Famico's Legacy

“Beginning is easy - continuing hard”
~Japanese proverb

" Uematsu"

(I made this piece in 2005 for my mother it holds a family photo from 1912 of her grandmothers family, the ruler, buttons and snaps came from my grandmothers sewing box)

my sister brought over a box of photos last week for me.
Last night I sorted through these family photos that I have never seen before...
but what was stunning was the journey that these photos have made...

My Great Grandmother Famico ( we called her o-baa-chan) came to the united states from Tattori, Japan when she was just 15 to wed in 1912 these photos were never shared with us and only discovered after her death (she lived to be 98, so she was in my life well into my 30's and my children were blessed to have 5 generations around them)

In 1942 Famico and Aisso packed up there family (3 boys and 1 girl) only taking what they could carry and were were imprisoned during World War II at Manzanar
In 1945 they were released, but the price my grandmother paid was that she lost her husband
(he died in camp from the results of a appendicitis),
Her home all there money and the family business that she and her husband had created. once released her family in Japan begged her to return but she choose not to stay in California to raise her family... She Kept so much of her self hidden from all of us, looking back is never a choice in a Japanese household, we must only move forward: a good way to lives one's life for the most part but it would have been nice if she has shared a little more of her personal legacy with us.
(these photos were taken before Famico left japan in 1912)

so with these photos in hand I will try to piece together a story of her life and her journey and her legacy will not be forgotten.

When the time comes, even a rat becomes a tiger.
~Japanese proverb

I turn to Thee

Artists don't get down to work until the pain of working is exceeded by the pain of not working.
~ Stephen DeStaebler

I spent yesterday in my studio...
I started a lot of projects,

I even did a few affirmation pillow wings and put them for sale on etsy .


"I turn to Thee"

Would you like a peek into my creative process?
it goes a little like this:
my studio days start around 8:40 after the kids are off to school....
more often then not its starts with putting stuff away...
now after a large project there are always lost of scraps of papers and piles of fabric and I must say now that I have a rottery cutter there is a lot more cast offs.

now yesterday as I sat at my table and pulled out the trash and started to toss stuff out I found a small paper snippet with the words "I turn to Thee" came across my hands... so I put it aside then a small felt heart that I had cut out was also found so this went in the keep pile... then a very small shard of mica started it all... it was just the size of the words "I turn to Thee"
so I pulled out my diamond glaze and sandwiched the word between the mica...


I reached for my my punch that I have used cents I was in high school (I used to make my own leather sandals, my aunt is 10 years older then me and was a flower child and she and I would always craft together) I punched holes in the heart and and started to burn it a little with a tea light candle (I have found that this size of this flame works the best and gives you the most control when burning fabrics)


After I toured the little felt heart I dug a little in my pile on my desk I found a little wad of red and black thread ( I do keep a small cup with thread castoffs as I like the texture it adds to my work) I started to wrap it around the heart I then used resin covered papers for the wings.

I took a piece of 100% wool felt and wet it with hot watter and then put it in the dryer so it would fatten up for more texture, then I started to build up the layers of fabric and papers, I then took the piece over to my sewing machine to stitch it all up then I hand stitched the heart to the base and added french knots and freestyle cross stitches. I used Golden Fluid Iridescent Bronze (Fine) (this is hands down my favorite most used paint color to give a aged luster to any piece) and with my finger rubbed it on different parts of the surface.
and here is how it looks in a frame.

"From thee I turn to Thee, And find love in Thine eyes."

wings of love (reflection pillows)

“You were born with wings. Why prefer to crawl through life?”
~Rumi

(Trio of wing reflection pillows. one side of the wing has a verse the over holds a altered bone bead with a word of reflection tucked in a lace pocket.)

“We are each of us in this world an angel with only one wing. In order to fly we must embrace each other.”
~Lucretius

("thy heart " is a altered bone bead that can be removed from its lace pocket, fresh watter pearls and garnets embellish the front and back of the wing)

“The reason birds can fly and we can't is simply that they have perfect faith, for to have faith is to have wings”
~James Matthew Barrie

Something opens our wings. Something makes boredom and hurt disappear. Someone fills the cup in front of us: We taste only sacredness.
~Rumi

"Honor, glory, might, and merth, Thine shall ever be."

(side view of lace pocket on wing.)

i thank you God for most this amazing…

i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes
(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun’s birthday;this is the birth
day of life and love and wings:and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)
how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any–lifted from the no
of all nothing–human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?
(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)
~e.e. cummings

"The secret of my life to learn."

Thy Truth Shall Be Given

Denial is a evil thing..


