GALENE AND AMPHITRITE SEA GODDESSES

GALENE AND AMPHITRITE

SEA GODDESSES

Amphitrite left, Galene Right

I was delighted and surprised one day when a past customer and friend contacted me on Facebook. I remembered Maralynne had meticulous taste in her decorating and I was humbled years ago that she chose many of my sculptures to adorn her home. Maralynne saw the Sea Goddess I featured on my blog a few weeks ago and felt that a similar one might be perfect for her new home in Florida. Maralynne gave me specifics and I was up for the challenge since I knew she would be easy to work with and we would end up with gratifying results.

Amphitrite Left, Galene Right

I wanted to create a Sea Goddess that looked as though she was the very essence of the ocean. When I finished sculpting her, I named her Galene. In Greek mythology, Galene means Goddess of Calm Seas. I tried to infuse a serene and tranquil look in her eyes, as if she is gazing off into the ocean and remembering her beginnings.

Galene Front, Amphitrite Back

I was pleased with the results but I wanted to be sure Maralynne was happy and decided to give her a choice of another Goddess. Amphitrite was born. Amphitrite, in mythology, is the queen of the sea and wife of Poseidon. She is the female personification of the sea. I wanted to bestow her with a look and feel of one who rules the ocean and yet is humbled by it.

Amphitrite

I gave both Goddesses white garments that billow and will match Maralynne’s dining room chairs and soft Florida light. I’ve added touches of purple and green and a smattering of turquoise, as Maralynne suggested. These items can be removed if desired. Both Goddesses are regal and render chic sophistication - just like Maralynne.

Galene

Since Maralynne will be seeing this post the same time as my readers, she will choose which Goddess will come to live with her. The other Goddess will then be for sale and placed on Etsy. If you are interested, please e-mail and I’ll let you know which Goddess she chooses. Goddess Galene is approx 25” h x 15"d x 15" wide. Goddess Amphitrite is approx 23" h x 25" w x 15" w. The billowing fabric can be expanded or contracted according to space. I created both with stoneware clay and of course love.

Galene

Amphitrite

Thanks for viewing.

CELTIC TREE GODDESS DRUANTIA

CELTIC TREE GODDESS

DRUANTIA

Front View

I almost always name the pieces that I create with tree bark, clay and all sorts of moss and woodsy items, “Grandmother Tree.” I’ve recently decided to use the same story but to give each ‘tree’ a Celtic Goddess name.

For my latest “Grandmother Tree” I decided on the name Druantia. She is celebrated at Beltane and given credit for the creation of the Celtic Tree Calendar-the Oghman. It is believed that Druantia had her origins in Gaul. The 'root' of her name drus, means ‘oak’, and she is associated with the Dryad. She also reigns as queen of the tree fairies. The Dryads were known to be protective of their native trees and believed, as do the followers of flower essences and nature spirits, that trees must be given respect and be thanked for anything taken from them such as acorns or tree branches.

Close-Up

“ TREE GODDESS DRUANTIA”

The trees are alive! She wandered into the garden early one morning and she heard them speak to one another.. It was a language spoken on another frequency..in another vibrational time frame. They spoke of healing with power and energy and of the relationship between energy and matter.

She was drawn to an ancient Chinese Elm and as she leaned her body next to the base, somehow she felt immersed in the tree and felt herself slip into the tree..was one with the tree and knew that she was the tree.....

~Cheryl Dolby~

Side View

I created Druantia with moss, driftwood, clay, feather, lotus pods and of course love, as is in all my pieces. She is 18” high and 9” deep and 8” wide and I have priced her at $225.00 If you are interested in purchasing her, I just placed her on Etsy, where you can also see more views or you can e-mail me directly.

APPLE UPSIDE- DOWN CAKE

APPLE UPSIDE- DOWN CAKE

Close-up

About once a week, I try a new recipe. Sometimes I create one of my own by experimentation and other times I try one I find online or in one of my hundreds of cookbooks. My recipes don’t always turn out but every once in awhile I find a “keeper.” Apple Upside-Down Cake is just such a recipe. I found it on the King Arthur Flour website.

Wonder What Happened To The Rest Of The Cake?

A few years back, the King Arthur crew came to Roanoke and taught a bread making session. My daughter Kirsten and I were able to attend. We were quite impressed.

What I like about this cake is that it uses only one cake pan and the finished product looks like you have been slaving in the kitchen for hours. It is very impressive looking. Unfortunately, my friend Leslie and I had already dived into it before I remembered to take a picture, which is the reason you see the half cake. Another good thing about the cake is that the sauce can be heated and served over the cake at any time, making it seem as if it just came out of the oven. Perfect for a Thanksgiving gathering.

