Day 284 Surprise Package

September 18, 2015

(If we live with an open and grateful attitude, every day will bring a gift. This is one of 365 gifts during the year I turned 70.)

Artist: Sharon Zarambo

I was on my way out the front door this afternoon when I noticed a package sitting outside—one addressed to David and me. Neither of us had ordered anything. Immediately I turned around and went back into the house, carrying the package. It wasn’t heavy and we were oh so curious. It felt like Christmas.

The outside of the box was unusual and inviting. It was a typical brown shipping box but with a special touch—a colorful smiling image in the lower left corner and stamp-like stickers in two other places. In the lower right corner, was a picture of a forest with a quotation by J. Sterling Morton, “Plant trees.” In the upper left corner was another forest image with a quotation by Ralph Waldo Emerson, “The wonder is that we can see these trees and not wonder more.” Across the middle and winding downward was a cutout picture of a snake. I hated to do it, but in order to open the package, I had to cut the snake.  

Inside the layers of packing were two original pieces of art from Sharon Zarambo—two smiles. The smaller piece looked like a toothed jawbone and the larger one was a beaded whimsical face with “smile” spelled out in Scrabble letters. It is really impossible not to smile when I look at this. It will be a constant smile that will hang in our house. With the challenges David and I face now, Sharon’s timing is perfect. We are blessed with caring friends, especially one who sends contagious smiles born from such a creative spirit.

My gift today is a smile.

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Sharon Zarambo, artist. This includes the piece that was detached during transit.

More about artist Sharon Zarambo:
http://bellozarstudio.com
http://bjschupp.blogspot.com/2015/06/day-197-diversions-ahead.html

> Day 285: Becoming 

You can find links to my other posts on this project here:

http://bjschupp.blogspot.com/2014/12/365-gifts.html

Day 197 Diversions Ahead

June 24, 2015

(This is part of a 365 project during my 70^th years where I write and illustrate a blog on each day’s gift.)

 

Artist Sharon Zarambo in her studio with totems on either side.

Today when I walked into Sharon Zarambo’s Bellozar Studio in rural Etlan, Virginia, I experienced a vibrancy of spirit and color. This artist creates jackets, bags, pillows, dolls and wall art. But the most striking pieces are her totems. 

Totems traditionally represent an idea, spirit beings and symbols for groups such as a family or a tribe. Sharon’s totems, with names such as “Nothing is Revealed” and “Diversions Ahead,”  call out to the human tribe. The ideas that her totems represent vary, as do the visceral narratives of space, texture, color and myths, depending on the individual filters of those who see her art. 

I am particularly drawn to the paradox of how her art fluctuates between balance and imbalance within an individual piece--the balance as an initial response and then imbalance as I study the narrative. Visually I am drawn to the small objects that frame one totem—buttons, beads, stones, Scrabble tiles, shells and other found objects. There is a sense of thoughtful balance in their arrangement but then I am thrown off balance when I look closely at some tiny shells with “eyes” and “mouths” that communicate subtle expression changes. In much of her work, mouths and eyes pull me in, some looking back at me and some looking askew.  The objects and words within the frame make me pause: “POLITE NOTICE NO PARKING,”   “destination,” “ADMIT ONE,” and “Ask.” The longer I look, the more I understand that the experience is a meditation. 

I could have spent many hours meditating on each piece.   

My gift today is a totem meditation.

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> Day 198 Neglect

More about Sharon Zarambo:
http://bellozarstudio.com 
http://bjschupp.blogspot.com/2015/09/day-284-surprise-package.html
 

You can find links to my other posts on this project here:

http://bjschupp.blogspot.com/2014/12/365-gifts.html