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Satin & Sand

~ Reflections on Beauty

Satin & Sand

Tag Archives: Poetry

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 Jaguar…

30 Thursday May 2024

Posted by Satin & Sand in Animals, Art, beautiful, Mammals, Needlepoint, Painting, Poetry, watercolor, Wild animals

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Animals, jaguar, jaguars, Nature, Needlepoint, Poetry, watercolor, Wild animals, wild-cats, wildlife

© Joan Currie – My watercolor painting of a jaguar.

A Jaguar Sighting by Joan Currie

There, in the twilight’s gentle hold,
A vision rare, a sight untold,
A jaguar sprang from leafy shade,
Its presence fierce, my steps delayed.

With eyes of blue, like summer skies,
It met my gaze with wild surprise,
A flash of light in twilight’s gloom,
A piercing fire, a sapphire bloom.

Upon its coat, the rosettes danced,
With markings clear, my heart entranced,
Not leopard’s spots, but nature’s art,
The jaguar’s strength and mystic heart.

It moved with grace, a specter bright,
Through verdant halls of fading light,
In silent awe, I stood alone,
To witness what the wild had shown.

When I was very young, my knowledge of animals: mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians, was limited to identifying them in picture books – mostly associating the name of the creature with the first letter of its name, e.g. “J for Jaguar.” Although I studied them in biology class and watched a number of National Geographic and Nature documentaries over the years, my keen interest in animals came to me only recently. I am completely besotted with them now!

© Joan Currie – My J for Jaguar needlepoint pillow.

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 Tiger…

02 Thursday May 2024

Posted by Satin & Sand in Animals, Art, beautiful, Nature, Painting, Poetry, watercolor, Wild animals

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Tags

Art, beautiful, John Lithgow, Painting, Poetry, The Poet's Corner, tiger, watercolor, William Blake

© Joan Currie – My watercolor painting of a tiger.

The Tyger by William Blake

Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night;
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies.
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand, dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, & what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat.
What dread hand? & what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain,
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp.
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears
And water’d heaven with their tears:
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger Tyger burning bright,
In the forests of the night:
What immortal hand or eye,
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

I love to listen to audiobooks while I needlepoint or paint with watercolors. This week’s book by John Lithgow, The Poet’s Corner: The One-and-Only Poetry Book for the Whole Family, gave me six and a half hours of pure bliss! The author included recitations, biographical information, and analyses of over forty poets’ content, style, and language. William Blake’s “The Tyger” poem was included in the list and inspired my blogpost.

P.S. I continued thinking about tigers and wild cats in general these last few days and when I came across Rudyard Kipling’s book, Just So Stories, I couldn’t resist rereading a story from my childhood, “How the Leopard Got His Spots.” You might enjoy it, too!

Beautiful Daffodils…

18 Thursday Apr 2024

Posted by Satin & Sand in Photography

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Daffodils, Flowers, Nature, Poetry, Spring, watercolor

© Joan Currie – My daffodil watercolor after G.D. Egret

Hidden From View by Joan Currie

In fields of gold where daffodils dance,
Their beauty shines in a fleeting glance.
But beneath the soil, where roots entwine,
Lurks a truth that’s less than divine.

For hidden from view, in the earth’s embrace,
Lie roots that tell of a different fate.
Though petals gleam in the sun’s warm light.
The roots betray a darker sight.

So too, do some, in the world’s gaze,
Appear as beauty in myriad ways.
But beneath the surface, unseen to most,
Lies a truth that’s harder to boast.

This morning, I noticed that the squirrels had uprooted my daffodil plants. As I gently pressed them back into the soil, I was struck by the contrast between the lovely, sunny blooms on top and the fine, twisted roots emerging from the bulb at the bottom.

© Joan Currie – Detail from my Portrait with Red Lips

I thought about how some people, too, present themselves as the picture of perfect beauty and loveliness but deep inside may lie a darker story – be it of heartache, grief, illness, or even a darkness of the soul.

© Rijksmuseum

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 Icelandic Sheepdog…

06 Saturday Apr 2024

Posted by Satin & Sand in Art, Iceland, Painting, Photography, Poetry, Travel, watercolor

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Iceland, Icelandic Sheepdog, Painting, Poetry, watercolor

© Joan Currie – My watercolor painting of an Icelandic Sheepdog.

Anita’s Spirit by Joan Currie

In Reykjavik’s streets, where legends roam,
Anita, like a star, found her home.
With fur of black and white, a beauty rare,
A brown circle ’round her eye, beyond compare.

Energetic and alert, she caught my eye,
A playful spirit, reaching for the sky.
In her gaze, a spark, like twinkling stars,
I wished to take her home, to be mine.

Though now a pet, her spirit’s still free,
Anita, the Icelandic dog, with glee.
With every wag of her tail, a tale unfurled,
In my heart, she’ll forever be cherished, this world.

I admired this Icelandic Sheepdog in Reykjavik’s city center. Her name is Anita, after the Icelandic actress, Anita Briem. Oddly, she was only one of two pet dogs I saw in Iceland during my eight-day stay there. This breed dates back to the 800s when humans first came to Iceland. Anita seemed very eager and lively – I am sure she would have been a good sheep herder.

© Icelandic Kennel Club

Beautiful Easter…

28 Thursday Mar 2024

Posted by Satin & Sand in Art, beautiful, Easter, Flowers, Poetry, watercolor

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Art, Christ Our Lord Has Risen Today, Easter, god, jesus, Lilian Snelling, lily, Poetry, redemption, Redemptive Salvation, resurrection, sulphur lily, The Tabernacle Choir, watercolor

Detail of Sulphur Lily by Lilian Snelling 1936.

Redemptive Light by Joan Currie

In Easter’s light, redemption’s tale is told,
Through Christ’s sacrifice, salvation unfolds.
He bore the weight of sin upon the cross,
To free us from despair and endless loss.

In agony, he bore pain and strife,
That we may find the path to eternal life.
His wounds, a testament to love’s pure grace,
An offering of mercy in that sacred place.

With each nail driven, each thorn pressed deep,
He paved the way for us to rise and reap,
The blessings of forgiveness, freely given,
He triumphed over death, all sins forgiven,

So let us gather, hearts lifted high,
In gratitude for the gift of Christ’s reply.
Easter’s dawn brings hope and renewal bright,
As we walk in the glow of redemptive light.

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter! 💛 xo

My favorite Easter hymn below, “Christ the Lord is Risen Today.” Alleluia!

Beautiful Hedgerow Needlepoint…

14 Thursday Mar 2024

Posted by Satin & Sand in Animals, beautiful, Birds, Crafts, Design, Nature, Needlepoint, Poetry, Sewing, Wool

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Tags

beautiful, Elizabeth Bradley Design, Nature, Needlepoint, Poetry, Tapestry wool

© Joan Currie – My completed 16″ x 16″ Hedgerow needlepoint pillow.

My Hedgerow Needlepoint Gift by Joan Currie

Six months of needlepointing, each day a steady hand,
With Victorian cross stitches, my large opus planned.
Thousands of small stitches, so meticulously placed,
And twenty hues of tapestry wool carefully spaced.

On this canvas, my heart is stitched in every row,
A gift to my daughter, a treasure on her bestowed.
I hope she will hold it close and feel the love it bears,
My offering of this hedgerow to cherish and to share.

This needlepoint pillow was planned as a gift for my daughter. So glad to have completed it! 🧡

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