CASIMIRA

CASIMIRA
HERstory through ART
With words and images, I am telling my story.

Through art, I am remembering HERstory...

I've been blogging daily since 2007.

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Updated Daily: January 2007 - February 2020

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Sunday, September 30

clutter

miscellaneous clutter or treasures?


My home is simple, edited, restrained when it comes to décor. No fancy over-sized flat-screens, no telephones, very little in terms of electronics, actually. Although I have a delicious red Italian designer sofa, my guests have been known to luxuriously lounge on top of pillows around the floor.

I meditate daily and practice yoga almost-religiously. I recycle. I give away. So why is it that I continue to have a tendency to collect CLUTTER?

Could it be my passion for books – the older, the better? Out-of-print, how divine! That strand of little amethysts that a friend sent me from Brazil but has yet to become a necklace. Magazine articles I will read one of these days. Old letters – those are my treasures! The skirt that will fit me when I lose those extra five pounds...a paper napkin with ideas for handbags...and the list goes on and on...

I have decided to (once again) re-read Karen Kingston’s book titled: CLEAR YOUR CLUTTTER with FENG SHUI, Free Yourself from Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual Clutter Forever.

“Affirm to yourself as you sort through your things, “It’s safe to let go.” Clearing clutter is about letting go and trusting the process of life to bring you what you need when you need it. Anything you are keeping “just in case,” you are keeping through fear.”
-- Karen Kingston

Saturday, September 29

lagrimas de miel

details from amber being incorporated in CASIMIRA sculpture


iniciaron los tambores

el viento soplaba

los arboles llovían

lágrimas de miel

nosotros bailábamos

empapándonos de ese néctar ámbar

era hora de regresar

a la ciudad encantada



the drums began

the wind blew

the trees wept

tears of honey

we danced

drenching ourselves in amber nectar

it was time to return

to the enchanted city



from last night's dreams

Friday, September 28

the yams

2007 "YAMS" mixed media color study
The Yams seemed an inseparable pair.

She-Yam was always by his side, proud and almost a tad haughty.
He-Yam was always looking down, perhaps a bit embarrassed.


She-Yam raised her head in an attempt to erase a wrinkled, sagging neck-flap.



He-Yam actually enjoyed accentuating a double chin.













The Yams were opposites, yet they were also the same.

The Yams were inseparable – until Sweet Potato came around...

from a series of silly fruit and vegetable stories in progress

Thursday, September 27

full moon


did you see last night's full moon ?
it was magical...

Wednesday, September 26

entre sueño y calor

2007 untitled study
El visito sus sueños y la enamoro durmiendo. Ella amaneció pensando en el y en el dulce beso. Con calor de sol, debajo del gran árbol, los dos se despertaron y se amaron.

Tuesday, September 25

nightmare

2007 sketch from journal
In reaching for her self-esteem
she stepped all over mine

In searching for her inner-worth
she attempted to bury mine

Fear became her mother
Competition her sister
Envy and Jealousy her twin daughters

Her black tongue decayed
Her poisoned words betrayed

A witch
A shadow
A victim of herself

from a nightmare where a friend betrays me

Monday, September 24

agua fuego

2007 Untitled mixed media
el se lanzo hacia el mar

ella se quedo dentro del volcán

agua

fuego

el y ella

Sunday, September 23

galaxies within

2007 Untitled study for sculpture series
stars have secrets to tell us
- can we silence our minds and hear their whispers?

mother moon flirts with our emotions
- are we brave enough to feel?

great sun burns with passion
- can we stand the heat of our souls' desires?

oh what galaxies exist within us!

Saturday, September 22

yoga & writing

2007 mixed media color studyYoga and writing keep me balanced and rooted in patience, compassion, silence and strength. From this blessed space of peace I am able to carve out my sculptures, my dreams and passions.

excerpt from one of my journals

Friday, September 21

exciting buddhas

three antique amber buddhas in original silk box
waiting to be combined with CASIMIRA sterling sculpture

What excites you?

