HELP PROTECT ENDANGERED PLANT SPECIES- How to get involved
As we enter what scientists are calling The Sixth Mass Extinction endangered plants need our help more than ever. Loss of species is happening at an alarming pace due to climate change, pollinator decline, mining, and human activity. I’ve put together some resources to get involved quickly and easily.
An illustration for The Lever
My recent illustration for Lever News and the LeverTime podcast: How Ecological Justice Advocates Are Holding Fossil Fuel Polluters Accountable for Climate Change
CHOOCH HELPED arrived in my mailbox! Images from my debut picture book, written by Andrea L Rogers
CHOOCH HELPED arrives in the mail! See photos from my debut picture book, A starred Kirkus review, pre-order your copy of this Cherokee kit lit book
My dive into literary illustration, a book cover, and a new agent!
Read about my dive into literary illustration, a book cover, and a new agent at Prospect Agency!
Selu Monument at home at the Cherokee Cultural Pathway
CHOOCH HELPED arrives in the mail! See photos from my debut picture book, A starred Kirkus review, pre-order your copy of this Cherokee kit lit book
Spring Roundup: Fall 2024 Levine Querido catalog cover + 2024 Highlights Foundation scholarship recipient
Spring Roundup: My art on the Fall 2024 Levine Querido catalog cover + Highlights Foundation scholarship recipient
February update: Valentines cards, Bader and Simon exhibit with B + S With Friends podcast, new snake shirt!
February update by Rebecca Lee Kunz featuring her online exhibit with Bader and Simon Gallery “Fragile Horizons” about artists addressing climate change, her interview on the January B + S With Friends Podcast, new snake design t-shirts, and valentines mini card gift sets
PART 1: Art prints featured on the set of The Curse: “Green Queen”, Season 1, Episode 10. Symbolic art used in the finale explained!
Framed prints from Whitney and Asher’s house on The Curse show, specifically featured in the nursery and their bedroom. Wall Art prints featured on the set of The Curse: “Green Queen”, Season 1, Episode 10 are by Santa Fe artist Rebecca Lee Kunz of Treeoflifestudio.net leave clues or Easter Eggs about the show’s ending. Symbolic art used in the finale explained! Rebecca’s artwork was featured on the set of The Curse, starring Emma Stone as Whitney and Nathan Fielder as Asher. Spoiler Alert: In the last half of episode be on the lookout for my framed prints on the walls of Whitney and Asher’s home, specifically in the bedroom and the baby nursery, where my prints serve as visual Easter Eggs, or clues, about the meaning of the show and hidden messages about the ending. Art by Santa Fe artist and owner of Tree of Life Studio appears in the bedroom and nursery scenes of The Curse by Paramount Plus and Showtime. Subscribe to view with your Amazon Prime account.
2023 A Year in Review
Artist Rebecca Lee Kunz shared her 2023 events, including the announcement of her illustrations for the upcoming picture book with Andrea Rogers “Chooch Helped” published by Levine Querido. Her 2023 exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts Shop Lloyd Kiva New Gallery, her upcoming 3D work Selu Monument that was chosen to be part of the permanent outdoor exhibit on the Cherokee Cultural Pathway in Tahlequah, OK, and the feature of her art in the Yale Climate Connections article.
“Platanthera praeclara/Western Prairie Fringed Orchid”: A artist’s call to action: help this endangered species
Platanthera praeclara/Western Prairie Fringed Orchid Gouache, Ink, Monotype on linen 11” x 16” A few days before my recent painting exhibit Ever Green I became possessed by the spirit of this image. With about 36 hours to spare, and between school drop-offs...
“Rubus stipulatus/Bristle-berry/Big Horseshoe Lake Dewberry”: Symbology and botany weave together a story of hope
“Rubus stipulatus/Bristle-berry/Big Horseshoe Lake Dewberry”: Symbology and botany weave together a story of hope through this multi-media monotype and watercolor botany illustration
“Carrier :: Entwined”: A story about Wren, the messenger
Carrier :: Entwined Gouache, Ink, Monotype on linen 18 x 18” This piece tells a story about Wren- the messenger, the carrier. Wren flies from house to house singing out messages, carrying stories, according to Cherokee mythology. Our job is to listen I, as the...
