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This is when my insides get very quiet.

by | Dec 15, 2022 | Ideas

It has been a most incredible time of journal making. Such a peaceful and deep practice!

It seems to follow in the footsteps of mandala making.
There is nothing else to do in the moment.
Nothing to think about, certainly nothing to worry about.
I just fold and sew and fold and sew. 

These are the last 5 journals of this journal making season. There will be more in the future, but not right away. I am working on another big undertaking … writing the next chapter of my life. It’s going to be amazing, and the reason I know this is, it’s scaring me to bits right now. But I will push forward, once easy next step at a time, and make the landing soft!

More to come soon!

If you are interested in any of these journals, yes, they are for sale. Please email me for details … I have not put them in my online shop.

Blessings to all, and may this time be rich with internal calm!

~sarah

The wind down of a busy year …

by | Dec 1, 2022 | Ideas

The final screen wallpaper for 2022 … but more to come in 2023!

Yes, you may download this image to use as your desktop wallpaper. Perhaps a good reminder that the essence of this month is about PEACE … starting within ourselves. 

December also boasts some pretty fun days … World Pear Day (3), World Cheetah Day (4), World Soil Day (5), International Mountain Day (12), International Monkey Day (14), International Tea Day (15) … this is a personal favourite and I will endeavour to make the perfect cup of tea in honour of my father.

December has become a serious and intentional “wind down” month for me. Allowing myself space and time to put things together and ponder what is to come. I am fortunate to not have commitments around holidays and gift giving, which of course is also intentional. It just got to be too busy and stressful at a time in the year when all I want to do is hibernate. I am equally fortunate that people accept this about me.

It’s been a powerful year of shift and change, letting go and reimagining. I already feel that energy continuing into this next phase of time. I have found openings, or have they found me? Not sure. Doesn’t matter … we are aware of one another and working toward what that means, and no matter what happens, it is exciting.

My theme for 2023, which inspired my mandala calendar is: Be Who You Are.

Yup, it’s going to be a good year!

More to come soon!

Until then, stay peaceful and enjoy all that is. 
~sarah

The joy of making with my hands!

by | Nov 8, 2022 | Ideas

I have been making journals again … after many, many years away from them.

But I didn’t used to hand bind them, and that, as it turns out, is quite a joyful thing!

I have a few books that teach how to do hand sewn bindings. I read them and about ten from the library. I got the gist of it, but couldn’t quite follow the actual instructions. This is not unusual for me. Written instructions usually don’t make much sense to me. 

So, I thought I would give it a shot and see if I took in enough to create a sewn binding that I could actually do, and I did. What I learned along the way was quite fabulous really. I made jigs to hold and punch the paper for the cover and the interior pages, so that everything would line up when put together. I would say that for my first run at it, I did okay. Enough to want to create a bunch of them, which is what I have done. 

What I was reminded of, from so long ago when I made journals in a previous life, it is a very serene practice. Even the sewing, which I wasn’t all that keen on really, turned out to be very pleasant. 

Taking time to match handmade papers with the mandala that was to adorn the cover, was so quiet and zen like. A real meditation. 

And so, here they are … the first few that are left from the mini show I did at the end of November. 

Each one is an original, with a hand drawn mandala. They are designed to lay completely flat no matter where you open it … a must for a lefty like myself. 

They have a pocket inside the front and back cover, and since pockets shouldn’t be empty, I have included some post cards!
Alas, the writing utencils do not come with the journal, for that you have to have your own!

They are available in my little online shop, if you want to read more about them!

Sarah J Clark

As the season does it’s serious change and the time is thrown off by an hour, there is a bit of an adjustment to be done.
The full moon and eclipse season … a lot of energy and a tough environment to focus, but I keep coming back to my manifesto that I did in the summer … and it seems to bring me back to ground and moving in a nice direction.

I wish the same for you!

~sarah

Looking forward and seeing some lovely things …

by | Oct 26, 2022 | Ideas

The 2023 Mandala Calendar is ready!

Thanks to my friend Simone for the encouragement to do a calendar this year, I think this one is a step up from last year. 

This year I themed it: Be Who You Are, which is a wonderful jumping off point to create a year of authentic being and a wee bit of lightness.

