Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Seeds of Peace

While walking to yoga class Monday, I flashed on the idea of a peace sign mandala. I started it last night, worked on it this morning and finished it up this evening.
I wish I could have planted some of these today... or maybe I did.
It seemed to me that there was some "tired, weary" energy to the day. I could easily have taken a nap myself, but had to work the whole day and then continued on to the laundromat.
I observed some emotional situations at work and then again in the laundromat.
(It's not even a full moon)
Carefully chosen words, a hug and a listening ear.
Some days these are the seeds that we plant, we tend to the emotions of others, lend a listening ear, some heartfelt sympathy, a hug, a smile...
then we go home and tend the garden of our own soul, nurturing our bodies and our spirits with good food, loving company, and a rejuvenating shower.
And of course some art.
We reap what we sow :-)
May all beings be free from suffering and may all beings be at peace.
Namaste'

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Out of the stormy center

As I was working on this one, towards completing it, I thought "center of the storm".
Out of the center, and sometimes a stormy one, new life forms. New moments. New ideas.
Storms clear away that which isn't strong, weak branches, trees... Natures way of pruning.
In order for new life to come, there needs to be space made.
yesterday, I felt a bit stormy.
I need to make some space for myself, emotionally, as well as physically and what better way to do that to go to the center.
and listen.
My "storminess" subsided when I did what I really wanted to do.. and that was to get some colored gel pens to play with.
The eye of the storm can be quite deceptive, leading one to think everything is all right. Below the surface the storm is brewing.... once realized though, once brought to consciousness, then you can deal with it however it needs to be... but first we need to realize what the heck it is!

Saturday, July 26, 2008

more Zendalas

After scanning this one, I brought it into PrintShop and cropped it. So much nice to not see the rings that bind the book.. I wanted to color it, but this is all I could do.
I tried to paint with H2O's but it would not take and just went into the paper, which I found to be weird. It came off the silver pen.

Solar Power... This is what came to me while creating this. I really am enjoying working with the gel pens. Bought some colored ones today. I'm also wanting to "doodle" objects, something recognizable in these Zendalas, although I still want it to come from the subconscious mind, rather than consciously come to the page to draw something specific.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Silver journey

Using a silver gel pen and listening to music, I found myself in the art room instead of the bedroom. How easily I am distracted.........
I went in to turn the light off that I had left on, and there was the book, open as an invitation... circle already drawn.. just waiting for me.
Put on Shaman's Vision Journey and there I was on a journey, going within ~ a Zendala meditation.....

My Heart Pours Open

First page in the black journal.

The book is bigger and doesn't fit completely on the scanner, so the top words are chopped off. Layered first with white pencil and then layered color over it... ala Judith Cornell.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Being in the Zen

These are not in the order I did them... the one below is the first what could possibly be called a zentangle. There is a website for this, and of course they want you to buy a kit or book. I looked here some time ago and thought they were pretty interesting and then it came up in the MandalaOasis group.. I looked at the link again and decided to play around with it but inside a circle... joining the mandala and the zentangle or a
Zen-dala :-) which is rightly named because you go into a zen state of mind when you do these and they are addictive!

This the first one I did and just had to do another one, but I wanted to add color, thus - the one above. I traced around an old 45... and then just kept shifting it to create the inside lines.
I love the play of lines and how they come forward to recede... they are just so cool to make.
I used a thicker pen, and therefore it turned out to be bolder which I like. Again, I used a 45 and then shifted it around the circle a couple of times, adding some free form lines. I think this one I'll call....... "What a ride!"

Thursday, July 17, 2008

A new theme...


Here are a few drying...

Yesterday, we spent the day painting mandalas and embellishing them as well. I decided to create flower mandalas as decorations for the camp carnival and show. We usually have a theme to camp and this year it's New York, but since we don't have a music teacher, the theme for the camp show is Disney, different than the show........ I decided to do generic decorations rather than decorate for two themes.

Being that the kids really got into the mandalas, I decided to take the poster boards an have them paint and decorate, add some stems and we'll place them down the walkway...
Fantasy Flowers!

Petal of Love


I had forgotten about the case of Prismacolor pencils I had.. brand new, only a few were even sharpened. It was nice to use them, having a different feel than markers. It's a slower process, especially when blending one color over another. It's outlined in a brush pigma pen and the black is colored in with marker.As I was coloring, it was actually making me want to go back to painting. With painting, I love blending colors, and just allowing the painting to evolve with layer upon layer... whereas with marker, it's quick, but once a color is down, there it is. Unless, of course, it's light enough and one can go over it... but for the most part, it's pretty flat.But I love marker for getting it out.. being spontaneous. It's down. Done. Spill it out!Pencils are gentler, softer, and I'm able to play more with shading.There is definitely a difference with good quality pencils. I've bought some other brands and they quickly became part of the kids materials.Even the Prismacolor pencils had been compromised. They used to be Berol and they were even better... today I find they don't sharpen as well, the lead being off center, especially when you by them in a tin. When I buy them individually, I check to make sure the lead is centered. Now they are made by Sanford and just not as good... too bad. I think they used to be even creamier and I hunt for the older ones.... which some are down to about 2"...This mandala, as I was coloring it, made me think of reaching towards love and how many aspects of love there are... Love comes in many colors.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

An Award :-)

oooooh... I was honored by Cheryl, the amazing woman who started the Mandala Oasis group, with this award. Wow! This is so cool and I am deeply honored. Thank you, my friend. Visit her blog here.

