August 27, 2011 In art, drawing, illustration, skill By Patricia Saxton

Old Tree

“storms make trees take deeper roots.” ~ Dolly Parton

Impending east coast storms have me thinking about the power of nature… and for some reason, a drawing I did many years ago came to mind. It’s quite large for a pen and ink, and took a long bit of time. I had been in a very meditative place, and became lost in the leaves and bark and majesty of the tree; the strokes of the pen were both welcoming and healing… and it remains one of my favorites.

"Old Tree" / © Patricia Saxton

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August 24, 2011 In art, branding, communication, creativity, photography By Patricia Saxton

“where in the world is peace?”… on the move!

Remember, all you need is a “52 Weeks of Peace” totebag (if you don’t have one yet, you can get one here) and a camera.

Take a picture of your “52 Weeks of Peace” tote in various locations, send me your images with a note about location (ie;, Colorado, Paris, South Africa, Quebec, New York City). I”ll post them here, and on my “52 Weeks of Peace” facebook page. No names or addresses, just pictures will be publicly posted~ & as long as you’re okay with that, please send them in!

Let’s make peace fun, and let’s see “where in the world” peace goes…

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August 22, 2011 In appreciation, art, communication, creativity, design, inspiration By Patricia Saxton

A Plethora of P’s / #34: Paper

proactively punctuating life with the plausible, powerful possibilities of positive thought presented through a plethora of “P’s”.

– ♥ –

Paper is a wonderful thing. So practical and so versatile!

Needless to say, paper has been a key player in my life as artist and writer, so my appreciation might be over the top.

You see, paper isn’t just a vehicle for grocery lists or movie tickets or plain paper towels… a crisp, blank piece of paper is a breath of fresh, new air, an open field to run through, a drawing or a story waiting to spring to life between each finely woven fiber. Wonder and possibility lurk on every piece! … I love paper.

Paper, by the way, has been around since dinosaurs first recorded their alphabet on a sturdy, if not leafy paper known as jurassicyrus ~ more commonly called dinopyrus. Dinopyrus preceded the use of the more well-known Egyptian papyrus scrolls by several million years.

After the dinosaurs, history is more clear. Papyrus, a thick paper-like product made from the flower stem of the papyrus plant, pressed together and dried, first appeared in Egypt around 2500 B.C. Papyrus had a good, long run, but was replaced at some point around the 2nd century B.C. by Greek and Roman parchment, a thinner sheet made from calfskin, sheepskin or goatskin. Later, in 105 A.D., Chinese inventor Ts’ai-Lun was credited with the first papermaking process, creating paper by pulping rags, cotton, hemp and and other plant fibers.

It wasn’t until 1838 that paper was made from wood pulp, a discovery by Canadian farmer Charles Fenerty. But Fenerty never patented his process, so that German inventor Fredrich Keller, who did patent a wood-pulp papermaking process around the same time, is often considered the original inventor.

And there you have it. Hope you’ll have a new respect for paper. Don’t waste it ~ but do appreciate it!

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August 18, 2011 In art, branding, communication, creativity, photography By Patricia Saxton

“Where in the world is peace?”

Okay, so I got this crazy idea.

(and I give an award of brilliance to my daughter for the headline!)

The message of peace can have many forms, and be shared in many ways ….. in fact, a friend of mine brought a “52 Weeks of Peace” journal to someone in Nepal, which gave me an idea: Let’s have a little fun with peace!

All you need is a “52 Weeks of Peace” totebag (if you don’t have one yet, you can get one here) and a camera.

Take a picture of your “52 Weeks of Peace” tote in various locations, send me your images with a note about location (ie;, Colorado, Paris, South Africa, Quebec, New York City). I”ll post them here, and on my “52 Weeks of Peace” facebook page. No names or addresses, just pictures will be publicly posted~ & as long as you’re okay with that, please send them in!

Let’s make peace fun, and let’s see “where in the world” peace goes…

If you look, you can find peace almost anywhere .. and it’s there to be discovered, nurtured, given room to breathe in your own soul.  Peace really does “start here”, with you, and with me.

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August 16, 2011 In appreciation, art, books & stuff, branding, communication, creativity, design, illustration, imagination, inspiration, networking, social media By Patricia Saxton

52 Weeks of Peace / Peace Starts Here

Excitement! The “52 Weeks of Peace” book is almost ready…!

In the meantime, we’ve established a 52 Weeks of Peace / Peace Starts Here facebook page ~ please come on over and join in, “like” the page, let your voice be heard, spread some peace, share the love… see you there!

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August 15, 2011 In appreciation, art, communication, creativity, design, inspiration, intelligence, presentation By Patricia Saxton

A Plethora of P’s / #33: Posture

proactively punctuating life with the plausible, powerful possibilities of positive thought presented through a plethora of “P’s”.

– ♥ –

Mom always said to stand up straight. And at some point in the awkward growing up years, I realized she was right (of course). Standing “straight and tall” looks better, it feels better (when you get used to it), and it’s good for you.

