“As this midwestern heat wave of a summer transpires, I am taking some time away from the heat and indoors, to think about my personal interests. I’ve experienced a lifetime curiosity with methods of divination used throughout time and across cultures. Consulting dreams, medicine people, I Ching, Tarot, and stars and constellations have given direction and assistance as ‘guides’ for people for eons. Around the world humans have always been fascinated to know what their future might hold, or which direction on a new path is best and most beneficial. I spend a lot of my gestation / creative musing with Tarot and Astrology, and somehow it fascinates me. Admittedly, I am grateful I feel safe and have the luxury of even indulging in musing when there is so much strife and suffering in the world.”
My Stone Mandala Of The Directions
I have come to believe in prayer, ceremonies, and teaching stories from myths and cultures around the world can help our ailing world. These wisdom teachings guide us, teach through stories and symbols, and identify archetypal stages we a go through in our lives. they can point to new doorways and possibilities.
Artists for Climate Awareness proudly presents “Distant Thunder,” an impactful juried exhibition showcasing climate-inspired art from talented artists across Indiana and beyond. Join us from April 3 to April 28, 2025, at the Arts Alliance Center, located inside Bloomington’s College Mall, to explore how artistic expression can illuminate urgent climate and environmental issues. Admission to the exhibition is free, and it will be open during regular Mall hours (11:00 AM to 9:00 PM), Wednesday through Monday (closed Tuesdays).
As part of the Earth Month celebrations, this exhibition encourages community engagement and reflection on environmental responsibility and sustainability through compelling visual narratives.
Don’t miss the special opening reception on April 6, 2025, featuring “Ceremony for Our Land,” an immersive music and poetry performance led by Grace McKenzie and Daixuan Ai from IU Jacobs School of Music. This unique event emphasizes mindfulness through live music, creating a meaningful space for stillness and reflection. Reception and art viewing begin at 3:00 PM, with performances scheduled at 4:00 PM and 5:00 PM. Refreshments will be provided.
I am excited to be full engaged in learning how to make inks and pigments from Nature. This past September / October I was full on gathering berries and nuts and crushing my first rocks for pigments.
I have some artist friends who have been doing this, and decided to take the first step. Now i have a refrigerator FULL if inks from walnuts, acorns, sumac, poke, wild grape, marigolds, avocado and more.
I’ll be showing you some of my experiments and the images I’m creating.
Here are a couple short videos I posted on Facebook this week on my process.
Summer 2022 is almost here. I’ve just returned from a family vacation to St. Augustine, Florida. Enjoyed sunrises, waves and tourism. In my personal world, I return home and re-connect to garden and yard. This year, I started vegetables and flowers from seed, and now am ready for planting the seeds in the garden.
My studio is ready for me, but I am not engaged right now in painting.
I am very happy to announce my inclusion in this new book! @kellyharrick is the artist who brought together 33 women from around the world to share personal writings about meaningful events in their lives.
My story is called “Creating Community” and tells how I was inspired to the life of living in community with others. May Creek Farm is now 46 years in existance.
Press Release
Derby, UK. 03/03/2022
33 women from around the world have come together to write a book of women’s wisdom.
A sisterhood of 33 women, from all over the world, have come together to write a book of women’s real life lessons and learnings, in aid of two women’s charities. The book No Ordinary Words: The Real Life Wisdom Of Women, has been written as an act of sisterhood, kindness and compassion in order to be of service to others going through similar life challenges.
No Ordinary Words has 34 chapters, each covering a different topic: from fertility and menopause, to mental and physical health, from earth connection to relationships. The title was inspired by the sense that all the women in the project are ‘ordinary’ women living extraordinary lives, just like everyone in the world, and that everyone, no matter how ordinary they are considered to be, has something wise and valuable to add to the world.
The book is raising funds for two women’s charities, with all profits being split equally between TreeSisters and She Has Hope. TreeSisters have a mission to rapidly accelerate tropical forestation by inspiring and channeling women’s Nature Based Femine Leadership into global action. Clare Dubois TreeSisters Founder, has contributed to the book and says,
“There is something deeply strengthening and nourishing about creative weaving.This book, crafted from the heart of women and TreeSisters globally is a celebration of womans lived wisdom.”
She Has Hope is a charity that creates programs to prevent girls from becoming slaves, to rescue slavery victims from traffickers and to rehabilitiate survivors with the goal of restoring them to a life full of hope. Kirby Trapolino, Founder and Director, says,
“I was very touched by the courage and wisdom of the souls who shared their stories and verse within. These authors have given me hope and made me feel less alone in the struggle of life, and I trust that they will impart the same inspiration to you.”
The book was created and edited by Kelly Herrick, a UK-based artist,
“I wanted to hear more stories from women. My friend had just shared her book live on social media and I could see all these women watching along with me and I wondered what their stories were. So I asked if people wanted to write a book and the response was amazing. I have felt so incredibly privileged to really hear and see these women during our writing process. I know that when women gift their wisdom to the world, powerful things happen.”
No Ordinary Words is now available to buy on Amazon, with all proceeds being donated to charity.
The 33 women who have written this book come from Europe, America and Asia and Australasia. They are: Bethany Carder, Jean Ferguson, Barbara Brown, Rachel Herzig, Naomi Puri, Maya Spector, Martina Naversnik, Dr Jacqui Leamna-Grey, Heather Pearson, Sarah Pepper, Rhianna McGonigal, Jane Toy, Claire Frame, Sara Lesley Warber, Nüv, Amaya Lupe, Daphne Helvensteijn, Dawn Foote, Clare Dubois, Liz Clayton-Jones, Donna Hicklin, Jennifer Comeau, Ellen Dee Davidson, Lale Wilson, Isabelle Blum, Sarah-Anne, Forteith, Kathleen Brigidina, Danu Sivapalan, Sheena hales, Sara McQueen, Christy Caudill, Y. Yi Pang and Kelly Herrick.
The book can be purchased at this
It is published by No Ordinary Words Publishing, ISBN: 978-1739784201
There are 34 chapters in the book, written in prose, poetry and in one case illustrations.
Kelly Herrick is an artist living and working in the UK. Her purpose is to shift people into a more optimistic and inspired state about the world and themselves. You can find more information about her at kellyherrick.com or @kellyherrickart
