Blog: 2024

November Greetings

Posted on 11/12/202411/12/2024 by Sylvia

November Greetings!

October was a whirlwind of exciting activities for me. It started with my artist friend Nancy visiting me from Canada. She was here for two weeks and the time flew by too fast. We both created jabots made with upcycled fabric finds. In case you’re not familiar with what a jabot is, it’s a decorative clothing-accessory consisting of lace or other fabric falling from the throat, popular in the 19th century. My updated jabot is funky and to be worn either casual over a t-shirt or dressed up.

We were both fortunate to attend a 3 day mixed media workshop taught by an artist I have admired for over 25 years, Lynne Perrella http://www.lkperrella.com/ at Kat Kirby’s Studio https://www.katkirby.com/ in Prescott. I was beyond excited to be there; to hear her speak about her creative process, learn her techniques, and to get ‘one on one’ guidance was remarkable! I came home with a different perspective on collage placement and more confidence on working with larger sized pieces. I chose to do a Native American Ancestry theme. This one is titled WISDOM, it pays homage to the enlightment gained by our ancestral mother’s life’s experiences and passed down through generations of strong women. I plan on creating 2 more pieces in this series.

On October 27th, I experienced a milestone in my artistic goals by having my first art show. The event took place at a unique venue, a salon-art gallery, hosted by the dynamic duo, Kelly Marie and Michael Schwahn. Their warm hospitality and creative vision set the perfect backdrop for my work.

As attendees filtered in, I was filled with a mix of excitement and nerves, watching friends and family explore the pieces I had poured my heart into throughout the years, always in memory of Steve.

By the end of the evening, I felt a profound sense of connection with my guests. This experience reminded me of the power of art to bring people together, and I left the gallery feeling inspired and hopeful for future endeavors. My art will be on display through the end of 2024. Please stop by! https://schwahnsalon.com/events

Below is a sampling of the newer pieces which are shown at the gallery.

I want to thank everyone who came to my first show, it was a night I will always remember. Your support meant the world to me.

If you have any inquiries on any of these pieces please call Schwahn Salon at (602)705-3035

The morning after my show I was off to Disneyland to celebrate my cousin’s birthday, it’d been 15 years since I’d gone. I was ready for some fun, food, and thrilling rides. It has changed so much, everything is obviously more expensive and much more techy. None the less, it was a wonderful time!

One more thing….I am having a BEFORE BLACK FRIDAY Sale going on in my Etsy store from November 11 to November 25. Everything is 20% off. The art displayed in the gallery at this time is currently not in my Etsy store. https://www.etsy.com/shop/PsILoveSteve

Finally, I’d like to extend my Thanksgiving well wishes to everyone. It’s been a crazy intense month but we must always remember how blessed we are and to keep striving towards positivity and light.
Stay Positive * Work Hard * Make It Happen * Never Give Up

With love and affection,

Silver Moon

Ps I love Steve!

September Greetings!

Posted on 09/26/202410/01/2024 by Sylvia

Early this year I was invited to be the guest artist at Schwahn Salon in Mesa. Schwahn Salon is half salon and half art gallery owned by the kindest couple Michael and Kelly Marie whom I instantly connected with about 3 years ago. I agreed to do this for their October – December showing.

I have taught local classes and workshops out of state, sold at art vendor events, and have been published numerous times, my last remaining art goal has been to have my own solo art show. When opportunities have come up I have always defensively responded “I’m not ready.”

Time for Silver Moon to be transparent. I’ve always been quiet, one who tries not to complain or air my grievances. My entire life I’ve tried to be resilient, to remain strong, and not show my emotions. This deeply suppressed part of me which I was so good at hiding all came to a halt during quarantine 2020 when a lot of thinking became reality and then WOW! Was I floored to face my truth!

Fast forward to 2024. I have not only been creating but dusting off the cobwebs of some of my older art pieces, long time favorites of mine. As I’m holding these collages which teeter on being spooky to some, I can now honestly say there is PAIN in my art. There is blood indicating suffering, there are lips stitched shut representing my silent screams. And now I see eyes blacked out suggesting the sudden vision loss I have experienced this year. All this pain for years was disguised as a good quiet girl attending catholic school, who grew up listening to hard rock and loving scary movies. That was my belief.

All that denial has given me major anxiety to this day. Of course it is all more complex than that. As a result, I’ve sadly allowed this anxiety to limit my choices.

So I have taken this first brave step to show my art, fighting my insecurities. Being open to the grief I denied myself of feeling, hoping to touch someone who needs to know that you are never alone. I humbly ask the universe to protect me and give me strength while I send off the highest gratitude, for this opportunity.

Here are a few of the older collages I have come across.

LET’S PLAY (After Steve. Those joyful days no longer existed.)

SAVE ME (After Steve. How could I go on without him?)

A DREAM WITHIN A DREAM (After Steve. He was a guitar player. I missed the little performances he would give me. I’d watch his facial expressions, feeling the music then looking up to smile at me.)

