LEGEND OF THE INDIAN

DREAM WEAVERS

Large sculptural basket created by Cheryl Dolby

"Day after day, they toiled in the hot South American sun. Often times a group would gather to watch the weavers work. They seemed to be in perfect unison as they pulled and stretched the ribs and cane. Often they would receive looks of wonder but sometimes they would catch a glimpse of pity when the group would see the flax-torn hands and the sun-wrinkled skin.

"Their life was hard but in their hearts they were truly happy, for they were in tune to the world of work. They were free spirits..free to travel into the land of creativity..a place unknown to the rest..A place where dreams are kept…"

From She Who Whispers

I love working with reed because it is such a sculptural material. It is very pliable and can be dyed beautiful shades of earthy colors. It is also extremely durable. I created this basket with six small figures posed as though they were doing the weaving. For the Indians, I used stoneware clay that I fired in my kiln. I dyed the reed and worked many long hours to make it appear sculptural. I then wrote the poem for the sculpture. It appears in my book, She Who Whispers.

Close up view

She Who Whispers can be purchased from my etsy shop.

Woman Within the Web

WOMAN WITHIN THE WEB

A Soul Group's Journey Through the Ages and a Woman’s Quest for Freedom

Chateau Des Vondes

After spending a month in a haunted, centuries-old castle in France, I felt the need to share the dramatic impressions that moved me to write about the mysteries surrounding Cheryl, the heroine of “Woman Within the Web.” Many people who have read my book ask me if the characters are real people. They especially want to know if Phil is real, or Tracee, or even Cheryl. Here, I'm including pictures of all of us as we were caught up in an amazing set of circumstances that brought us together in the Loire valley. I hope you enjoy seeing the book come to life.

Haunted mirror in my room at the castle

From the beginning, Cheryl’s trip was charged with energy. The nominal reason for her journey was to take a month–long class in anatomical sculpture presented by a master of the art. She was, however, driven by a second motivation. She wanted to find help for her schizophrenic son at a secret clinic located in the Loire Valley. The reader’s very soul will be drawn into the pages as witness to the enigmas that plague her and the romance that seeks her out despite her feelings of foreboding.

Cheryl's first view of the castle. It loomed far above the flat terrain, looking very much like something that belonged in a Dracula film instead of in the quaint countryside of France.

After separating from her husband of many years, Cheryl was ready for romance. What woman doesn’t dream of meeting her prince charming in a romantic setting like that of rural France? She had a premonition that she would meet someone, and she did. He was a sculptor, not from France, but from California. They hit it off and spent 30 days immersed in sculpture, restaurants, wine cellars, medieval castles, and each other.

Cheryl and Phil

Another view of the castle, the garden

South view of the castle

Messr. Renoir, owner of the castle

A class of forty unique and mysteriously connected individuals are destined to share a series of events that are manifested by Cheryl’s presence there. Unable to unravel the puzzle and helpless to stop its unfolding, she is moved along in its midst by the invisible hand of destiny.

Teepees that could be viewed from Cheryl's window

How could Cheryl have ever guessed that she would come half way across the world to find that the castle in which she was staying had an Indian camp for children on the grounds -- especially since Cheryl sculpted Native Americans?!

Who would have guessed that the castle came equipped with an Indian?

Reincarnations? Phantom mirrors? Ghosts? Who can say what is real and what is merely our own perception of “real” as voiced by our individual egos?

Cheryl's haunted room at the castle

Passavant sur Layon. Phil's "wall" where he remembered another life in another time

Even while the events were being played out before her, Cheryl’s feelings seem surreal, as though she were watching them happen as one would view scenes from a movie. Dramatic, ethereal at times, and tremendously metaphysical, yet injected with a thread of humor among the characters that will connect each one of them to you as though you had known them all -- perhaps in another life -- perhaps at Chateau Des Vondes.

