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| The original & now famous Nelson County Lovechild T Shirt. click for info |
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| Jenny and her famous Love Cookies (click) |
WELCOME
Thanks for visiting.
I am Deborah Justice, visionary artist. Jenny Sioux Hopkins
is a farmer, landscape designer and creative collaborator on local and global projects. Jenny and I designed the LoveChild
shirts in 2007.
I put together this site to share some of what we and our neighbors are growing
in Nelson County, Virginia and especially to highlight the greater connection between our beloved valley and this thriving,
expansive world. Please click on the navbar above to see more art and fun. Keep in touch and BIG LOVE!
The LoveChild Projects
The LoveChild Shirts were inspired by the local farm culture of our community.
The entire LoveChild philosophy is based on strengthening healthy, rural living. Our abundant valley is flowing with the ingenuity
and compassion that can be a model for the world on how to live generously, sustainably and joyously. The world
needs our peaceful example in so many ways.
LoveChild workshops, events and products help build the foundation for projects
that strengthen the protection of natural beauty and support the design and implementation of created beauty into our
neighborhoods and commercial districts.
We need to eat and as you know, in Nelson County, if you have access to local produce, you
eat well. You live well. We who have this priviledge are so happy.
Apprenticing with Jenny on farming projects worked muscles unknown both in my body and in
my heart. My artwork has always been a collaboration of the elements, but nothing like cultivating life itself from the soil,
water and sun.
We come to the farmer's market or our local CSA to restock our tables, but also to honor
the subtle energies that are infused into our food when it is grown with love.
As an artist, I am absolutely dedicated to using my talent, my skills and experience to strengthen the local
economy; the entrepreneurs, the artists, artisans & craftspeople and especially the agricultural growers and all of the
other livelihoods that depend on healthy farms (that's all of us).
LoveChild projects are designed to connect artists and farmers for the mutual benefit of materials exchange,
equipment share, labor exchange, exhibit and showcase opportunities, alternative revenue development, grant opportunities
and travel opportunities.
The LoveChild graphic is a colorful illustration of joy. Folks who buy the Nelson County
LoveChild T Shirts are people who know how lucky they are to live here, to live here part time, even to visit here. People
who want to share this joy with their loved ones have been sending LoveChild Shirts all over the world; Sweden, Wales,
Argentina, New Zealand, Afghanistan, California, Conneticut, Maine, Washington DC, New York, Colorado. Even babies who
haven't been born yet are being celebrated with tiny LoveChild T Shirts!
This enthusiasm is helping LoveChild grow. Please visit the other pages listed on the navbar for more. If
you'd like to be involved with any of our projects, please let me know.
Keep in touch,
Justice
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| Justice playing Lewis & Clark (click) |
Rural Journal
JULY
Wow, July has us growing in amazing ways... the pumpkin patch is
drinking deep the great rains we've been getting which I am most grateful for, as Jenny has left me to care for the crop while
she is visiting Wales with her mom and sister. We'll be back at the farmer's market this saturday full of joy and stories.
I've also been setting up my new studio in Afton, which gloriously has plenty of space for large painting and sculpture....
so pumpkins may not be the only big crop we have this year!
| Saturday in Nelson County, Virginia |
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| Jenny Sioux planting pumpkins |
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| Justice rinsing LoveChild Mountain shirts |
SUMMER!!! almost here! Jenny has two exciting, new crops this year; pumpkins and lavender. We also have new colors
for the LoveChild T Shirts. Tommy and Yvette from Nelson County Life visited Jenny's farm this last steamy, hot friday and
took some great shots of us hand dyeing the new LoveChild T shirts. The photos are posted on their website's great scroll
down of events in the county. If you want to know what's happening in the valley, The Nelson County Life website is the place
to visit.
