Life is like riding a bicycle - in order to keep your balance, you must keep moving. ~Albert Einstein

 " Life is like riding a bicycle - in order to keep your balance, you must keep moving." ~Albert Einstein

 Today the weather in Western New York is wonderful.

The rains came yesterday, cooled the air and the humidity is gone ;~) Great day to get back out on my bike to enjoy nature. This time I head for the Clarence Bike Trails.

 It is a little over a mile to the trails entrance on Thompson Rd.  Even though it is early people are out on the trails so I choose to travel east on the trails out into the farmlands in Clarence.

Love all of the little bridges over the tiny streams

this farm home in the distance reminds me of Andrew Wyeth's painting Christina's World

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina's_World

wish you could hear the birds singing and bull frogs as I drive along this path

natural air conditioning from trees along the path

canopy cover of trees made this part of the journey cool

                                                            Patterns ... one, two, three ...

Love these line pattern in the sky ;~)

I started on the bike trail at Thompson Rd.between Heise and Goodrich Rd.

this day I rode up to Salt Rd.  This map shows I rode over six miles on the bike path alone.

Old barns are so romantic, don't you think ???

the frogs are taunting me, I hear them croaking from the under brush.

a happy little Dragonfly skimming the fresh water streams ;~)

The main symbolism's of the dragonfly are renewal, positive force and the power of life in general. Dragonflies can also be a symbol of the sense of self that comes with maturity.  Some animal symbolism has the dragonfly representing good luck, prosperity, swiftness, purity, harmony and strength Also, as a creature of the wind, the dragonfly frequently represents change.

And as a dragonfly lives a short life, it knows it must live its life to the fullest with the short time it has – which is a lesson for all of us.

http://www.dragonfly-site.com/meaning-symbolize.html 

Ah yes, here we are, finally got a good image of a frog in the pond

                     I'm keeping my eyes open for ripe apples from the numerous trees along this path. Going  to come back to gather apples in a basket to make homemade apple pies, apple sauce and apple butter in early autumn ;~)

That was a good ten mile bike to get ready for my trip to Quebec City this week. 

Lots of walking planned for the tour.

I'll post pictures of my Photo  Adventures in Quebec City and Montreal next blogs;~)

 Until then, keep you eyes open for the wonders of nature and inspirations...

 Have a Very Creative Day ;~)

If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.

" If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced."

                                                  Vincent Van Gogh

I hear the voice inside my head encouraging me to create something everyday. Mostly I see visions of what the finished product should be. Then the hard work begins; to overcome the obstacles, learn new skills and make many mistakes ( I mean samples) until I get as close to the creative inspiration that is within my ability at this time.  

Impact Women's Artist Gallery of Buffalo NY, with special thanks to Susan Marie Borden, put out a call for creative inspirations from female artists who work with some form of fiber as their medium.

  Fiber has been used throughout history as a means of creative expression for women. Women in every culture of the world have sewn clothing for their family, creative constructing and creative embellishment have been a natural outgrowth of this experience. Much of the social- cultural history of women is written in needlework, rugs, knitting and crochet in any society. Fiber art is the perfect medium of female creative expression.

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119641280/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0

http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/286/08.pdf

 CT ARTISTS GALLERY   presents   Fibre Arts Initiative 2010
July 14th – August 14th
Reception: Friday , July 16, 2010 5-9pm     Saturday, July 17th, 2010 12-4pm   
   Impact Gallery open
Wednesday-Friday 11am -4pm 
Saturdays (special early) 11am-4pm
Post-Workshop Show’nTell Gathering July 24th 2-4pm

Two garments from my Ultra Feminine Warrior collection 2010 as seen on Runway 3.0 Fashion Show.  also two Statements Necklace available on our  http://www.etsy.com/shop/ricerafferty

                           Kara and I will be in Quebec next week during the set up.  

             Susan, who curated this show, was kind enough to meet so I could set up my work early. 

           Each artist is allowed to bring eight pieces of work that will fit into six feet of wall space

Paper Rose 2009 - medium; handmade abac paper & natural elements sewn onto canvas. 

                                     I love the textures and quiet richness of this triptych.

                 .

Better with Experience 2009 -  made of steel wire, paper pulp and rust.  

The seven layers are nesting to form a floral like element.  The rust, a metaphor for a woman growing older and better with experience, provides aging and interest to the art object.

Here is a small selection of my Devore- burnout velvet- composite silk/rayon velvet.

Devoré, from the French word for devour, occurs when sodium bi sulphate is applied to the cloth, dried, then heated. The heat process causes the sodium bi sulphate to eat away at the fabric, leaving the treated area transparent.