King Arthur’s site featuring the cake is : http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/apple-upside-down-cake-recipe

I’ve copied it below as well with a few minor revisions I made.

APPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Topping

2 medium apples

•

4 tablespoons butter

•

3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

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2 tablespoons boiled cider or thawed apple juice concentrate-I used the apple concentrade.

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1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

•

1/2 cup light corn syrup

Cake

•

3/4 cup vegetable oil-I didn’t have any so used Olive oil-expecting the worse and got really good results. I’ll try the vegetable oil next time.

•

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

•

2 tablespoons boiled cider or thawed apple juice concentrate

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2 large eggs

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1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

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1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

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1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

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1/2 teaspoon salt

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1 teaspoon baking soda

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1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

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1 large apple, peeled and finely chopped

•

3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" round cake pan at least 2" deep. Line the bottom with parchment, and grease the parchment.

2) Slice the top, including the stem, off one of the apples and set it aside before peeling and slicing the rest of the apples into 1/4" thick wedges.

3) Place the apple top, stem side down, in the middle of the pan, and overlap the rest of the apple wedges in a ring around it.(Be sure the apple is sliced to lay flat with the top of pan)

4) Prepare the topping by heating the butter, sugar, boiled cider, cinnamon, and corn syrup together over low heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.

5) Pour 1/2 cup of the syrup mixture into the prepared pan, and set the rest aside.

6) To make the cake: Beat the oil, brown sugar, boiled cider, eggs, spices, and salt together for 2 minutes at medium speed

7) Mix the flour with the baking soda, and stir it into the batter.

8) Add the chopped apple and nuts, and mix until just blended.

9) Drop scoops of the batter atop the apples in the pan, gently spreading to cover.

10) Bake the cake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted near the center comes out clean.

11) Remove the cake from the oven, and run a thin spatula around the edge to loosen.

12) Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn it out onto a serving plate, bottom side up. Scrape out any sauce that remains in the pan, and spread it over the cake.

13) Reheat the reserved topping. If butter starts to separate as you reheat, add water by the teaspoon and stir until the butter rejoins the rest of the sauce.

14) Pour the sauce over the cake. Serve cake warm or at room temperature, with whipped cream if desired. I used ice cream..delicious!

Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

ARIEL GYPSY SCULPTURE

ARIEL GYPSY SCULPTURE

Ariel

Sold. Thank you Lisa!

I had an idea concerning my new gypsy sculpture series. I decided to sculpt a gypsy out of clay, and then create a large gypsy painting that is identical to the sculpture. Well, as ideas sometimes go, this one is presenting some difficulties. I sold the first gypsy sculpture of Zigana, which I posted a few weeks ago. I already had started the painting but now must look at the picture I took to try to duplicate. After working on the painting these past weeks, I have decided instead, to try to create an ‘essence’ of the sculpture and not recreate an exact match.

Beginning of Oil Painting to Match Zigana-I've Got a Long Way To Go!

In the meantime, I sculpted my second gypsy in the series and will take a picture and enlarge her too just in case she sells. My goal is to create 10 large paintings. I always aim for the stars.

As in the case with a lot of artists, I am most inspired by the materials I find for my work. I had a beautiful old fragment of material that was hand crafted in India. Little glistening beads with purple filament kept calling to me saying, “please use me in one of your sculptures.” With that in hand and some other gypsy looking cloth, Ariel was created. I sculpted her of stoneware clay, fired her in the kiln and had a wonderful time dressing her. I used antique Native American trade beads called 'Christmas beads' and another antique strand from my stash.

View of Zigana I've Chosen To Paint

Just to get you in the gypsy frame of mind, I’m posting a video of some Gypsy Vardo Wagons. I think you’ll like the authentic music and wagons.

Back View of Ariel

Side View of Ariel

Full View of Ariel

Ariel is 23” high x 12" wide and 12"deep. I have priced her at $350. If you are interested in purchasing, you can preview more pictures of her on Etsy or contact me directly at my e-mail.

Here is her story:

“ARIEL”

Ribbons of light were drifting on the wings of the wind Cosmic rhythms beating unmercifully, began to reveal to her the secrets of her heart. She began to feel infinite love, wisdom and energy in the universe. She had finally connected with her higher self and she knew she was a radiant being, filled with light And love. She was Ariel, daughter of the moon and Goddess of flight.

~Cheryl Dolby~

Ocean Extravaganza!