“Isoetes melanospora/Black-spored Quillwort :: Regenerate”: A painting that tells a story of loss and hope
Isoetes melanospora/Black-spored Quillwort :: Regenerate Gouache, Ink, Monotype on linen 18 x 24”Isoetes melanospora/Black-spored Quillwort, or Merlin’s grass, is an endangered aquatic lycophyte native to Georgia and South Carolina, first “discovered” in 1877....
“Sarracenia alabamensis/Alabama Canebrake Pitcher Plant”: An artist’s depiction of an endangered plant
Sarracenia alabamensis/Alabama Canebrake Pitcher Plant Gouache, Ink, Monotype on linen 12 x 12” Like many other pitcher plant species, the Alabama Canebrake faces many threats. Livestock grazing, fire suppression, and conversion to pine plantations have pushed...
“SARRACENIA OREOPHILA/GREEN PITCHERPLANT”: How you can help save this endangered plant
Sarracenia oreophila/Green Pitcherplant Gouache, Ink, Monotype on linen 12 x 12 The Sarracenia oreophila is native to the Southeastern US and grows in Alabama, North Carolina, Georgia, and previously Tennessee. This variety of pitcher plant is found in bogs and...
“Alarum :: Cradle“: What does the Wren’s nest teach us?
Alarum :: Cradle Gouache, Ink, Monotype on linen 14 x 14”According to Cherokee legend, Wren is the messenger. Through song, she calls out the news of the day. Wren shows up in this new body of work, posing inquiries, warning us of what is to come..What does it mean...
“Franklinia alatamaha/Franklin Tree” a tribute to this beautiful and unusual tree
Franklinia alatamaha/Franklin Tree Gouache, Ink, Monotype on linen 8 x 8”A member of the tea family, the Franklin tree - Franklinia alatamaha, was last seen growing in the wild in 1790. Named after Benjamin Franklin, this tree was founded by his friends John and...
“Ipomoea pandurata/Indian Potato/Man-of-the-Earth “: A botanical study of a native species
Ipomoea pandurata/Indian Potato/Man-of-the-Earth Gouache, Ink, Monotype on linen 8 x 8”The once-thriving Ipomoea purdata, or Wild Potato Vine, is native to North America, with its territory extending from Oklahoma to the whole of the East Coast. Despite being a tough...
“LINDERA MELISSIFOLIA/PONDBERRY/SOUTHERN SPICEBUSH”: This endangered species needs your help
Lindera melissifolia/Pondberry/Southern Spicebush8 X 8”Gouache, ink, monotype on linenLindera melissifolia/Pondberry/Southern Spicebush Pondberry has always been a rare species, but due to human activity, its natural habitats have dwindled and this species is in...
“ISOETES MELANOSPORA/BLACK-SPORED QUILLWORT :: TRANSMUTE”: This endangered species needs your help
Isoetes melanospora/Black-spored Quillwort :: Regenerate18x24”Gouache, ink, monotype on linenJoin me as I explore these questions through metaphor and imagination in my 2023 exhibit Ever Green. I will be posting the images from this exhibit here. Isoetes...
“FALLEN FROM STARS”: WHAT IS OUR CONTEMPORARY RELATIONSHIP TO THE SKY VAULT? WHY IS COYOTE FALLING UP?
According to Cherokee legend, humans and animals first lived in the Sky Vault. The Sky Vault was a safe place but started to become crowded. Through a series of events we came down to live on Earth. This new land was suspended by cords, held up by the Sky Vault. But,...
THE MESSENGER, HOW WREN DELIVERS NEWS
.According to Cherokee legend, the wren is known to be the messenger. Through song, the messenger tells her people what is to come in the future. She is known to announce such things as famines, wildfires or ceremonies in neighboring villages.In this piece the...
WHERE TO LOOK FOR HAPPINESS
As much as I love running my creative business, I also love a good vacation. But now I'm back and the online shop is open again!Traveling to another culture can be such a refreshing reframe. It can also remind us of our values. Right? On a recent trip to Belize I was...
Yale Climate Review features Tree of Life Studio
I'm honored to have my work featured in the story by Yale Climate Connections 8 Artists who are Grappling with Climate Change and Imagining a Better WorldRebecca Lee Kunz runs with myths in her ‘Story Paintings’ Rebecca Lee Kunz, an artist and citizen of the Cherokee...
