The Creative Coloring Craze

While coloring books for children have been around for many years, in part due to the democratization of art by early free-thinkers such as English portrait painter, Joshua Reynolds who founded the Royal Academy of Art in the 18^th century and author Richard F. Outcault, who penned “Buster’s Paint Book” published by the Stokes Company in 1907 based on his 1902 characterBuster Brown. This was the beginning of the trend to use coloring pages to advertise products.  These books, meant to be painted at first, grew in popularity at first as educational and therapeutic tools for children. Their popularity also was helped in part by the invention of crayons in the 1930s. Most of us know how much children love coloring books, since we were all young once, we can all pretty much attest to the fact that we loved them as kids. But while coloring books have been an accepted form of entertainment for children for all these years, it wasn’t until 2015 that coloring books for adults became accepted and popular, and popular they are. It seems that this genre has exploded onto the creative scene. 

Paisleys from "Color Me" book

Perhaps it is because it was thought that as grown-ups we needed to leave childish things behind, and coloring was one of those things we enjoyed as children but as we grew up, we could no longer enjoy such trivial things as entertainment; it had to be something more sophisticated. Or so it was thought.  If sophistication is what was needed for adults to color, then we got it. There are so many choices now in what are called “adult” coloring books and pages. Some of these books are immensely intricate, beautiful, challenging, and more than enough to hold the attention and creative urge. Now you only need to look as close as your nearest supermarket or department store isle, and there are a multitude of relatively inexpensive coloring books for us grown-ups coloring aficionados.  Online, I found hundreds (I’m sure there are thousands) of sources with free coloring pages to download, for adults and children, as I previously listed some when I talked about mandalas to color. 

Owl from "Color Me" book

As for myself, I’ve never hid the fact that I still colored in coloring books and even though I like to create my own works of art as entertainment and a pastime, I still enjoy coloring. I have included two of my own designs. Feel free to print them off to color, although my scanner is not the best and added some shadowing, they may still work.

Renaissance Romance-Marie Cisneros

I used colored pencils for the pages on this post but you can use markers and crayons of course. If using markers, make sure you put a paper beneath so that it doesn't mark up the next page.

Sunshine, lollipops and Rainbows

I picked up a small coloring book a few weeks ago. I have really enjoyed this simple pleasure. It is relaxing and soothing to the psyche. If you have not colored in a book since you were a child, I do recommend picking up one of the latest adult coloring books that interests you, or download and print some from the internet.

The Sun-By Raven Lockhart

 Oh yeah, don't forget to buy yourself a new box of crayons (144 count, so many colors!) Namaste-Mariehelena.

Zentangle hands-Marie Cisneros

Here are a few sites with free coloring pages and sources. 

 Coloring.com

 The Color.com

Crayola.com

Free Coloring Pages

Sources:  Wikipedia. The colored pages are from "Color Me" published by Publications International, Ltd.  Copyright belongs to listed source. 

This blog is for educational purposes only.

Getting Ready for the Holidays

My tree last year

A quick update: For most people this is such a busy time of year! Shopping, shopping, shopping, decorating, and spending time with family. I hope though that you take some time for yourself to just...RELAX! Now I am off to clean my house, take care of some business so I can clean my desk off until the new year, make tamales and finally decorate for our annual Christmas family get-to-gether. It's all fun but its also a lot of work, so I'd best be running.....

                                       SO FROM THE WINGED QUILL WISHING YOU ALL A.....

MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS,MERRY SOLSTICE, HAPPY CHANUKAH, HAPPY KWANZA!!!!

Setting the Mood with colorful Mandalas. (Review)

Wikipedia describes a Mandala as an Eastern Indian religious symbol representing the Universe. Its basic form is a square with four “gates”with the general shape of the letter T, and within this square is a circle and a central point. Depending on the various traditions and practices, a Mandala can be used for focusing a practitioner’s attention or for meditation, although the word in current usage, may also represent a chart, a diagram, or any geometric repeating pattern.

In general, the traditional Hindu  Mandala is a symbol through the orientation of the central area and is said to represent alter and temple with the central point representing the Godhead at the center of all things. Tantric Mandalas comes from this same source and is drawn or painted to help aid in meditation or marked out on the ground for ceremonies.  Eastern Shingon Buddhism shows the Mandala as a lotus with the center and individual petals as the image of the Buddha. Japanese Bddhis regard the concentric design of the Mandala to be representative of the two complementary and identical aspects of the supreme reality. Tibetan Mandalas is used as a guide for the imagination during meditation. In contemporary psychological symbology, Carl Jung said a  Mandala was the symbolic representation or “nuclear atom” of the human psyche and the pictures were used for meditation and to bring a sense of inner peace. The roundness of a Mandala represents wholeness.