Your posture speaks volumes without saying a word ~ not only projecting confidence outwardly, but inwardly. You can stand straight, head high, belly in, shoulders back and relaxed, or you can slouch in varying degrees of slump-dom… just know that how you choose to carry yourself matters to both your physical and mental health, ultimately affecting your general well-being.

And while you’re busy sitting up a little straighter, remember: the same benefits hold true for how you posture your thoughts. Are your thoughts life-affirming or life-diminishing? Do they reach up or look down? Are they strong or limp, flexible or rigid? Are they aligned with your actions? Aligned with your heart?

What we think, and how we think it, has enormous influence in the well-being of a moment, a day, a year, a lifetime.  As Buddha said, “What we think we become.”

And what’s really cool is that the simple act of “standing up straight” helps the positive flow of the thoughts we think ~ and vice versa. So it’s a win-win.

Mom sure was smart.

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August 9, 2011 In art, fine art By Patricia Saxton

Announcing: A 9/11 Reflective Art Exhibition

This September 11th marks the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. We have all felt the effects of that day, individually and collectively, our reactions ranging from a deeply personal emotion to public outcry.

It is my privilege and honor to be a participating artist in the 9/11 art exhibit described below. I hope those of you in the New York metropolitan area will be able to attend and experience this very special showing.

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In recognition of the tenth anniversary of 9/11, New Jersey City University will present “AFTERWARDS and FORWARD: A ten-year 9/11 reflective art exhibition,” a group show featuring works by 18 international artists, including Joel Meyerowitz, Yoko Ono, and Ultra Violet, as well as two works on loan from the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.

The exhibit will be on display from Monday, August 29 through Tuesday, September 27, in the Visual Arts Gallery, 100 Culver Avenue in Jersey City. An artists’ reception will be held 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. on Monday, September 12.

On loan from the National September 11 Memorial & Museum will be Milton Rosa-Ortiz’s “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil,” a lightbox with World Trade Center debris, and Werner Pfeiffer’s artist’s book, “Out of the Sky-9/11 a tribute.” Among other works featured in the exhibit will be Mr. Meyerowitz’s “Nov. 12, 2001, 2001 North Tower Shroud in Smoke and Spray,” a photograph from his “Aftermath: Images from Ground Zero, 2001” series; Yoko Ono’s wish tree, and Ultra Violet’s sculpture, “IX XI.”

Exhibiting artists will also include Hugo Bastidas, an NJCU professor of art; Richard A. Buntzen, a 2009 NJCU alumnus; Nemat El-Nasser, Carole A. Feuerman, Ben Jones, NJCU professor emeritus of art; Thierry Palau, Duda Penteado, José Rodeiro, an NJCU professor of art; Herb Rosenberg, NJCU professor and chair of art; Patricia Saxton, Jacqui Taylor-Basker, Raul Villarreal, and Chee Wang Ng. Works by these artists include paintings, collages, prints, sculpture, graphic designs, a film, and an installation.

“AFTERWARDS and FORWARD” considers the implications of the momentous events of 9/11 and endeavors to shed light on a host of prevailing issues about violence in the world and to promote dialogue, deeper reflection, meditation, and contextualization relating to or emerging from the 9/11 disaster.

Works selected for the exhibition include works created in the wake of 9/11 or its ensuing war-on-terror in any medium and works about peace created after 9/11. Three themes are represented in the exhibition: artistic responses to 9/11; artistic responses to the war on terror; artworks to promote peace efforts. Each artist whose work has been selected for the exhibit has demonstrated a strong commitment to anti-war issues throughout his or her career.

The tenth anniversary of 9/11 holds great significance for both Jersey City and New Jersey City University. Jersey City served as the primary staging-area for aid, support, search-rescue, organization, escape, and clean-up. With its uniquely ethnic faculty and student population representing 57 languages, NJCU is a microcosm of the diverse socio-economic populations impacted by the events of 9/11.

Gallery hours are 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and by appointment. For further information call Dr. Midori Yoshimoto, NJCU director of campus galleries, at  (201)200-2197.

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A reminder will be posted as the event draws closer.

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August 5, 2011 In art, creativity, design, imagination, inspiration, photography By Patricia Saxton

A Plethora of P's / #32: Play

proactively punctuating life with the plausible, powerful possibilities of positive thought presented through a plethora of “P’s”.

– ♥ –

“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.”  ~ Plato

Last year I did a post about the importance of play. And I still couldn’t feel more strongly that play is not only important, but essential for health and happiness of mind, body and soul.

Maybe some of you feel the same ~ I know I’m not alone in working long hours, and feeling some of life’s rather large stresses in a big way. Which, although we may not find the time, is all the more reason to make the time for play.

Doesn’t have to be a week-long affair (although a month would suit me fine right about now!); doesn’t even have to be a whole day or whole night. More might be better, but even a little can go a long way. So have a laugh with a friend, skip down the sidewalk, do a cartwheel, toss a ball, make lemonade ice cubes, sing a silly song, bend yourself into a letter of the alphabet … just for the fun of it. No other reason required. Period!

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” ~ George Bernard Shaw

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