“Spirit Pattern”, a visual retelling of the of the Cherokee myth “How They Brought Back Tobacco”. We each have our own Spirit Pattern
In this new series, I retell the the Cherokee folktale How They Brought Back Tobacco. This myth tells about the near-extinction of our people when we were on the verge of losing The Ancient One or the Old Tobacco plant, a sacred plant that was essential for our...
“To Summon the Stars”, Hummingbird’s story, a visual retelling of the of the Cherokee myth “How They Brought Back Tobacco”
In this new series, I retell the the Cherokee folktale How They Brought Back Tobacco. This myth tells about the near-extinction of our people when we were on the verge of losing The Ancient One or the Old Tobacco plant, a sacred plant that was essential for our...
“The Night We Almost Lost Her”, a visual retelling of the of the Cherokee myth “How They Brought Back Tobacco”. Hummingbird returns home
In this new series, I retell the the Cherokee folktale How They Brought Back Tobacco. This myth tells about the near-extinction of our people when we were on the verge of losing The Ancient One or the Old Tobacco plant, a sacred plant that was essential for our...
“Deliverance”, a visual retelling of the of the Cherokee myth “How They Brought Back Tobacco”. A story about the determined hummingbird
In this new series, I retell the the Cherokee folktale How They Brought Back Tobacco. This myth tells about the near-extinction of our people when we were on the verge of losing The Ancient One or the Old Tobacco plant, a sacred plant that was essential for our...
“Attending the Call”, a visual retelling of the of the Cherokee myth “How They Brought Back Tobacco”. A story of the greedy Dagûl’kû geese
In this new series, I retell the the Cherokee folktale How They Brought Back Tobacco. This myth tells about the near-extinction of our people when we were on the verge of losing The Ancient One or the Old Tobacco plant, a sacred plant that was essential for our...
Growing Home Garden Year calendar, a collaboration with Erin O’Neill
When my dear friend Erin O'Neill asked me to create the art for her Growing Home Garden Year calendar, my answer was"of course"!Erin conceived and carefully designed this planting calendar, which is the culmination of 20 years of close observation and care that she...
“Call it Owl’s Song”, lessons from an owl
A Story painting by Rebecca Lee Kunz from her 2021 Exhibit STORY PAINTINGS: A Mythological Narrative told by the Creatures of the Anthropocene at the Lloyd Kiva New Gallery at the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts ©2021 .“Call it Owl's Song” is a mixed media...
“Sky Split”, Civilization Policy strips Cherokee women of their power
A Story painting by Rebecca Lee Kunz from her 2021 Exhibit STORY PAINTINGS: A Mythological Narrative told by the Creatures of the Anthropocene at the Lloyd Kiva New Gallery at the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts ©2021 .When the Cherokee people were gifted...
“Skyward Return”, messages from our skyward friends
A Story painting by Rebecca Lee Kunz from her 2021 Exhibit STORY PAINTINGS: A Mythological Narrative told by the Creatures of the Anthropocene at the Lloyd Kiva New Gallery at the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts ©2021 .If you have been following along with the...
“Blackberry to Cotton”, the fall of Cherokee matriarchal power
This wall art print is featured in the set of show The Curse. It appears in the nursery of Whitney and Asher’s house in Episode 10, Season 1. From Santa Fe artist Rebecca Lee Kunz’s original artwork, and from her Story Painting series. Find this print at Treeoflifestudio.net/shop.
PRINTS FROM MY STORY PAINTING EXHIBIT NOW AVAILABLE
It’s official! You can now buy Archival Museum prints from my current exhibit on both my website and in my Etsy shopEach of the prints comes in 2 sizes and each image has its own unique story. If you'd like to learn more click hereThe inks that are used in the...
“Sky Guides ” Coyote guides from the Sky Vault
A Story painting by Rebecca Lee Kunz from her 2021 Exhibit STORY PAINTINGS: A Mythological Narrative told by the Creatures of the Anthropocene at the Lloyd Kiva New Gallery at the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts ©2021 . If you’ve been following along with the...
