*Seeing*

Seeing. 

Right Here. 

Right where I am.

Yesterday morning I went for a walk.

Here.  At home.

As an afterthought ~ I grabbed my camera.

My camera is a window.

To my world.

That sharpens my sight.

With it in my hand ~ I look ~ I peer into my world.

Where some worship with song. . .

My worship of God is best expressed

In delight of really seeing

My worship instrument is not a piano

Not a guitar

A camera.

In Ecclesiastes, it urges..."Do not let the foreigners steal your joy"

Foreigners to God's perfect creation

like weeds, sickness, tangled webs of wounded hearts, harsh winds on the face & soul, plagues.

Look past the foreigners to see the beauty that is still there

Despite the fallen world around us.

His glory is still here.

To see.

To savor.

Gold is not found in a mountain of pure shimmer.

It is found in the deep dirty darkness

Of a mine.

It takes looking.

Seeing.

Focus.

This prairie is a mine.

Filled with beauty.

It just takes looking.

Focusing.

Savoring the beauty

among the thorns, the grasshoppers, the wind, the mud.

It takes intention.

My camera

Gives me intention.

Helps me see and celebrate

And savor the season that I am in.

Spring. 

Thirty-six years old. 

Wife of a handsome good-hearted rancher. 

Mom to kids 10, 8, 3.

There is much to savor

About each of these seasons.

Right where I am.

Right here.

Seeing.

C~2010 Jodene (Jodi) Shaw

Artistic Mother Project

The Artistic Mother by Shona Cole is a treat I bought for myself recently.  And what good is a book that just gets read, but inspires no action??  So I committed to do the projects in it.  Week 1 was making my own background papers and Week 2 is a poetry journal.  My mom will be so excited that Week 3 is a "poetry tote" which requires that I sew!  Really stretching my wings here.  It has taken me a month to get the first two projects done...doing a little here, a little there.  I definitely do not sit down and do an entire project in one setting.  This was about 17-step project!  But fun!

So in the poetry journal, there's a copy of a photo of my Grandma Marj and me (about 2 yrs. old) taken by my Aunt Linda, I believe.  There's a quote from Roger Tory Peterson...Grandma's favorite bird book were always "Peterson".  A bit of my friend Shelane's precious handwriting.  A stamp from a check mailed by one of my MK customers, a bit of scrap paper that was part of the wrapping of my robin's nest necklace gift from Jim, and the background paper that I made in the first project...and some various odds & end from my scrapbook supplies.

I made a weekly to-do list from one of my background papers.

And chore-lists for the kids...

My Syd

In this face

I see

answered prayers.

Victory over a struggle.

Sincere smiles.

Not forced.

But easy smiles.

A thankful mom.

Cast all your cares on Him, for He cares for you.

photos~poem, copyright 2010 Jodene(Jodi)Shaw

Mother's Day 2010

Erin Grace has been waiting for the dandelions to turn white. . .

we went to the yard a couple weeks ago to pick dandelions

I told her we could not pick them if she wanted them to turn white

And that we'd have to wait.

So she said, "Ok, let's lay down right here and wait."

At last, Mother's Day . . .she says, "Oh LOOK!  There's white flowers . . . and so I wrote the experience as my first entry in my poem journal {one of my projects from The Artistic Mother by Shonna Cole}.

And my Jim remembered the Robin's Nest necklace I loved from Hazelnut Cottage . . . 3 eggs for my 3 babies.  Yes, that's my pores, my scars, my wrinkles, and my new favorite piece of jewelry...took the picture myself.  I'd call it a "reverse macro".

Sydney Jo had a sweet little piggy that she made for me to go with the little lady bug from last Mother's Day.  And my son made lovely stationary that he hand-stamped.

~A beautiful day to be a mom~A beautiful day of life~

Being an Artist = Being Brave

Last week Jim & I attended the Home Show in Rapid City, and I had one of the best compliments from a complete stranger. A young lady that paints murals and faux finishes was sitting in her booth surrounded by samples of her art. I walked up to look at her portfolio and her mother or aunt sitting beside her said, "Well, here is a sister artist. I can just tell. Look at your jewelry." It had never occurred to me before that the way I dressed could identify me as an artist. And. . . I can't remember anyone ever specifically naming me an artist. But it was like a tiny glimmering sparkle of a little-girl dream within me was affirmed and encouraged to step out.

Yes. I own it. I have dreamed of being an artist. In fact, the high school extracurricular activity that was probably the most authentic to me was "Art Club." I have loved and appreciated many forms of art. Writing. Photography. Sketching. Collage. Scrapbooking. And now. . . mixed media where I bring all of them together.

So. . . inspried by mixed media artist Kelly Rae Roberts' book Taking Flight and her blog . . .as well as my desire to "tell my story". . . I've decided to start sharing my artist's and spiritual journey ~ ~

So, I share, so that I can show the growth and process of finding my unique art & story to express ~ another layer of finding and using my voice ~ This is just a sketch of an idea that I want to develop...conceptual art...expressing personal & spiritual transformation.

Sharing my art is another step in living my authenticity ~ scary ~ yet free ~ another step in embracing the true me ~

It's just another way of telling my story ~ those hearing me speak at the Winter Women's Retreat will see elements of that story in my art ~

The wings are not fairy wings and they are not angel wings. The wings are the symbol of a new, changed, transformed life. A more authentic life. A life that has underwent metamorphosis. That is my story.

Text & Art by Jodene (Jodi) Shaw 2010

Thanks to Kelly Rae Roberts Mixed Media Artist www.kellyraeroberts.com and Webster Pages for patterened papers, K & Company for chip board butterfly stickers.

~letting her lead me to my art~

Sometimes I am selfish when I want to create~I just want it to be my time. But then that inner core value within me of savoring life right where I am {which includes being a mom of delightful and full~of~life kids} wakes up and says, "THIS is one of those moments". To savor~to share before it is gone. Savor it and share it while you have it.

If I create my "studio" at my dining room table, Erin is sure to exclaim, "I want to PAINT!!" And so... this was one of those days that she painted and I grabbed my camera and blended my art with hers. Beautiful and messy. I love it! I love it when it "works". When I just let her take the lead and I follow ~ because, really and truly, I love to photograph. And if I am photographing, I am content. So if I give her the lead, I can follow along with my camera and thoroughly enjoy myself.

But sometimes, I'm crabby and selfish, and then it doesn't work. And I never find my "creative zone". . .

But in times like these my "creative zone" finds me because I let go . . . and let her lead . . .

Signs of spring. . .


























It is chilly and warm. . . messy and beautiful . . . exhausting and refreshing. . . hopeful . . .




It is the perfect season for the paradox of Easter. . . we remember The death and The new life of Christ. . . that the old within us may die and the new may come . . . because we can be united with Christ in His death and in His new life. A mystery indeed. But a glorious one. . .














Spring tells the story better than I can with words. . .or perhaps my niece Katie said it best, "This is the best day ever!"
Photos: Saturday morning, March 13, 2010


Photos & text copyright 2010 Jodene (Jodi) Shaw