Tracee and chef

After guessing it might be the magnifique compliment, or the "kiss from the fingertips," we see here that Tracee was the real reason behind the invitation to the wine cellar

Another waiter

Here is the waiter who was protecting Tracee's honor. He placed her in a small closet to dine so that she would not have to view bare-chested men in the other dining area. He also served her a whole langoustine, complete with protruding eyes and shell. It reminded her of a soldier dressed in full armor.

Yes, there is a Connie and Richard, shown here with Phil and Cheryl

Phil working on his sculpture

Cheryl and Tracee being "French"

My work on this book reminded me once again of an amazing phenomenon I have often experienced when writing. As my writing gains momentum, it is as if the book is writing itself! In "Woman... ," the characters took on lives of their own. Sometimes I was excited to just sit at my keyboard and find out what was going to happen. Even though the story was coming to life through my very own fingers, I couldn’t be sure what my characters were going to do until they did it! And I couldn’t anticipate where the day’s writing was going to end up until the end of the session. And when I finally saw that my characters had done all they were going to do for the day-well, then I sighed the Montessori sigh of relief.

I hope that I have enticed you to want to read my book, Woman Within the Web, or to at least want to visit France. It is a magical place where castles and mysteries abound.

The book initially came with a musical accompaniment featuring piano, created by my son Cameron. The CD is out of print right now but he may elect to have more copies made in the future. It seemed amazing to me that he was able to duplicate in sound, the “feel” and “mood” of France.

“Woman Within the Web” can be purchased by contacting me at my e-mail address. cherdolby@cox.net or at my booth at the Farmers Market in Roanoke, Virgina on Saturday mornings. The price is $10. 00 plus $4.00 for shipping.

OTTOWOMAN

"Ottowoman" footstool

I watched someone converting plain footstools on TV one day. The designer referred to them as "ottomans." I wondered why they had to be called "ottoman." Why can’t they be called "ottowoman?" Anything as fancy and decorated as my footstool has to be female. I decorated the legs with various papers I applied with Modge Podge and added some tiles, too. I then gave it another protective coat of Modge Podge. For the cushion, I used upholstery remnants. If you decide to make an ottowoman for yourself, be sure to choose a footstool that is sturdy. You can always add extra padding if the top fabric appears flat.

Here is a sturdy footstool ready for embellishment

I finished the first ottowoman a few years ago. I had another one set aside, but could not find the appropriate material to use for a cover until I made my weekly trip to Happy’s Flea Market. I find the most amazing things at Happy’s. I came across a huge pile of cross-stitch backings in various stages of completion.

I love the vibrant colors in this backing

This one is nice too

And this one

I am wondering what my ottowoman will look like if I use all of the cross-stitch backings I found. It will be very colorful. I might paint the legs lime green or bright orange. I am wondering what I will use as embellishments to tie my theme together. Buttons? Gems? Beads?

I have a lot going on this week, but I hope to finish my new ottowoman next week. I’ll be sure to show you the result. Have fun trying one for yourself. It’s easy to do and very rewarding.

CAESAR PASTA SALAD

CAESAR PASTA SALAD

Caesar Pasta Salad

My Caesar Pasta Salad disappeared in no time at our "Art By Night" gallery showing on Thursday night. I promised several people I would post the recipe and here it is. It is so simple to prepare. It can be prepared early in the day and served later. I love how colorful it is. I presented it on the platter I brought back from Italy a few years ago.

Recipe I have prepared for my children and friends. I used a rubber-stamped version of the recipe to make it more colorful.

Homemade croutons

I absolutely recommend making the homemade croutons included in the recipe. It makes all the difference in the world. I used French batard bread from On the Rise bread shop located in our farmers' market in Roanoke. A good Italian bread would work as well.

