New painting in the Lenore ghost series, And This Mystery Explore:

In a white gown, the ghost of Lenore drifts among the cypress trees, forgotten by all except the raven. He perches on her ivy-covered tombstone holding her necklace, which has a key dangling from the chain. The setting sun casts an eerie golden glow over the haunted abandoned cemetery. This Gothic fantasy landscape, inspired by the "The Raven" poem by Edgar Allan Poe, is an original acrylic painting on a gallery-wrapped stretched canvas (the 3/4" sides are finished off in black acrylic)--no need to frame.  Prints also available.

Finished an ACEO (miniature painting, the size of a trading card) in the new chakra series. I'm working on a full size painting in this theme but I wanted to try an ACEO first. Great deal on this...the auction starts at only $9.99 and it's an original! Click here to bid or buy

I've been working on a new painting. It's an entirely new concept, not one from the series I have going. My favorite guided meditation is chakra meditation, probably because I relate to the colors. It should be done in the next day or two :-).

New pendant in the wood line, "Morning Cup of Tea":

This handmade jewelry line is a collaborative effort. My husband, Steve, cuts the wooden bases, which then have to be beveled, sanded and varnished, and the metal ring screwed in. I transfer the image of one of my paintings onto the clay, cure it, put on the resin. The result are these amazing and unusual pieces of wearable art.

We went on a pilgrimage of sorts to Portola Redwoods State Park.  This is one of the California State Parks scheduled to be closed in September, due to budget cuts.  I wanted to make sure to visit this incredible place again while I could (I have inner ear trouble that makes the winding roads leading to it difficult but it was worth it).

It's difficult to convey the magic of a redwood forest.  The trees are immense.  I remembered this place as being particularly wild and primordial.   It reminded me of those old gaslight authors, such as Blackwood, who wrote stories about Nature taking back over in such places.

While walking through the trees, we made our way along the stream, having to cross it now & then.  I still need to get a walking stick so we passed Steve's back and forth as necessary.

We chose the trail (coincidentally, the Iverson Trail) that led to tiptoe falls, a lovely waterfall cascading down a hillside (only the last section was visible to us but we could hear it). Resting a moment by this pool, you could imagine that, if the old pagan gods are still around, this is one place they are.

I'm looking through my treasure trove of photos of which ones to use as a basis for future paintings.  Look for them in my Land Gallery.

I am very excited to introduce the prototype for a new line of pendants. I had the idea for combining the beauty of wood with my earthy style of art. The wood base is handcrafted by Steve (my husband). The image is, as usual, transferred onto polyclay and sealed with resin. We're planning ovals, squares, etc. I'd love some feedback on them before we go into "production mode".

You can see my other jewelry on my website.

Big Sale on Big Prints! I know a lot of you have been wanting big prints. Here are specials on giclee canvas prints (ready to hang) in larger sizes:

30" x 40" only $149!

24" x 36" only $119!

24" x 36" only $119!

Limited time only! Other prints available at http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/laura-iverson.html

"In the Buddhist tradition, June 1st through the 15th is the most auspicious time of the year. June 15th commemorates Lord Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana (passing from this world). June 15th is the holiest of holy days for Tibetans and it is our belief that because Buddha Shakyamuni prayed for all sentient beings to achieve enlightenment, and he achieved enlightenment on this day, the merits of our virtuous and positive actions during this 15-day time period will be multiplied 100,000 times (most especially good deeds done on the full moon of June 15)."

Oak Tree Meditation

Daffodil Dawn Meditation

Golden Afternoon Meditation

Meditating by a Golden Waterfall

White Tiger Meditation