It's a glorious summer's day, which in my book means hot but dry with cool breezes. I broke in my new Toms; they are sturdy and comfortable. The last floral pair happened to be in my size, and they were on sale. And the bonus is their promise to give a needy child a new pair of shoes. That will always get my attention.

This piece of cardboard and fabric transfer of a photo booth picture needed a home. Out came the gesso  and faux encaustic, and when it was dry, I placed the transfer and found just the right words to accompany it.

Happy weekend to you.

Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

Shopping in Ireland
I did very little shopping and a lot of looking.
At the amazing Dundrum Shopping Centre which seems to have every shop in the world, I came across these shoes, on sale, in various colours. Only one pair in my size and that was black. I loved the 40s look to them and they fit like a dream so I took them home (black will go with everything anyway!).

Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

The shoe and I

While visiting family in Enniskery, County Wicklow, I took a lot of walks. On one of them I came across a shop that was filled to the brim with vintage and antique treasures. One of the things I found was a tiny bisque shoe. I've since used it to create a mold for plaster casting. I made this one a couple of years ago and it has stood the test of time. (I also made the bird head in my banner above.)

Shoes

I love shoes, I always have. Esthetics apart, for me, shoes symbolize the base on which we stand (our feet carry the rest of us), moving forward (not backwards), confidence, strength....

In my life, faced with adversity, I've always moved forward, consciously or unconsciously. I may have fallen backwards occasionally, but I've always pushed on, driven by what I really don't know. Survival? The conviction that there had to be something better?

One of the sayings I live by is, "I moved forward when there was no path." I don't know who wrote that, but I thank him or her.

[Shoe stamp by my friend Dawn Houser.]