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. : About me : .
 Name::Sapphire Dakini From::Santa Fe, NM, United States "The secret of life is in art." - Oscar Wilde View My Profile . : Artist Statement : .
My art is an exploration of the importance of change and releasing the past, especially the people and situations
that hinder personal growth, empowerment and transformation. The utilization of mythic figures, archetypes, motifs
and themes allows me to explore letting go of the familiar, safe and secure in order to travel to the dark, often
frightening, places of the soul. In this way, I've learned to trust my inner voice and honor my soul's need for
expression and challenge. . : Recent Posts : .
Words of Wisdom from the Daily Om . : Archives : .
May 2005 . :Blog Rings : .
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. : Social Media : . . : Daily Om : .
. : Portfolio : .
www.flickr.com
This is a Flickr badge showing public photos from Sapphire_Dakini. Make your own badge here.
. : Printmaking : .
. : Masks : .
. : Memberships : .
Artists Foundation . : Yahoo Groups : .
Art Dollz . : Blogrolls : .
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Tuesday, October 31, 2006The Wheel of the Year Turns "On this night of Samhain, I mark your passing, O Summer Sun, through the sunset into the Land of the Young. I mark also the passing of all who have gone before, & all who will go after. O gracious Goddess, Eternal Mother, You who gives birth to the fallen, teach me to know that in the time of the greatest darkness there is the greatest Light."
Blessed be! Labels: wicca 
 The colors in this needleweaving are really much more vibrant than they appear here. It's a beautiful shade of winey pink with cobalt blue frosted & gold beads.Labels: needleweaving
Monday, October 30, 2006Meadowlands Another needleweaving added to my inventory. Thought I would try scanning it instead of photographing it. Labels: needleweaving
Sunday, October 29, 2006What I'm Reading "In Carol O'Connell's novel Stone Angel, Kathleen Mallory ventures from the rugged streets of New York City to the small Louisiana town of Dayborn, where her mother was killed 17 years earlier. In that distant southern town, an angry mob stoned her mother to death. Mallory has now discovered that her mother's body has vanished & the only remaining trace is a stone angel in the cemetery. This only intensifies Mallory's desire to uncover her mother's killer & seek revenge.The brutal murder happened when Mallory was 6. As a result, she became a thief before being rescued from the streets of New York City by a police officer who would later become her adoptive father. Returning to Dayborn like an avenging angel, Mallory soon finds herself in jail, accused of murdering an evangelist near her old house. But there is no way that Mallory will let a few metal bars stop her from executing the revenge that she has been planning for so many years. As she pursues the truth, Mallory's determined search leads her to people who have much to warn her about & just as much to hide. Told from the point of view of Kathleen's best friend, Charles Butler, the book is rounded out with such interesting characters as the mute sculptor Henry Roth, young deputy Lilith Beaudare, & autistic Ira Wooley." Labels: books
Saturday, October 28, 2006Caribbean So, it's 4 new needleweavings this week. I finally seem to be getting things back on track here. I think I'm going to have to buy a new digital camera. It seems as though no matter what I do or what settings I use, my photos are fuzzy. I even broke down & read the instruction manual to no avail. Of course, this camera is 3 years old so I'm sure the technology has improved considerably. It's been pouring rain since late last night so it was the perfect day to sleep late then get caught up on all of the odds & ends of life. The loft has been cleaned, groceries were delivered & put away, all of the burnt out lightbulbs were replaced (Why is it that all of the lightbulbs seem to burn out at the same time?), supplies were sorted & put away, & the unending piles of magazines & books are back on their respective shelves. Labels: needleweaving
Thursday, October 26, 2006Mardi Gras It's been a productive week so far. I've completed 3 new needleweavings in preparation for submitting my work to the Boulder Artist Cooperative in Boulder, CO. These are fairly small so I'm trying to finish at least 1 per day.Unfortunately, I feel like I'm coming down with the flu. I'm so very tired & I just can't seem to get warm. Labels: needleweaving
Wednesday, October 25, 2006What I'm Reading "Myths, legends, a large black hound, & spiritual proof of a visitation from Conan Doyle occupy the country folk of Ledwardine. Former TV personality Ben Foley has sunk his last shilling into Stanner Hall. Although the Baker Street League has declined to hold its next conference at the Victorian mansion, The White Company, a group determined to contact Conan Doyle psychically to prove his Hound of the Baskervilles was based on local legend, has booked rooms. Independent TV producer Anthony Largo, whom Ben has talked into filming the proceedings, seems especially keen on the project once he meets the lovely hotel manager, Natalie, now sharing digs with reticent farmer, Jeremy Berrows. Also keeping secrets is teenaged chambermaid Jane Watkins, who knows her mum, Rev. Merrily Watkins, Deliverance Consultant for the Church of England, will find the proceedings hogwash. Meantime, local squire Sebbie Dacre, a bad-tempered alcoholic with madness in his family tree, is hiring gunmen & shooting up Jeremy's farm, which used to belong to Sebbie's family. Snow falls... ectoplasm unfurls... & there are sightings of an enormous hound that, according to local legend, is a fatal portent that can be traced 500 years back to the death of Thomas Vaughn."Labels: books
