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Satin & Sand

~ Reflections on Beauty

Satin & Sand

Category Archives: Reflections

Beautiful Finding Happiness in a Flower…

07 Wednesday Aug 2024

Posted by Satin & Sand in Art, beautiful, Flowers, Nature, Painting, Poetry, Reflections, watercolor

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beautiful, Flower, Nature, Poetry, watercolor

© Joan Currie – My woman looking at a flower watercolor.


The Bloom of Happiness by Joan Currie

In a small and quiet village, lived a woman kind and true,
She helped her friends and family, no matter what they’d do.
Her heart was filled with charity, her hands with gentle grace,
She asked for nothing in return, just a smile upon each face.

But fate, with cruel fingers, wove a twist within her life,
She fell into a sickness, her body racked with strife.
She tried to mend her weary self, with strength she couldn’t find,
And so she called for those she’d helped, with hope they’d be as kind.

Yet each one had their burdens, and other tasks to tend,
They turned away, their busy lives, no time to help a friend.
Alone she faced her suffering, with tears and silent pleas,
Her heart ached more than body, as she fell upon her knees.

One morning in her garden, beneath the sun’s embrace,
She saw a sight that took her breath, and brought light to her face.
A flower, bright and beautiful, bloomed from a plant so plain,
A gift from gentle nature, to soothe her deepest pain.

In petals soft and fragrant, she felt a tender care,
A message from the earth and sky, that someone still was there.
Nature’s touch had reached her, when human hearts had failed,
And in that bloom, she found the strength, her spirit once more sa
iled!

I hold the gifts from nature so very close to my heart, especially in times of need. Every so often, I feel they are my late mother’s way of caring for me – still.

Beautiful Canoeing…

23 Sunday Jun 2024

Posted by Satin & Sand in beautiful, Canoeing, Nature, Photography, Reflections

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beautiful, Canoe, Northern lake, Photography, wish list

© James Currie – Northern Canoeing

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you imagined.
Henry David Thoreau

I am in the process of creating a wish list for this summer. At the top of it – to canoe on a northern lake. In recent years, I have substituted a kayak for a canoe. But, my heart still longs to paddle a canoe at dawn with a quiet j-stroke – on the upstroke, instead of lifting the paddle blade out of the water, it stays in the water. Magical!

Beautiful Pheasant…

15 Saturday Jun 2024

Posted by Satin & Sand in beautiful, Birds, Crafts, Nature, Needlepoint, Poetry, Reflections

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beautiful, game bird, needleppoint, pheasant, Poetry, woodland

© Joan Currie – Detail of my pheasant needlepoint in progress.

A Bouquet of Pheasants by Joan Currie

In verdant glades where pine woods dense did rise,
Beneath a canopy of emerald hue,
There dwelt the pheasants, nye with watchful eyes,
Their clucking whispers soft as morning dew.

Among the shadows, hidden from my gaze,
Their presence marked by crimson, fleeting bright,
Elusive specters in the sun’s faint blaze,
They danced like phantoms in the fading light.

A childhood spent in backyard’s wistful play,
I lingered near the forest’s secret veil,
With heart that yearned for just a special day,
When pheasants bold would cross my playful trail.

Though glimpsed but rarely, they forever stay,
In dreams and echoes of my long-gone youth,
Those pheasants, shy, in twilight’s soft array,
A symbol of a time of joy and truth.

Whenever I see an image of a pheasant, I can’t help but smile! It takes me back to the landscape of my youth where I was so happy playing in the woodlands near my home.

Beautiful Mallard Ducks…

07 Friday Jun 2024

Posted by Satin & Sand in Art, Birds, Needlepoint, Poetry, Reflections, Winter

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Art, beautiful, mallard ducks, Nature, Needlepoint, Poetry, stained glass, textile art, Writing

© Joan Currie – Just found this mallard duck stained glass that hung in my family’s cottage for 35 years.

Emerald Hues by Joan Currie

In days of yore, in times Victorian fair,
By the pond’s edge, with crisp, clear air,
We children gathered, hearts aglow,
To feed the mallards crumbs in tow.

Their emerald heads, with sheen so bright,
Glistened like jewels in morning light.
Majestic creatures, in green adorned,
A sight to cherish, a scene to mourn.

In summer’s warmth, they swam with grace,
Dancing on water, a joyous embrace.
Their quacks, a chorus, a playful cheer,
Echoed sweetly, ringing near.

But winter came with chilly nights,
A frozen pond, no duck took flight.
The waters stilled, the mallards caught.
In nature’s grasp, their freedom sought.

We’d rush to save them, break the ice,
With tender hands, a sacrifice.
To free their wings to let them fly,
Underneath the frigid sky.

Those emerald heads, with memories tied,
To days of laughter, when time would bide.
Still call to mind a youth so grand,
With mallard ducks, and crumb-filled hand.

I remember a kindly police officer who helped us children free the mallard ducks stuck in the frozen water of the neighborhood pond. It was amazing that the ducks survived!

© Joan Currie – My M for Mallard needlepoint nursery pillow completed.

Beautiful Owls…

23 Thursday May 2024

Posted by Satin & Sand in Art, Birds, Needlepoint, Painting, Poetry, Reflections, watercolor

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Tags

Needlepoint, Owl, owlet, Poetry, watercolor

© Joan Currie – Detail of my watercolor painting of an owlet.

What the Owl Sees by Elizabeth Sears Bates

His velvet wing sweeps through the night :
With magic of his wondrous sight
He oversees his vast domain,
And king supreme of night doth reign.