ART BY NIGHT

ART BY NIGHT

Ron of Elite Limousine Service escorts Debi Stump to the car

How lucky I am to live in a city with a vibrant art community like that here in Roanoke -- especially since I'm an artist. Tonight was "Art by Night," which is held the first Thursday of each month. One of the unique features of this event is a limousine service that takes you from gallery to gallery absolutely free. Where else can you find that?! The participating galleries allow the patrons to spend the evening viewing unique art while enjoying fabulous food and drink.

Here I am emerging from the limo with our historic H&C Coffee sign in the background

The gallery I'm associated with is Center in the Square. We are centrally located in the historic farmers' market. I'm a bit prejudiced, but I would have to say that our gallery has many works that are competitive with almost anything you'd find in galleries in a much larger city. I wish I could focus on each of the artists who have work in the gallery, but time does not allow. Featured here are a few of the many talented artists.

Ursula Dilley

Ursula attends the Savannah College of Art and Design. She has just returned from spending eight weeks studying printmaking and art history at SCAD-La Coste, the school's French campus.

Ric Stump

Ric Stump is a cabinet maker who restores furniture and creates unique wood tables. He also makes urns for pet ashes. He explained that he started making the urns at the request of a friend whose dog had died. He uses drainspouts from St. Vincent's Orphanage, a now-closed facility previously located on the Roanoke Catholic School campus.

One of Greg Ballou's paintings

Greg Ballou specializes in mixed-media paintings. I fell in love with the one shown above.

Brian Sal Corral

Sal works in mixed media, too. Here, he's shown with one of his unusual works depicting the evolution of life. Hearing Sal discuss his work and philosophy of art is worth a trip to the gallery for that alone.

In this piece by Katherine Devine, you can almost feel the circling energy

Meridith Entingh, on the left, with a customer admiring one of her beautiful woven scarves

Janet Wimmer, shown here with one of her paintings of a scene from the Blue Ridge Parkway

Gene Barfield’s photograph of Cinque Terre

You have to come by the gallery to hear Gene tell you how he was "forced" to stay in the pink "casa" at the top of the hill with a breeze coming through his window and a view to die for.

Here I am with some of my work

Last but not least, the founder of our gallery, Deborah Goglia, shown here with some of her vibrant photographs

All of the food for "Art by Night" is provided by the artists. My Caesar Pasta Salad disappeared quickly. I had many requests for the recipe which I will post in a few days. It was a fun, successful night.

GRANDMOTHER TREE

GRANDMOTHER TREE

Grandmother Tree sculpture

I love books and I also love to write. One of my sculptures inspired me to write my book, Grandmother Tree. She haunted me for a long time before she came to life. Finally she emerged from the clay, much like her predecessors. But this time, roots began to twist themselves around her base and in and around her hair. She begged for moss and tree lichen, for walnut halves, for raindrops. Her story came to me piece by piece as each bit of nature was added to her.

Grandmother Tree

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..she was one with the tree and knew that she was the tree!

Experiment:

Sit with your back against a grandmother tree..feel the energy..experience the unity..emerge a stronger person and thank her respectfully....

Story by Cheryl Dolby

Stories accompany all of my work. The story of my first grandmother tree is the story of each and every one of my grandmother trees. But they all seem to want to be different sizes. The first one was a tall standing figure. Next came the ones who wanted to cling to the walls, making the area around them come alive with nature. I sell a lot of the smaller ones now. It could be the economy, but I think it is more the fact that they are just so alluring with their flowing hair (I use horsehair taken from the tail) and driftwood bases.

Large wall Grandmother Tree. I liked this one so much that I used her as the first banner for my blog. I created her with stoneware clay for the face and bark for the base

Grandmother Tree book

This is what I say about my book. "Herein lies the wisdom of the ages revealed through magic gardens of times long forgotten..nostalgic days..vaguely reminiscent of when the treasures of the universe were first unleased. Upon completion, the Grandmother Tree on the front cover can be converted into a bookmark...this allowing the book to continue to live. All the pages are biodegradable and perforated for removal. Only the spine of the book will remain and that can be glued to create a flycatcher!"