Three Pairs of Shoes: One Worthy Cause

Steampunked shoes

A couple of weeks ago, I happened to read about a charity event going on right in my neighborhood at the Watermark Center in Muskegon on April 25, 2015, called “Heels for Meals,” this gala event is to raise money for AgeWellServices. In addition to being a very worthwhile, I thought the whole idea of combining shoe fashion with the concept of wheels was very creative as well as bringing awareness to the community of the ongoing need for bringing meals to those unable to prepare their own meals. This event hopefully will raise the needed funds and encourage more attention towards this issue.

I thought it would be fun to create something for this event. I offered my services to help make some of the displays. Here are the three pairs I designed.

The first pair were my daughter’s witness competition shoes she wore in several events.  I thank her for letting me glitter them up. I named them “Ella at the Ball.”

Ella at the Ball

The other two pairs were purchased at Goodwill Industries. The yellow pair caught my eye right away. These reminded me of something from the 50s or 60s, so I went with it and made them into “Sunshine, Lollypops and Rainbows” from the Leslie Gore song of the same name(RIP Leslie) with gold glitter, laser ribbon, and “lollypops.” The last pair were my favorite because they are “Steampunk” They had to have wings, of course.  Not sure what I would name them, maybe “Steam Stomp” or something. Anybody got any ideas for that?

Sunshine, Lollypops & Rainbows

Meals on Wheels serves individuals in their homes who are unable either purchase or prepare their own meals. This name refers to home-delivered meals programs, although  not all of them are actually named "Meals on Wheels". Those served are usually housebound and many of the recipients are elderly. Many of the volunteers are also elderly but able-bodied and able to drive wheeled vehicles. There are Meals on Wheels programs in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and the United States.

Hopefully I will be able to attend the event. It looks like it will be a fun evening. For more information, call 231-733-8645. 

If you have a comment, question, please contact me. Namaste! - Marie Helena 

The Extraordinary Art of the Celts

Celtic Horses

It was such a gorgeous sun-shiny day here in my neck o’ the woods (along the lake in Michigan) that I had a hard time sitting down and writing my blog! My instinct was to soak up the sun. But finally I got down to the business of getting my resources and photos ready to post. Phew, found out I had a LOT of material on the Celts and Ireland but predominately Scotland and their “ilk” After I started hauling out all the books, artwork, jewelry and ephemera I had collected in my journey to know all that was about my Scottish heritage, it became clear to me that it would take a lot more posts (and maybe another blog) to cover the subject to my satisfaction. So here is a taste of the Celtic world and the Isles in honor of Saint Patrick’s Day next week.

How a generation learned to “Let it Go” instead of “Turning On and Dropping Out”

Artwork-Marie Helena, 1969

I was 16-years-old when Woodstock “happened” in Bethel, NewYork in 1969, a music festival where 400,000 people converged for three days of unbridled joy, “free love,” and over 32 electrifying bands; that in retrospect was a pivotal moment in time, launching the counter-culture of the late 60s and 70s. But besides the “Tuning In” to such iconic greats as the Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix, there was also a lot of “dropping out” with drugs such as heroin, marijuana and “Turning On” with LSD, mescaline, and I am sure many other substances of the psychedelic genre. In the ensuing 45 years since much has been written about Woodstock and its effects and meaning.

I saw reports of this wild event on the news and of course at my age, this seemed to be the ultimate adventure. I felt left out of the whole hippie generation, although I tried to dress the part. But living some 2,000 miles away in San Antonio my mother wasn’t about to let me anywhere near such goings on (thanks mom!). 

Me, age 14, full Hippie Stance

Not to gloss over the meaning of this event in history, but perhaps it was a means to protest the Vietnam War. No doubt, this was part and parcel to it, and was a time of great change in this country, rejection of the "Establishment" and a strong urge to break out of that 50s “perfect family” scenario that was being peddled as the ideals our parents should be striving for. Ideas such as commune living, going back to nature and living off the land, a questioning of religious traditions and incorporating into it new ones such as Hinduism,Sufism,  Buddhism, and Native American belief systems;  as well as a growing knowledge that we are all one, no matter the color of your skin, sex orientation, or religious or other creed were coming to the fore in the minds of many. 