Devore is a process that has been used in the fashion industry for many years. Originally it was known as "poor man's lace" and was called "broderie chimique" in Europe because it was used to simulate magazine embroidery. The main use of devore has been on cut velvet fabric with a pile of viscose or rayon on a silk warp/backing.

to see more ricerafferty devore images
http://www.facebook.com/pages/rice-rafferty/203899441756#!/album.php?aid=162016&id=203899441756

"Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you."

"Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you." ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

The past few weeks I have been out on my bike in search of nature. So far I have images of a Great Blue Heron and a mother duck with her ducking. 
Yesterday I went to the Escarpment Sanctuary in search of frogs and turtles.  Since I have been there many times before I knew to cover myself liberally with a deep wood bug spray.

 Last evening the bugs were worse than usual.  There were frogs in the area all right.  I could see movement in the grass however I could no longer see the frog once they hopped into the green, plant covered pond.

                              The pond cover was so thick with algae it looked like peas soup.

                            
  If you looked closely at the water you can see their little heads pushing up through the green cover and could hear their voices calling in the hot July evening air.

 I have been actively in search of nature in my neighborhood.

Last evening while I was sitting on my deck nature came to me. 

A butterfly landed on my leg. 

 I thought it would only stay for a few seconds then leave.  To my delight the butterfly stayed on my leg for about ten minutes.  At times it opened it's wings in a completely relaxed position.

Once or twice the butterfly flew away then came back to land on me again.

 " There is a Native American legend that says, " If you have a secret wish, capture a butterfly and whisper your wish to it. Since butterflies cannot speak, your secret is ever safe in their keeping. Release the butterfly, and it will carry your wish to the Great Spirit, who alone knows the thoughts of butterflies. By setting the butterfly free, you are helping to restore the balance of nature, and your wish will surely be granted."

                  " The butterfly is a reminder to make changes when the opportunity arises.
              Change and transformation are inevitable for us all, but it does not have to be traumatic.

Butterfly symbolism is also closely tied to the idea of spirits and souls. It has been used in many religions and cultures. In the western world, the symbol of the butterfly stands for freedom, fun and joyous times.
                                       It is also symbolises a state of naturalness and purity."

An Irish blessing :

 "May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun, and find your shoulder to light on to bring you luck, happiness and riches today, tomorrow and beyond."

I wish you the peace and beauty of the butterfly.

May you have a very creative day ;~)

“Keep your love of nature, for that is the true way to understand art more and more.”

“Keep your love of nature, for that is the true way to understand art more and more.”

Vincent van Gogh quotes (Dutch Painter, one of the greatest of the Post-Impressionists, 1853-1890)

  The area where I live lies below the Onondaga Escarpment.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onondaga_(geological_formation)

In the early spring,  I call  it " muddy season" because the water pools and puddles in the park behind my house.  Frequently a pair of ducks leisurely paddle back in forth in a large puddle near my backyard.





 Now it is summer. The rains is more scarce so I went out for a bike ride in search of the ducks. I've been following the many small streams that meander through my neighborhood in Clarence Center, New York. 

Here we are ;~)  The momma with her baby ducklings. 

Understandably, she has been rather protective of her young. It actually took me several days of bike riding to get close enough for a few images of this happy family.

http://www.hsus.org/wildlife/a_closer_look_at_wildlife/wild_ducks_of_north_america.html

Sometimes it is nice to enjoy the beauty of your own backyard.

Here butterflies and bees enjoy the nectar of a purple Buddleia bush in my garden.

 http://butterflywebsite.com/articles/bgq/buddleia.htm  

Tomorrow I am riding over to the Escarpment Sanctuary – A small nature preserve located on Greiner Road that is losing land to the upscale Spalding Lake development.

I'll be searching for frogs and turtles...

“Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain.”

“Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain.” Henry David Thoreau - American Essayist, Poet and Philosopher, 1817-1862

Everyday I ride my stationary bike 8 kilometers to keep myself moving throughout the year.
The hot sunny weather in Western New York has me euphoric with energy to explore nature.

This morning I took a water bottle and camera for a morning adventure on my bike in search of nature in my own neighborhood. 

Here we are ;~)   This Great Blue Heron is a local resident of Clarence Town Park just behind my home .

http://www.conservenature.org/birds_of_wny/great_blue_heron.htm

view of the park from Goodrich Rd.

