And now...for something totally NOT art related....

...ok, well, somewhat. Before I launch into the main body of the post, I might as well make it official for my SEA SWAP PARTICIPANTS (and I will probably also mail you to make sure you get this message as well).

*PLEASE EMAIL ME YOUR LIST OF 4-5 CHOICES OF ARTISTS YOU MIGHT POTENTIALLY WANT TO SWAP WITH! DEADLINE TO DO THIS IS MAY 8th!
I will be pairing you up May 9-10

~You can now click on the links of the artists in the swap (at the right-hand top of this blog) to see their blogs and hopefully get an idea of their work... ~Please note: again, I cannot guarantee that you will be matched with any of your choices, but I will get a better idea of what you are looking for, and will do my best to match you.

You may email me at wildatheartart@aol.com with your choices

Alright then! Now onto other matters! I wanted to share a few pictures with you from this past weekend--which I would have shared before, but I was swept away with mermaids and such! My sweetheart and I spent much of the day in the more enchanted parts of New York City and, yes--there is greenery in the city!

Taking advantage of the beautiful weather, we went to the famous NY Central Park. This is probably one of the last bastions of nature in New York City--more than 100 acres (almost 40 city blocks!!) of trees, flowers and fauna and ponds, smack in the middle of Manhattan! When we got there, SO many other people were taking advantage of the weather and the spring beauty of the park--which proves my theory that people NEED nature, as much as they act as though they want to live in the "modern" world!

(Click pictures to enlarge)

The entire park exterior is surrounded by these huge, ancient trees. I just love their gnarly twisted looks--rather Halloween-y or gothy! It is definitely a feat to live to be an old tree in NYC!

We stopped at Bethesda Fountain and its famous "Angel Of Waters" which was created in 1873. It is the most visited section of the park, and right near the boat pond.

And here are the boats in the boat pond, behind the fountain. Yes, those are everyday folks; you can rent a little boat with paddles...romantic! Alas, my poor boyfriend cannot swim--so that would definitely be a whole un-romantic situation!


Here is Belvedere Castle, toward the top West Side of the Park. The Castle was designed in 1865 sheerly as a fantasy piece (and it is!) but today serves as a weather beacon (where weathermen predict the temp and weather conditions)...interesting, no?

As I am with everything I am enamored with, I kept asking my boyfriend if we "could have one when we get the farm." Which usually gets me a look from him.....

Here is one of the lookout stations near the castle. You can get a view of the Great lawn and Shakespeare theater below.

The door to the entrance of Belvedere Castle....indeed, one of many details that shows the fantasy influence! A griffon-y sort of dragon!

No indoor pictures--we spent too much time climbing many stairs to get there and I didn't feel like climbing more into the castle--ahh, another time!


Instead we continued around the massive park to see all of the flowering splendor--such as this magnolia tree. It was sort of doing a weeping-willow thing...but very beautiful!

And then we stumbled upon this little Bavarian inspired garden, which is my favorite! Natural tree posts make the gate, and the little chair is built into the gate! The back of it is actually the gate.
"Can I have one of these when we get the farm?"

When we left Central Park, we did what any normal person would do on a hot day--Ice Cream! We went to our favorite old-fashioned sundae shoppe! I love the vintage looking sign outside. It has a very charming aura about it. We sat across the street on a building stoop and laughed the hours away!

....And watched the sunset on this lovely day.....

I hope all of your days are just as lovely :)

More Mermaid Mayhem!

Alright! We're back to our adventures---but before we continue our little mermaid story, a quick note: I write--ALOT--and one of the places where I love to write is for the Art Dolls Only Blog. You can find my musings and research every Monday there.

Here is the Latest: Shakespeare Challenge Continued. I would be mightily grateful if you popped over there for a read.....

Alrighty then!

Continuing our previous tail--umm--tale.....

It last reading, I had found a magical mermaid map and, after deciphering the clues--came to my little water fountain, which stood in my dance room....

And from behind it, THIS little creature popped up:

And I stood there, dumbfounded and befuddled (but apparently not so much that couldn't think of words such as "dumbfounded" and "befuddled")....

And before I could find my voice and speak, the little creature SPOKE to me...or, at least I think she did.

"Do not be afraid," she said. But her lips didn't move. I think she saw my eyes grow wide at this, and she continued, trying to calm me down. "It is alright. I am speaking mermish, which isn't a spoken language."

Before I could express the millions of questions floating through my brains--such as: what is "mermish," why isn't it a spoken language, does this creature have a name? and WHO ARE YOU??-- the little creature decided to move from behind the fountain. I think I almost fainted at the sight of her:

A MERMAID!!

What was a mermaid doing in my house?!

"Actually, I've been here all along, you just couldn't see me."
I gaped at the little being. I suddenly realized she was answering the question I was THINKING.

"And, my name is Nemone," she added.

She could read my mind--perhaps this was how they communicated in mermish?

I also suddenly realized this: Holding her little heart the way she did, she looked....


.....an awful lot like....the map.


"Yes, there is a reason for this," she answered, continuing to read my thoughts, "I am the messenger between your world, and the Water Realm."

"What is the Water Realm?" I managed to ask out loud...

"Any collection of water is a portal to the water realm. It is my duty to welcome newcomers to our realm," came the answer.

"But, if anyplace with water is a portal, why can't everyone see you? How come I couldn't see you, even though I've had this little fountain for years?"

"You must be able to read the map. People with knowledge of the map have left it in place until someone worthy could read the map."

"But, anyone could find the map," I pointed out--

The little creature shook its head--"You are not listening to me. Anyone can FIND the map, but not anyone can see it. When you opened it, you saw an image, correct?"

I nodded.

"The image is not visible to everyone. And even then, not all are clever enough to decipher it."

"But," I queried, "who is given 'permission' to see the map?"

"There is no permission, only ability, imagination, and heart. Only the imaginative sorts will be open in mind and heart to journey into realms that practical people will never see. Dreamers are the sorts who will roam amongst Fae folk, wild and enchanted places, and dare to do things others cannot fathom. Artists and creative folk will most likely be able to see the map. Many others cannot see or understand the map...but you, it was only a matter of time before you saw it." (*Note: If you saw the mermaid in the map during this story--you too have "the gift")

Well...shucks....Nemone sure knew how to make a girls day....

"Well, are you ready then?" asked Nemone...

"Ready for what?" It hadn't occurred to me what we would be doing, once these introductions were over. Would anything ever be the same again?

She pointed into the fountain. I stared into it....


"Why, to go into the Water Realm, of course, and join the Mermaids for their tea party."

WHAT!?!

FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS LATER THIS WEEK! Mwahahahahaaaa

More Clues...

..When last we left the scene, I was busy talking to Attic-ologist Dr. Wizzenhoffer, who was staring at the clues in this mermaid picture:

Click to enlarge

And he said: "this seems to be some sort of map or glyph. There are many symbols here."

Such as?

Of course he pointed at the heart: "X marks the spot, right at the heart of things."


Obviously. "But Doctor, what could this possibly be a map of?"

He said: "Ahhh, it is of something important, perhaps nearby your house. Why would someone hide it in your basement if they didn't think someone living there would find it. Whomever finds it must decipher the directions based on what is familiar to them."

"Ok, so you can't tell me about the location that the map shows?"

He twirled his mustaches. "No, my dear. That journey, you must take yourself." (Why do they always say those things in these scenarios?)

And with that, he left. Great, just great.....

So, I took the map to where I found it--the basement. I stared at the map...for a long time. I couldn't figure it out. We didn't live near water--heck, we didn't even live near a fish market. We didn't live near a side-show act, Coney Island, a costume shoppe...

Well, those were some of the thoughts that went through my mind as I tried to find a bond between the map, and the world around me. I finally threw my hands up and tried a more simple approach.

Perhaps the map was more directional. I noticed this star at the tail end of the mermaid.



What did it mean? And then, I remembered the one odd phrase the doctor mentioned "at the heart of things..." The heart was obviously further up on the mermaid, towards the top....and the dashes pointed from the bottom to the top.


And then, curiously these scales appeared only on this section of mermaid....I looked closer--they sort of didn't look like scales, they gradually got larger as the moved upwards...almost...like...stairs!

