Carried AWAY! by Juanita Buckles

Handbags--- i began making them as a teenager because we didn't have much money. If I wanted a new purse I found bits and pieces and made them into a new purse. I remember my first purse was crocheted with a faux fur lining. I decided my purses would never be boring. Paintings-- i didn't know I could paint until I became ill and could barely move. I decided to try painting to stay sane while I learned to walk again. If the paintings didn't turn out, i would tell everyone they were abstract. It was art. Who would know? To my surprise, i found that I could paint. And the fact that I am in a wheelchair doesn't matter. In fact, the more difficult life is, the better my painting seems to become. I paint in acrylics because water colors are not intense enough for me and I am too lazy for oils. I try to capture life around me, with its energies. Seasonal decor-- i enjoy making wreaths. Although I make many with the usual ribbons and wire frame, I raised my children alone in a wheelchair,after a car accident. We had no extra money. In order to make a wreath I'd go out and find limber branches and make the frame, then make the wreath out of what I could find-- holly, thin branches, ribbons, papier mache, etc. I believe quality of life is important.