Once I picked the theme, I was off and running. The new days that came forward seem to support everything I think about “being who you are”, which in itself is quite joyful I think!

Get ready … Friday, January 13th is “Make Your Dreams Come True” day … and that is just in the first two weeks of the year! It amuses me that most of the days to celebrate fall in March and April. No idea why, they just do.

I have done new mandalas for this one, each one on black using coloured pencil and gold metallic marker. Each month is accompanied by a quote that originated in compendium, my periodical.

This year I have also added the moon phases, because I am becoming increasingly aware of how important those are to a complete understanding and working in the world.

If you are interested in purchasing this quirky, yet practical calendar for your wall, you will find it here in the compendiumshop.ca

I don’t think there is a better time than NOW to be proud of who you are. 

And so, November’s calendar page, and this desktop artwork would like to celebrate just that!

I hope you feel pride deep in your bones … deeper every single day.

~s

Just like a woodworker, artists often have to make “jigs” in order to repeat something accurately. 

In this case, I needed to find the centre of a circular piece, and then mark the 30º and 60º angles on them. I could have done this individually, but because I was needing to mark quite a few pieces in the same way, I built a jig. 

It’s pretty simple really … two thin pieces of basswood, positioned at right angles to one another. The small marks you see, highlighted with the red circle, is where I marked half the width of the circle. This meant I could put my t-square up against the edge of the wood and use my set square to make the marks. It saved me a lot of time. 

I also found myself making another jig, to punch holes for stitching the bindings on the new journals I just made. It doesn’t look like much, and it’s made of a bunch of scrap pieces that were lying around, but it did the job!

Guess this living near a woodworker is having a bigger effect on me than I might have imagined!

This is the revision on a box I did a couple of months ago. It just got additional work done on it after it had appeared at its second show, and no one was interested.

I took another look at it and realized it was lacking ooomph. Yes, that is a highly technical term for, “it wasn’t grabbing anyone!”

So, back to the studio table to see if a bit of a rethink on it might be able to move it up to that next level. I think it did. Now I just have to see if anyone else feels that too 😉

Sarah J Clark

I am feeling so very, very grateful these days. Words can barely describe it really … but I will give it a shot.

This past weekend, I held a small show and sale at my studio/home and it was so lovely. Everyone came in a joyous frame of mind, anxious to see what I have been doing. They carefully looked at the work in front of them and some chose pieces to keep, while others were seeing them as the perfect gift for a loved one.

Over the past few months, I have realized that doing small shows, either with another artist or solo, is the way I best share my work. Not big shows with people milling by who don’t pay attention to what they are seeing. I adore making connections. Real connections.

So, I think I will continue to approach things in this way. Small shows with invitations issued … and real connections resulting.

May your connections be as nurturing as mine.

~sarah

A bounty of possibilities in the studio!

by | Oct 1, 2022 | Ideas

Just as Fall brings a bounty of food during the harvest, I have a bounty of boxes to refine!

Some gifted, some discovered out in the wilds of the city …

There seems to be a clear focus adjustment for me, away from furniture and more toward small useful items like boxes. (Sometimes larger boxes too!) Although the furniture is lovely to do, it is much harder to sell. So, for the moment I have decided to work on small pieces, and if a commission to do a piece of furniture comes along, I will most likely jump at it. 

A friend gifted me 6 small boxes, all with very different personalities. A Yardley soap box … brought back memories of childhood. Yardley was a big name back then. Each one of these little treasures will be so fun to work on. Right now you are seeing them in the base-coat, prepatory stage … where endless possibilities exsist!

The range of boxes is quite fun, from a cigar box/chest that is highly refined, to a couple of pieces that are home made with whatever was around … I secretly covet those! They hold a patina that is amazing. 

Two of the pieces shown are Artist Paint Boxes … one commercially made, one homemade. I love them both for their unique qualities. 

I keep coming across these wonderful little pieces online … and they make me smile. Simple. Delightful. Encouraging.

One my calendar for October, it’s all about Hope. And I don’t think that can ever be a bad thing. 
You can download this image and use it as your desktop wallpaper … a reminder every day to give hope a chance!

