Sunday, May 2, 2010

LADY OF THE LABYRINTH COLLAGE

LADY OF THE LABYRINTH COLLAGE

Lady of the Labyrinth collage

The poem I have attached to this particular collage comes straight from my book, Layers. In Layers, I have written a story that starts out slowly. It is about a girl around 12 years of age. She and her friend find a mysterious book. It is a book that changes both of their lives forever. The story at first makes y ou think it is about each girl becoming a woman. Later, you find that what is happening is not what you thought. This book is a celebration of women. I will probably never be able to achieve in another book what I have in Layers. It comes from my heart and aims to reach the hearts of women in all walks of life.
Here is the poem:

Lady of the Labyrinth

Her soul cries out for the sacred walk.
for the pilgrimage.
As she moves through the narrow passage
toward the center, she opens her heart for
the journey.
The discipline of the steps gently placed on
the path, one after the other, footprints to
understanding..slowly begin to reveal the
gifts of the spirit.
With each step, she sheds layer after layer
of unresolved pain. As her body moves
Inward, her quiet mind opens, surrendering
the passioned images. There is an emptying,
challenging, yet ever allowing, ever centering
and finally, a release.
The sacred labyrinth of times long past calls
her to begin her spiral. To weave together the
psyche and the soul.
She emerges from her sojourn with a keener
eye and a lightened heart.

~Cheryl Dolby~

Close-up of hardware

I was over at Happy’s, my local flea market, and saw a woman that I usually buy a lot of jewelry from for my work. I didn’t quite make it to her booth though. She looked over and said, “Cheryl, what are you picking up from the ground? What is down there?” I had found the best treasure…beer bottle caps. These weren’t just any old beer bottle caps though. These particular caps had been run over repeatedly by the many trucks and cars that come through the market. They were rustic and ancient looking, just the look that I often times try to achieve. I took my small treasures home just knowing I’d find an application. Sure enough, as I started working on my labyrinth piece, these gems just fell into place. I attached them to her hair with encaustic wax and added gold highlights to them. I used a metal labyrinth that I had on hand plus old rusted tools. Perfect. I do like the way the piece turned out and will build upon the theme.

close-up of beer caps

"Lady of the Labyrinth" as well as the book Layers are available through etsy using Paypal. Alternately, you can view them on etsy and purchase directly from me via my e-mail. I take all the standard credit cards including Visa, MC, AX and Discover.


View from the bottom of painting

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9 comments:

  1. Yay! I love that you found the beer caps..and upcycled them into this awesome art ! You are one creative gal. I tried a few times to write stories..even took a writing class..found out I a mnot much of a writer.

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  2. She is beautiful and the poem is lovely. I think it is so wonderful how your words inspire your visual art.
    k

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  3. I love the stories you always share as you reveal each new piece, they make each other that much more meaningful. And, wow, what a fabulous use of bottle caps, I've used them for birdhouse tops, but it never occured to me to use them in mixed media- wonderful!

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  4. Oh MY!!! this is outstanding Cheryl, I have been collecting rusty pieces and wanted to create one of my canvases doing just what you have done.... LOVE it, I am actually in awe of this piece.... your creativity knows no bounds, seriously, what a talented lady you are xxx

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  5. Lady of the Labyrinth is stunning - love the beauty of this piece tempered by the rustic touches of the flattened beer caps (cool find!) and the hardware. The story/poem that
    accompanies her is amazing.

    "footprints to
    understanding..slowly begin to reveal the
    gifts of the spirit." Love this!!

    Hugs

    Sue

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  6. I popped over to say thank you for visiting my blog and Holy Moly! I LOVE it here :)
    I peeked in your shop and saw the most beautiful things...I am in awe! I will be following you, if you don't mind :)
    xox, Lisa

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  7. How creative Cheryl!!!! The women in your work always look so "strong", strong in heart and mind. They are wonderful! Love the poem too. I have enjoyed your books so much.
    Oh, btw, my mystery photo...think of Native Americans and maybe then you can see what it is. With your comment you are now entered in my giveaway. Good luck!

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  8. Spectacular! I love the poem and the collage, and particularly the way you used the beer bottle caps!

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  9. I love this piece. The poem and the layers with the details weave together wonderfully. It's amazing where we can find treasures!

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