Creating a piece of art completes me.

Receiving a compliment on one of my sculptures humbles me.

The potential held by three antique amber carvings excites me.

Shall I suspend them from silk or leather?

Thursday, September 20

life is a spiral

life is a spiral...and what a beautiful and exciting sprial it can be !

1999 details from ceramic self-portrait

Wednesday, September 19

la chancha

2007 "LA CHANCHA" mixed media
her body became thick

her eyes condensed into tiny specks

her head grew larger and larger

her legs shrank shorter and shorter

a small curly tail sprouted

a strong snout emerged

LA CHANCHA still felt beautiful, however

she knew the witch’s spell could not last

she knew the magic gems would save her

LA CHANCHA snorted with laughter and continued to dance...

excerpt from short story about women’s obsession with appearances

Tuesday, September 18

patient pearls

some of my pearls waiting to become a CASIMIRA
patient pearls of wisdom
patient pearls of light
the goddess handed them to me in a dream last night
no rush
no hurry
creation takes time
creation takes patient pearls

Monday, September 17

me visto...

2007 mixed media self-portrait study
me visto de rojo
del rojo volcán

me visto de mar
del mar mas profundo

me visto de amor
amor como ninguno

me visto de flor
flor de calor, flor de sol

me visto de mariposas
porque ellas son misteriosas y poderosas

i dress in red
volcanic red

i dress in sea
the deepest sea

i dress in love
love like no other

i dress in flowers
flowers of the sun

i dress in butterflies
because they are mysterious and powerful

originally written in Spanish - the translation is never quite the same and then how can it be? why should it be?

Sunday, September 16

picasso & me

2007 mixed media study
un día de sol
Palo de Limón
se enamoro de Rosa Linda

con sus espinas ella le saco el jugo
con sus perfumes lo hipnotizó

después de mucho tiempo
con un poco de azúcar negra prestada
el finalmente la conquisto

una noche de luna
vestido de Toro-Cura
Picasso los caso con pluma, oro y luz

de esta unión
nació Pez-con-Alas-de-Mariposa

tu crees en estas cosas?
son maravillosas...son milagrosas



one sunny day
Lemon Tree
fell in love with Rosa Linda

and her thorns began to squeeze his juices dry
while her perfumes hypnotized him

after some time
with a bit of borrowed brown sugar
he finally won her over

on a moonlit night
dressed as Bull-Priest
Picasso married them with feather, gold and light

from this union
Fish-with-Butterfly-Wings was born

do you believe in such things?
marvelous and miraculous things...


excerpt from a series of writings featuring Pablo Picasso
the stories always come to me through Spanish dreams

Saturday, September 15

la princesa guajira

2007 journal jewelry sketch
La princesa guajira quería venganza.

El indio malcriado la había traicionado con otra – otra quien no merecía nombre.

excerpt from fictional short story about machista infidelities

Friday, September 14

hoja pintada

just a lovely little leaf I found on my doorstep
hoja pintada

vestida de rojo y rosado

hoy te encontré

talvez te busque



painted leaf

dressed in red and pink

today I found you

perhaps I looked for you

Thursday, September 13

poetry within

2007 mixed media study
my life is a poem

my heart sings every day

a sculpture is birthed

out of poem and song

Wednesday, September 12

darkness & light

2007 mixed media study
do you accept the darkness of your nature?

does poison sometimes cure instead of kill?

transformation

healing

rebirth

out of the darkness

into the light

Tuesday, September 11

Guillermo Sevilla-Sacasa

2007 mixed media of my beloved Grand-Father
nació un 11 de septiembre
del vientre de venus
con alas de mariposas
y plumas de pavo-real

el sol
la luna
las estrellas
te celebran
hoy y siempre

amado abuelo
embajador del planeta
en mis sueños nos vemos

remembering my Popo on his birthday

Monday, September 10

the thirst...la sed

2007 color study
what do you thirst for?

are you able to acknowledge the torturous thirst?

do you live in a dry desert dreaming of an oasis?