I am a apple girl to the bone! but I do know that PC's are out there so when I was updating my site I took a look at it on my son's PC lap top (with only one squinting eye mind you) just to see how it all looked...
I wanted to cry there were not 3 amazing columns... I had worked so hard on the new format and I was so happy with the way my blog looked. I did not want to believe my eyes... so I barred my head and decided that it was only my son's PC that everyone else could see three rows just like me...

but as sure as I like to view the world thorough rose colored glasses, I had to admit that something was not right with my blog so this morning I asked a PC friend how my blogged looked and she told me what I did not want to hear that it was just one long running line.
so I did a little fix and now all is well in blog land :)

I made this little pocket affirmation pillow today.
I was channeling my inner Tibetan, I think when I made it.
this moving verse is from a hymnal book, if you can not make it out through the organza it reads:

Sure as Thy truth shall last,
To Zion shall be given
The brightest glories earth can yield,
And brighter bliss of heaven.

unfold your wings

I have been lost in the little details of my life...
My artist doors have been closed, I have been stumbling in my studio the last few days trying to get back into the zone, The ideas try to come but nothing is quite right, My hands and my heart have been in two different places it seams. But in the back of my head I can hear Catharine cheering me on and saying "just play Ruth, do what makes YOU happy."

Over this last year I have been so blessed to have encountered much personal and professional growth, I am grateful that my life has slowed down a little now and over the last past month I have been very still within myself, trying to hear my own true voice once more, A few days ago I found this amazing section from Rumi, Masnavi III,1616-23
it has captivated me and I have been reflecting on it over and over:
Unfold your wings

Just as staying home is easy for some.
traveling comes easily to others.
Each of us was made for some particular kind of work,
and the desire for that work.
has been placed in our hearts.
How should hand and foot
be set in motion without desire?
If you see your desires leading towards the heavens,
unfold your wings and clam it;
but if you see your desire bends to the earth,
keep lamenting.
The wise weep at the beginning;
The foolish beat there heads at the end.
Discern the end from the beginning
so that you may not be repenting
when the day of reckoning arrives.
~ Rumi

Yesterday I got to meet up with two amazing art girls.
Kristen Robinson and Karen Cole

It was A perfect southern California day at the Huntington library and gardens .
We were all captivated by the 15th century books that were on view (my fingers were itching to pass over the pages!) Enjoyed a delicious English Afternoon Tea, followed by a walk around the grounds. Giggling all along the way!
Reflation is good and personal growth is necessary, but living life in the now is what it is truly about! so its time for me to open the doors and let life shine in!

Quilting Arts gift

I just got my issue of Quilting Arts gift (you can order a copy here)
The Cover art is the handy work of Beryl Taylor, who's inspiring work I just discovered! and who's book I just ordered! and can not wait to get my hands on!
(How have I never noticed her work!? I must be guilty of hiding under my own little mixed media rock!)



In this issue you will also find a article by me, on how I create fabric cones,
cheek out Quilting Arts Gifts Online Extras and you can see the back of this cone here.


and because this was a special Holiday issue they asked all the contributing authors to send in a hand made Holiday card, you can see all our cards here.

(My Holiday card)

art quotes
There's no retirement for an artist, it's your way of living so there's no end to it.
::: Henry Moore :::

Take the attitude of a student, never be too big to ask questions, never know too much to learn something new.
::: Og Mandino :::

I dream a lot. I do more painting when I'm not painting. It's in the subconscious.
::: Andrew Wyeth :::

You're sitting there with your muse and your muse is telling you something and you’re following it, and you end up the next day looking at it and thinking "what the hell was the muse saying to me?"
::: Nathan Oliveira :::

change

“To receive everything, one must open one's hands and give”
~Taisen Deshimaru

I spent the better part of yesterday working on my website.... there are a few more things I need to add and tweak and add but for the most part I am done!


Sarah my daughter took this picture of my hands:


after she said "mom your hands look old!"
ouch! she was right! but they are my hands and I do love them so! They are so good to me!
so with old in mind I swiftly turned them sepia then I started to photo shop the heck out of the image.... now please keep in mind I know just enough photo shop to know that I need to learn more about it! But I was happy with how this turned out.

as you can see I took the dive and started to change the look of my blog.
I have wanted to get a 3 columns blog skin for some time now, but now that I have it I am not so sure I like it. but I did find this great site if you have blogger you need to take a peek here

I have been detached from my art studio for almost a month now... but next week I will start working again as I have a few projects that I need to get started on. I think this rest away has been good for me, new ideas have needed to take shape in my head now lest just see if I can work them out and into some new art from me.

Now when ever I think about hands and change... this song always comes to mind :)

My own two hands
By: Ben Harper

I can change the world
With my own two hands
Make it a better place
With my own two hands
Make it a kinder place
With my own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands
I can make peace on earth
With my own two hands
I can clean up the earth
With my own two hands
I can reach out to you
With my own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands
I'm going to make it a brighter place
With my own two hands
I'm going to make it a safer place
With my own two hands
I'm going to help the human race
With my own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands
I can hold you
In my own two hands
I can comfort you
With my own two hands
But you've got to use
Use your own two hands
Use your own
Use your own two hands
Use your own
Use your own two hands
With our own
Our own two hands
With our own
Our own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands