Poem of the Month....or year....by Marge Piercy

For the young who want to

Talent is what they say
you have after the novel
is published and favorably
reviewed. Beforehand what
you have is a tedious
delusion, a hobby like knitting.

Work is what you have done
after the play is produced
and the audience claps.
Before that friends keep asking
when you are planning to go
out and get a job.

Genius is what they know you
had after the third volume
of remarkable poems. Earlier
they accuse you of withdrawing,
ask why you don't have a baby,
call you a bum.

The reason people want M.F.A.'s,
take workshops with fancy names
when all you can really
learn is a few techniques,
typing instructions and some-
body else's mannerisms

is that every artist lacks
a license to hang on the wall
like your optician, your vet
proving you may be a clumsy sadist
whose fillings fall into the stew
but you're certified a dentist.

The real writer is one
who really writes. Talent
is an invention like phlogiston
after the fact of fire.
Work is its own cure. You have to
like it better than being loved.

Marge Piercy
Copyright 1980, Middlemarsh, Inc.
from THE MOON IS ALWAYS FEMALE
Alfred A. Knopf, New York 

(Note:  phlogiston:  noun,  a substance supposed by 18th century chemists to exist in all combustible bodies, and to be released in combustion.)  From Greek-phlogizein  "set on fire".

Happy Hearts to All Zentangled

May you know you are loved.  Happy Valentine's Day.

A Bevy of Tanglers

Utah Calligraphic Artists have a gallery exhibit this month at the Covey Center in Provo.  There are amazingly lovely pieces hanging, representing every form of art.  Since I taught them zentangles, I was especially pleased to see some representatives hanging there, so I thought I'd show a few.  The first is a beautiful shell designed by Nancy Ostergar, the current president of UCA.  This piece is about 7 x 10 inches.  (sorry about the glare...the windows were beautiful, but glare reduction was not possible in my limited experience.)

This next one is the traditional zentangle size of 3.5 inches square, designed by Jane Hales.

Both of these pieces have gold leaf added.

Jane had fun creating a whole zentangle alphabet.

In addition, when I went to the monthly UCA play day, many people shared their anecdotes about tangling with their families.   Margene has made it her M.O. and is sending everyone birthday cards this year with her zentangles.  Her family is buying her black and white outfits and jewelry to add to her fun.

She has made an accordion fold book with beautiful letters.  Here are a few of them.

For my part, I was asked to design a CD cover for the monthly prize offered as a bribe to those who practice during the month.  Everyone who brought evidence of practicing got a music CD for background peace of mind.

We played "Where's Waldo" in trying to find out where I signed it....I'm still a bit humble about my creations and don't want to mess them up with a signature, but people say I have to.  The beauty of this design is that it's non-directional.  In fact, the lettering artist put it upside down from this view, and labeled it  U-Tunes, standing for Utah Calligraphic Artists, studying Uncial this year.
The Valentines are in the mail.   Come back tomorrow or Monday to view some happy hearts.
Love to all.

Blog Maladies, Hyperactivity, and Bling

This blog is suffering from the same malady with which I suffer;  identity crisis.   It doesn't know what it wants to be when it grows up.   Part of the problem is in the definition I put down in the blog description, when I said I was random and chaotic, which is true.  I guess it only follows that the blog would also be a reflection of the perpetrator.   Focus was never my strong point, except when it was.
I come from a very crafty family, very artistic and creative...bordering on hyperactive.  (O.K., not even bordering, but firmly entrenched.  Sometimes I think the very definition of hyperactive is creative, artistic, [and of course, highly intelligent  ;-)  ])  We all have more ideas than discipline.  That's probably why we all married highly disciplined partners.
Enough of that.
Here's the fun part (where hyperactive individuals default).   My very talented, artistic, creative niece is designing jewelry, teaching classes, and building a wonderful business, called Making Jewelry Fun.  Yesterday I went to her Precious Metals Clay class and made the following charms.  It was a blast.   If you like pendants, her dichroic glass is gorgeous, and several of the class participants had designed beautiful wire jewelry from their own creations.  
Everyone else there was "into" the jewelry business, with Etsy shops, but I went for the reason I do anything:  I want to learn the process.  If you have ever taken a class from me, it's always about the process, never the product.  This time, the product was a bonus.  The reverse side of the charms is almost as nice as the front side.  The one that means anything at all to me is the lower left, which looks like hanging pea pods.  That was an impression of an old button from my dear departed mother's button collection, which was one thing all of us wanted.   I don't know who really ended up with it, but I didn't.  (whine).  I really wanted to make something for each of the grandchildren, but didn't think the boys would like the bling.   I tried to make an A for Aspen, but it looks more more like a computer @ symbol.  Now, the charms will suffer the same malady as me and my blog:  what do they want to be when they grow up?

Do stay tuned this week, as the zentangle valentine will be unveiled.   That product is pretty nice, too.