It is so amazing to me how we are linked by this blogging community. Making new friends... I have even traveled with my online friend Mai-Liis, who is like a sister to me... and we met online!
This is a tool used for good... so now I am to pass it on to others, where they can pass it on as well, and the blogging community expands ever more so. We can meet other creative and inspiring souls by linking to each other creating a chain of love and acknowledgement.
We should all be acknowledged for the way we reach out to help others, bring our gifts to the world in ways that are unique to us.

I'm passing this on to my wise and creative friend Mai-Liis. My traveling companion twice to Peru... a trip that will remain a highlight in my life. Thank you for your friendship and sharing your truth, wisdom and creative spirit. Mai-Liis is an artist and healer and can be seen here and here. I have used her original name here which I feel is beautiful and unique, but on our spiritual journey, she has evolved into Chaska. When the time comes for taking that step into our power and we need to shed the old self in order to make room for the new, we can take on a new spiritual name. More on that later :-)

New to the blogging community is my friend Ann Marie. I am so happy that she has decided to share her self here with her amazing insights, photographic skills and her creative self expression. She is someone dear to me, another spiritual soul that I can connect with.. and in person! Find her creative and expressive self here where she too shares her gifts of bringing the creative arts to others.

In our Mandala Oasis group, Milliande has a really wonderful site full of information to be inspired by...inspiration for the creative soul! Sometimes we need a jump start and this is a great place for that... thanks Milliande for sharing your gifts. Check it out here.

Rebecca has a blog I check into on a regular basis. Another spiritual artist who share her honesty and words of wisdom for me to ponder and who shares her soul with others openly. I'm honored to have one of her angel prints sitting on my meditation desk... a reminder I am taken care of by the Universe. She's gone through some really tough times, but her strong faith and love open up her compassionate heart for us and it is a lesson in knowing there are others that will support us. Love and art heal.
Stop by to say hi here.

.....and I would not be doing any of this if it wasn't for Leah's Creative Everyday blog!!
I had a dry period and she inspired me to get back on track and through doing art and connecting with that blog... it lead me to joining Mandala Oasis... so here's to being creative everyday... living the creative life is living life to the fullest.
Get inspired and join in on the fun here.

so here's the deal............
The Arte y Pico Award is meant to be paid forward to five bloggers who you want to recognize for their creative talents, interesting material, and overall contribution to the blogger community...helping to make the world a better place, one blog pots at a time!
Now it's your turn...If you have been selected for the award, please pay it forward, following the steps below:
1) Choose 5 blogs that you consider deserving of this award based on creativity, design, interesting material, and overall contribution to the blogger community, regardless of the language.
2) Post the name of the author and a link to his or her blog so everyone can view it.
3) Each award-winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award.
4) The award-winner and the presenter should post the link of the "Arte y pico" blog so everyone will know the origin of this award.
5) Please post these rules! - Be my guest to copy and paste from here..The Arte y Pico blog is in Spanish.
To read it in English, click here. The translation is not perfect.

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

electric shock!
after the price quote of having another line put in.

Hands of Time.

I took one of my flower photos, played around with it, altering the color in printshop and then added some images... I didn't like where it was going, but kept playing around with it. The image of the hands in the four directions, turning the wheel... participating in the cycle, making a difference or not by what we choose to do or create.

Time will move ahead whether we play or not.


Sunday, July 06, 2008

Passion Flower

As I was creating this mandala, the four "buds" that appeared made me think of opening up, the bud beginning to blossom.
Sometimes, I feel like this. That I am in a continuing state of blossoming. Over and over again to new opportunities, to new experiences, each day to a new chance to begin again.
Opening up to our passions in life, being true to them without compromise.
Finding that passion and bringing it out into the world. This is what life is for. It serves no purpose to hide one's light under a bushel (or hidden under the bed, or put onto a shelf) where no one else can share these gifts... each of us having them. They are meant to be shared, so others can see and offer up their own.
It's only fear and insecurity that holds us back and for what reason really... why should it really matter what others think, say, or feel.
Fear of judgement?
I am choosing to open up and blossom, that is my intention. To reach out, share, feel what I feel and give back.
What is your passion and how do you share it? or what is holding you back??

Saturday, July 05, 2008

New Moon Mandala


REACH. FEEL. TRUST. GIVE.
New moon intentions:
Reach out more often, taking a risk with my emotions.
Get in touch with my feelings. Stop. Feel. What is my gut telling me as opposed to my head.
Trust my intuition. Be more trustful of others (especially the dentist :-)
Trust completely that the Universe provides.
Give.
Give unconditionally without expectations.
Give from the heart without conditions.
and then reach out again......
Namaste'

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Camp mandalas


These are the two mandalas I sat and did with the kids. Girls the top one. Boys the bottom one... and a great discussion with the "keys of the elements" with the boys.

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Mandala Party

At the end of the day, I grabbed some chalk and began creating a mandala in the middle of the basket ball court. Most of the kids were in the pool, but a group of girls took notice... "awesome!" they called out and came over to check it out. I handed over the chalk.....
Eager to participate, they started out with stars ... and then more girls came and then
their counselors joined in and we had a mandala party !
Life is good.