I stopped. Could this mermaid be a map to a building? The So what started downstairs and moved upstairs. Within seconds, I realized, shocked that--THIS MAP was found in the basement! This was a map to MY HOUSE!

So, trembling, I followed the map. I must go UP the stairs and move through a long hall and to the heart of things. I noticed the heart in the picture was surrounded by little---gems? Then it occurred to me! The heart of my house was the dance room, where I used to practice dance! And in the middle of it was a little fountain...

.......those little "gems" must be little flecks of water!

I rushed up the stairs and into the dance room. What could the fountain hold? It was just a regular fountain, right?

As I made my way over to it, suddenly THIS little face popped up from behind the fountain!!


What happened next?

You will just have to find out the rest TOMORROW! (Yes, I know, I am trullllly eeeeevil! Feel free to throttle me when you see me!)

And The Mystery Continues......

Wow, everyone....I'm sorry to be so remiss in writing. It has been a crazy, and slightly trying time here....

But FEAR NOT! The legend of the Mermaid Tails continues!

Well...alright--I DO still have ONE brief diversion to show you before we continue--but 'tis a worthy diversion, I tell you!

This little gem finally made it to my door!



I mentioned the other day that I won this little treasure box in a giveaway from King of Mice Studios' Carolee Clark---I swear I am mesmerized by it! It is beautiful and makes me want to try to stow away into Carolee's studio to watch her create her amazing art! I know I'm getting carried away, but it IS unbelievably lovely, more so than the pictures show....heck, it even smells good!

And, the Wild At Heart Crew love it too:

THANK YOU CAROLEE!

Ok--back to the story at hand....

When last we left our weird-haired-doll-making-dancing-farming heroine (a.k.a me), she was busy showing you the many worlds of the Mermaid for Lisa Kettell's amazing Mermaid Tea Party...

And of course, the search sometimes requires all sorts of old documentation...

Luckily at Wild At Heart, we have old attics and basements for just such things! So off I went in search of old magical documents--and there in the old basement, I found this scroll:

After unrolling its many outer layers, this is what I found:

(Click to enlarge)

An old Mermaid's picture. But wait! Upon closer inspection, these dashes appeared to be part of a map...and the "X" seems to end at the heart of this pictured mermaid.


Hmm...was this some strange voodoo? A practical joke? I had to find out more...

So after researching, I found the top-most expert in Attic-ology, or the study of old stuff found in dusty, unused parts of the house. Here he is, Dr. Wizzenhoffer:

(Well, what did you EXPECT him to look like? This is a tale of mermaids, after all!)

After careful study of the document, the fine Doctor turned to me, tugged at one of his moustaches, and gave me the answer I was waiting for....

And I'll let you know what that is TOMORROW! (Insert evil laugh here!)

We interrupt this regularly scheduled posting.....

....to focus on important issues that involve heart.

I know I am supposed to continue the suspenseful Mermaid Tales (see the bottom of THIS post), but I've decided a couple of things take precedence, at least for today.

Firstly, I want to thank Betzie for her sweet post about receiving Rose E. Hare. She won Rose waaaay back during the One World One Heart giveaway, but after a mailing fiasco, it took a bit of work to get Rose back to her. So thank you for your patience Betzie, and for all of the sweet pictures!



I love it when people love my little creations! This picture of Betzie's antique doll with Rose makes me do a little happy dance, and truly tugs my heartstrings....

So then, from receiving kindness, I want to extend it:
I saw this post yesterday on Lemoncholy's blog. The story concerns fellow artist Joanne Pierotti and her husband, Ron. Recently laid off, Ron has no health insurance. Just as recently, they found out he has a brain tumor and must have surgery....and obviously, the cost of the surgery is steep; my understanding is that they might not have done the surgery, thus comprimising Ron's life. After the initial posting, Lemoncholy's update is that the blogging community has raised over $3,000 dollars (and it seems, according to the button on the side of Lemoncholy's blog, that they are now over $5000!) yay!---but it is still a fraction of what is needed.

So, I am writing to ask you to donate what you can through the "chip in" site, or at least pass on the word through your own blogs.

