Which must mean:

• either there’s a new superhero in the neighborhood,
• or I’ve been approved for the job!

Art Wall

A hearty thanks to all those who attended our Studio Warming last week! We had a lovely turnout, I had a great time, and I think everyone else did, too. Taryn & Melissa kept telling me, “Your friends are so COOL! We LOVE your friends! We want your friends!!” and I said, “OK, I’ll share.”

The mural in pastels above was created over the course of the party. Nice work, everyone!

Thanks for all the good wishes! Thanks, Sal and Doug, for the awesome music (I will post a clip when I remember to ask Sal about it) and — see you next time!

Love,
Mary

Here’s Atom Ledford, whipping up a mural around the doorway of Leaf & Lizard Studio. Atom was a student in my Design class at MTCC last fall – and the guy knows how to paint. So fun to watch the leaves and lizard materialize on the white wall!

You can see more of Atom’s work on his website.

Leaf & Lizard Studio

Join us for a drink and a snack –
Anytime between 3 – 8 p.m.
Saturday, March 24, 2012

3156 US 70W in Black Mountain
Call for directions: 828.215.3524

C’mon.
Let’s go make something.
Open up your awareness.
Get your hands dirty.
Make something ugly.
Make something beautiful.
Play around. Goof off.
Get serious. Give up.
Come back later. Try again.
Be obsessed. Iterate. Iterate. Iterate.
Let it go. Throw stuff out. Rip it up.
Throw paint on it. Talk about it.
Don’t talk about it. Let it speak for itself.
Have conversations. Meditate. Create quiet space.
Why do you keep coming back to that same idea?
Be random. Can you be random? Find the pattern.
Wander through chaos. Jump around. Laugh, sing, dance.
Say the opposite of what you mean. Use just one color
over and over again. Talk back to yourself.
Oh yeah. What was that dream I had last night?
Look what I found in the driveway. I just love this photograph.
Pick a word out of the dictionary. Give your work away.
Treasure your work. Work your treasure. Blow it up. bigger. Bigger. Bigger.

Taryn Brown and Melissa Hall

I’m thrilled to welcome Melissa Hall and Taryn Brown to Leaf and Lizard. Melissa brings her great enthusiasm along with marketing and promotional skills, and Taryn’s artistic talent and warm energy strengthen our creative team.

We’re havin’ fun! And we have some cool projects coming up – we’ll keep you posted!

Mary with Mellie Mac

A couple of weeks ago, we visited Mellie Mac’s Garden Shack, in Black Mountain, where Mellie helped us make a beautiful fairy garden. You can make one, too. Take your container on over to Mellie Mac’s- she has everything else you need on hand.

It’s a fun, quick project. If you want to make one at home, you’ll need:

• a shallow container
• gravel
• soil
• a few small plants
• whatever garden furnishings you think the fairies will enjoy

Here’s the video:

Mellie Mac’s Garden Shack is located at
304 W. State St. in Black Mountain, NC. 828.669.5727

Quiet your mind.
Quiet your body.
Turn your focus within. Breathe.
Let go of all distractions.
As tensions and trivialities fall away, you find a growing awareness of Spirit. Breathe.

Spirit is within us and around us always.
If we are not aware of this, it is simply because we are distracted.
When we bring our attention within, we are blessed with clarity, strength and guidance.

The inner realm expands to suffuse all,
but first you must open the door.

Words which flow from a thoughtful place reach farther than you know. Sing! You are part of the choir.