"What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly"....Richard Bach

I call this piece Kentucky Clay. I began thinking about all the days I spent as a child either planting, picking or weeding the family garden. Mom used to say it was almost impossible to plant and grow anything in the clay soil. Somehow we always managed a nice garden though. I always thought the dry, red-purple soil was pretty. By the end of the day the plowed soil almost blended in with the sky heavy in color. Like the roots of our crops, the soul carries these colors in order to change and grow. Kentucky clay, soil to grow from.

One more note, I find myself growing too. You may now find my work on www.etsy.com/shop. My page is under MarschInspiration. Butterflies are beautiful!

"The family is both the fundamental unit of society as well as the root of culture. It ... is a perpetual source of encouragement, advocacy, assurance, and emotional refueling that empowers a child to venture with confidence into the greater world and to become all that he can be"....
MARIANNE E. NEIFERT, Dr. Mom's Parenting Guide

Don't you find it funny when a memory just floods into your mind like the taste of a rich dark chocolate! Today I was out running those Monday errands and happened to see a turtle trying to make his way across the road. Here it is, mid-May, sun brilliant and suddenly I remembered all those huge family TURTLE SOUP weekends! I am not sure just how the tradition formed, I suppose it was a German delight brought along with everything else like the treasured meat platter, but what a circus of learning it was! My relatives were everywhere, especially my grandparents. The turtles were already captured, dad had worked on that all week! He tried not to capture the green turtles, but preferred the mean old snappers! Once brought up from the lake, I remember standing down by the basement door, near the old Bar-B-Que pit preparing for the kill. My brother adored this part, he got to lure the old turtle out of his pointed shell then ZAP, the head chopped!! I know, barbaric, but all in preparation for the soup. Next came the cleaning and gathering of the meat. Dad was a master with the knife as he skillfully cut away the neck and feet from the shell. While all this was going on, mom and grandma would be rapidly chopping the vegetables and getting the broth and seasonings just right. You have to understand, I personally do not care for the soup itself, but everyone else running around loved it. Huge pots would be cooked and everyone would take some home for the week. It was always a festive time and filled with old stories, laughs, and cousins galore. I remember closing my eyes tight when the whole turtle issue happened, but from where I stood a beautiful array of colors would pop out between the sky, trees and the edge of the lake. The colors I saw were deep blues with murky greens of moss, algae and leaves all blending together to spell out family traditions. We were a Kentucky family based on survival and loyalty. Yes, I can make turtle soup, no, I still don't like it, but the memories are as vivid as the hues blending in this dress. A turtle represents family and home, to carry only what you need, today I bring you a bit of nostalgic for the lady who values family.

Turtle Soup.... $95

"True friendship is never serene"...Mariede Svign


I find myself drawn to this one design I made a few years ago. I loved how the blues and greens mingled, with a flash of golden hues flowing in and out adding just a hint of mystique. I suppose that is why I wanted this to be the background on my business cards, it reflects life as I hope for it, see it, and believe in it. A lasting friendship wears this mark. Hues of ups, downs, lows creating secret images between the bonding of color, a dash of elegance and yet familiarity of strength that will last forever. We all have friends that come and go, some we need daily, some we know are there daily. I feel the goal in life we must try and find is that friend who is a part of our soul. The lady, (in my case), that provides that extra piece of life that makes you stronger. She is the rich Merlot that brings out your own personal smokey taste for the world to experience. She is the massive rain that will wash away your lawn but results in a re-birth of vegetation. The strength, wisdom, and courage a friendship like this is, is anything but serene. A true friend of this caliber is few and far but worth every hue, every fiber to be in your life. I am blessed....Lynn, I love you dearly.

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world"....Anne Frank

A couple of months ago I had the wonderful pleasure of meeting a beautiful artist who also happens to own the Abide Studio in Franklin, TN. Deborah Gall, who has art currently at The Gallery at 916, is an amazing lady. I was so impressed by her studio and gallery! I am thrilled to have a few pieces of my own work being represented by Abide Studio, and urge all to make the quick, but pleasant trip to Franklin. The Factory, the location of Abide Studio, is filled with unique shops, quaint restaurants and an atmosphere that makes you feel at home! I hope you do stop in but until, take a peek at Deborah's work at www.deborahgall.com.

"February Skies"....a sensuous lure of a winter sky bursting at twilight....$50

“Mother’s Day”
“It seems like yesterday you were there, smiling, laughing and giving me advice. Today I think of you, dressed in that beautiful yellow dress, surrounded by those flowers you always loved. Memories of the lady, mother and friend who made life complete.” Melissa Marsch-Walblay

Mom…I think the honor of Mother’s Day is when you achieve the title, “Mom”. A true mom is there when that sick child needs her at all hours…the lady who gracefully assists with the homework, prepares the dinner, and folds the laundry all at the same time. Mom finds the missing shoe, fixes the broken necklace and knows all the projects you have going on. She is the pillar of strength you lean on when your life is a mess offering advice when you ask, listening if you don’t. Being Mom is hanging that much desired dress back on the rack because her oldest just called and is short on cash…..again. Mom is the one who answers the phone when you call at 3 a.m. and sometimes all you can say is ’I miss you”. She understands when you come home only to fly back out to see friends you haven’t seen in ‘forever’. Mom can send any message of hope with just her smile. Mom would sacrifice it all just to keep you safe and never think about it twice. Mom also knows that none of this is rarely understood until she is gone and that is okay too…because mom is a Mom and her life is wonderful.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the “Moms”

"One of the most powerful handclasps is that of a new grand baby around the finger of a grandfather"....Joy Hargrove

I watched him pace and second guess every decision he'd ever made. Overcome with worry and anticipation but always grounded, he trusted his instinct. We all know that man, the father, who in reality became "mother" too. Now today he holds his granddaughter for the first time. Only the sea could come close to the love he holds.

Today I paint in dramatic shades of the Caribbean in the morning sun...a lasting treasure...like him..."Grandpa's Sea"

"If one feels the need of something grand, something infinite, something that makes one feel aware of God, one need not go far to find it. I think that I see something deeper, more infinite, more eternal than the ocean in the expression of the eyes of a little baby when it wakes in the morning and coos or laughs because it sees the sun shining on its cradle"....Vincent Van Gogh

Today has been a day of strength for April. As we await the arrival of Lola I send beauty, strength and serenity of the ocean. I found the colors to flow with ease in today's reflection onto this soft, draping wrap...made for a Princess in any summer garden!
My prayers and love to April and Bill!

"O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today!

Queen of the Angels and Queen of May.

O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today,

Queen of the Angels and Queen of May."

...Fr. Sydney Mac Ewan

May brings the celebration of the Crowning of Mary, and the celebration of Mothers. I find silk a beautiful reflection of a mother, strong, natural, fluid movement and a loving touch. I find the color of purple a perfect gift to all mothers. As my brush touched the silk, the various shades of purple flowed through the fabric leaving a path of luxury and sophistication as well as originality....just like Mom. This original camisole is perfect for the Mother who prides herself in creativity and individuality.

"My Purple Rose"