Edgar Allen Poe's, The Raven, is such an amazing poem. One of my favorites. The inspiration for this matchbox was more from a sense of morning for the lost Lenore. The dreary feeling of the poem, the sense of something looming in the shadows, and the feeling of judgement were elements that came to life for me.

I put this matchbox in my etsy store and included the original poem. Poe gets all the credit for this interpretation!

Edgar Allen Poe.




"...suddenly there came a tappig."



"Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!"



"And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted - nevermore!"



"...memories of Lenore."

Altered Matchbox!

Oh, what a serene joy! I can't begin to describe how tranquil this creation is. It was hard to tell what it was turning into until I "went with the flow." I am planning to put it in my etsy store, but it is so hard to part with it!

It's a new year, and that means it's time to bring in the new art projects. I am so thrilled to finally be able to get back into my artwork after taking a leave for schooling. I feel invigorated and inspired.

I have re-opened my store at etsy.com and I will be adding new things routinely.

I've recently become interested in making little goddess dolls. It began with some gifts I made for family and friends and suddenly I found a real connection with these dolls. It happens sometimes with artwork when you're in the right creative groove and all the wheels and gears are moving properly. Somehow the work just takes on an energy of it's own and consequently you're up into the wee hours of the morning dreaming of designs.



I started researching the history behind goddess dolls and spirit dolls and I realized that a variety of cultures have incorporated such dolls into their culture at one time or another. Dolls are in fact reflective of the culture from which they originate so it isn't surprising to find a broad spectrum of these cultural representations. Most importantly I find, is that these dolls are an amazing conduit for the artist where the creative spirit connects with the soul. This is probably what drew me to them. Like altered art, the Spirit Doll is unique and uniformly different in it's representation if the artist is true to his or her individual sense of self expression. It's a wonderful experience just to hold these dolls, to feel their presence in your living space, and to feel the comfort of the symbolism that evokes the mind, the heart, and the soul.



For my part, I enjoy evolving and trying new things, experiencing new areas of self expression and yes, spirituality. Art, like life, is a journey. The destination isn't really the point. For those who create, I hope you will embrace the journey and find yourself in the process. For those who have already found yourselves, I hope you will share your journey with others.