I should tell you, I do not know Joanne personally, but it crushes me, as one human being to another, to do nothing when someone needs help. If nothing else, I can put myself in her shoes--this could happen to any number of us....It seems so much, that some of the world has become apathetic, and the higher powers seem not to care about their own citizens, so it is up to us to help each other. At least that is my opinion. Bring on the Random Acts of Kindness, Good Fellowship, Kinship, and renewed sense of amazement in the world. If we cannot feel responsible for each other in the name of Friendship and Kindness, then what is the point, I say?

And that is today's post on Kindness :)

The Mermaid Tails..err, Tales....

TODAY's POSTS are in conjunction with the Mermaid Tea Party! Thank you Lisa, for hosting a wonderful event.

Because I am a big believer in Magic, and also a research maven, I present you with:

~TALES OF THE MERMAID~

THE MERMAID is an enchanted creature of lore and imagination that has, curiously enough, been envisioned throughout various cultures and different times.

Noone is quite sure how the idea of the mermaid came to be, though it is thought that heavy superstition masked sailors eyes to what might be seals, manatees, and other finned creatures that they saw on the ocean...

The term mermaid comes from the old English "mere," or sea, and maid, to denote the feminine of this creature. Merman would be the male equivalent.

The legends and lore of mermaids are numerous, and seem to abound in areas that were surrounded by water, or where fishing was the livelihood of an area:

An Early Greek legend proclaims that Alexander the Great's sister, Thessalonike, turned into a mermaid when she died. She lived in the Aegean Sea and would ask sailors when they passed: "Is the King Alexander alive?" To which they must answer, "He lives and still rules." Any other answer, apparently, sent her into a rage, and she would then turn into a Gorgon and cause havoc to the ship who answered incorrectly (Hmm, I thought the Gorgons were Medusa's sisters, but what do I know?)

British and European tales abound of mermaids being mischeif makers or unlucky omens. Medieval testimonials describe them as no less than demonic, and various illustrators who claimed to have "seen" or "studied" them drew them as such, variously as finned, but also at times with horns, claws, sharp teeth, and any number of garish attributes:

Havfolk
Aldrovandi, Ulysses: Monstrorum historia. Bononiæ 1642.

To see one of the merfolk might foretell of a ship sinking or some disaster involving the sea, such as a tsunami or sea storm. Further, mermaids themselves caused enough folly in that men themselves would drown in their seductive spell; more than one mermaid took an unlucky lad under the ocean to drown--in some cases purposely and in others, because the mermaid was not aware her human counterpart could not breathe underwater. The beauty of a mermaid might also cause a sailor to jump overboard and to his death, unable to resist such charm.

In the fishing villages of Ireland and shores of Scotland, they are known as the Merrow, and tend to be somewhat less threatening, and more helpful. There are various stories that seem to come from these quaint areas that live to this day, and have been the backbone to more modern ideas of mermaids.

Mermaids can also be found in Africa (known as Mami Wata), in Russia they are the lovely and long haired Rusalkas, and in Java, where legend grants them a mermaid queen named Nyi Roro Kidul. In Japan they are known as ningyo--where apparently if you eat ningyo flesh, you can gain immortality--yum! They have been known as sea snakes, water spirits or water demons...and have been tied to a certain level of magic and wonderment throughout the world.

In rarer instances, mermaids had knowledge of healing abilities and certain magic to help the heroes of their stories. In many cases, however, there seems to be an air of sadness to their tales--themes of forbidden love, death in attempting to be with a loved one, seduction gone wrong and all sorts of other undoing are common throughout mermaid tales. In most cases, it seems as though the female mermaid must go through great lengths to prove her love for a youthful hero, and very rarely does it seem that merMEN play out the same scenarios.

The popularity of these creatures has not waned over time...including stories such as Hans Christian Anderson's "The Little Mermaid" (based on the famous Denmark mermaid):

Photo Edyta Pawlowska Dreamstime.com

....and movies and even logos reflect the timelessness of these creatures:

The above depicts Starbuck's Coffee Co's use of the double tailed mermaid. While many mermaids' stories portray them as fairly innocent, the exception comes in the form of the uninhibited double-tailed mermaid, which decorates innumerable churches and cathedrals throughout Western Europe, is an extremely ancient variation of the mermaid that is often associated with Sheela-Na-Gig, one of the most powerful Celtic symbols of the feminine or Goddess.