“Return Us Home” A female goddess icon that is both of the underworld and the celestial
A Story painting by Rebecca Lee Kunz from her 2021 Exhibit STORY PAINTINGS: A Mythological Narrative told by the Creatures of the Anthropocene at the Lloyd Kiva New Gallery at the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts ©2021 . In harmonious balance, this female icon is...
“From Cinders” A modern proverb: Grief as Transformation
A Story painting by Rebecca Lee Kunz from her 2021 Exhibit STORY PAINTINGS: A Mythological Narrative told by the Creatures of the Anthropocene at the Lloyd Kiva New Gallery at the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts ©2021 . After we’ve gone trough the murky depths of...
“Untethered :: At the Gate ” A mother’s story of desperation and resilience
A Story painting by Rebecca Lee Kunz from her 2021 Exhibit STORY PAINTINGS: A Mythological Narrative told by the Creatures of the Anthropocene at the Lloyd Kiva New Gallery at the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts ©2021 . In the spring of 2020, I kept having images...
“Coyote Skin :: Dusty Paws” A self portrait by Rebecca Lee Kunz
A Story painting by Rebecca Lee Kunz from her 2021 Exhibit STORY PAINTINGS: A Mythological Narrative told by the Creatures of the Anthropocene at the Lloyd Kiva New Gallery at the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts ©2021 . As covid began to take grip in the spring of...
“Sky Vault Descent” A contemporary reaction to the Cherokee Creation Myth
The official artwork from the set of The Curse. Found in the nursery of Whitney and Asher’s home in Episode 10, Season 1 of the Showtime series The Curse, buy your own limited edition print by Rebecca Lee Kunz. “Sky Vault Descent” A contemporary reaction to the Cherokee Creation Myth, found at treeoflifestudio.net
EXHIBIT OVERVIEW AND MORE EXCITING NEWS
Hi friends, my exhibit at the Lloyd Kiva New Gallery has been a great success! I couldn't have done any of it without the unending support from my family and community.The exhibit is still up in Santa Fe until October 20, 2021! I invite you to visit if you haven't...
SOLO EXHIBIT IN SANTA FE
Please join me for my upcoming exhibition Story Paintings at the Lloyd Kiva New Gallery at MoCNA in Santa Fe. map An opening reception will be held Friday, August 20th, 5:00-7:00. The exhibit runs through October 20, 2021.In these Story Paintings, Cherokee mythology...
NEW THINGS ON THE HORIZON
Hello my friend, we made it to spring, hallelujah! It has been a difficult 12 months for many and I hope things are looking up for all of you.I have exciting news...Save the date for my one-woman gallery exhibition running August 20th through October 20th in Santa Fe...
COYOTE SKIN
Of the evenings when I’m out on my favorite trail with my dog Nalii and we hear the coyotes start to call. They’ve been speaking to us. Sometimes their call sounds distant. Sometimes they sound like they are on our tail. Coyotes have come out for their nightly prowl....
THE COLLECTIVE CREATIVE
As I have developed as an artist I have come to believe that our creativity is not something we can necessarily own, or take credit for. I find it to be something of an impulse, something living within us. Like a deep well, is it is something we can all can partake...
GATHERING STRENGTH
It has been 10 years since I had a really good visit with my dear friend, my painting easel. AND, it has been 10 years since my first child was born. It's no coincidence that my easel has been in the dusty corner of my shed for these past 10 years. In this time I have...
PIONEERING OF THE SOUL
Sometimes I find myself wondering "how did we come to walk this path...out in these high hills, surrounded by dirt, removed from the green landscapes and comforts we grew up knowing"? My husband and I left our families some twenty years ago, left our homelands and all...
DIY VALENTINES SEED BOMBS
Need unique DIY Valentines Day gifts for him? Easily create your own heart shaped Valentines seed bombs! These eco valentines are a fun and easy Valentines craft, and wonderful diy valentines for kids! Hey, when was the last time you heard of using a bomb for a good...
DIY PERPETUAL CALENDAR
New year, new calendar! What fun my daughter had creating this perpetual calendar. This finished calendar now hangs on the wall in our homeschool room. Here's how to make your own.First draw 5 different sized circles on large paper by tracing round objects. Just go...
