I’ve been absent from my blog for a very long time now for a variety of reasons.  Life has a way of taking some twists and turns and for a longer period of time than I wanted, I lost my muse and my voice.  I’ve managed to continue to post my daily Instagrams, which is good for my creative side, but for a period of time the words for a blog just simply haven’t been there.

I was, however, introduced to the art form of Zentangle last year about this time and I found it to be very calming and absorbing.  Each tile begins with a few basic lines and I usually have an idea of where I’m going with them, but they very seldom end up there.  The process seems to take on a life of its own and my finished work usually surprises me.

Since 1980 I’ve crafted valentines for a small group of people that feel I’ve connected with on an artistic level, or perhaps they just seem to understand something about me that I can’t quite explain.  The list stayed small in number because I never wanted the valentines to be mass produced but each year I make a few extras.  Last year some complete strangers get those extras.  I carried them with me as I was out and about on February 14th and it was a fun twist to gift them to someone who had no idea who I was.  Some years it’s a proximity thing…..a valentine might be given to someone that has come into my life for a season for whatever reason.

If you’d like to read the history of the valentines click here.  It’s one of three posts that tell their story.  Part two is here and you’ll find part three here.

Most years the valentines are all the same, sometimes each one is different.  That is the case this year and thus, the reason for this blog post. I thought the recipients might want to see the others, to understand just how unique each one is.  I put them into envelopes before I addressed them so in essence, each one chose it’s recipient. Not all of them made the cut as valentines but I’m including them so you can see the variety of the work.  Plus, I just wanted to see all of them in one place.

Valentine’s Day is most often thought of in romantic terms.  I prefer for it to be a day on which I simply let people know I love them on one of the many, many levels that love blesses my life.