visit www.nelsoncountylife.com by clicking here
| As One, watercolour by Justice |
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| Next exhibit June 21, 22 Galaxy Paintings at Swannanoa Palace |
Summer Solstice 2008 Welcome the perfect balance of life
on Afton Mountain
On the weekend of June 21 and 22, 2008, The Center of The One Heart will host its annual Homecoming at Swannanoa Palace
on Afton Mountain, Virginia. This event will be an opportunity for light workers, teachers, healers and artists in the greater
Central Virginia area to come together in a weekend of celebration, ceremony, music and merriment at Swannanoa Palace and
Grounds. I'll be participating in showing paintings and sculpture along with several local visionary artists.
click here for One Heart Homecoming Solstice Celebration Schedule and info www.oneheartcenter.org
MAY
Goodness, New Orleans was so overwhelming... we are working on putting together
a presentation of what we learned and who we met in New Orleans.. both the local talent and the other artists and
creatives from around the country that are working to support not just this vibrant city, but the whole concept of building
healthy communities for all of us. We hope to partner artists and musicians from New Orleans with our own amazing, local talent.
Look for news on this project in September.
Superlove at the Superdome, New Orleans V Day Anniversary Celebration
| SuperLove |
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| Eve Ensler & Jane Fonda. click to visit VDay.org |
| Loving New Orleans |
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| Eve Ensler and Jane Fonda Madison Square Garden VDay celebration |
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| click for love |
We headed to the Gulf South in April to participate in "V TO THE TENTH" at the New Orleans Arena and Louisiana Superdome.
Playwright, Eve Ensler and The awesome VDay Organization brought thousands of women and men to the city to celebrate V-Day"s
ten years of ending violence against women and girls, and to honor the women of New Orleans and the Gulf South.
Jenny and I joined 30,000 women and men coming together to heal and build better lives for women and girls in
New Orleans and around the world. I have been overwhelmed by the experience of Love and passionate creative expression in
this fabulously talented, beautiful city. We gave away 10 LoveChild Shirts, 15 "Peace Safety Power" Shirts, 250 prints and
400 postcards of Justice's artwork. We made friends and connections that have dramatically strengthened our ability to connect
globally and continue building on the Love and Joy and Gratitude that we grow in the valley of Nelson County, Virginia. New
Orleans is a testimony to the strength of women and men that have drawn on their spirit, will and courage to create anew a
true vision of how life can be. The people are still struggling. Many buildings are still empty. The hearts are golden and
singing the words that praise the preciousness of life.
It was Nelson County's own production of The Vagina Monologues at The Hamner Theater in 2007 that Jenny and Justice first
worked together. The infusion of art and action on a local and global scale is the bedrock philosophy of LoveChild Productions.
We are grateful to have the opportunity to support the well being of all people and to honor the courage of those
who face severe challenges societally, politically or personally.
MARCH
Spring Equinox Story- Light has arrived
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| photo detail: J.S. Hopkins (click for full view) |
Jenny and I (Justice) met up in the predawn hours of March 23, to hike the trail along Paul's Creek in Nelson County,
Virginia. We witnessed the sun beaming forth from a million moist faces of rocks and sprouts and blossoms. This one particular
orb of light (pictured above) has truly enchanted me. Jenny caught the above image on film during what you'd think
was an entirely uneventful moment... same as any other. It's not until she showed me the camera's LCD screen that
I saw the miracle, the evidence truly that this powerful life giving force that drenches us... is just visiting..... travelling
from far out in space, spinning off of that magnificent star that was just then cresting the trees.... surging past Mercury
and Mars and wrapping round that third sweet planet, rushing up the tumbling creek bed.... yes, just your everday sunbeam.
but look at this one. Is it truly glowing, almost pulsing? The early light of this perfect day was so alive....somehow...
conscious? Could light have the same qualities that Emoto attributes to water? Well, of course it does! Light and water have
been dancing on this planet for millenia. Some scientists say that water comes from outer space (in the form of ice in comets).
Light and water travel terrific distances to meet on our planet and their delirious, spinning, surging dance
creates all of the life that thrills and sustains us.
Happy Equinox
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| photo: J.S. Hopkins |
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| painting: D. Justice |
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