~s

Speaking of calendars … yes, there is a 2023 one with even more crazy, wonderful, inspiring days to celebrate life. It goes to print this week!! I am very excited and extremely grateful to my friend Simone for enthusiastically encouraging me to create one for this year. It was fun. It also reflects a deeper theme for the year … BE WHO YOU ARE. The images are on a rich dark background and it feels like a good grounding tool for the year ahead.

This is the cover … I will reveal more next time!

Sarah J Clark

photo by Wendy Morisseau

I think everyone has been feeling it, the momentous shift that is happening. It is in us, in the world around us, in the planet, in the stars. It’s a big change and can feel daunting, to say the least. I am feeling mine in my body … one section at a time. So, I have slowed down to ask what I am to pay attention to. I ask if what I am feeling is a serious physical threat, or something working its way through me. So far, it has been that latter. We are in such a time of shift and change, but I truly feel a hope and coming openness with what is showing up. I think we are dropping a lot of unnecessary crap from our lives, at least I hope so! Be brave in the time. Be gentle to yourself and others because everyone is going through something!

May this be a time of hope for you, as you navigate the ever-changing landscapes, both near and far. 

Be well.
~sarah

I celebrate connection …

by | Sep 2, 2022 | Ideas

I celebrate connection is the calendar page for September … and here, for your desktop is one you can use.

When I put this calendar together, I had no idea that the theme of each month I selected, would be so amazingly accurate!

The connections to what’s next in my world keep opening up, just as my mind and spirit have been opening. I know quite well that these are not separate events, but rather in unison, like a angelic choir.

Even now I find myself surprised to see how things are laid out for me … one thing dovetailing with another and another … the puzzle revealing itself in some fabulous and heart-opening ways. Much of what I am experiencing is the very beginning, the sprouts of new ideas and avenues. I will be cautious not to rush ahead, but rather follow the pace evenly and wisely. I feel in sync with things right now, in a way I haven’t for too long.

This week I have been taking a mini holiday-at-home, sort of. Not focussed on what’s next, but rather just being with what is. I was just coming off a month of diligent preparations for a show/sale I did with a dear friend, in the majestic setting of her garden. Having not done a show in a very long time, it took a good deal of focus on the details to get things to run smoothly, which they did!

The show, and people who came by lifted my spirits in a new way, elevated me to a new place in myself. Plus I was delighted to send some treasures home with people. The work I do is no good if it just stays with me, it is meant to find its way to its intended recipient, whoever that is. It feels like completion when that happens.

So, here I am, starting September with a whole new set of connections to myself and the outer world, and it feels fantastic!

I hope this month offers you some new and beautiful connections too!

Holiday observances in September, according to my calendar: 5th International Turkey Vulture Day (although I am not sure why) • 8th World Literacy Day! • 21st World Day of Gratitude • 22nd World Rhino Day • 23rd International Day of Sign Language, and on the 24th International Rabbit Day! And one I missed putting on my calendar last year … 30th National Truth and Reconciliation Day

Another month with lots to celebrate and connect to!

The story of me piece I wrote for this one, pretty much says it all:

As a presentation box, I was not made out of very good wood, or even the right kind of nails! It’s shocking really … the roughness of my finish. The most refined thing about me was my closure and hinges! (And the wine that I was holding of course!) But Sarah’s friend Dorcas knew that she could make me into something special, in perfect harmony with who I really am. I am not refined, I am rough, and that’s okay. My new persona is: an ancient treaure box ready to be of sturdy and reliable service for decades to come. It feels nice to be me, and not pretend to be something I could never be, no matter what logo they put on me!

This is my current favourite mandala … created as a one-of-a-kind card, I had to keep it for myself. It speaks to some of what is happening in me … a sort of delightful wildness. For now, it is my symbol of my being.

Sarah J Clark

photo by Wendy Morisseau

My mind is open in a new way, and that’s exciting!

I have even started to outline compendium 11 … just a wee bit. I have been inspired by all the stories that have been revealed in and around me, and how they are all interconnected. Now I want to take that idea and see where it leads me!

I hope you will enjoy all the connections you will make, as you stroll the hills and valleys of your world … if you keep a sharp eye, keen ear and open heart … you will undoubtedly be delightfully surprised!

All the best,

~sarah