OCEAN EXTRAVAGANZA!

Close-up of Oceana number 1- Price is $350.00. Click here to see more views

Sold. Thank you Patty! The other 5 are still available

Since I have depleted the sea fans and other unusual sea items from my stash, today will be the last day I will be offering my Oceana series for sale till next summer. Several people e-mailed and asked me to create more with the small seahorse so I included them in some of the sculptures.

Side View of Oceana Number 1

While sculpting the large Oceana Sea Goddess, I felt the words coming alive from her story..they seemed to resonate to me as I was sculpting her face. I wanted her to look as though she had just inhaled the wonderful aroma of the sea.

Front View Oceana Number 1

Front View Oceana Number 2- Price is $110.00. Click here to see more views

Oceana number 3- Price is $68.00 Click here to see more views

Oceana number 4- Priced at $78.00 Click here to see more views

Oceana number 5- Priced at $55.00 Click here to see more views

Oceana Number 6 Just $46.00-Last but not least- Click here to see more views

Here is the Ocean story I have written for all of my ocean pieces:

“Oceana”

As she was standing at the edge of the ocean she could hear the waves chanting their familiar song. “Come to me, I am greater than you, I am wiser than you..I am the one.” She resisted once again. How long could she continue to resist… How much longer before she embraced her larger self, her destiny, her soul… ..the sea….

~ Cheryl Dolby~

If you are interested in purchasing any of these pieces, please e-mail me. To see more views of each sculpture, click on the etsy link at the bottom of each picture. Thanks so much for visiting today.

THE CRONE GODDESS

Front View

Sold. Thank you Leslie!

Oftentimes I am asked at what age women can considered an official crone. Even though I have been told by many that crone apprenticeship starts at about age 60 and by age 70 you are a full blown crone, I don’t think it is that cut and dry. We as women, spend our lives apprenticing for that status. After a lifetime of just about every experience that can be imagined, those of us who have studied and as some say, “done the homework,” will one day, somehow know that we are wiser and confident in our older bodies. The poem I wrote titled “The Crone” says exactly how I feel.

Close-up

THE CRONE

Winged woman of flight.. the all-mother of humanity.. wise soothsayer Goddess Or hag.

Her eyes burn with the wisdom of antiquity.. Her voice murmurs a truth that cannot be heard by the unreceptive masses..

She has passed through the great change and she lives on to rewrite the burned chronicles of ..Her Story.

She allows each wrinkle to act as voice to proclaim and reclaim her power.

~Cheryl Dolby~

Side View

The Crone is 24 1/2” including Goddess tiara and 10” wide by 11” deep. I have sculpted her from stoneware clay which I then kiln fired to a high temperature. She features Ancient cloth and beadwork. If you are interested in purchasing The Crone, you can view more photos on Etsy or e-mail me.

Close up of Embellishments

I can’t say that I’m 100% there yet but I’m on my way. Have any of you out there decided at what stage of croneship you are able to place yourself?

Thanks so much for viewing. Cheryl

Back View

SEA FAN WALL HANGINGS

SEA FAN WALL SCULPTURES

Sculpture Number 1

I’m still on an ocean kick. Just finished these two Ocean wall sculptures that include Atlantic and Caribbean sea fans and Black sea fans from the Philippines. I haven’t had time to place them on Etsy yet but thought you might enjoy a sneak preview before I do.

Sculpture Number 1 Close-up

Fan Number 1 is 14" High x 10" wide and created with one of my original stoneware clay faces and Atlantic and Caribbean sea fan. priced at $78.00

Sculpture Number 2

Sold. Thank you Katharine!

Fan Number 2 is 11" Wide x 10" High and includes sea fan from the Philippines and a small sea horse and is priced at $68.00

Close-Up Number 2

You can e-mail me if you are interest in purchasing either of them and I can ship to you immediately. They would make great Christmas gifts for the ocean lovers on your list~

Thanks for viewing.

GYPSY SCULPTURE-ZIGANA

ZIGANA GYPSY SCULPTURE

Front View

Sold. Thank you Leslie!

I’ve long been fascinated by gypsy caravans. As a matter of fact, I was lucky enough to come upon one while in England a few years ago. If you would like to look at my posting of it, please click here. If you have a gypsy spirit, I think you will immensely enjoy that particular post, especially the u-tube of Gypsy Vardo Wagon.

I’m at it again with this gypsy sculpture I am naming Zigana. Here is her story:

Close-Up

ZIGANA

A storm was brewing. The Winds of change were struggling To free themselves once again. She knew she had been too long in one place. The roots of that place were starting to wrap themselves around her being, pulling and tugging at her once more. She knew it was time.