BURIED TREASURE
Pink quartz scattered at our feet, we walked up the rocky hill. Past the old tree house, criss crossing between junipers and piñons, we made our way through the golden autumn light. We had been on a hunt for piñon pine resin, or cured pine sap, found on the trunks...
QUINOA RICE CRACKERS
This recipe came from an attempt to copy a favorite cracker that we buy a lot called "Mary's Gone Crackers". These crackers have no flour, and only a few simple ingredients, including two super foods, quinoa and chia seeds. Wonderful with goat cheese or by themselves,...
A WALDORF HOMESCHOOLER’S SECOND GRADER’S PORTFOLIO
I have had some requests to share work from our Waldorf-inspired second grade home school. I became much more comfortable teaching this year, and because of this and the wonderful subjects we studied, we had a lot of fun! In the second grade traditional Waldorf...
MEREDITH WOOLNOUGH~ A REVIEW
Every once in a while we come across something so inspiring, that we have to pause and take a moment to take it in. This happened to me when I found the art of Meredith Woolnough. It is difficult to successfully mimic mother nature's beautiful organic motifs, and do...
HOMEMADE TACO SEASONING
I have been working on this recipe for a while and I finally feel like I have found a great balance of flavors. It is very mildly spicy, so my can kids eat it. This recipe makes a good quantity, you will have enough to to save in a jar for many taco nights to...
LIKE A CAVEMAN
Well sorta like a caveman...only a little more sophisticated. My most recent love has been painting stones. Lots of stones. They are everywhere, these sweet little stones... I seem to be finding since I began my love affair with adorning these natural beauties. The...
HOMEMADE DIY MARSHMALLOWS
Looking for DIY Valentines Day gift ideas for kids school? Make your own heart shaped marshmallows at home . . . We decided we would make these heart shaped marshmallows for Valentine's Day this year. Did they turn out to be light and fluffy? Not exactly, but they...
SAINT BRIGID, KEEPER OF THE HEARTH
PRAYER OF SAINT BRIGID Brigid of the Mantle, encompass us, Lady of the Lambs, protect us, Keeper of the Hearth, kindle us. Beneath your mantle, gather us, And restore us to memory. Mothers of our mother, Foremothers strong. Guide our hands in yours, Remind us how to...
THE PIÑON PILGRIMAGE
One September, when my first born was just a baby, we started noticing masses of cars parked on our roadside. Alongside the cars were people crouched under trees with buckets in hands. They seemed to be doing something very important, but a mystery to us. We came to...
HAPPY MARTINMAS
"I carry a light within me A brightly burning flame Though dark may try to win me It ever shines the same It guides me through uncertainty It warms the wintry weather And brings to every burden The lightness of a feather"
BEING MADE WHOLE
From time to time we are asked to face something unexpected. When this happens, we are often made to look at uncomfortable realities. Last week I was told that my grandmother may not live more than a few days. If I was to see her, I had to make a decision to leave...
FLOURLESS PIZZA CRUST
This recipe will make 2 medium size pizzas, with very thin crusts. Here are the ingredients you will need for the pizza crust: 1 large head of cauliflower 2 large eggs 1/2 - 3/4 cup goat cheese (or cream cheese) 4 Tbsp parmesan cheese (optional) 3 cloves minced garlic...
FIRST GRADE, A REVIEW
The end of our first year homeschooling, and what a year we had! Happy to say we fared well. Here, our weather tree is a symbol of our journey. We started in September with a bare tree on a very clean blackboard, which you can see on this blog post. Leaves were...
DIY CLOTH BABY WIPE SOLUTION
Here are the ingredients you will need to make your own cloth baby wipe solution: 16 oz apricot oil or almond oil 16 oz liquid castile soap (I use lavender scented) calendula flowers (found in bulk at herb stores) First you need to infuse your oil with calendula. Put...
HOW TO MAKE A FELT STRAWBERRY, WITH PDF PRINTABLE PATTERN
As promised, I will be posting my felt food tutorials, with printable PDF patterns. I thought we would start with the cutest felt strawberry! For strawberry you will need: red and green felt red, yellow and green embroidery thread embroidery needle wool roving or...
