Catching up on CED, and heART swap.

Well, I recognize how lame it is that it has been a very very long time since I posted with my CED projects. I have been sketching here and there, and doing art, some needle-felting. It is ironic that this month's theme is home, because I have really really been focused on my home the last two weeks. My husband had surgery, then my daughter and I got the vomiting/stomach flu/norovirus. I am also 32-33 weeks pregnant, so I am exhausted after taking care of people and my home all day.

Still, I have thought about CED everyday, and sometimes I get to sketch, even if it is just crayons and paper with Beatrice. As most everyone that reads here knows, I maintain a daily blog called still life 365, which is a blog for parents who have lost a child through pregnancy loss, stillbirth or neonatal loss. I post a piece of art every day from a different person. It is amazing, and I feel incredibly privileged to be privy to art in this way, and to share it with our little community. So, even when I don't get to do some kind of daily creative, I help spread the art-y love around. One of my favorite features of still life 365 is the newly started section called Artist to Artist. I interview a grieving artist about their art and grief. This past Sunday, I interviewed Kara Jones aka Mother Henna. You can read that right here. She is also participating in the CED challenge. The previous interviewee was Ines, again, she is also participating in CED. I promise that it isn't a conspiracy. I just am familiar with their work and their sons and their grief. I just love those conversations, and wanted to share them. When I think about home, I think about good conversation, comfort food, relaxing, art and ease.

Speaking of Ines and Kara, yesterday, I received my three cards from the the amazing heART swap. The awesomest part of the package was receiving work from some of my favorite artists--I knew everyone! I received a beautiful painting from Mother Henna herself:

 

The second one I received was from someone who has submitted a few times to still life 365, Amy McCarter. Her work is so moving and important. Her paintings are amongst the most commented upon on still life 365, which means she is resonating with a lot of other grieving parents. I personally had my breath taken away with this one.

And lastly, but certainly not leastly, the amazing Ines' carved heart rock found its way into my home. I feel so blessed.

I am in love with this heART, and now have to find a beautiful place for them. Has to be the altar, but we will see...My three contributions are needle-felted cards, which I have posted about before.

Beyond that, yesterday, I had a jizo commission. To be honest, I have a few commissions waiting for inspiration. I can't tell you why I haven't quite been able to muster the emotional strength to paint them, I just cannot. But jizos, I also paint them immediately. They require all my attention, my meditation strength, and my grief-focus. This one in particular was from a woman to her brother and his wife after the loss of their twins at 19 weeks. I couldn't let it sit in my inbox, so despite the constant cooing for Mama, I closed the door, meditated and painted. Here it is. The words represent the six realms and are also a haiku. I feel more inspired to tackle the other ones. Now, if I can just find the time...