ETERNAL LOVE (After Divorce. I never imagined another sudden loss)

SHE KNEW NOT (After Divorce. My once safe world had become a tumultuous tsunami of survival. I could no longer create at the pace I had once therapeutically embraced. I took an approximate 13 year hiatus. During this chaos, a few pieces were reluctantly created, made from the pressure of guilt rather than the spark of inspiration.)

In my journey, I have learned that progressing through life, even at a slow pace, is still a form of moving forward. There have been times when the weight of setbacks have threatened to sink me in deep despair, yet I found comfort in the belief that every step, no matter how small, is part of a greater journey. We are never alone. (11:11) I hope to give solace to those who may be navigating their own struggles through my art, providing a glimmer of hope and a reminder that even in the darkest of times we must NEVER GIVE UP.

https://schwahnsalon.com/

Stay Positive * Work Hard * Make It Happen * Never Give Up

With love and affection,

Silver Moon

Ps I love Steve!

June Greetings

Posted on 06/11/202406/11/2024 by Sylvia

Wow, I cannot believe it’s been almost a year since I’ve posted. Time to catch up….

So far this has been a year of adventure and discovery. I believe that along with the good, comes the not so good, reminders to never forget and appreciate our good moments.

2024 began with a wonderful trip to Puerto Rico. I happened to be there during their annual festival of San Sebastian which party-wise is as wild as Mardi Gras. It is a 4 day festival, I went twice. The first day I went was on a Thursday, it was great to walk around Old San Juan and see all the lovely old buildings, the vegetation, and of course the ocean. The second time I went was on Sunday, the last day of the festival and YES, it was crazy. I went back determined to see the Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazziz Cemetery and the Castillo San Felipe del Morro. To make a long story short, the crowds were intense and I wasn’t prepared for such a long walk. I had comfortable shoes on but had no water. Literally walking shoulder to shoulder amongst the crowd of partying locals, I ended up in La Perla district, which is their infamous neighborhood of shanty buildings first built to house the ones not allowed to live within the walls of San Juan in the 19 th century. I did not know where I was until I got back to my hotel room and read about it. La Perla is a place where its residents are proud and do not like photos being taken of their homes by outsiders. Tourists are discouraged from entering as they only allow their own residents in. In fact several Americans were murdered there in 2021 and 2023 after being told to not photograph the area by the locals. WOW! And there I was amidst the crowd taking photos. It must’ve been serendipitous for me to end up in Puerto Rico during the festival, and having probably my only opportunity to walk amongst the locals in their own streets. It felt like a gift given to me from the universe. I felt very humbled.
https://rove.me/to/puerto-rico/san-sebastian-street-festival
https://sanjuanpuertorico.com/la-perla/

Here are a few pics from that trip.

A few weeks later I was next headed to go see the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, CA. I’ve always wanted to see it since I caught a glimpse of it while driving by many years ago. It was pretty amazing. The grounds around the mansion and the stained glass windows inside are worth the price of admission. If you do not know the history of the Winchester Mystery House, here is a link to read about it. https://winchestermysteryhouse.com/timeline/

While there I also discovered the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph, which I’d never heard of. This was one of the most beautiful churches I’ve seen, I compare it to a mini version of the Vatican. The art and the workmanship is breathtaking. https://catholicshrinebasilica.com/cathedral-basilica-of-st-joseph-san- jose-california-united-states/ While there, an older man approached us and asked if we’d like a tour of the cathedral. It was so special as there were other visitors but we were the only ones asked. We learned so much history and left feeling honored and blessed.

Art-wise, I have been busy creating for my first art show scheduled for later this year. I will be posting more information soon!

In the middle of my creativity burst, I woke up one Saturday morning in late April with a vicious headache. I was immediately alarmed when opening my eyes, I could only see darkness and shadows out of my right eye. I ended up in the ER for 8 hours. I was taken to a bed immediately, everyone was afraid I was having a stroke…with the excruciating pain I was confused and couldn’t remember what month it was or who our president was. Yikes! It turned out I have Narrow Angle Glaucoma. It’s very serious and was told had I not come in, I would’ve gone blind. Sorry Etta James, but I prefer not to go blind. Luckily the pressure eventually went down enough for me to come home and follow up with a specialist. A few days later I had an emergency Iridectomy to remove a small portion of the iris. Although the surgery was successful, I am not out of the woods yet. I am in the 1% of patients who need further corrective surgery. So in July I will be having lens replacement surgery on both eyes.

This scare has prompted me to get more medical issues addressed. I have lived in avoidance because I have major fear and anxiety over ANYTHING medical or dental. My ‘inner voice’ tells me, “Sylvia, you have lived without any major issues for years, it’s now time to become a team player and have a turn!” I have to agree with that thought!!!

Amidst this chaos, I have managed to create 9 new collage art pieces for my show. Here is a small preview of some of them in a digital collection.

Stay Positive * Work Hard * Make It Happen * Never Give Up

With love and affection,
Silver Moon

Ps I love Steve!