Unfortunately what started out as a budding enlightenment that was poised to take us into the Aquarian age, it dissolved and degraded into discord, disharmony, violence, and rampant drug use. Its possible that people perhaps became lost in an ideology that was no longer true or the drug use and excesses clouded and obscured the original purpose and what could have been in essence the flowering of the golden age.

Photo-Marie Helena

But now that the smoke has cleared, all that psychedelic tripping is done and the buzz lifted, people discovered that all this served a purpose…. we had actually learned something from the melee…albeit taking 50 years to do it. We had learned to let go of old worn-out traditions and have no fear of exploring the unknown. We found new theologies, new philosophies, a new openness and willingness to explore the unknown, even if it is in the mind or attending to the mind and learning to “Let Go” of the past and live in the present.

And so we learned the concept of Mindfulness. This living in the present or mindfulness derived basically from the Buddhism teaching, called Sati or awareness. To put it in a nutshell, mindfulness is becoming aware of each moment and being aware of your surroundings or situations at the moment they are happening, to fully immerse yourself in them. While admittedly, mindfulness is not easy to achieve, it is worthwhile to work towards achieving some level of awareness in your life, for health reasons as well as a more fulfilling way of living. It has to remain as a sort of constant in your life. Intellectually the concept is relatively easy to grasp, practicing it is not, but is definitely enriching. My concept of mindfulness is living in the moment. No not like a beer commercial, but more as striving to be fully alive in the present, becoming aware of whatever your surroundings are, what your momentary situation is. The “tuning in” part is essential, “Turn On” your five senses, but leave off the dropping out part (turn off your cell phones, T.V., music, and really listen to that person you are talking to!) frequently. Immersing yourself in interacting with others and watching their body language can make one very much more aware of what the person is REALLY telling you. Another aspect of mindfulness is the “letting go” part. When the moment has passed, let it go. Learn from the experience but don’t dwell on the mistakes you have made in the past.

Photo-Andrea Lawmaster

In retrospect, mindfulness may not have come directly from the “hippie” generation, but the freedom of expression they were trying  to experience, the flower power ideology, definitely had an impact on the new millennium. So even if you were too young to experience the hippie generation, you're not too young to feel free enough to “tune in” to your senses and “let go” of negative things and remember to be in the moment, because the moment is all we have. 

This essay just touches on some of the vast aspects of the counter-culture revolution of the 60s-70s, for more information, check out some of the links within the text. Namaste! Marie

A Holiday Greeting from the Winged Quill (photo)

Hi Friends:

Just wanted to post a quick greeting. I hope you all find good friends and family to share some laughs, good food and fun with, and please open your hearts to others so that they may also share in the abundance that this country has to offer. While the need is always great, it is felt more keenly at this time of the year. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!-Marie

Thanksgiving Candlelight

6 Unique and Creative Gifts for Mother's Day

Planting Zinnias for Mom

While we could never repay our mothers or mother-figures in our lives who have played a vital part of who were are, they do appreciate it when we let them know how special they are in our eyes. Of course a lot of moms like the usual fare; jewelry, flowers, candy, and dinner out on the town, but if you want to get her something she will remember, maybe some of the things on this list may do the trick.  Here's are a few ideas:

Creating Decorative Eggshell Keepsakes (Holiday How-To)

Colorful Easter Eggshell Keepsakes

These colorful eggshell keepsakes are great for gifts, decorating, or as heirloom mementos. They keep well if kept in egg cartons and stored in cool, dry area. 

Creative Cakes That Will Make You Say "Ooh" and "Ahh."

Elmo sitting pretty!

For today's Winged Quill Gallery entry I'd like to share with you some very creative cakes cakes baked and decorated by a very artistic and creative women, Kendra Hulbert of Twin Lakes, Michigan.

One sure sign that spring is here

A little finch

With the weather being so darned unpredictable especially in the northern regions, it is difficult to know when spring really comes but one of the best indicators are migratory birds. The Robin, Michigan’s State bird, is a vision of hope that winter will soon be behind us and we can start to enjoy the beauty that is spring with all of nature in full bloom, a delight for the senses as well as the soul. I noted about a week ago that some of the song birds had returned to my yard as I heard them early in the morning. I haven't seen a robin yet, but I am on the look-out!

