Crisis

Crisis

Hi there!
Thanks for popping in today,
on this sunny Sunday in October.
Ahh… you thought I was having a crisis.
Funny how titles can make you inquisitive, isn’t it?
No crisis here today, I’m happy to say.
The title of the blog is the title of a poem 
I was reading last night when we finally got home 
from Harrogate at midnight. 
Reading poems at midnight?? Really?? Yes, really.
It’s from a beautiful book which was given to me by a very thoughtful lady called Myra.
It sits by my bed and I dip into it every evening before lights out,
just to redirect my thinking away from work.
I simply let the book fall open 
and read whatever it wants to give me,
and last night it was 
CRISIS
Will future generations understand
The turmoil of these days, the strain and stress,
The dawn’s despair, the night’s uneasiness,
The greed of itching palms throughout the land?
Will they conceive the fired fanatics fanned,
Of time the universal wastefulness,
The strange philosophies the mobs confess
That every throat cry out some new demand?

Time was when man held saner counsel here.
Will that time come again? Shall we behold
From this grim madness some new love unfold?
We pray for gentler times, when man shall cease
His brother man to bully or to fear.
Great God, among ourselves let us have peace!

Max Ehrmann
The poem really made me think,
not only because of its stabbing aptness today in general,
but because it was written a hundred years ago, 
by Max Ehrmann, best known for Desiderata. 
A hundred years ago.
So this morning, I have come up to my little artroom in the trees, 
and spent an hour pondering the poem,
 and making a little piece of art whilst deep in thought.
Since Sundays blog is a step by step,
let me show you how I did this.
It started with a scrap, a mop up from another project.
Never throw these bits away!!
I picked my Thoughtful stamp set.
These are the stamps which always work for me 
when the thinking process is more important than the art,
if you get my drift.

I love these stamps.
There is something kind and delicate about them.
Stare at the scrap and decide what you can see, Barb.
Black Archival ink for the stamp.

Anchor the flowers to the ground, with a little torn paper 
and ink on a make-up sponge.
Not much – just a touch.

Colour in the flowers.
Yellow for hope….

For without HOPE,
we have nothing.
And out of nowhere, the clouds roll in and the sky is overcast…

Let’s wrap it round a little A6 canvas board.
After all, it’s only a scrap of copy paper.

Decide where you want to place the art on the little board,
and pencil mark it on the back

Cut the piece back and cut the corners.

Paint the board with Mod Podge
It’s the best gear for this job.

Place Mod podge face down on the back of the artwork

Flip and rub the front flat.

Turn back to the back, and wrap around,
using MP on 2 sides at a time.

Very easy.

It’s no masterpiece, but it reflects Ehrmann’s poem in my head.
It speaks to me of hope in worrying, clouded times.
And now for a walk in the warm sunshine with Dave. 
Thank you for joining me today,
and thank you Myra Sanders, for the book of poetry. 
Love & Hugs,
Barb
xxx

98 thoughts on “Crisis

  1. Beautiful artwork Barb. I always keep my scraps these days. I have a little Batb on my shoulder telling me not to bin it. Lol. Lovely poem too. Enjoy your walk in the sunshine. Quite nice in Stafford today too right now. Xxx

  2. I have been working with these stamps today, sun streaming through the window, I was completely lost in what I was doing , didn't create a serene piece of art as you , but I was quite pleased with it. Lovely poem could do with a book like that , haven't commented for a while, husband hasn't been too well getting better now , back to crafting yea xxx

  3. So beautiful, so thought provoking and unfortunately so apt for today. Your artwork relates very well. I love this set of stamps, they are very versatile. We used them, yesterday, at Jo's workshop. Xx

  4. The poem is so scarily apt. The whole world feels in turmoil one way or another, which can leave one feeling rather overwhelmed with negativity. That's why creativity is such an opposite and helps dispel clouds of doom. As well as crafting I have an allotment, it does well on somethings and not on others. I always say there's always next year! I try to remain optimistic. I also refuse to have disagreements in my home, the children were always told that there's enough aggro in the world without it being on my doorstep. Taught them to sort out their troubles before they got out of hand. I love the piece of art created. Not sure where all that came from, it just felt right to say it. X

