Joan Baez- a personal hero

Last night I watched a wonderful documentary about the life of musician and activist Joan Baez. It traced her life from the humble beginnings of her folk music career and how her passion for truth defined her. She wrote songs about injustice and the vision of peace in a time of war.
She was outspoken and sullen. Hated by some, loved by others.
She protested for peace along with a generation of pacifists. I always loved that about her. For her, war and killing were never the answer. This is something you either get or you don't. I was struck by the support her parents extended her to encourage her to speak out on volatile issues and stand up for her beliefs. She said she was at her best when she merged her music and politics.

It was these fundamental issues that defined her and led her on a personal journey that has never ended. She fell in and out of love -sometimes with the wrong people. She experimented with life and in the end never wavered from the truths that made her the icon she was. In biblical days, someone who stood so steadfast in their beliefs would have been penned a saint!

I look at her now, she's 68 and stunning. An old soul with a wonderful story! An eloquent, soft spoken soprano who speaks and people still listen. There's power in her words and her message is the same.
Presidents have come and gone. Parties in rule have changed.
Accords have been signed, wars launched, soldiers are fighting, innocent people are still being killed, but her message is still as relevant today as it was 45 years ago...

We must work for Peace.

Through her music, she was able to reach out to a generation, and in doing so embraced the world.
She shared with people
at odds,
at loss,
in their darkest days.
She never gave up!

Who is todays Joan Baez?
Who is the soul - standing steadfast in their beliefs, no matter how unpopular?
Who is taking on the demons?
Fighting the good fight and not backing down.
Standing up for their principles?
Letting people listen?
Reaching out?
Who is todays Joan Baez?

What made Joan Baez beautiful then and now is that she has lived her life on her own terms - no one else's.
She let her be herself. It was who she was.
I think that's what real inner beauty is.
Letting yourself become who you need to be.


Patricia Hecker

Fall is here!!

★´¨)
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(¸.*´ (¸.*`¤~ Awaiting the right person is my Leaves Charm Table. This one of a kind hand made table was designed and built by my husband in our Bloomington Indiana studio. It measures 17.5" (44.5 cm) square and 23" (58.42cm) tall. These fun tables are stamped with a myriad of leaf stamps and adorned with a wide array of handmade, hand stamped beads. Each cluster of charm beads is wired to the table with stainless steel cable and tied atop with torn silk. The earthy nature of this one-of-kind art table shines through and will certainly become a conversation starter in the home of the lucky owner!

The top is cherry with a black apron with cherry trim that is glued in place. Copper tacks accentuate the edge and add a creative hand-forged detail. The legs are stamped with leaves. To make shipping easier, the legs can be unscrewed from the table base. The top has been treated with a good dosing of Danish Oil and then a satin polyurethane finish. It's both a durable and a very usable table. The legs have been treated with Danish Oil.

The beads I have tied/wired on securely, but they are small and may not be best suited for a home with small children, as they could become a choking hazard if disengaged. Cats however, love to walk beneath these fun tables and stir the energy of the dangling beads with their playful tails. Around here we affectionately call them 'tiger tables'.

The price of this table is clearly reflected in the fine craftsmanship and it's unique nature. When you find something one of a kind, the price reflects that fact that whomever owns this has the only one!

I'm including domestic shipping in the price of this art table.
If overseas quotes are required, convo me and I'll be happy to supply them to you.

Weight of the table unboxed is 12 pounds.
Indoor use only.

On my etsy site
475.00

Gracing the top of my Chocolate Lovers Box is this simple but important
remedy.......

•• Chocolate Lovers Survival Kit ••

At the first sign of anger
eat a RED one.
Eat a BLUE one to
minimize depression
To relieve stress,
eat a GREEN one.
If you feel a headache
coming on,
eat an ORANGE one.
To cheer you up
Eat a YELLOW one.
You can eat the BROWN
ones at any time.
If all symptoms occur a
at the same time
EAT THE WHOLE BAG!


On my etsy.com site
50.00
and it's yours!

Coming to my etsy Site Soon....

♣ Needfire Groupies! ♣

♣
A quick little entry about one of my favorite bands- Needfire. They're a Celtic Rock band from Texas. They performed at Cottonwood Arts Festival (Dallas) last weekend. They were scheduled to play last May at the spring show and got rained out. More rain this year, but not enough to stop them or their fans from enjoying their energy.
Then again, what's to stop men in kilts and Doc Martens and great rock music!!!
This is my good good friend Bonnie and I. We're playing hooky from our nearby booths to take in the music and visuals!
Photo was taken by Jon. He too played hooky to catch us watching the band. It was worth it!
♣

♣
Pat

Art Up Close

Some things look even better up close! This may be one of them. It's a close up of my Artists Urn Vessel. Posted to my etsy site today. These large vessels are sold as art pieces but can easily be used to stow the ashes of deceased loved ones or pets. I sold one this week for just that purpose. It gives me an honor you wouldn't believe to know that someone is going to use a vessel my husband and I created for this type of purpose.

I hope you'll take a few minutes to peruse the contents of the recent work I have on my etsy site. It's my 'storefront' for you.
If you see something intriguing, something that causes you to pause, perhaps it is that piece calling your name. Buy it!
I give you permission to do so!!
This is the way the best collectables are acquired! A collection begins with a desire to exhibit passion. It takes passion to open the mind and heart to buy art. To buy something not mass produced - but handmade and executed with the years of dedication, experience and fine tuning it takes to become a fine artist or craftswoman.

It takes love to make it. It takes love to buy it.

It takes the willingness to be aware of these most sensitive characteristics within ourselves to be open to the possibilities.
Life and art are one in the same-letting ourselves be open to the possibilities.
When passion becomes awakened in an individual, they have caught the 'bug' -- the 'high' if you will, of collecting art.
When someone finds something that tugs at their soul---such is the way with buying art.

My job is to create.
Your job is to 'see'.

Together I support your need to have art-
and you help support my life.
I give up something of value to me, my art-
and in turn you give up something of value to in exchange- your money.

This is one of the most primordial of transactions that continues, despite the madness of the world.
It ignites the fire, which for an artist, burns relentlessly.
For the collector-is all consuming.

You, the collector, is no different than me.
Our passion is ART. In this we become one.

Art brings people together much like music.
It lets us breathe and become the symphony of our soul.
It helps us heal.
It keeps us finding the good in every moment-despite life's realities.
It helps us become the best human beings we can be.
It lets us be us.
There is nothing more I need in this world than to be an artist and to be loved.

Buy art-find you passion!!


Patricia

Creating Atmosphere in 100 Square Feet

Yes, 100 square feet is the average art fair booth size. Within the confines of which you need to showcase your work and display it at its best, be able to store extra work and wrap purchases. You need to stop folks passing by long enough to entice them to walk in. Better yet to walk in all the way!
Jon laid out our booth in a new configuration this weekend and achieved that goal!! The booth looks spacious and easy to shop and the beaded curtain continues to elicit ohhhs and ahhs and requests for commissions. This was my hope in creating this gigantic 'beaded beast'!

The tables pictured here will soon head to my etsy shop. Coming soon will be shelves and more beaded items for our valued collectors to peruse!
Thanks everyone for your support of this relatively new body of work. The words and imagery I use have found their way into so many homes and businesses-there really is something here for everyone!

Patricia