© Joan Currie – My owl in flight watercolor after Jackie Morris

I heard the soft and soothing hooting of an owl several nights ago. Sadly, the owl decided not to stay but I took his presence as a sign of good luck!

© Joan Currie – Detail of my owl needlepoint in progress.

Beautiful Pears…

09 Thursday May 2024

Posted by Satin & Sand in Art, beautiful, Food, Painting, Poetry, Poets, Reflections

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Art, beautiful, Billy Collins, Claudia Schiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Musical Tables, Oil painting, Painting, Pears, Poetry, Red pears

© Joan Currie – My Red Pears oil painting on canvas.

The fruit tree heard that
the Bhagavad Gita
recommends surrendering

the fruits of action to God
and so he gently dropped his
pears into Mother Earth’s lap.

Because he did so,
pear seeds
made the world
much more pear-treed.

from Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 5

An Italian proverb states, “in bocca chiusa non cade pera,” – a pear will never fall into a closed mouth. But, to me, there is something about the shape, color, and texture of a pear that makes it almost too beautiful to eat!

© Joan Currie – My pears on linen oil painting.

Beautiful Making Textile Art With What You Have…

11 Thursday Apr 2024

Posted by Satin & Sand in Art, beautiful, Crafts, Flowers, Needlepoint, Photography, Poetry, Reflections, Repurposing, Sewing, Upcycling

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Art, beautiful, Elizabeth Bradley, needlepoint wreath, neelepoint, poem, Poetry, Tapestry wool, Wreath

© Joan Currie – My wreath needlepoint on a black background ready to sew into a pillow,

Needlepoint Wreath by Joan Currie

In a tapestry of threads once left astray,
Lies the beauty of a wreath in shades arrayed.
With remnants of wool, a canvas they adorn,
A masterpiece born from what others scorned.

Each stitch a story of resilience and grace,
From discarded strands, a new life takes place.
In every cross and turn, a tale is spun,
Of transformation from what was undone.

What once lay idle, now blooms with delight,
A wreath of colors, a symphony of light.
So, the joy of creating from what’s been cast away,
Turning leftovers into art, day by day.

I wanted to stitch a needlepoint project using leftover tapestry wool from past efforts. This wreath was worked using a combination of Appleton, Paternayan (two strands only), and Elizabeth Bradley yarns. I did not have all the color matches for the pattern so I had to create my own colorway. I plan to sew it into a pillow with rose velvet ribbon piping and a black velvet backing.

I really like creating something beautiful from scraps, be it a needlepoint canvas or a quilt. These end up being my favorite pieces!

© Joan Currie. My small wreath needlepoint sewn into a pillow.

Beautiful – Handsome Flâneur…

29 Thursday Feb 2024

Posted by Satin & Sand in beautiful, Micha Borodaev, Photography, Poetry, Reflections, Relationships

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beautiful, Flaneur, Micha Borodaev, Poetry, Reflections

© Ernest Favis. The model is the enigmatic Micha Borodaev.

The Flâneur by Joan Currie

In the bustling streets, he roams alone,
In sartorial style all his own.
With aimless steps, he wanders free,
Observing life’s grand tapestry.

He watches lovers hand in hand,
Yet, intimacy he can’t understand.
For behind closed doors, secrets lie,
Hidden from his wandering eye.

He sees the tears, hears goodbyes,
But never truly feels the ties.
To him, the boulevard’s his stage,
Where life unfolds page by page.

Yet, deep within, a longing stirs,
For connection that only he infers.
But in his solitude, he finds solace sweet,
As a flâneur on the city’s street.

I think intimacy is one of the greatest gifts one person can give to another.

Beautiful Flying Higher…

22 Thursday Feb 2024

Posted by Satin & Sand in Birds, Nature, Needlepoint, Poetry, Reflections

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beautiful, Birds, flying, Needlepoint, Poetry, Spring

© Joan Currie – My needlepoint bird on mesh canvas

To Fly Higher by Joan Currie

In shadows cast by judgment’s weight,
I find myself, a bird, sedate.
Dreams clipped by critical gaze,
An anchor, heavy, in life’s maze.

Each flight of joy, a tentative dance,
Held back by words, a stifling trance.
But deep within, a yearning stirs,
For freedom’s song, no longer deferred.

To cut the chains, to break away,
From mainstays holding, day by day.
To soar anew, with wings unfurled,
Towards dreams embraced, in a boundless world.

So let me sever, let me fly,
Bid farewell to judgement’s sigh.
For in the vastness of the sky,
I’ll find my joy, no longer shy.

Today I noticed that the birds are back in my yard. Spring has come once again!

© Joan Currie – My needlepoint bird made into a pillow.

Beautiful Poem Lost Then Found…

08 Thursday Feb 2024

Posted by Satin & Sand in beautiful, Lauren DiMarco, Photography, Poetry, Reflections, Writing

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beautiful, Lauren DiMarco, Photography, Poetry, Writing

© Joan Currie – Lauren DiMarco asleep in the morning light.

Poem Lost Then Found by Joan Currie

Did a poem visit me during the night?
I asked as I stirred in the morning light.

Did some verse try to rouse me from my bed,
But settled then in someone else’s head?

Some disparate words rattle in my brain,
What do they mean, will others come again?

The day unfolds and at last they are clear,
I pen my poem before they disappear.

It is fascinating to learn what creative connections occur during sleep!

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