartventure" of mine.

At the present time none will be for trade.

"The heart has reasons that reason does not understand."
~Jacques Benigne Bossuel

"Some Virtual Travel..."

...to the mountains of Monterrey, Mexico

for a "look-see"

at some local artisans work,
a bit of some creatively potted "south of the border" cacti,
and
and "peek in" on my wonderful niece Lauren...
who identifies herself like this:
"Student, Artist, Accountant, Athlete...that's it!"
I just love the "artist" part! What a gal!

"Experience, travel - these are as education in themselves."
~Euripides (Greek playwright, c. 480-406 BC)

Happy Cactus Monday All!

Enjoy a great day of virtual travel...wherever it may take you!

Oooh!

Anyone want to meet later for a cerveza? LOL :)