LA SED by JUANA de IBARBOUROU

"Tu beso fue en mis labios
de un dulzor refrescante.
Sensación de agua viva y moras negras
me dio tu boca amante.

Cansada me acosté sobre los pastos
con tu brazo tendido, por apoyo.
Y me cayó tu beso entre los labios,
como un fruto maduro de la selva
o un lavado guijarro del arroyo.

Tengo sed otra vez, amado mío.
Dame tu beso fresco tal como una
piedrezuela del río."

are you alive?

then quench your thirst...only to thirst again and again...!

Sunday, September 9

detrás de una hoja azul

2007 mixed media study, untitled
detrás de una hoja azul

se encuentra la mujer

vestida de blanco

pintando su alma

detrás de una hoja azul

Saturday, September 8

esto es amor...amor al arte

2007 mixed media print
in creating this little print I cut myself and used the blood as paint...esto es amor...amor al arte...!

ESTO ES AMOR...

Esto es amor, esto es amor, yo siento
en todo átomo vivo un pensamiento.

Yo soy una y soy mil, todas las vidas
pasan por mí, me muerden sus heridas.

Y no puedo ya más, en cada gota
de mi sangre hay un grito y una nota.

Y me doblo, me doblo bajo el peso
de un beso enorme, de un enorme beso.

- Alfonsina Storni

Friday, September 7

pequeña flor color pitaya

una pequeña flor color pitaya que encontré dentro mi valija
pequeña flor

color pitaya

con pétalos pintados

de amor

de viento

de tiempo

pequeña flor

desde Nicaragua volastes...

Thursday, September 6

mi ciudad colonial de arte




ya regrese
solo para volver a
la casa azul
en mi ciudad colonial de arte

a waking thought this morning, I am also remembering beloved Pavarotti with gratitude for the art I've created, the stories I've written with his voice

Wednesday, September 5

nature deities

2007 mixed media study
daughters of Zeus

Naure deities

bring joy to the hearts of men!

Tuesday, September 4

white butterflies

2007 mixed media study

White butterflies danced in her hair. Her eyes glowed with child-like joy and innocence. As she carved out her dreams, she sang songs of love...

excerpt from journal entry

Monday, September 3

delicate & powerful

2007 a beautiful insect painted blue
I found this lovely creature's little corpse on the sidewalk. I brought it home and studied the beauty of it's wings - delicate yet also powerful...

A lot of people I know dislike insects or bugs, just won't tolerate them at all. I have come to understand these tiny creatures as messengers of nature...even hungry mosquitoes which seem to be obsessed with biting my flesh...nature's love bites perhaps?

Sunday, September 2

how to respond

2006 Untitled watercolor study
As an artist born with a bohemian heart, I am often questioned. Someone does not understand my sculpture..."too heavy" she says. Another attempts to analyze...Why do you continue to take art courses instead of something "practical" and "useful" such as business administration? Are you going to finally get serious? How old are you...what about having babies? A kind-hearted friend tells me I am in her prayers. Then there is the always judgemental and almost threatening - I HOPE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING !

I finally know how to respond...thank you Ms. Swanson!

"I know exactly what I'm doing darling; you don't have to hope that I do." - Gloria Swanson

Saturday, September 1

Mother Mary

2007 mixed media detail
"Our Lady of Guadalupe
Celestial Patroness of the Americas
Empress of the Americas
Star of the New Evangelization
"I shall be there to listen to your cries, your sadness. I shall be there to cure your grievances, your misery, your suffering."
Mary is, and shall always be, the Mother of all mankind. We must heed Her call to love..."

excerpts from a small pamphlet I picked up at St. Patrick's in NYC, I saved it and just found it in one of my journals