One of my favorite blogs to visit is the wonderful Churnings and Burnings, by Utah artist, Cassandra Barney. Cassandra is the daughter of artist James Christensen and her sister, Emily McPhie, is also a wonderful artist. A friend of mine introduced me to Cassandra's blog back a few months ago, when I asked him for a lesson in art appreciation. I knew remarkably little about art, except that of the church persuasion, and wanted to learn more. So, one of the first people he introduced me to was Cassandra.
Only, I have found so much more than art in her blogs. She has, for instance, great taste in music and frequently involves the work of other artists in her blogs. It is a great "jumping off" place, if you are not sure what to look at and you are interested in the arts. Cassandra will post music, other visual artists' works and poetry. In addition, she gives little glimpses of what her life is like, day-to-day. It is a lovely place to visit.
I have also met Cassandra's sister, Emily, who paints from her experience as a mother of three young children. I find her art very poignant and moving. It speaks to the trials and joys of being an artist, mother and wife in a way that resonates with my own experiences as a musician, mother and wife. Her blog is called Tenderness and Toil. It is interesting to see Cassandra and Emily, as compared to their father. Their styles are so very different from one another, but there are definite "family resemblances". They are currently working on a project together called "The Tree of Life". I can't wait to see what they all come up with.
In addition to meeting Emily through Cassandra's blog, I have met a poet, Kate Horowitz. Cassandra and Kate recently combined their artistic forces in an exhibit in Oregon called "She Dreamed in Verse and Rhyme".
Kate recently wrote a poem that describes her experience with blogging that I think sums all this activity up quite nicely, called "On Blogging, In Gratitude".
On Blogging, In Gratitude
Small birds, all of us,
chirping without aim. And when
the breeze parts the branches
we discover one another, fat with song,
blinded by the sudden sunshine.
She is a way better poet than I will ever be. If you like poetry, check her stuff out at her Blog: Things Written Down.
I enjoy the people that I have met through the blogging scene, very much, and I am very glad to have the opportunity to expand my view of the world from right here at my computer desk. It is an amazing thing to me to be able to connect with artists, musicians and writers from all over the US (and even the world) and find such commonality of experience, yet deepening the richness of the fabric of my life with their own personal glimpses and wisdom.
I hope that you take some time to check out these blogs and enjoy some really wonderful, funny, and smart ladies in the art world!
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