Personal Enrichment : Jill Berry Blog

Grace and Death

Posted on April 22, 2010 - Filed Under About me, Visual Inspiration, What I am up to | 3 Comments

On Tuesday night my friend Helen and I went to the artists’ sketch night at the Body World Exhibit in Denver. The museum was closed to the public, and we checked in at the desk in a nearly empty lobby. There was a visceral absence of the usual crowd, and it was eerie walking through [...]

On to the Next Chapter

Posted on March 24, 2010 - Filed Under Real Life, Visual Inspiration | Leave a Comment

This is my last day here at the cottage, that is until I return on Sunday after Artfest. Today I will head to the airport to pick up Hegina and Arlene, then we will all romp over bridges, on ferries and over tiny roads to get to Port Townsend. It has been incredible to be [...]

Flight

Posted on March 22, 2010 - Filed Under What I am up to, Written Inspiration | 1 Comment

Yesterday I was on the phone with my girl at the end of the day. I was sitting outside my little cottage looking at the bay in front of me, when a large winged creature swooped by. The wingtips were up, and I knew it was an eagle. He landed right in front of me, [...]

Landscape with Yellow Birds

Posted on March 18, 2010 - Filed Under Visual Inspiration, What I am up to, Written Inspiration | 5 Comments

It is dark outside, the dogs and the kids are asleep, Steve headed off for the train to work and I am painting. Ah, I am painting.
This morning is it three letter words, a concept that I have worked with for about six years. Mighty little words. Today my words are “ART” and “SKY”, and [...]

Lines of Delineation

Posted on March 14, 2010 - Filed Under 2010 Workshops, Written Inspiration | 6 Comments

This week has been full of prep for Artfest, kid hauling, reading map books and being a domestic/mother/goddess. That, and clearing the first floor out to a POD on the driveway so we can get our damaged floors refinished after the latest flood. Manic is a good word for this week.
At the end of the [...]

Poppies

Posted on February 26, 2010 - Filed Under 2010 Workshops, Creative Exercises, Written Inspiration | 3 Comments

This is a piece that I did a few years ago. It is a wild on-the-floor journaling exercise that I did when I was working with Mary Oliver’s poem, Poppies. It took me about a half hour. Sometimes you just have to splash things around.
Some of this you can learn at Magical Midnight Stories at [...]

The difference of a day, and a big win

Posted on February 8, 2010 - Filed Under Visual Inspiration | 1 Comment

Yesterday’s Super Bowl game was just what I needed. It was a clean, impressive, exciting and immensely gratifying to watch New Orleans win.
You may have noticed the fleur-de-lis on the side of their helmets. This is a heraldic representation of an Iris, which is also the symbol of one of my other favorite cities, Firenze, [...]

The Captain of my Soul

Posted on February 5, 2010 - Filed Under Written Inspiration | Leave a Comment

Lots of events this week.
Sam sent the dog outside saying “Teebo, wanna go out? Wanna go out into the world? Wanna go out into love?”
Sydney woke up and said “Mama, it feels like there is a whole world in my stomach and the continents are crashing into each other.”
My niece, Sophie and a large group [...]

YES

Posted on January 21, 2010 - Filed Under Written Inspiration | 4 Comments

Yes

It could happen any time, tornado,
earthquake, Armageddon. It could happen.
Or sunshine, love, salvation.

It could, you know. That’s why we wake
and look out — no guarantees
in this life.

But some bonuses, like morning,
like right now, like noon,
like evening.

~ William Stafford ~

This is one of my favorite poems by one of my [...]

Thanksgiving

Posted on November 26, 2009 - Filed Under Personal Enrichment | 1 Comment

Today is Thanksgiving, and here is my journal page of gratitude. My children are clever and extremely cute. My husband is talented, funny and works really hard. Even my dog is fabulous, and after his haircut has real fancy pants. None of us are sick or even close to it. We have a house, and [...]