Art Festival and Butterfly Musings

Hope everyone had a Happy 4th of July
and all you Canadians had a Happy Canada Day!

Well, Hurricane Alex went into Mexico

and not much wind was felt here at home.

We gots lots and lots of rain....

10 plus inches total over a period of about 3 days.

Now the ground needs to dry out a bit.

But I tell you....rain is so good for plants...as you know.

We left early Saturday morning for a trip to Houston,

and when we returned on Sunday afternoon,

the grass had grown 4 inches I believe.

 Today it has already dried out enough
for me to plant some new plants.

They have been waiting to get into the ground

since before Alex.
While in Houston I saw the most beautiful
Giant Swallowtail Butterfly.

I took this photo in Mark's garden,

in Houston.

He is my daughter's soon to be

brother in law.

He is a wonderful gardener

and I can't wait to see his garden's progress.

The Giant Swallowtail butterfly wings

can span to about 6 inches

and I think this one was pretty close to that.

There is a Native American legend about the butterfly
that I thought you may enjoy...
According to an American Indian Legend -
If anyone desires a wish to come true
 they must first capture a butterfly
 and whisper that wish to it.
Since a butterfly can make no sound,
the butterfly can not reveal the wish to anyone but the Great Spirit
who hears and sees all.
In gratitude for giving the beautiful butterfly its freedom,
the Great Spirit always grants the wish.
So,
according to legend,
by making a wish
 and giving the butterfly its freedom,
the wish will be taken to the heavens
and be granted.

After leaving Houston we drove back on all the backroads.
We stopped at the 41st Annual Rockport Art Festival.
I didn't take pictures but here are some links
of some of the artists that I loved.

Anne Heinrichs,
Mixed Media Collage
http://www.anneheinrichs.com/

Arbor Castle Birdhouses
http://arborcastlebirdhouses.com/
These are beautiful, unique and functional
plus longlasting...
artist Joseph Hopps

http://www.susanbestmixed.blogspot.com/
mixed media, collage, assemblage, painting

http://jamierood.com/

There were over 120 artists,
mostly from Texas,
and most of them were amazing
Fine arts and master Craftsman.

Amado M. Pena,
a Pascua Yaqui Tribal Artisan
was there also. 
He is from Santa Fe, NM
and you can find him here.
http://www.penagallery.com/
I purchased one of his
storyteller prints.

 Another favorite was Steve Hunsicker
http://www.stevehunsicker.com/
He creates fine art paintings
and sculpture.

This is what he says...

"Sometimes I am asked how long does it take for me to create one of my pieces?  The answer I give might be a few hours, days, or years.  For me the creation of a work of art is not linited to the time it takes to create the physical piece.  The process of creation is a manifestation of a person't life experience.  Often the process is a search; a search for something mystical, sacred, mysterious and personal.  The search is what is most important and is continuous.  The time from the point of conception to completion of a piece is different then the time it takes to create a piece.  For me the process of creation is a culmination of works and involves many pieces of art.  The concept or spirit of a piece or series of work may come in a flach or might be drawn out slowly while working.  Often the ideas or images are revealed to me during that semi-conscious state between being sound alseep and fully awake.  The initial vision is usually fleeting, like a glimpse of something at the edge of your vision.  Once I have had a glimpse of the image my search begins.  Through the creative process I find what I am looking for.  I find it in the wood, the shape, the form, and the texture.  I find it in the color of the paint, the stone, and the metal.  I find it in all of these things.  I make an effort not to overwork a piece, to keep it simple.  I want the work to be clean and un-cluttered.  Often I stop work on a piece before I feel that it is completed.  I do this to leave open the door to the next piece.  I think of each piece as a link in a chain, each link being a step in the search.  I think of the chain or all of the pieces as being the completed work.  Religious icons, primitive petroglyphs, and symbols from a variety of cultures ancient and modern influence my work.  The influence that the viewer sees is dependent on his or her own experiences. "

I love to read what an artist feels and thinks.

Savor the Day!
Yvonne