Tuesday, October 24, 2006Oceana Labels: needleweaving
Monday, October 23, 2006Geisha I'm thinking about doing a series of kimonos with small polymer clay masks for the faces then mounting them on different types of handmade paper in shadowbox frames. Labels: needleweaving
Sunday, October 22, 2006What I'm Reading "Irene Adler is the beautiful opera singer who bested the best detective in the world, the only woman to ever outwit Sherlock Holmes. She has spent years in self-imposed exile in Europe, in an attempt to reinvent herself & create a new life, because she cannot remember the old one. But now circumstances have forced this diva-turned-detective to investigate a past she doesn't remember--on her home ground.Daredevil reporter Nelly Bly has lured Irene, her faithful chronicler & British parson's daughter Nell Huxleigh, & Holmes himself to America, offering information regarding Irene's parentage. New York City in 1889 proved to be both fascinating & perilous for Irene, & Nelly Bly's information was more harmful than helpful. Because now Irene & her allies--& enemies--must race to follow a deadly trail of hidden personal & political history back in time to the days of the California gold rush, 30 years earlier. They are pursuing the complex & contradictory life story of one of the most notorious women of the 19th century, & before the intrigue-ridden quest is over, Irene & Nell will uncover murderous international political conspiracies, lost treasure, & finally... the full, shocking secret of Irene's birth." Labels: books
Saturday, October 21, 2006Tapestry Cartoon Here's the 1st draft of my 5th tapestry cartoon. I received my shipment of Botanica yarn from Halcyon Yarn this past week & I finally had a few minutes to myself today to unpack the box & start sorting through the colors. My plan for tomorrow is to start working on the color schemes for each of the 5 tapestry cartoons that I've done so far. Labels: tapestry workshop
Friday, October 20, 2006What I'm Reading "Why is it that we destroy the things we love most? This is the question Paulo Coelho faces in this story of his confrontation with his past. The Valkyries is a compelling account of his journey, as Paulo & his wife, Chris, embark on a 40 day quest into the searing heat of the Mojave Desert, where they encounter the 'Valkyries', strange warrior women who travel the desert on motorcycles.This is not only a modern day adventure, it is also an exploration of one man's battle with self doubt & fear, as well as a true story of 2 people striving to understand one another through adversity. Ultimately, The Valkyries delivers a powerful message about forgiving our past & believing in our future." Labels: books
Thursday, October 19, 2006Freeing One's Soul"Come to the edge, he said. They said, we are afraid. Come to the edge, he said. They said, we are afraid. Come to the edge, he said. They came. He pushed them. And they flew." - Guillaume Apollinaire - Sometimes in life you make decisions in good faith & end up on the wrong path with destructive people in your life. No matter how hard you try to make things right, it just isn't meant to be. You have to decide if you're going to play the game or listen to what the universe is trying to tell you & stay true to yourself. Options are weighed, decisions are made. You do the right thing, walk away & your soul is free. Another chapter begins... Labels: life
Wednesday, October 18, 2006Addition to My Art Library "Glasbrook is a tapestry weaver who exhibits widely & teaches from her studio in Devon, England. This introduction to tapestry weaving is an excellent starting point for the beginner, as well as a source of inspiration for the experienced tapestry artist. Using a simple frame loom, she teaches all the basic techniques, illustrating each with small learning projects. A gallery of the author's own works adds to the inspirational value of the book, while the section on mounting & framing tapestries will interest tapestry weavers on all levels." Labels: art books
Tuesday, October 17, 2006Addition to My Art Library "Learn to weave tapestries "outside the box". These are non-rectangular tapestries. Such tapestries can be shaped & lie flat on the wall or they can be three-dimensional. There are many ways to weave a non-rectangular tapestry: shaping the loom itself, using weave structures that cause the weaving to become shapes, & using scaffolds & other devices to hold areas of warp that are then manipulated into 3-dimensional shapes when the weaving is finished." Labels: art books