If you enjoy Mermaid stories, here are some that abound online:

Mermaid Lore
A Well Known Cornish Mermaid Legend

And thus, we come to the end of the tail....err...tale...but wait!

What's this? Wild At Heart has a bit of it's OWN mermaid history to share..wrapped up in this scroll!

Tales of intrigue, mystery and magic yet to come!
To Find out more...stay TUNED!

A World of Faeries...

If you're like me, all of this reading and searching the Interwebs leads you to interesting little worlds, or interesting little events that might be going on all over the art community. Some of them are big and some small....

So I decided that I will let you in on at least TWO such events that look like they might pack some serious punch. Coincidentally (and I SWEAR I didn't realize this until I started getting them together for this blog! Really! I didn't), they both happen to deal with fairies (or faeries, or Faeries, or Fay...oh, you get the idea!)

Firstly is fellow doll artist, and fellow ADO member Kaerie Faerie. Kaerie lives in Florida and seems to have immersed herself in creating these magical and delightful creatures. I am constantly amazed at her whimsical and clever cloth creations...and recently, she seems to outdone herself in creating beings for her French Faerie Party.

This Faerie Party will commence officially on her Etsy site on April 26th, but she gives us a sneak peek at some of the lovelies YOU can take home.
I am in love with the costumes!


Hmm...these lovelies make me glad she is in our Under the Sea Swap:

So mark your calendars! Hop over to her Etsy store or blog to join in the French Faerie Party celebration.


.....Meanwhile, in the nearby state of Georgia, Jamie creates her own brand of magic at her Peachstreet Primitives. There, you can find whimsical, rustic, and primitive creations that have a look all their own. Jamie is a member of several art and art doll groups online. Her unique work makes me glad she's in the Under the Sea Swap, too!
I am currently in love with this beauty:

(ahh, but for lack of funds, this sweetheart would be in my living room right now! Hmm, actually, A LOT of art would be in my living room!)

Anyhow, in a rather cryptic blogpost, recently, she discussed her foray into the world of Faeries, and promised a surprise for us all on April 19th. Something to do with her 100th post, I believe. In any case, you can check out the mysterious post HERE, and judge for yourself!

And that, my friends, is today's "heads up"! Have a great day :)

Happy Easter..

May you find a source of inspiration and awe in the world, always....

For me, it is pulling the Moon out of the sky, from amongst the ancient forests.....

Rowing it home...



And parking it atop the roof in the big bad ole city....




What is your inspiration?

Under the Sea, On the 'Net.....

Or is it: Under the Sea, IN the 'Net.

So I thought, for a little inspiration, I would search around the interNET (which I really prefer to call the "interwebs," but that's just me, and it really wouldn't fit the whole "sea" and "net" and "fish" themes...oh, you know what I mean!) and come up with some examples of art that might fit the Under the Sea theme.

Now, mind you, this ARE NOT finished pieces for this swap. Some might be PAST work from artists participating in this swap, others are random bits from persons that I found to be interesting....all of these to get the creative juices flowing!

Hope you enjoy!

Lokelani by Spirit Mama

An underwater adventure by Chrissy Butler



Ok, I'm not sure if they were meant to be, but don't these guys
look like they could be great sea monsters??

Monsters by MealyMonsterland

A lovely Shadow Puppet by OwlyShadowPuppets:



What is cuter than a bevvy of kittenfish?


An upcycled catfish....

And a pirate catfish...both by Junker Jane




Or, you could have a whole blog dedicated to Mermaid Tales (thanks for the heads up, Cyberdelia!)

The "Old Mermaid's Journal" blog is based on a novel "Church of the Old Mermaid"...so if you love mermaids, historical pictures, facts and superstitions, and old seafaring lore, plus more details on the book (of course) that's the place to go!







And then, you can end your Under the Sea tour with a Mermaid Tea Party, which is being hosted by the fabulous Lisa Kettell's (thanks for the heads up, Waxela!)

And that, my friends, concludes the inspirational tour for the Under The Sea Swap. I hope it was insightful :)