The Ampersand

I don't know what drew me to the ampersand.  It had to have been the beauty of its form. Many letters of the alphabet are beautiful when looked at individually, but none of them mean something on their own. The history is impressive as well.  The ampersand is a graphic of the Latin "et," which translates to "and." One of the first written ampersands was found on papyrus in 45 AD!  

Many of the flower petal fashion characters I have drawn have tattoos. Personally, I don't care for tattoos, but I like to use them as a design element to add some edge. I use an ampersand I drew several years ago. I removed the background, (which makes the background transparent) so that I am able to place it anywhere on my drawing.  

Design challenge to myself and anyone who would like an art project: Create ampersands using variations on the shape and fill with pattern and color. Please share!

Who Is This Blog For?

Sometimes I ask myself why I am doing this.  It takes lots of time and energy to put together a blog. The reason is that I thoroughly enjoy every single minute of it. Who is it for? It's for myself. To chronicle the passions in my life, to express my thoughts in words, to honor myself.  I am grateful that each morning when I wake up, even if I am feeling low, I look forward to doing something creative. It could be through art, gardening, cooking, so many ways... It just flows through me and I lose myself in time. I become fully present in the moment which is the place at which I am most content in this life. To those who read my blog, thank you for sharing this journey with me.

Calla Petal Gal Print

These garnet colored mini calla lilies caught my eye...

All of the Corola de la Moda prints are available individually or in groups of three on one print.  See Shop page or inquire at mail to:deborahrhansen@gmail.com

Decluttering for the Soul

Friday, August 26th, would have been Bret's 28th birthday.  In the days preceding I thought a lot about being a young, pregnant mom, anticipating the birth of my second child. I never could have imagined what the future held. No one can predict when our world will be rocked so I try my best to value the present. It's not easy, especially when going through challenging times. Memories can evoke happiness and sadness.  I was filled with both, as I spent his birthday, alone in my studio, by my own choice, sorting through an accumulation of old photos, letters, books, art supplies, old watercolors, even artwork I'd kept from my college years. Something told me I needed to purge. I felt the need to lighten my load. As I sorted through these belongings, I found notes and letters Bret wrote as a child. I was the best mom, he said, so many times. I ached with love and sadness as I looked at photos of my beautiful baby, child, boy, young man. I began to think about impermanence. The impermanence of everything. The accumulation of stuff in my studio became irrelevant. I felt that my heart, my inner being, was what mattered most. I purged through everything in my room, keeping only things precious or useful. Subconsciously I knew it was time to let go of things that weigh me down. To tackle my fears head on. To trust in the universe and let the gentle breeze guide me. I am grateful for these lessons. I am also grateful for the presence of Bret's spirit, on what was a tough, but enlightening day.

Timeworn Artwork From the 70's!

It's gone, all of it. In the trash. I enjoyed taking them out of the closet every few years as they brought back fond memories, but no one else would ever care to see them. I did take pictures though, just I case I had the need.  One of my favorite art classes in college was Figure Drawing.  Out of all the models who posed nude, I remember Chloe, a plump older woman with lots of folds on her body which were great fun to draw.  She was everyone's favorite.

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"DON'T BOO. VOTE!"

I was so inspired after watching the Democratic National Convention a few weeks ago that I decided to design fabric for t-shirts using a quote by President Barack Obama. During his speech the crowd boo'd when he said something about the inadequacy of the Republican party.  He said, "Don't boo. Vote!"  I loved this.  Don't just complain, make your voice be heard.  Whether it be voting politically or voting with your dollars to support companies you believe in, make your voice be heard!  

I decided to market the t-shirt to spread the message.  The design is on the front and the back is sold navy.  It's made of super comfy 95% cotton and 5% spandex jersey.  Designed to be flattering for women, it has raglan sleeves, a wide neckline, and is fitted at the waist.  (not straight sides but a slight curve)    

Votes for Women

This year is the 96th anniversary of women having the right to vote.  It took an incredible amount of sacrifice and dedication by many, many, strong minded women who fought for this right.  Along the way, they were punished, jailed, and worse.  I am passionate about encouraging all women, young and old, to get out and honor our right to VOTE!

I highly recommend watching the movie, Iron Jawed Angels, the true story about a group of suffragettes who led the final fight to get women the vote.  You will never take this right for granted again.  For more information on one of the main characters, Alice Paul, the website is: www.alicepaul.org