sperlygirl

finished recently...

recently, i finished a new painting. i found a lot of inspiration from regina's wonderful ecourse and wanted to try and work with color in a more freeing way, for me. the colors seem to be those i collect in memory from our travels and along with them came words that lately seem to need to find them home among my canvas. i really enjoyed the journey she took me on to finish.

"her words escaped her thoughts as she allowed the colors of her travels to wash over her,

find residence in her heart.

her thoughts seems to find meaning among the stars as they blanketed the dark night.

the air was heavy with possibility and promise

and her heart felt free." ssperl (may2013)

 

 

leading her...

"flowers hung in the air like an evening constellation. bouquets of dreams filled her head while stems of poems unfurled upon her thoughts. it was her heart that led her here."

~ssperl, 2012 

introducing a small intention...

my hands have been busy lately and my heart full and it is with deep gratitude to stacy for her teaching, nudge, encouragement, for what is evolving from this. thank you.

i strongly believe in the power of intentions and use them regularly in my life - for big dreams, day to day, my yoga practice, my creative journey, etc. Intentions help to guide us along our journey, sometimes redirecting us from what we originally planned, but present in our thoughts and hearts as a subtle reminder, a silent but powerful foundation from which to build our dreams upon. 

i created these necklaces as a small reminder of the intention for those who wear it. the pendants are small, about the size of a penny, and each is uniquely stamped by hand. the whole necklace is lightly oxidized to create a slight aged patina. accompanying each pendant, is a small collection of natural materials (various gemstone chips, freshwater pearl, and a tiny shell found on the shore of the ligurian sea) to provide a connection to the environment.

what is the inspiration? it is inspired by those who stop to pick up a lucky penny along their path, or flip one over heads up for the next passerby, or who carry one with them - like my grandfather who would wear a penny in his shoe daily. i am inspired by those who seek, who look around and discover, who notice the details and believe in the magic of the everyday.

a selection of necklaces can be found in my etsy

             

reworked...

i took down this painting from my little etsy shop window recently. something about her felt amiss. her poem needed new words as they were not clearly expressing what my heart was feeling. so we spent some time together, she and i, last week. and i listened and reworked.

i was reminded the other day, how each day is a fresh start bringing potential and possibility. a new chance for growth and change and a new opportunity to uncover beauty and goodness in the world. and so my words now reflect this, as does she. 

 

dream...

i am catching up a bit on the life that happened while technology had me out of the loop.

a dear friend had bought a painting of mine last year to give to a friend. she asked if i could make another similar one for her. after agreeing, i panicked a bit. how in the world could i make them similar...what if, what if, what if...but as i got into working on it, it merely evolved. it was similar in design but turned out better than i had hoped, especially when i found a line from a book to include that so perfectly fit my dear friend.

it was another reminder/lesson in the magic and possibility that can unfold when we merely step out of our own way a bit. our own resistance to so much in this life tends to inhibit our possibilities and progress. it is a lesson i am reminded of, over and over again. 

                             

she sees beauty...

with some days off, i was able to create a few things and complete a few more. this is a new painting i have hanging in my etsy.

she reminds me of what i would whisper to myself throughout the year, in attempts to recalibrate when life began to feel heavy. 

the words read: 

"her tears fell gently, reflecting in each one
the heartbreak, heart opening joy, and simple beauty
she sees in the world around her" ~ssperl 2011

mailbox goodness and a postcard giveaway...

a little bit of a creative leap around here as i had a collection of postcards made from my paintings. six paintings are featured in the collection. of course, i had to crop a bit here and there to get them to print the way i envisioned, but i focused on doing so while keeping the original intent of the painting.

it's my wish that these cards find their way into the mailbox of someone you care about and bring with them uplifting words, a special quote, or simply a note to reach out and share a long distance hello. i can tell you, nothing makes my day more, then when i go to pick up our mail and our box is tenderly holding an unexpected letter, note, or goodie from someone dear.

in celebration of the handwritten note, i would like to give away one set of these whimsical postcards. simply leave a comment below and i will announce a lucky winner on friday!

(**postcard collection is now available here**)

love waits patiently...

patience is one virtue i struggle constantly with...but this painting kind of created her own life here. we began this dance on canvas together and initially, it didn't end well. so we began again (see, there go those patience again) and this time, i simple let her emerge. i pulled back from "trying" to create her look and simply let her appear. her hair is collaged from various papers, italian texts, maps, and vintage stamps, ledgers and sheet music that i come across at the antique markets here. she seems to carry a headful of dreams...something i can relate to completely. she is hanging here now.

 

a new work ~ letting go...

she emerged slowly onto my canvas, whispering reminders to me to let go...let go of expectations, let go of attachments, let go of the illusion of control. some days i'd set her off to the side of my table in hopes of silencing her a bit. other days i would walk past her - meeting her glance with an eye roll. but she began to wear me down - her message a lesson that continues to show up in my life. so i decided to listen to her. i stopped thinking of where i'd take the work next and simply let it evolve. her whispering liberating me a little bit at a time. and then finally, she stood confidently on my canvas, her message clear and complete. and i thank her for the gentle reminder. (you can now find her here)

dreams of italy...

she made her way onto my canvas this week - she was so determined. she has these dreams of a life in italy and nothing was going to stop her.

when we knew we were headed over here, my dear friend, gave me a rae dunn ceramic egg with one word printed on it, "begin". our life was completely chaotic and in a whirlwind when we received word of relocating to italy. i was several months pregnant and here we were diving in with both feet to a dream. the little egg with the word, "begin" stamped on it accompanied me - and has ever since. that little word, has grounded me, lifted me, and nudged me in more ways than i can speak of.

so you can see why this lovely silhouette, head full of wishes for italy, and the one little word that guides her - was so determined to follow her heart, give wings to her dreams, and find her way onto my canvas... nothing was going to stop her. (she hangs in my little shop now)

**i'd like to take a moment too to thank each of you for your thoughtful and kind words about my little black cat, jazz. truly, your comments have meant a lot. a heartfelt thank you...**