My interest in art is as eclectic as my diverse background. The creative sessions around the kitchen table that I fondly remember enjoying with my mother and sister, evolved into creative pursuits I practice to this day. Dough sculpture has delighted me for years.
I also enjoy floral design. I dry flowers from my gardens using silica gel and then fashion floral arrangements.
My daughter, Elya, and I make masquerade masks. The following is a mask from our fantasy line she titled “The Peter Pan Mask” because it reminds us to hold onto the child inside who longs for imagination and adventure. I used this mask for a previous header on this website.
My latest artistic delight is mixed media collage. This art form brings so many of my creative loves together: scrapbooking, decoupaging, painting, florals, and feathers.
A Twelve-step slogan inspired this piece. During those recovery years, my sponsor, Mary, used to say, “JoDee, act as if!”
When I wanted to be courageous, I’d act as if I had courage. When I needed to make those tough choices like leaving my addicted former spouse or returning to college, I pretended that I had what it took to put the welfare of my children and myself first.
My daughter, Andy, is the model for the piece because she longs to be a cartoon so she can do the impossible. Her comment she left on my blog is priceless, “You made me into my favorite thing, a cartoon.” She is a fantastic cartoon artist. I wrote the following poem for her while she was lamenting “If only I was a cartoon.”
By JoDee Luna and Andy Luna
