Carol Wiebe

What is inscribed in your heart? What wish or hope or dream that you dare not even whisper but which you sometimes admit you must have or you will surely die? Believe that feeling. Do not dismiss it as wishful thinking or pie in the sky or a crazy dream. It is every bit as important to nourish the spirit as it is to feed the stomach. It just takes a longer view to realize it. Inscribed #inscribed #CWWOL20120623 #nourish #stomach #longerview #feed #spirit #view

The cardboard has ridges, wrinkles, stains, and rips along the edges. It reminds me of my face and body, how quickly they have succumbed to the elements, to time. But my spirit burns brightly. The flame is stronger than it’s ever been. That is a huge compensation. Maybe even an advantage. That last statement was said with my tongue in my cheek. It is more than mere compensation: it is a wonderful advantage. And why should I say my body succumbed? I am excited, creative ~ tota

. Of course I HAD to turn my one angel into a host of them . . . . Well, four to be exact (one for each of the four corners). I simply took a photo of the original and played with the result. The Four Corners It is very much a part of my nature to keep pushing whatever envelope I happen to be holding. I have a very difficult time doing the same thing twice. Something always changes. Changes completely. My challenge is halting the creative process, not accessing it. After all,

. There are those who are so mired in the physical that spirit has an s at the end of it, and is nothing more than ounces in a bottle. Others are aware of spirit, like a felt presence, as much a part of them as the air that courses through their lungs thousands of times a day. Spirit Rising Which spirit are you getting high on? #spirits #gold #spirit #CWWOL20120210 #bottle #high #breath

. Love Knot It’s too easy to just play it safe, to try and keep things quiet and serene. The spirit feels caged by such an attitude. Mary Oliver understands this. Spring This morning two birds fell down the side of the maple tree like a tuft of fire a wheel of fire a love knot out of control as they plunged through the air pressed against each other and I thought how I meant to live a quiet life how I meant to live a life of mildness and meditation tapping the careful

When we look at ourselves, our bodies have certain, limited dimensions. However, think about the words we use to describe our interior space. We talk about the depth of our sorrow, the expansiveness of our joy, the endless pit of despair. We describe our thoughts and feelings, often, as limitless, even though our bodies are quite limited in size and scope. That, I believe, is a reflection of our spiritual dimension. We know we are larger than we seem. Much larger. In the Dept

What does it mean to act or decide from “our center”? For most people, it has very positive, even spiritual connotations. When we describe something as central, it is of great import, integral to us. I am smitten by the words Virginia Wolff used: But when the self speaks to the self, who is speaking? The entombed soul, the spirit driven in, in, in to the central catacomb; the self that took the veil and left the world — a coward perhaps, yet somehow beautiful, as it flits wit

I created this piece out of the lily pics, and thought it looked like the Spirit of the Lily. Lily Spirit #CWWOL20110711 #lily #spirit

Lies are counterproductive. Truth does not feel comfortable with being twisted, and will eventually straighten itself out. This will lead to exposure of the original lies, and the fallout of hurt all around. Even if the lies have not yet been deciphered, the liar’s spirit already bears the telltale wounds. The basic elements of spirit are love and truth ~ which cast a light that exposes lies. This is neither cruel  nor judgemental: it is rather a cleansing that allows the exp

A Creative Life. Art is what saved her from continuing down a former path of working at meaningless and unfulfilling jobs (see Humana Maelstrom Zine). If she is not expressing herself through art, Mary Ann becomes unhappy. Fortunately for us, Mary Ann was awake enough to realize this and attend to her own needs. In doing so, she has met the needs of many others who recognize, and respond to, the spirit that permeates her work. Believe me when I say that I have experienced the

Read the introduction on poet David Whyte‘s page, and your spirit will be utterly seduced by his: P O E T R Y The poet lives and writes at the frontier between deep internal experience and the revelations of the outer world. There is no going back for the poet once this frontier has been reached; a new territory is visible and what has been said cannot be unsaid. The discipline of poetry is in overhearing yourself say difficult truths from which it is impossible to retreat. P

I am reading The Quiet Girl, by Peter Hoeg, who has a very unique voice. At the moment, I am deliciously mesmerized by it. Here is a quote from page 33: [S]ometimes the longing is greater than you are. And if you choke it, you’ll be destroyed. It immediately brought to mind the design paper I created today, fittingly enough, from a photo of the crucifix fish. You should not be able to choke longing that is greater than you are,  but many know from personal experience that it

My title is also the title of a classic Christmas film, starring Jimmy Stewart, where a suicidal man gets another kick at the can, thanks to a bumbling angel named, what else, Clarence. You may love It’s a Wonderful Life or hate it, but many artists use that state of wonder that George Bailey achieved in the movie to make art. Robert Henri, famous for The Art Spirit, employed “wonder” as a teaching strategy: The object isn’t to make art, it’s to be in that wonderful state whi

I have written about her before, because gazing at her photo based illustration makes the spirit within me flutter its wings. Elena Ray’s works are evocative, subtle, multi-layered. And she is humble about the amazing way she intertwines her images, tells her stories, suggests and entices, insisting that: The creative process comes through us, not from us. We are creativity. She channels creativity so effectively because her ego steps aside. Her arms are perpetually outstretc

It’s official! I will have a solo show in the gallery at Greenwood Quiltery October 3-31, 2008. The opening is on Saturday, October 4th, and I’ll be there from 2 until 4 pm. I named the show Quilts Incarnate, and being a writer and teacher, I felt the need to include a subtitle, explaining what my title meant (sigh). So, are you ready for this? Quilts Incarnate: celebrating the evolvement from conception to manifestation. It will include a range of mixed media art quilts. I a

I read a very thought provoking post today, thanks to Tammy Vitale, and wanted to direct you to it as well. It’s on My Studio 13, written by Carrie Todd, and is called “Where’s my voice? Can it be crimson?” If an artist works hard to create and develop their own “voice”, then published technique or not, their work deserves to keep it’s originality, and not compete in an over saturated market of copycat works. My response was as follows: I’ve pondered this subject as well, and

I read something that Susie Monday, from El Cielo Studio, wrote on May 1, that has had me pondering for some days now: What would take me to the next level in my work, without just being a “technique of the moment.” I suspect it might take me deeper into the world of precision, or sewing, or traditional quilting. I’d like something demanding and stretching, something that challenges but contributes validly to my path and work. I have come to certain conclusions about this qu

I have painted my own cloth for years, now. It revolutionized the way I made quilts. I took classes, read books, experimented, watched DVDs and videos. Jane Dunnewold was a huge influence, as I’ve said before. She coined the phrase “complex cloth.” Complex cloth, or art cloth, is created using as many layers as its creator deems necessary, combining colors, images, and a wide range of techniques. Read Dunnewold’s essay called What is art cloth, or get her book Complex Cloth.

One aspect of art that fascinates me is adding personal symbols to my work. I think Lascaux–except the cave paintings are my own, and they are on cloth instead of a wall of stone. Jane Dunnewold has something inspiring to say about this: Determining archetypes that have meaning for you is a springboard to a personal visual language. Creating work with your own visual language is the foundation for works roaming a very broad and artful terrain. And, of course, you can explore