So even though the snow continues to fly here in the Northern lands, take heart, spring will soon be here!  The blue bird was spotted in Ada, Michigan as early as March 1st of this year. I found this information  noted on the learner.org website See "field notes". They also noted that the worst was behind us and March 1^st is considered the first day of spring under meteorological terms, which is interesting to note. 

Thank you for letting me share my blog with you! For information on migratory birds, go to  E-nature.com

Happy St. Patrick's Day (with an Irish Blessing for you)

Celtic Triskle

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you. My gift to you is an Irish blessing told to me by my Scotch-Irish mother.

The Blessing of Light, Rain, and Earth

May the blessing of light be upon you, light without and light within. 

May the blessed sunlight shine on you and warm your heart until it glows like a great peat fire, so that the stranger may come and warm himself at it, and also a friend. 

And may the light shine out of the two eyes of you, like a candle set in two windows of a house, bidding the wanderer to come in out of the storm. 

And may the blessing of the rain be upon you---the soft sweet rain. May it fall upon your spirit so that all the little flowers may spring up, and shed their sweetness on the air. And may the blessing of the great rains be upon you, may they beat upon your spirit and wash it fair and clean, and leave there many a shining pool where the blue of heaven shines, and sometimes a star.

And may the blessings of the earth be upon you--the great round earth; may you ever have a kindly greeting for them you pass as you're going along the roads. May the earth be soft under you when you rest upon it, tired at the end of the day, and may it rest easy over you when , at the end last, you lay out under it; may it rest so lightly over you, that your soul may be out from under it quickly, and up, and off, and on its way to the heavens. 


                        HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!!!                                                             

To contact me: tse.writingeditor@gmail.com 

How to make Delicous Light Nachos (No really, they're light!) (Recipe)

Delicious & Light Nachos

Creative Light Eating (Recipe)

I try to eat healthy, at least 95% of the time, and when I can remake a traditional recipe that may have a high fat or calorie content into one a little bit more health conscious, I feel better knowing that I have made the decision to make better choices while still eating the things I love.

It's Marde Gras! (photo)

Today is Marde Gras, or Fat Tuesday, or Carnival, celebrated in many parts of the world and areas of the U.S.  Marde Gras originated in medieval Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. On March 2, 1699, Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur De Bienville arrived in an area around New Orleans. After realizing that it was the holiday, they named the place "Pointe du Mardi Gras. The f irst celebration of Marde Gras in America was celebrated in 1702.

My own celebration consisted of going to the local bakery for my order of Paczkis, a traditional Fat Tuesday treat and getting out my Marde Gras masks to make a centerpiece for the table. So whether or not you celebrate this holiday or just leave leave it, I hope you get a chance to enjoy some Paczkis today. I think they should make them every day of the year! Thank you for visiting my blog-Mariehelena

My Jewelry Fashion Predictions for 2014 (Better Late Than Never)

Neo-Victorian necklace by Marie Helena

This is my take for jewelry trends for the upcoming year for   jewelry and fashion lovers:

Since we are already well into February , this may be a little late, but better late than never. Some of these on the list tend to be timeless and of course, vary with crafter and designer.

How to keep the winter doldrums from getting you down

I call this "imbedded Platitudes

With the excitement and glitter of Christmas over, and the throes of yet another winter storm surrounds us, it is easy to get bored, listless, and just plain down in the dumps. I found myself going over the same news stories and familiar web sites, looking for…

How your kids can give a hand for Thanksgiving (craft)

Raven's Turkey

If you have school-aged children at home, these hand turkeys may be a familiar sight. They are

My Christmas cactus is getting its bloom on! (photo)

Christmas cactus in bloom

It may be almost Thanksgiving and one thing we can be thankful for are plants that bloom in the winter-time (well, if you ask me anyway). I love the fuchsia-colored blooms! I was so glad to see this awesome blossom when I woke up. I just had to get a photo of it. 

Christmas cacti are a very popular holiday gift plants, with varying colored blooms that oftentimes can bloom twice a year, in the winter and in spring. These beautiful tropical cacti require careful care and maintenance but when they bloom it is indeed a sight to behold. 

Even though these cactus are a tropical plant, they actually keep their blossoms better in cooler temperatures. For more information on the Christmas cactus, including how to care for them, visit HGTV Gardens. For information or comment, email me.

Creating A Perfect Pot of Peas Porridge Hot

OK. Maybe I got a little carried away with the nursery rhythm metaphor but

Don't let those photo moments slip away (photos)

An empty spot where there was once magnificance

This magnificent tree has stood for