As a visual artist, I don't know a lot about the technicalities of music; but I do recognize the language of emotion and soul. And, if joy can shape-shift into musical notes, the nimble fingers of Chihera band members know how to conjure it. I first discovered Chihera on a golden late summer evening last…Read more Language of the Soul – Chihera’s Music
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My Beloved Mom (& Mother’s Day Gift Ideas)
In 2007, I stood on the banks of the Nile River with my mother. It was a magic life moment that came to symbolize so much of my admiration for her. She is one of the bravest people I know. I wrote about the experience in this post: A Beautiful River in Uganda, excerpt below: "It…Read more My Beloved Mom (& Mother’s Day Gift Ideas)
Dreams in Her Eyes
Funny how she is always thanking me for spending time with her. I've out-lived her by some three decades, and my greatest hope as I mentor her is to impart courage to keep seeking, to keep pressing into the unique gifts she holds in her heart. In some ways, I am motivated by a debt. Once,…Read more Dreams in Her Eyes
Strange how hope swells…
Strange how a lantern can appear out of nowhere. Walking barren tracks, and suddenly there's a light in your hand. Sincerely Danielle Shunk (SDS) plunked into my grasp like that. A friend knew a friend, who told her about SDS, who told me. I stepped foot in that magic space and before I knew…Read more Strange how hope swells…
Tiny, Subversive Flames
Art, so often for me, helps me access, grab hold of, and integrate experiences in life. I painted the first iteration of this piece, "Offering," several years ago, but found myself circling back to the image in recent months as I both read the book and watched the movie, "The Letters" about Mother Teresa. New…Read more Tiny, Subversive Flames
The Power of a Single Flame (Part 2)
When she picked up that first dying man from the gutter, there was no possible way she could foresee the masses across the globe whose lives would be saved. She only knew the fire in her bones could be alleviated no other way. And so she started rescuing, one-by-one, the last and least of the…Read more The Power of a Single Flame (Part 2)
The Power of a Single Flame
What began as a tiny subversive flame in a single heart now rages across the world. First, though, there was a choice: remain in the comfort and familiarity of a religious life, or cast her lot into the teeming chaos of impoverished streets beyond. The flame burned too hot to keep. She quietly shut the…Read more The Power of a Single Flame
Choice of the Muse (Studio Update)
FOUR CHAIRS SERIES: After much curiosity as to which painting Danielle would choose, the muse for the series selected Chair #2. PRINTS & ORIGINALS AVAILABLE: Limited edition giclee prints of all four chairs as well as two of the original paintings are now available in my Etsy shop: Fragments of Light. SHINE LIKE STARS: Without a doubt, the Shine Like Stars exhibit…Read more Choice of the Muse (Studio Update)
Four Chairs, Part 4
I believe what we can see is only a dim reflection of true reality. I think of the work of an artist as one who reaches into the invisible; tugs out little threads of color, pattern, texture; and weaves them into a language visible to others. Artist Paul Klee put it this way, “Art does…Read more Four Chairs, Part 4
Four Chairs, Part 3
This chair, I killed. Once I reached the version pictured in the last photo below, it seemed finished but it just didn't "feel right." I could not stop poking and prodding (process not pictured) until it simply sputtered and died: Knowing that sometimes my best work emerges from ashes (surely a living parable for circumstances in life), I refused to give…Read more Four Chairs, Part 3
Colleen Briggs Images & Writing 