Metamorphosis: A Butterfly's Story: The Zen of Creating

*** Please note, the above artwork is only a drawing and not the final piece. This was designed with The Glass Eye software.

Here is the first design that has come to me from my trip to Costa Rica. This incredible insect helped me to revealed a part of me that has long been concealed.The finished size will be 32"x 20". I will post more of the actual piece as it is being created tonight...
Thanks,
Christina

So there is a lot of saw work , lots of inside curves. More to come!











It's at the point now where I am so excited about being able to hold it up to the light. This is the thing about stained glass: I've picked out all the glass, scrutinized each color and how it will appear next to the other colors and textures. I cut, grind, foil, solder, reinforce. There are many steps involved in the creation of a stained glass panel, hours of love.....

Finally, the long awaited moment comes when I get to pick the piece up and hold it to the light! Was I right? Did I choose the right colors and textures? It's kind of like gardening, planting all of those bulbs in the fall then having to wait and wait and wonder.... Delayed gratification to put it simply. It teaches patients and love of the craft. I am excited to share this with you.... More to come!

Update on A Little Piece of Heaven.... August 25, 2011

The land sold.... Now it is up for sale again, this time I am really actively working to buy it. Why not? It enhances my existing lot. And it feels like it has been part of my life for years already. So I again ask for your prayers and positive energy in obtaining this little piece of heaven.
Many Blessing to you all!
Chris

Looking down hill to my home and studio. Faithful dog, Lola sits about where my land stops up the hill... My labyrinth is in the foreground, buried in new spring grass...

I have lived nestled on a hillside for 18+ years now. I am also guilty of "squatting" on the top of the hillside for 18 years... You see, my property ends just at about the top of the hill. My neighbor, Mark has graciously allowed me to sit, party, camp, sleep, daydream, build a labyrinth, walk, and pray on this hillside for years now.

I grew up in a suburb of Chicago; houses close together, fenced yards, snug to say the least. Then I came out to NORTHERN Arizona, high elevation and open spaces back then, in 1976. I found my little slice of heaven in 1992. I rented the house for 2 years and was so taken by the space, energy, light and just beauty of the postage stamp lot, that I had to buy it! SOLD; 1994! To the east lays the hillside, an undeveloped acres or so of land owned by an old college friend, he has a total of about 5 or so acres. Since this hillside dips down towards my home, there was/is no value for anyone up hill from it. Like I said I have used the hillside to feed the birds, observe wildlife, welcome the sun and just sit and rejoice for 18 years now. I can look out my studio windows and not see another house or structure, It looks and feels like I am in the wilderness with no others around me on that side of my land, I love it!

Last year my neighbor got married and moved from the property and put the entire 5 and then some acres up for sale. My dilemma is ZONING!!! All I want is less then a 1/4 acre of the 5+ acres that is up for sale. Just enough to buffer me from anyone who buys the uphill property and builds a house. The way zoning works, he is unable to divide the lots up any differently then they are now, which means would have to buy 2+ acres for a lot more money than I have and I don't really want what comes with the 2+ acres which is several building and a triplex. So now I risk losing the small piece I want.

I am writing this blog as a prayer, a prayer that will be sent out to the universe, the heavens, the powers that be to let them know that I need to obtain this small piece of heaven I have known now for so long. I don't want to "squat" any more, but have the right to sit and pray, set a tent up for my grandson to camp in and what ever, on my own property. So I am putting the energy out there now, looking for a solution that works for both Mark and I. There truly is a win-win situation.... I know it!!

Peace,
Christina