HEART PATCHES
Anyone have some holey jeans that need some love? Here are some love patches to solve your woes. Simply cut out some hearts, add some sweet sweet stitches, and a little bit of love. Now patch up those brokenhearted jeans with a little love. Happy Valentines...
PROMISE OF THE RAINBOW
My children come to me each day and hand me a rainbow. They beckon me to come. The path has been paved, they know the way. We can choose to go. The chasm of popular culture, the badlands of everything-at-our-fingertips right here and right now, is there as well, every...
DIY WATERCOLOR PAPER LANTERN
These watercolor paper lanterns are easy and fun to make. Children will love to watch the light dance and glow as they carry them through the dark night. You can find the pattern for this lantern in my Etsy shop First start with 2 sheets of watercolor paper, 11" x...
FIRST GRADE HOMESCHOOL
Well, we officially started first grade homeschool today. What fun! "Big" kid circle time games include clapping, stomping and using beanbags to learn numbers, letters and poems. Learning verses and songs through movement. Beginning our year with form drawing, an...
FELT FOOD
Fried eggs anyone? Or maybe a fresh fruit platter? For my four year old daughter's birthday last week, I made her some felt food to add to her play kitchen. You would be impressed by the meals she cooks up in there. Her creatively prepared food could rival some of...
FLOURLESS PROTEIN PANCAKES
I love trying less processed, real-food versions of traditional recipes, but the rule in my kitchen is...they MUST also be yummy. If not, why bother? These pancakes are delicious and are a welcome change to old fashioned pancakes, which taste so good, but leave some...
HAPPY DAD’S DAY
Just thought we would share a few ideas for Fathers Day gifts. Love on paper Take You Ridin in My Car massage shirt Happy Father's Day to all of the wonderful daddies out there. How we love you so!
ODE TO PARENTHOOD
Lately I have been feeling like a marathon runner. With three children under the age of 7, life is full! Very happily full, but full nonetheless. Much of my day is spent preparing meals, cleaning up messes, doing dishes and laundry, along with sprinklings of damage...
SIGNS OF SPRING
Finally, after a long winter, signs of spring are popping up through the leafy remains of last autumn. Grass baskets have been planted with our homeschool group. Following my Mom's tradition, the Easter Tree has been decorated, with freshly dyed eggs to add to the...
ROASTED BEETS
I haven't met a girl who doesn't like beets. Is it the blood red color, the earthy flavor, the sweetness? Who knows?! But, what I haven't met is a man who likes them, or I don't know of many anyway. You can try this experiment too, I bet you'll get the same...
HOW TO WET FELT A PIECE OF FABRIC
For valentines day we decided to make felt heart garlands. First we needed to make a piece of felt. This is one of the finished pieces we made. It is about 1/2" thick. To begin, you will need a selection of wool "roving". It is basically fluffy, un-spun, dyed wool...
GRASSHOPPER SMOOTHIE SUPERFOOD GREEN DRINK
Ok, so there aren't real grasshoppers in the smoothie, but my kids like to pretend that they are because that makes it more fun to drink. The green color and the grassy smell could fool you though. I make some version of this smoothie a couple of times a week for my...
HOW TO MAKE A FELT MUSHROOM HOUSE
This is the finished mushroom house, which my girls got for Christmas this year. First, you will need a concrete tube. Cut the tube to be about 8" high with a hacksaw. Then, draw the doorway and windows. Use a serrated knife to cut these out. Cut pieces of ribbon...
CROWN OF SANTA LUCIA
Through the brightness of Saint Lucia, light and hope are celebrated on Santa Lucia Day. This holiday marks the longest night of the year, as well the beginning of the Christmas season in Sweden and many other countries. Light, on this long dark night, is celebrated....
LANTERN SPINNING
This year for our home school lantern walk, we made paper mache lanterns. We blew up balloons, then covered them with colored tissue and crepe paper, which had been dipped in a water and glue mixture. After they were dry we punched two holes in them and strung them...
HANDMADE TYPOGRAPHY
I recently worked on a project for a friend's website where I created a bunch of handmade letters. His logo had a collaged look before, but he wanted a more funky hand-made update. This was one of the most fun projects I have ever worked on. Each letter became an...