Moving on meant transformation. It meant leaving possessions, friends and sometimes family. She was no stranger to farewells. And, with each move, she knew she was leaving a part of herself behind.

Even though painful, she knew that once again she must pull back her shoulders, as if she were an obedient soldier. She must then wrap the blanket of memories around her and begin her journey as she had done so many times before. She knew she was Zigana, strong, vibrant, resilient and constant. She must begin…again.

~Cheryl Dolby~

Side View

When someone says that you have a “gypsy in your soul” what do you think they mean? It is probably not the fact that you move around a lot anymore, from home to home that is, but maybe it is because that you get restless and must venture out into the world to see something new and to learn some unforeseen lesson. Or could it be the tear that forms in your eye when you hear violin music? Whatever it is, I seem to want to capture that essence of the soulful gypsy in much of my work.

Back View

Close-Up of Beadwork

Zigana is 23” high and about 6” wide and approx 10” deep. She features a beautiful old Indian garment and lots of jangle beads including an old beaded necklace. Hope you like her. She is a bit expensive to ship but will be well worth it when you see her standing in your own caravan. You can view and read more about her on Etsy or e-mail me to purchase or for more questions. Thanks so very much for viewing.

EARTHWALKER WALL HANGING

Full view

Sold. Thank you Wayne!

Although I love the blue of the ocean and the blue of the sky I usually don’t decorate my home with blue. I do, however, wear blue clothing. When I was rummaging through my stash of cloth, looking for just the right material for a new piece I had formulated in my mind, I found remnants of an old cafetan that I had purchased from J. Peterman decades ago. I love the soft batiked look of the blue fabric which makes me feel it has been worn by women of some past civilization. I knew instantly that this fabric would work well for my Earthwalker Here is her story:

EARTHWALKER

She arrived from infinite space of her own choice.

She brought with her only faint memories of lives lived before. In her memories of all those lives, one over-all theme seemed to prevail..the ribbon of harmony in all things.

More memories stirred and she saw herself in a distant time, placing her ear to the ground and hearing the great mother whisper to her. “Listen,” she said, “to the pulse of all life.”

All nature was speaking to her and she was prepared to listen to the language of the stones..for even the stones have voices. The outer hard surface of a stone is merely the covering and the spirit lives within..just as our bodies are only temporary houses for our souls.

She listened to the garden and with relaxed vision, she saw and heard the nature spirits respond to the commands of the Devas..and each fruit and vegetable fulfilled their promise. She listened to the stream trickle past and on to a greater end.

She was at peace and entered into the silence,and being aware of the spiritual light, she became connected to the spiritual essence and knew that all is in flow..all nature is alive..THERE IS NO DEATH..only change.

Cheryl Dolby

Close-Up

I used a beaded sash for her headpiece, horsehair (taken from the tail) other old fabrics and blue and a beige beaded necklace. She is 8” wide by 25” high and priced at just $79.00 Hope you like her.

I have just placed her on Etsy where you can see more views. You can also purchase from me directly by contacting me by e-mail.

Thanks so much for viewing.

Close-Up of Beads

GRATITUDE BOWLS

GRATITUDE BOWLS

Oceana Gratitude Bowl Number 1

Sold. Thank you Connie.

Number 2 still available.

Oceana Gratitude Bowl Number 2

I’ve named my new series, Gratitude Bowls. They are similar to my Burning Bowls which are used to burn away any problems and habits by placing statements inside on small pieces of paper and then burning them out of your life. I like the idea of placing small statements of gratitude into the bowls and reading them on occasion to remind myself of all the things I have to be thankful for. Actually, it might be a good idea to use them for both.

Back Number 1

I read somewhere that gratitude is the open door to abundance. This makes sense because when you are truly thankful for what you already have, life has a way of delivering more of the same.

Side Number 1

Since summer is waning and I’m already missing it along with the ocean, it seemed appropriate to use the ocean as my theme for the first two bowls. Hope you like them.

Close-Up Number 1

Bowl number 1 is 6”wide x 5” deep x 11” high and features beautiful shells and a stained glass basin. I have priced both bowls at $68.00 each.

Bowl number 2 is smaller at 5” wide x 5” deep x 9” high and features assorted shells and stained glass basin.

I have just placed them on Etsy where you can view more pictures or you can purchase directly from me via my e-mail. Click here to view bowl number 1. Click here to view bowl number 2.

Side Number 2

Back Number 2

From the Top Number 2

Thanks so much for visiting.