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	<title>Elysian Field Originals &#187; Nature</title>
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	<link>http://elysianfieldoriginals.com</link>
	<description>Art and Adornment inspired by Nature &#38; Fantasy</description>
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		<title>Happy Faerie Day!!</title>
		<link>http://elysianfieldoriginals.com/2010/06/24/happy-faerie-day/</link>
		<comments>http://elysianfieldoriginals.com/2010/06/24/happy-faerie-day/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Jun 2010 21:39:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Valerie Ashley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[What's New!]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[celebrate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fairies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fairy day]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Happy Faerie Day]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[international fairy day]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nature]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://elysianfieldoriginals.com/?p=1230</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Happy Faerie Day!!! It&#8217;s a day of celebrating nature and everything to do with fairies!!!]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1231" title="fairyday2" src="http://elysianfieldoriginals.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/fairyday2.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="190" /></p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Happy Faerie Day!!!  It&#8217;s a day of celebrating  nature<br />
and everything to do with fairies!!!</h4>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>The Observer</title>
		<link>http://elysianfieldoriginals.com/2010/06/18/the-observer/</link>
		<comments>http://elysianfieldoriginals.com/2010/06/18/the-observer/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Jun 2010 21:17:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Valerie Ashley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Musings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[birds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[creative block]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[creativity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[leaves]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Maine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wildlife]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://elysianfieldoriginals.com/2010/06/19/the-observer/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Sitting at my sculpting table last week, I realized I was surrounded by more polymer clay leaves than I had a pile of in my back yard.  After time spent of mixing clay, imprinting leaves, and curing them I had a pretty substantial array…and yet, no motivation to do anything with them.  Uh oh, creative [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Sitting at my sculpting table last week, I realized I was surrounded by more polymer clay leaves than I had a pile of in my back yard.  After time spent of mixing clay, imprinting leaves, and curing them I had a pretty substantial array…and yet, no motivation to do anything with them.  Uh oh, creative block !!!</p>
<p>When life gets in the way (and head) of an artist, that finely tuned thing we refer to as creativity, muse, or inspiration will often grind to a screeching halt.  “Things” had gotten into the way of my “flow” as I like to call it. Family responsibilities, employment woes, you name it, I allowed it all to overwhelm me and each time I sat down to work all I could see were my problems.</p>
<p>Fortunate to have a place to retreat to away from everything, I packed up some clothes, clay, sundry crafty bits, and high tailed it to the mountains of Maine</p>
<p><a href="http://elysianfieldoriginals.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/P1090385.jpg" rel="lightbox[1190]"><img style="display: inline; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px;" title="P1090385" src="http://elysianfieldoriginals.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/P1090385_thumb.jpg" alt="P1090385" width="240" height="180" align="right" /></a> For two days I sat on the screened porch that overlook the mountains and listened to nothing more than the whisper of wind through the trees and birds who were ever busy at the feeders in the yard. I was an observer to the busy forest life that went on around me as if I were invisible. There are so few places nowadays where you can witness the rhythm of nature uninterrupted like this, and here it’s a magical thing.</p>
<p>Birds tending to their young, deer coming to the lake to drink, the whimsical otter that busily swims back and forth searching for a tasty mussel, the whippoorwill who sings as the last light of day disappears.</p>
<p><a href="http://elysianfieldoriginals.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/P1090366.jpg" rel="lightbox[1190]"><img style="display: inline; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px;" title="P1090366" src="http://elysianfieldoriginals.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/P1090366_thumb.jpg" alt="P1090366" width="240" height="141" align="left" /></a>Mountain storms blow throw with a fierceness that is scary at times, and the wind howls like a freight train through the forest, and yet if I were not here it would still go on. I am just honored to share the experience, an observer.</p>
<p><a href="http://elysianfieldoriginals.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/P10903661.jpg" rel="lightbox[1190]"></a></p>
<p>I thought about the birds particularly after a fierce mountain storm the other night. All during the day they were at the feeders with their young, back and forth and as the <a href="http://elysianfieldoriginals.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/P1090367.jpg" rel="lightbox[1190]"><img style="display: inline; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px;" title="P1090367" src="http://elysianfieldoriginals.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/P1090367_thumb.jpg" alt="P1090367" width="240" height="162" align="right" /></a>storm approached they slowly disappeared to take shelter. The forest became quiet and as the wind came through, and then the rain, I wondered how they fared. When the storm had passed and the rain subsided slowly, you could hear the symphony start up again and within minutes they were back at the feeders as if it had never rained at all. And I realized that to the birds the storm was an inconvenience, nothing more, and they stayed right on track with what they had been doing before.</p>
<p>So I sat down to my table I have set up here and began to create once again. My muse was back. This time taking it in stride that I’ll run into a metaphoric mountain storm now and then, but maybe this time I’ll view it as an inconvenience and continue down the path I’m traveling in Nature’s stride.</p>
<p><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-width: 0px;" title="P1090356" src="http://elysianfieldoriginals.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/P1090356_thumb.jpg" border="0" alt="P1090356" width="180" height="240" /></p>
<p><em>Thanks for visiting!</em></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Faerie Slumber</title>
		<link>http://elysianfieldoriginals.com/2010/03/25/faerie-slumber/</link>