  5. A lovely piece of work and a thoughtful poem. Just come back from a lovely walk with the dogs next door (and Lima !). We were commenting on the colours of the leaves and the jigsaw blue sky and then moaning that the sun was right in our eyes on the way back! |Enjoy your walk x

  6. "And out of nowhere, the clouds roll in and the sky is overcast…" But there are shafts of sunlight shining through breaks in those clouds, reinforcing the hope. Love the picture. xx

  7. This is beautiful Barbara, and to me it looks like smoke billowing in the background and your pretty flowers rising like a Phoenix out of the ashes. Great poetry too. x

  8. Beautiful Barb, Been looking at this piece for a while and have come to the conclusion that in my mind it represents me when i need to find hope in my darkened hours so thank you Hugs and love Ali xxxx

  9. A beautiful piece of artwork and a very thought provoking poem!
    I hope you enjoyed your walk and feel suitably rested after your busy weekend! Love and hugs xxx

  10. Hi Barbara, yes very apt poem for these times sadly, and on so many levels too. As I was reading it I was wondering when it was written, guess there has been many times in the history of this planet that it would be apt for. Seems every living species has conflict, destruction, harm, something negative, within it, sadly the homo sapien species tops them all, the one species with the capability to know better, and to change!

    Love the artwork it has inspired you to create too. Thank you for sharing, poem thoughts and artwork. As a starting point I would settle for getting arty enough to make scrap to keep!!! I do love those stamps too, and know what you mean about them. I'm sure I keep adding them to my want/need list, but they seem to keep disappearing again! Can't blame that one on Microsoft!!!! 😉 Can I please ask, is there a safer alternative to Mod Podge, for folk like me who are sensitive to VOCs? Something that's better than watered down pva glue?

    Hope you enjoyed your walk in the sun. Wee bit sun here on and off, but cold, heating on all day now up here, even when the sun is out.

    Hope you enjoy your evening, and have a date planned with Poldark. I need to watch last week's first
    Love Brenda xx

    1. Me again Barbara, to redress your poignant blog post today. Just read, vandals knocked down a tree growing out the pavement in Oxford Street. A 7 year old girl spent all her pocket money on buying a maple tree, and persuaded her dad to risk being arrested, to go out at midnight and plant it where the old one used to be. She left a note on it saying what she'd done and asking everyone to respect it, so everyone could watch it grow and enjoy. She's now saving up her pocket money to buy more trees for other streets. There's your hope Barbara xxx

    2. Hi Brenda,
      Thank you for telling us about this lovely little girl. How very uplifting in this day and age for someone to be so selfless. Love and hugs to you and Daisy , Alison xxx

  11. A lovely piece of art in all ways. I am glad you did not have personal crisis. Sadly, someone did this afternoon. It was a crash between a motorbike and a car which, of course, created major traffic chaos, but at least the rest of us got home safely. Bikes seldom fare well against other vehicles. Your poem could really be apt for everyone at some time in their lives and in any century. Very thought provoking. Hope you had a lovely walk with Dave. xxx Maggie

  12. Hi Barbara, You have definitely got an 'eye' for 'what could be' !! I would have looked at that scrap and definitely would not have envisioned this 'beauty'. Truly wonderful !!
    Lots of love from Patricia xx

  13. Hi Barbara, You have definitely got an 'eye' for 'what could be' !! I would have looked at that scrap and definitely would not have envisioned this 'beauty'. Truly wonderful !!
    Lots of love from Patricia xx

  14. I have a poem book too (not the same as yours) – often 'flick' the pages to see which it stops at and it's amazing how often the words are appropriate to my mood or day in general! Love todays artwork and it definitely fits with the lovely words of the poem. Not been crafting today as been out for Mam's birthday lunch 86 tomorrow! Xx