Sunday, October 15, 2006What I'm Reading "In the Roaring Twenties, 2 worldly young aristocrats embark on a journey to see one of their idols, the sublime Italian actress Eleonora Duse, who, to their utmost delight, has recently returned to the stage. What follows as they prepare for their adventure & later, when they arrive in the Cuban capital, is a hilarious, erotic, & political tragicomedy, told in hallucinatory language, replete with Rabelaisian characters: among them, a quasi-widow who runs her family as if it were an army, sisters too ugly to marry off, a kind friend with the face of a monkey, a hermaphrodite nun, an iconoclastic, dissolute painter, the handsomest communist who ever lived, disheartened phantoms, bands of irresistible Cuban men, transmigrating souls & finally, the very seed of a demon who will one day make the Island his own. As they struggle to meet the celebrated actress, the 2 protagonists find themselves bouncing from the somber offices of the Cuban secret police to an Arabian Nights-inspired ball, to an agitated Lenin tribute & a drum celebration honoring Babalu Aye, to a horrific crime scene in the heart of Havana's Chinatown, & through a world of sordid brothels & interracial orgies. Yet at the heart of "The Last Masquerade" is the sickly, reclusive, & wearied stage legend Eleonora Duse, whose voice is heard at intervals throughout, as if from a distant land, revealing for the first time the story of her private life. She was rivaled in her day only by the great Sarah Bernhardt, & Duse's passing encounters with her 2 aristocratic fans reveal a person different from the one they had imagined: an ordinary woman whose life has been fueled by loss & sorrow, haunted by the fragility of love & by an inordinate intimacy with death, all of which she has used as instruments with which to sharpen her craft." Labels: books
Saturday, October 14, 2006Tapestry Cartoon Here's the 1st draft of my 4th tapestry cartoon. I would like to do 1 of the weavings in black, grey & white then embellish it with fancy fibers & beads. I'm starting to work out the mechanics of adding beads, etc. to the tapestry. I'm really looking for the best way to scale up my needleweavings. Labels: tapestry workshop
Friday, October 13, 2006Tribe.netA friend invited me to join the online community, Tribe.net so I checked it out, liked what I saw, & set up my profile. So far I've made some interesting connections & joined a number of tribes with similar interests. I'm viewing this primarily as an additional arena to promote my art work & maybe make some new friends along the way. Labels: tribe
Thursday, October 12, 2006Tapestry WorkshopThis evening's class was spent building our looms out of 12 in x 16 in stretcher bars then learning to warp the loom. Sounds easy but warping correctly takes practice. You have to get the threads wrapped as tightly as possible then tie off your knot without losing any of the tension. A third hand would be really helpful. I can't believe how stiff & sore my hands are right now. Hopefully next week we'll start working on our designs & the actual weaving of the pieces. I'm really anxious to get started. Labels: tapestry workshop
Wednesday, October 11, 2006Tapestry Cartoon Here's the 1st draft of my 3rd tapestry cartoon. I'm thinking about shades of rose & grey for this one. Labels: tapestry workshop
Tuesday, October 10, 2006Halcyon YarnMy "Yarn Store in a Box" arrived from Halcyon Yarn today so I could hardly wait to get home from the office so I could sort through all of the samples. Forty sample cards of absolutely gorgeous yarn for weaving & other fiber arts. I've settled on Botanica 100% wool for the tapestries that I'm getting ready to start work on. Halcyon also carries the 3/2 Pearl Cotton that I use in my needleweavings in small cones in all colors. Much cheaper than buying it at Pearl Art Supply or Michaels. Labels: weaving
Sunday, October 08, 2006What I'm Reading "Unlike so many others of their graying generation, Tex & Molly of Dublin, ME, refused to abandon their principles for material comforts -- remaining ever-mindful of their place in the natural order... & of the totally alternative gigs & lifestyles of Gods & seasons & celestial bodies. Tex & Molly survived the '60s, the "Me" decade, Reaganomics, & the Republican Revolution.Perhaps 2 aging New England hippies are better suited than most for that long, strange trip to the other side. There is, after all, no Now there, no There there. What there is are ample opportunities for the brazen reinvention of personal realities -- & the chance to commune with angry forsaken deities & down-&-out ancient woodland sprites... not to mention with the Great Devourer of All Things Manifest Itself. But what Was cannot be vacated so easily -- especially for a pair of souls formerly so firmly rooted in the Earth. And with despoilers, witches, wolves, outlaw hackers, & rabid survivalists running wild through the soon-to-be corporately mutated Great North Woods, Tex Bear & Raven Molly are not ready to vanish forever into the fast-moving eddy of Time -- not until they take one last shot at profoundly influencing Eternity -- & this Life that is no longer theirs." Labels: books
Saturday, October 07, 2006Tapestry Cartoon Labels: tapestry workshop