		<comments>http://elysianfieldoriginals.com/2010/03/25/faerie-slumber/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 26 Mar 2010 01:15:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Valerie Ashley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[What's New!]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Beltane]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[earrings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elysianfields]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Etsy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[faerie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[leaf]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[leaves]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pagan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[polymer clay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sculpting]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://elysianfieldoriginals.com/?p=1114</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I thought I&#8217;d share a new little piece I&#8217;ve been working on.   It&#8217;s a faerie child wrapped in a maple leaf and asleep in an oak leaf cradle.  The faerie is 3&#8243; long and was sculpted using Kato clay with Genesis heat set oils for added color.  I really prefer this clay now for [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I thought I&#8217;d share a new little piece I&#8217;ve been working on.   It&#8217;s a faerie child wrapped in a maple leaf and asleep in an oak leaf cradle.  The faerie is 3&#8243; long and was sculpted using <a href="http://www.katopolyclay.com/"><strong>Kato</strong></a> clay with <a href="http://www.genesisartistcolors.com/"><strong>Genesis heat set oils</strong></a> for added color.  I really prefer this clay now for sculpting as it is very strong and if properly conditioned doesn&#8217;t moon at all, and the color when cured is beautiful. <P><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-1115" title="P1090857" src="http://elysianfieldoriginals.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/P1090857-250x250.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="250" /><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-1116" title="Faerie Slumber" src="http://elysianfieldoriginals.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/P1090858-250x250.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="250" /><P><br />
<img src="http://elysianfieldoriginals.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/P10908481-250x250.jpg" alt="" title="P1090848" width="250" height="250" class="aligncenter size-thumbnail wp-image-1133" /></p>
<p>I miss sculpting these miniature fantasy pieces and will add her into my <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/ElysianFields"><strong>Etsy</strong></a> shop along with more wearable art pieces.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m also working on a pair of Nature Spirit earrings for my April giveaway coming up soon.  I&#8217;ve not done earrings with the faerie faces before so these should be a treat.  Add to that they are Birch leaves and very sacred leaves to faerie and pagan culture, and with<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beltane"> <strong>Beltane</strong></a> coming up will be a wonderful addition to someone&#8217;s wardrobe.  Here&#8217;s a sneak peak of them in progress!<br />
<img src="http://elysianfieldoriginals.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/P1090862-250x250.jpg" alt="" title="Nature Spirit Earrings WIP" width="250" height="250" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-1129" /></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>Leaf Art ~During~</title>
		<link>http://elysianfieldoriginals.com/2010/03/01/leaf-art-during/</link>
		<comments>http://elysianfieldoriginals.com/2010/03/01/leaf-art-during/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:25:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Valerie Ashley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[What's New!]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fairy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[leaf]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[leaves]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[maple leaves]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[painting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[polymer clay]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://elysianfieldoriginals.com/?p=1090</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A  few days ago I posted some pictures of assorted leaves I&#8217;d done and what they look like before I draw or paint them.  I thought today I&#8217;d show you a progression of how some look so far.  I have so many ideas and things I&#8217;d like to try but for now here are a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A  few days ago I posted some pictures of assorted leaves I&#8217;d done and what they look like before I draw or paint them.  I thought today I&#8217;d show you a progression of how some look so far.  I have so many ideas and things I&#8217;d like to try but for now here are a few pics of current works in progress.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-1091" title="Sugar Maple Spirit" src="http://elysianfieldoriginals.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/P1090643-250x250.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="250" /></p>
<div>When I&#8217;m painting faces or images on my leaves I work in layers of color so that from different angles you can see the face but in a more subtle way.  As in nature the hint of life and personality are &#8220;just&#8221; there beneath the surface.</div>
<p><BR></p>
<div><img class="aligncenter size-thumbnail wp-image-1093" title="P1090640" src="http://elysianfieldoriginals.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/P1090640-250x250.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="250" /></div>
<p><BR></p>
<div>The gilded leaf was a practice in doing a bas relief on a leaf and I had fun playing around with it.  The leaf was such an odd shaped one and I still don&#8217;t know what it was or is.  I&#8217;ll post some pictures in a few days of the finished pieces.</div>
<p><BR></p>
<div><img class="aligncenter size-thumbnail wp-image-1092" title="Bas Relief" src="http://elysianfieldoriginals.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/P1090639-250x250.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="250" /></div>
<p><BR></p>
<div style="text-align: center;">Till then&#8230;</div>
]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Lord Byron</title>
		<link>http://elysianfieldoriginals.com/2009/11/06/an-excerpt-from-lord-byron/</link>
		<comments>http://elysianfieldoriginals.com/2009/11/06/an-excerpt-from-lord-byron/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:47:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Valerie Ashley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Lord Byron]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[poetry]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://elysianfieldoriginals.com/?p=286</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;There is a pleasure in the pathless woods, There is a rapture on the lonely shore, There is society, where none intrudes, By the deep sea, and music in its roar: I love not man the less, but Nature more, From these our interviews, in which I steal From all I may be, or have [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://elysianfieldoriginals.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/2.jpg" rel="lightbox[286]"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-556" title="2" src="http://elysianfieldoriginals.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/2-305x300.jpg" alt="2" width="305" height="300" /></a>&#8220;There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,<br />
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,<br />
There is society, where none intrudes,<br />
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:<br />
I love not man the less, but Nature more,<br />
From these our interviews, in which I steal<br />
From all I may be, or have been before,<br />
To mingle with the Universe, and<br />
What I can ne&#8217;er express, yet cannot all conceal.&#8221;</p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_WambsoTGUCM/SFnrXKc-brI/AAAAAAAAEsE/IsyVqh1UJ0k/s1600-h/2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" rel="lightbox[286]"><br />
</a></p>
<p>I saw this excerpt from a poem by <a href="http://englishhistory.net/byron.html" target="_blank">Lord Byron</a> on a neat blog I visited today. It pretty much sums up how I feel about Nature. Picture is of a butterfly from my garden.</p>
</div>
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