DRAGON BREAD
As part of our home schooling each year, we make dragon bread for Michaelmas, decorating the monster with dried fruit and nuts. We like to use pumpkin seeds for spikes! Michaelmas is celebrated in honor of Saint Michael, who was known to have slain a fierce and...
STAR CHILDREN
Upon a recent trip to a nursing home to visit family in Oklahoma, I was struck by the very visceral memory of experiencing a nursing home as a child. The fragility and hopelessness. The masses of elderly souls in the hallways, bent over, sleeping in their wheel...
PUTTING THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE
I have not ever forwarded someone else's blog post, but this story is too amazing to not share. For all you ultra sensitive parents (like myself), brace yourself, then go and give each of your children a big...
OUR LITTLE BABY BIRDS
Two enormous ponderosa pines tower dutifully over the back corner of our home. I have always thought of them as our guardians, poised tall and firm throughout strong winds and heavy snows, protecting our humble home. It was under these trees where my daughter found a...
HOW TO MAKE A TISSUE PAPER ROSE
First find a sheet of colored tissue paper and fold it into a 2" - 3" square. Any old wrinkled tissue paper will do, in fact the more wrinkled, the more character your rose will have. Next, you will need to draw a freehand flower shape, with about 10 petals, onto a...
PALOMA GRACE KUNZ
An angel was brought here to us last week. A soft pure spirit. Warm and wet, placed upon my pulsing stomach. Her peace untouchable. As she is held in our arms here on earth today, her spirit seems still to hover, at times, in another realm. Each day though becoming...
NEEDLE FELTING MAGIC
I wanted to make a keepsake gift for our coming baby and decided to design this blanket. I bought a soft merino wool blanket and needle felted the design onto it. Needle felting is a process where wool roving (or batting) or wool yarn is attached to a wool surface,...
MYSTERIOUS LIFE
The soft snowy afternoon light streams in through the window as I read to my two girls, one under each arm. We stop reading to watch the baby move, the shape of my belly taking on strange forms, like some alien being inhabiting my body. We laugh as tears fill my...
CHRISTMAS STOCKINGS
My great grandmother made each of her 14 great grandchildren a felt pieced stocking. Each one was came from a kit, but was hand stitched, embellished with beads and sequins. These served as an inspiration for my own children's stockings. It is not my style to use a...
HOMESCHOOL TREASURES
The decision of educating our children crept up on us. When our first daughter turned three, we were faced…
APPLE BOUNTY
Beautiful soft autumn day; listening to sweet banjo and fiddle play as we pick apples from the orchards at the Santa Fe Community Farm. Warm sun on shoulders, warm laughter from the children, bobbing for apples as we pick the fruit. Fifty five pounds of apples...
MOTHERHOOD, THE FIRST FIVE YEARS
For my daughters' birthdays this year I made them each a birthday crown. Made of felted wool and embellished with tiny seed beads, these crowns were stitched of love, a little elbow grease and some tears. As my older daughter neared her fifth birthday, I began to...
PLANTING HOPE
To the garden we wander, the soil moist with dew. We come this spring with open hearts renewed. All heartaches forgiven, all winter's travails absolved. Spring becomes for us a channel from which to draw new...
SPRING BUTTER
Spring is finally here. Birds have come out to sing, fruit trees are in bloom and cows are grazing in fresh green pastures. What could make this time of year feel even more joyful? Making home made butter, of course. This is one thing that is so simple to make and...
DYEING FOR VALENTINE’S DAY
It's dyeing day at our house and the colors are inspired by Saint Valentine's Day. The palette: hot colors, shades of love: pinks, corals, and peaches. Into the pot go old faded shirts, uninspiring shades of pillow cases and some jammies that needed a love boost. In...
FELT FLOWERS
My newest obsession: felted flowers! I made these pincushions for Christmas gifts in December and fell in love with felt. I love the soft earthy texture of real 100% wool felt. I love how it feels to cut and work with. I love that the edges can be left raw,...
NEW BLUE NIGHTIES
For Christmas I made two flannel nightgowns for my four year old. One was for her, and a matching one was for her rag doll, Charlotte. Brilliant, I thought, when I came up with the idea. Sofia has had mostly two piece pajamas all her life. She deserves a...
JOSS PAPER!!!