" The Town of Clarence was the first town to be established in Erie County (1808), and many other towns, villages, and cities have been formed from parts of this original town. In 1810, the City of Buffalo was divided out of Clarence.
 The local Native Americans called the area "Ta-Num-No-Ga-O," which means "Place of Hickory Bark."
  It is named after the House of Clarence in England. "

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarence,_New_York

Our town had been building a healthy collection of trees in the Arboretum around the Town Park since the Clarence Library opened in September 2001.

http://www.erie.gov/clarence/arboretum.asp

The dog in the water has no clue if he is in Clarence Town Park or Lake Erie. Water is water and it was all good fun to cool off while the temperature climbs into the lower 90's today.

Western New York with it's constant flow of winds off Lake Erie is the best place to be in the summer ;~)

“Creativity lies in paradox: serious art is born from serious play.” Julia Cameron

Installation of my reuse, recycle, renew project. 

While I was in church the priest was talking about his busy weekend that included hearing the first confessions of the second grade class. 

 " You are only as sick as our secrets." unknown author.

I started thinking about how healing it is to be able to share a secret burden in private that is too embarrassing to tell your friends or family. 

 Then this vision came, what if I worked with used coffee filter tossed out as trash because they are stained.  I began seeing the used coffee filters, stained from use, as a metaphor for people who are cast off after they served a purpose. 

How often do people get thrown out with the trash when we no longer need their services?

 Do we throw out people when we clear the tables of our life???

The process of being involved in the making is important to me. I began collecting used coffee filters, emptying the grinds, rising the filters, taking the grinds and water to my compost heap, then hanging each filter up to dry.  The projects grew so large that I needed more used coffee filters than I produced in my life. I put a call for help over facebook for people to save their trash for my art projects. Used coffee filters began pouring into my life.  For caring and sharing of their time and energy much appreciation goes out to;
 Kara, Jomarie, Tim and Jake.

After the filters were dry I impregnated them with bees wax.

Impregnating the paper coffee filters with bees wax does it few things.  First, it makes the paper more translucent like skin. Bees wax is used as a balm for healing skin. The wax gives strength to the paper filter as well as making it more mailable for three dimensional work.

Wishing to work with secrets that are a burden for anonymous females I trolled the list on http://www.postsecret.com/ 

After writing the secret on the paper filter I stitch the words in a quiet, neutral shade of embroidery floss as I prayed for healing to come into this persons life.

See my blog   http://cariceraff.blogspot.com/2010_01_01_archive.html

As the Healing Garden keeps growing I am playing with an installation that shows my prayers for healing rising like incense. The garden has room to grow as more elements are added in the future.

The sticks are recycled from an old bamboo shade that was falling apart.  They are held into place in discarded candle holder filled with solid wax.  The secrets representing the women are suspended from the wall by bamboo skewers.  Small mirrors are positioned behind the secrets to show there is writing while not making the writing visible.  

It is my prayer that healing may enter the hearts of all the women represented in my growing installation...

"The summer morn is bright and fresh, the birds are darting by...

"The summer morn is bright and fresh,

the birds are darting by

As if they loved to breast the breeze that sweeps the cool clear sky."

- William C. Bryant

Today is the first day of July 2010.  Welcome the day, a new month and the first vine ripened tomato in my garden.  How sweet and luscious the first fruits of summer ;~)

Baby Austrian Pine Trees hatching in my garden this year. 

 Found this great growing kit by http://www.dunecraft.com/  while shopping in Wegman's early June.   The box contained everything I needed to grow my own Austrian Pine trees; growing medium disk, cocoa pot, packet of seeds and a plastic bag to create a terrarium facilitating growth.  I bought one box for me and one to take as a prize when I visited Barry & Meghan in West Chester, NY.  Seedlings shown here were planted a little over two weeks ago.  All six seeds germinated. I'll keep you posted with their progress this year.

RED, WHITE AND BLUEBERRY ANGEL FOOD CAKE EXTRAVAGANZA !!!

Kara takes the cake; to work that is ;~) It has become a practice where Kara works as the Graphic Designer to bring in a treat for the office staff on a rotating schedule. They always appreciate Kara's homemade offering's. This week it is Kara's turn.  I am sure she will once again score rave reviews with this Firecracker of a treat...


 

 First she baked this delicious Angel Food Cake. 

 Then she cut off the top of the cake, scooped out some of the center cake. 

 Next she filled it with fresh whipped cream, strawberries and blueberries.

 Replaced the cake lid, frost with  more whipped cream add garnish of fresh berries.

 Kara filled the center of the cake with extra fresh fruits and whipped cream.

     

 One slice removed shows the fresh fruit and fresh whipped cream filled center.

  My mother used to make this cake when I was a young girl. 

Bake some happy memories for your family and friends this Fourth of July weekend ;~)

For extra party fun and drama why not wear a ricerafferty tutu skirt to the party or picnic?

Ricerafferty now featured on http://www.save-on-crafts.com/glowbys4.html website.