  15. It's wonderful how you can think that's a bit of rubbish that piece of paper but a simple little flower or two becomes a work of art loving the poem to hope you enjoyed your walk and evening xxx

  16. Hi Barbara
    The poem could have been written yesterday, so thought provoking. I do love your artwork too, a simple stamp on a background but so beautiful. I can see why this stamp set is a favourite. We've been for a great walk today, bit nippy,lovely sunshine amazing countryside. Isn't nature wonderful. Hope you had a good walk too.
    Love Diane xxx

  17. Thank you for sharing the poem. The body of poetry that came out of the first World War is incredible. Although it is mostly the poems written by men such as Sassoon and Owen that are famous one of the most moving to me as a mother is one entitled A War Film by Teresa Hooley. WARNING It makes me cry every time I read it.
    I saw,
    With a catch of the breath and the heart’s uplifting,
    Sorrow and pride, the “week’s great draw” –
    The Mons Retreat;
    The “Old Contemptibles” who fought, and died,
    The horror and the anguish and the glory.
    As in a dream,
    Still hearing machine-guns rattle and shells scream,
    I came out into the street.

    When the day was done,
    My little son
    Wondered at bath-time why I kissed him so,
    Naked upon my knee.
    How could he know
    The sudden terror that assaulted me? …
    The body I had borne
    Nine moons beneath my heart,
    A part of me …
    If, someday,
    It should be taken away
    To war. Tortured. Torn.
    Slain.
    Rotting in No Man’s Land, out in the rain –
    My little son …
    Yet all those men had mothers, every one.

    How should he know
    Why I kissed and kissed and kissed him, crooning his name?
    He thought that I was daft.
    He thought it was a game,
    And laughed, and laughed.

  18. Walking in the autumn leaves today in Budapest I quoted the "Seasons of mist and mellow fruitfulness" verse to my OH as it really fitted the scene, and he was so impressed. Didn't like to tell him I knew it because it was one of your stamps!!! Sometimes a poem or a song just strikes the right chord, doesn't it? Beautiful piece of artwork x

  19. That poem was very thought provoking. Love that set of stamps, very useful. Wish I could get a scrap like that by just blotting up. Finished canvas beautiful. Hope you've enjoyed a relaxing day.xx

  20. Hi to all my lovely blog friends, hope you're all ok and have had a nice day. Missing you Donna, Dot and dear Sheila, where have you been the last few days? Love and hugs to you all.

  21. Hi Barb,
    Very thought provoking today. What a lovely gift from Myra too. Love today's artwork – those stamps are gorgeous. Was the "scrap" from one of your petite shows? It really works well with the stamp you've chosen and the finished 'canvas' is great. Hope you've had a rest today, you certainly deserve it. Love and hugs Alison xx

    1. Hi bloggy friends,
      Today has been productive I must say. I needed to make an anniversary card for Dave ( for tomorrow!) so decided to kill two birds with one stone and used it for the blog challenge. Then this afternoon managed to get another 25 Christmas cards completed. Now need to watch Poldark! Love and hugs to you all, Alison xx

  22. Lovely little canvas I like this idea of even trying something on paper first
    then attaching it to canvas might even get me to open up my set off canvases at long last. Diamond club wee parcel arrived yesterday love them all.
    Take care ..Dot xx

  23. I voted yesterday here in Las Vegas. Can't wait for the madness to end. Your poem really spoke to me especially the greed and bullying. And that little work of art…that spoke to me too. Thank you.

  24. What a wonderful poem Barbara. It was reminding me of Desiderata as I was reading it. (Which I have on the wall in the 'smallest room'….just at 'eye level'!!!) I love this step by step too. Thank you xx

  25. Hello all my lovely bloggy friends. I hope you're as well as can be. Sheila..special thoughts to you my friend. I get worried when you miss a day xx Love and Hugs to you all xxx

    1. Hi Morag and Alison have,a lovely day. Gosh Alison you've dine well with your Christmas cards. I did manage to make a groovy one last night using Jaynes design plate.xx

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