Day 23

Today was a dreary winter's day....clouds, lots of wind, spatters of rain... I actually love these kinds of days. The stormy skies give a different kind of life to the mountainous terrain as the light tries to filter through. However, I decided to not post a stormy sky picture. Instead, I just felt like I needed some rich winter color - jewel tones from the handmade papers an artist friend of mine makes - Bonnie Brady. In this batch, I can't remember if she made these, some of these, or the papers are collected from other sources. But, I'm inclined to say she made these as that is her signature brand of art....handmade papers and altered art books, among other things....  In another post, I'll share a bit more about Bonnie and her beautiful, organic works of art. They don't just sit pretty on a table. They are meant to inspire and be used - like these rich, jewel colored papers.

This kind of stuff is more of a mood elevator for me than chocolate or a glass of wine. Just looking at these colors and textures make me happier....ooooh and aaaah involuntarily escape my lips as my fingers want to pet the velvety papers that feel as rich as they look.

What would you do with these? I hope your imagination has been sparked a bit to get you through these dreary winter days and cold, blustery evenings....a time meant to envelop yourself in rich, inspiring textures like these handmade papers....

(Image copyright Diana Shay Diehl. Papers by Bonnie Brady, multi-medium artist.)

**Bonnie says these are papers she's collected from Nepal. At the time of this shooting, they were meant to be gifts to her fellow 'altered art books' gathering gals.

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