This beautiful Joss paper, or Spirit Money, which is usually made of bamboo or rice, is burned by the Chinese as an offering to ensure that the spirit of the dead has abundance in the afterlife. I hope they won't mind if I use their Joss paper for a few projects in...
PAPER MACHE LUNA
This year for Halloween my 4 year old daughter said she wanted to be "La Luna" (the moon!). Since she was able to talk, she has always called the moon "La Luna, My Friend". She has had a loving relationship with Her Friend and always looks out for her on any given...
THE OLD HOMESTEAD
My great grandmother, Thelma Muskrat Lee, was born and raised in Oklahoma on what is now called the Grand Lake of the Cherokees. This is where my great grandmother and great grandfather met and lived out their lives. They lived on this land before there was a lake. ...
SOFIA’S LOVE QUILT
Almost 4 years after passing out blank quilt squares to family and friends, my daughter's "baby" quilt is finally finished. Before the birth of my first daughter, I decided that I wanted her to have a community quilt. I wanted her to have a tangible reminder of...
A DREAM OF A LIFE
Arriving in the dark night in Rincon, Puerto Rico, I was greeted by the silhouette of two sand palms standing majestically side by side. My skin soaking up the moist tropical air, I took in a very deep breath. The night was anything but quiet, abuzz with the...
DEAR SUE
Dear Sue, How you are missed You were like a mama to many of us with your soft guiding hand With your wisdom you lit a path, so that we could see what was already there With such a gentle way,...
THE MAY POLE DANCE
May flower crowns in plaited hair, the young girls watched admiringly as the older children danced around the May Pole. Ribbons of pink, blue and yellow being woven around the pole ever so skillfully as the warm May sun shone overhead, finally warming our shoulders....
SPRING CHILD
A tulip unfolds it's petals The grass is sprinkled with dew We watch with hopeful eyes as sprouts push their way up through the cool earth Where does spring find its courage? Where trees have...
ELSITA MORA, A REVIEW
Rarely in life are there people who touch you so deeply that you are utterly stunned. This happened when I first came upon the work of an artist named Elsa Mora, or "Elsita". This incredible woman, originally from Cuba, is the definition of an artist to me, with...
SOAKED GRAINS
I am not traditionally one for mixing sweet treats and "health food". It always seemed like an oxymoron to me. Often healthy treats are laking in flavor and are just plain plain. If I am going to indulge on a treat, I want it to give me something back. I do love...
LEARNING TO PAINT
As I sat down to paint with my three year old the other day, a great shift had taken place in her sensibility. Circles, lines and shapes were appearing, where only scribbles existed last week. Seemingly effortlessly, her hand would create groupings of abstract shapes...
UNASSUMING OBJECTS
Why is it that when I see a piece of bare wood, it calls out "paint me"? Not just "paint me" a simple color, but "decorate me... elaborately and colorfully". This not only happens with wood or furniture, but with bare walls, doors and other unassuming objects. This...
ROASTED GARLIC WHOLE GRAIN MUSTARD
Heading in the direction of handmade gifts this year, off to the kitchen I went to make my holiday goodies. I decided to make an artisan mustard as one of my gifts to give away. This mustard recipe is delightfully spicy, tangy and a little sweet, with a texture that...
A NEEDLE AND THREAD
These days I find myself returning to simple forms of creative expression. As a child I learned to embroider and cross stitch. I would spend hours in the craft store looking over the colorful pallet of threads, painstakingly deciding which colors to choose. Which...
IN MEMORY OF RAUL UGALDE, 1980-2010
Raul was the kind of spirit who would light up the room, light up the world. His love was actual and pure. His beauty infectious. His embrace came with an ease we are unlikely to see from any other. His creativity spun a thousand webs. With his passing we are left...
FEAST OF ST. MARTIN/MARTINMAS DAY
Saint Martin is known most for cutting his cloak in half to share with a beggar during a snowstorm, to save the beggar from dying of the cold. In many countries, St. Martin's Day or Martinmas celebrations begin at the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour of this...
LAST HARVEST
Watching my daughter’s face light up as she pulls a carrot out of the ground, I am reminded why we keep a garden, year after year. The pride and pure joy are overflowing. There is no greater gift I can give my children than to teach them to grow their own food, from...