Friday, October 06, 2006Tapestry Cartoon This is the 1st draft of my 1st tapestry cartoon. The next step will be to decide on a color palette. Right now I'm thinking about dark red, black & gold. Labels: tapestry workshop
Thursday, October 05, 2006Tapestry WorkshopThe Tapestry Workshop being taught by Theresa-India Young at the Massachusetts Collage of Art started tonight & I'm very excited about it. Although I've been doing needleweavings for years, this type of weaving is completely new to me. We'll be constructing our own looms, completing 2 small tapestries, as well as, a group weaving project this semester. This will be the first time that I've had to work on any type of communal art project. It should be an interesting experience. Labels: tapestry workshop
Wednesday, October 04, 2006Shimmer Location TransCultural Exchange 516 E. Second Street, Suite 214 Boston, MA 02127 617.464.4086 www.transculturalexchange.org Opening Reception Saturday, November 4, 2006 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm Show November 4 - November 25, 2006 Hours Saturdays Noon - 5:00 pm Sunday, November 5 Noon - 5:00 pm Artists: Nolan Bowie, Bivas Chaudhuri, Matthew Cox, J onathan Field, Dorothea Fleiss, Kathy Goodell, Joanne Handley, Hung I-Ching, Vineta Kaulača, Peter Lindenmuth, Lara Loutrel, Talal Moualla, Susanne Müller-Baji, Urban Ramstedt, Aram Chalid Res, Michal Rebibo, Sasha Schwartz, Maggie Stark, Bryan Warner, Pan Ping-Yu, Judy Ulman, Mary Elizabeth van der Cross & invited guests Labels: TransCultural Exchange
Tuesday, October 03, 2006International Opportunities in the Arts ConferenceInternational Opportunities in the Arts Hosted by TransCultural Exchange Friday, April 27 - Sunday, April 29, 2007 Boston, MA Join speakers from programs around the world to hear about long- & short- term international residency opportunities for artists (working in every media) as well as biennales & other global exhibition possibilities. Come to meet, network & have your work seen by the conference’s distinguished curators, critics & panelists. This is an excellent professional development opportunity, as well as an ideal venue to break into the international art world. Advance conference registration, which includes admission to all the panels, networking events & a private one-on-one consultation with one of the conference’s international guests, curators or critics is $125 + $25 (registration fee). All advance registrations must be received by February 1, 2007. Registrations received after February 1 will be charged the full conference rate of $225. Visit http://www.transculturalexchange.org/conference_2007.htm for additional details & to view the full conference agenda. Labels: TransCultural Exchange
Monday, October 02, 2006Fort Point Open StudiosFriday, October 13 - Sunday, October 15, 2006 Visit the studios of over 200 artists in Boston's Fort Point neighborhood -- New England's largest artists community! Explore the historic warehouse buildings that house painters, sculptors, ceramicists, jewelers, performance artists, book artists, photographers, & more. Look for art installations & performances throughout the neighborhood. Labels: life
Sunday, October 01, 2006Q3 Review & Q4 GoalsGoals are funny things. I went back & looked at what my plans were at the beginning of the year compared to where I am now & I was surprised to find that I'm actually much further along than I thought I was. I guess I should stop beating myself up on a daily basis. Q3 accomplishments...
I've joined several new organizations that I think will be helpful: Q3 seems to have been about finding a creative direction that will continue to be challenging & will allow me to grow as an artist. I've experimented with a lot of different techniques this year & as you can see from the books listed below, textile art, including embroidery & surface design, is what's really engaging my mind. Here's the list of books that I've added to my art library in Q3...
Wow! I didn't realize just how much research & reading I've done over the past 3 months until I put that list together. As far as Q4 goals are concerned...
Labels: life
 "In 12 poems, "Idylls of the King" recounts how Arthur was born through the trickery of Merlin, how he meets his future wife Guinevere, & his ascent to the throne. Once he is king, Arthur creates Camelot, an ideal kingdom where he is loyally served by Sir Lancelot & the knights of the Round Table. The morality of the poem is shattered by Lancelot's affair with Queen Guinevere. Accused & sentenced to be burned at the stake, Guinevere is rescued by Lancelot whereupon the lovers escape to France. As revenge for his betrayal, Arthur leads his army overseas & wages war on his former knight. During his absence, Sir Mordred, Arthur's bastard son—raised by King Lot & Arthur's half-sister Bellicent—seizes the throne & destroys the kingdom. Upon his return Arthur kills Mordred & is mortally wounded. Sir Bedivere carries the wounded Arthur to the lake bordering Avalon where Arthur first received his sword, Excalibur, from the Lady of the Lake. Arthur orders Bedivere to throw the sword back into the lake fulfilling the prophecy written on the blade of the sword. The dying Arthur is carried away to Avalon until the day he returns to free England from tyranny again."Labels: books
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