sun country living!

"thank you"...

2009-12-17T10:34:00.001-08:00

here's the note I wrote to fans, friends and guest artists of suntreeriver design on Facebook...

Thank you, thank you, thank you to fans, friends and guest artists of suntreeriver design!

Again we celebrate a season of cultural, religious and family festivities; in the northern hemisphere shorter, darker days and longer, colder nights bring a particularly marked opportunity to recognize the gift of light without which life cannot prevail. At this time of year the world looks to the hope of a new star on the horizon bringing a vision of justice for all creation.

Beginning with light as the first act of creation, a river of life and tree of life in a fresh, untamed garden and ending with the river of life and tree of life in a city where the sun never sets, sun and tree and river are persistent images throughout the Hebrew and Christian scriptures. The witness of scripture shows us how to live in community and to live in harmony with and as part of the natural creation. Today many of us live in places neither quite urban or exactly rural, where garden and city intermix and converge, but wherever we are, as artists, designers, photographers, illustrators and people who simply enjoy being surrounded by beauty, we can help make the world kinder, more lovely and less threatening.

As we move the calendar year 2010 may we do everything possible to live as stewards of the planet and of the light as our lives help restore, nourish, heal and sustain. May we fill our surroundings with beauty and grace and make this world safe for innocence, vulnerability and wildness so all creation will find a safe home on this planet that is the dwelling-place of the divine, the habitation of the Spirit of Life.

city blues and brights - city lights

2009-09-25T18:03:00.000-07:00

That we can be "City Lights!!!"

City Blues & Brights – City Lights

It's a morning glow - the kitchen at dawn.
City blues. The kitchen at dawn.
Come on, get up, wake up!
It's a brand new morning!

Look out the window, look at the sky...
Watch the stars fade
the night stars
   lights of night fade
take some stars into your heart
Quick! Look up in the sky – look quickly.
quietly, softly, look
while still there's time
Circle some stars circle some stars
to bring them into your heart

You're up, you're awake. You’re ready
You're ready, you're alive
It's a brand new morning!
It's a beautiful morning!
Hold onto the morning, day is breaking
night is over
This is the sunshine place
It's a city bright

Take that heartful of stars you've
borrowed from the sky
there's a basket over there
set some of those stars
into that basket
You'll need them in the darkness of your night.

Day's breaking
Day's broken all over the city
City blues     the city at dawn

Sit and savor the sunrise
savor the day
bask in and savor the kitchen at daybreak
Watch that basket of stars
guard that basketful of stars
Are the stars still in your heart?
Delight in them    Hold them dear
And share them
Share them...

City blues, urban blues that is.
Sun's up Morning's here

Morning's ready! There's a city out there
A big city out there A Great City
get on out there and scratch for
life
hold on, hold on
hold on. Don’t let go.
Keep those stars in your heart
and give all of them away.
There’s lots more where those came from.
This city will be a sunshine place.

Day's done, it's end o'day
Watch those stars in your heart,
in that basket
Morning's over, so's afternoon
it's evening now
night's closing in...

It's sundown. Night's right at hand
Watch those stars in that basket,
on that table
Watch them closely
night's...almost...here

What promise will you offer the night?
What answer will you give to the night?
Night has dawned upon all of us
Night's here now
Now is the season of night
sleep

You made a covenant with the day
The stars you show are its sign
Will your covenant enfold the night
as well?

It's night now, darkness time
Stars in the basket on the table
Stars in your heart
In your heart Sleep quietly
...now...
Morning's on the way

© leahchang

summer sand sea surf

2009-07-23T11:20:00.000-07:00

beach brights: inverse hues

2009-07-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

whimsey plants: earth stars

2009-07-23T11:12:00.000-07:00

sun country house

2009-07-23T11:09:00.001-07:00

In keeping with the sun country living theme, here's a real sun country Cape Cod sun country house!

"Neatness Counts"

2009-07-23T11:03:00.000-07:00

suntreeriver design icon

2009-07-23T10:57:00.001-07:00

"summer glory!"

2009-06-23T12:48:00.000-07:00

fairhouse: photo, decorated, original

2009-06-04T11:14:00.000-07:00

spring promo piece: long

2009-05-11T11:33:00.000-07:00

spring promo piece: chunky

2009-05-11T11:32:00.000-07:00

sun country living

2009-04-26T12:18:00.000-07:00

This is a cut and paste from a scan of a really old Pagemaker file with added gradient maps, textured background, layer styles. In the end, it truly is Sun Country Living!

Pineapple in Context 02

2009-02-22T15:13:00.000-08:00

♥ Valentine ♥ Hearts ♥

2009-02-14T09:23:00.000-08:00

pineapple: 2 versions

2009-02-12T11:07:00.001-08:00

Sunbirds

2009-02-12T09:52:00.000-08:00

purple tulips - 2 versions

2009-02-11T15:45:00.000-08:00

daffodils spring 2009

2009-02-03T10:58:00.001-08:00

crocus spray

2009-01-15T17:25:00.000-08:00

purple lilies

2009-01-15T08:54:00.000-08:00

yellow lilies

2009-01-14T16:32:00.001-08:00

summer sandals

2009-01-05T18:54:00.000-08:00

joy in the morning: psalm 30:5b

2009-01-05T18:23:00.000-08:00

november afternoon

2008-12-30T18:53:00.000-08:00