I realize this is sort of funny. I published the book in 1992 and sold a great many copies, I suspect because of the story of the Grandmother Tree. Unfortunately, I have lost touch with the artists I featured with their various crafts. To make the book current so I could sell it again, I would have to edit it extensively to sell it again. Also, the book was supposed to be used for stationery, but in today's world, computers reign and not too many people sit down to write a lengthy letter. As a matter of fact, one of my grandchildren told me that she has never received a written letter, and she is 21! I must make it a point to write her a letter soon. If anyone reading this wants to know the story of the Grandmother Tree. I still have a few copies of the original version of the book. I will be glad to mail you one for $5.00 plus shipping. (The book sold originally for $18.00). Just e-mail me if you're interested. I have about 20 copies left.

The sculptures and the accompanying Grandmother Tree stories have continued to be among my best sellers. The Grandmother Tree I show at the top of this post is going to be featured at an art gathering we are having at Center In The Square in Roanoke on Thursday night, June 7th from 5:00 to 9:00 PM. It is a fun gathering that happens every first Thursday of the month. All the galleries in Roanoke are open all evening for patrons to view the art and to enjoy delicious food and wine. I hope many of you can make it. Deborah Goglia deserves a round of praise for bringing back to life the Center In the Square Gallery. We aren't sure what to call ourselves, but some have

Deborah has done a fabulous job of creating a unique gallery at Center in the Square

referred to us as "Center in the Squarians" -- much preferable to a suggestion from one artist that we are just "Squares." That is by no means true. There are many fine artists displaying their works at the gallery. I will be posting a story of how the evening goes on Friday. PS: I'll be bringing my Caesar Pasta Salad (and wine), and I will be featuring this recipe in a future post. Everyone loves it.

GARDEN STRATEGY-WOODLOFT

GARDEN STRATEGY

WOODLOFT

Woodloft vegetable garden

What a beautiful garden, right? Wrong! What started out as my vegetable garden is slowly but surely turning into a chomping ground for some bean varmint. And it’s not only the beans, but the impatiens as well. Everyone who knows me knows how much I love my bean garden. I grow the very best each year. Sometimes, I order them from Italy. Beans like fagiolo rampicante or fagiolo nano or maxibel filet or haricot verts all have their place in my garden.

My garden journal -- beans are my number one concern each summer

I use a very pungent -- and that's saying it mildly -- organic fertilizer with chicken manure. You would think the smell alone would scare off any creature. Nevertheless, it seems the entire vegetable garden is doomed this year. My basil, which is my cooking prize, is pitted. This seems unthinkable since I plant marigolds around the ends of the row. Marigolds are supposed to ward off bugs of all kinds.

My vegetable garden is beginning to look like a bean cemetery

Basil garden

I have begun to try to outplant the varmint. Each morning, I plant a new packet of seeds, hoping that whatever it is -- rabbit, ground hog, chipmunk or ? -- will get its fill and move on. But so far, every day starts with me finding the remnants of another night's destruction. I'm starting to feel like Bill Murray in "Caddy Shack."

I hate to think that my beautiful garden of impatiens will be gone soon. Each morning, I find them bitten off at the root, lying hopelessly in small heaps.

Today, in addition to planting a packet of beans, I'm going to use an old method I’ve used in the past to scare off the critters. I use dish soap and hot pepper. This time, I chose hot chilpote pepper and the pepperchino that I purchased last time I was in Italy. I mix them with water and spray the mixture over the entire area. I’ll try to hit the basil and hope for the best. If all else fails, I guess I could resort to purchasing a Havahart trap. Then what would I do with the creature? I know! My friend, Marcia, across the street, has told me she wants a little pet. Hee Hee… .

If anyone reading my blog today has any idea of how I can solve my garden problem this year, please let me know. I'm running out of bean seeds; and I'm becoming impatient with the fate of my impatiens!

Pepperchino, dish detergent and water