i am a river - Art and Ideas from Ria de Neeve

Healing with Art

ria — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:05:49 +0000

I recently finished my second doll. Having learned a lot the first time through, making another one was fun and I tried some new things. I was determined that this doll would have bangs and even though I didn't have any instructions on making them, I made it work.I had a breakthrough with my sewing machine on this project. The last doll I had stitched by hand and this one I did almost entirely on the machine. This is a big threshold for me because I was totally intimidated by this machine last month, and now we are becoming friends.

Something Sew new......

ria — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 21:44:53 +0000

I am finding my art life gaining dimension. I am learning new skills and having a lot of fun going to a deeper place with my creativity. I am pretty certain that the next time you see me you'll be pulling thread off of my clothes.

Music Sings to Me

ria — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:01:02 +0000

I titled this piece Music Sings to Me. A few weeks ago my family came to visit me for Thanksgiving. My brother, Cameron, who recently turned 11 was very excited to share a you-tube video about a 12 year old music composer with me. It was a brief story on 60 minutes that was about seven years old. I was really touched by my brothers enthusiasm for this young artist and his creativity. What stuck with me from the story was that the young composer talked about the music being in his head fully composed and that he just writes it down.

Trust Landing

ria — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 18:07:32 +0000

Well Friends, here is the new piece as promised. I had a difficult time getting a good image of it with my camera, parts of it are blurry, but I think you can get the feeling of it here. If you want to see it in person, just let me know. It is titled Trust Landing. It is my fist piece of visual art work since January - a long dry spell. Although as I reflect on the last half of a year I understand that it was also a fertile time with lots of life happening, and I believe that lots of life creates art that touches people and brings us in relationship with art.

Grief, Marriage, creativity, and Thich Nhat Hahn...

ria — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 22:43:45 +0000

I am keenly aware that I haven't posted anything to this blog in a long time, believe me. My art studio has recently been dusted and all the crap that I piled onto my work desk for months has been removed to reveal the emptiness underneath it, which brought up a surprising little feeling of sadness in me. I took a some time to care for this little sadness and avoided my impulse to analyze it.

The Sainting of Jane Austen

ria — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 22:54:48 +0000

Yes, dear friends, I know, The Sainting of Jane Austen is long overdue. She died 193 years ago (give or take a few months) and now we are officially give her the honor she deserves for gifting humanity with wonderful stories, and a perspective on the human character that cuts straight to the truth. Not only was she a word smith, but she was also an idealistic romantic - who perhaps if had the chance to love in a romantic sense herself would have found it much more complicated than once presumed, especially after the happily ever after parts.

Saint Austen, Hebrew, Sitting Still, Etsy, Cats, & Mishegas

ria — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 20:01:04 +0000

So, last night I realized, huh? wow? People are actually looking at this blog. We looked up the stats, and low and behold 150 people have looked at this website in the last 30 days. A lovely surprise for me. To any of you who are reading this, thanks.

Barn, Girl, Flower

ria — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 20:53:44 +0000

This picture holds the remnants of summer, which are dwindling away in Montana. It is the perfect memento for a summer well enjoyed, or a summer missed. Perhaps both. I finished it a couple of days ago. I've been gathering elements for it all summer. I drew the girl at my teen art group. I found the barn in abandoned warehouse yard, photographed it, then drew it. The background being the last part. As many of my pieces; it is on the back of an old book. There is a collage underneath it, but as far as I can tell you can't see it.

Woman with (the letter) Lamed #2

ria — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:11:12 +0000

This is the second painting I recently finished based on the letter Lamed. When I did these sketches I couldn't decide which one I liked better, so I made two. I think both have their Merits. This is the first time I have worked to create a background for an image that resembles a frame instead of a landscape or room. I enjoyed the process, although you might be surprised how much paint I laid down to get the effect.

size: 10.5 in by 9.5 in

Woman with the letter Lamed

ria — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 20:18:56 +0000

This piece manifested out of a contemplative drawing practice I have been doing with the Hebrew alphbet. This image came into my sketch book when I was working with the letter Lamed. It is a practice which I have really enjoyed.

size: 10.5 in by 9.5 in