For Passion

After creating this last night, I thought I'd dedicate it to my friend Ann Marie whose birthday it was yesterday... Happy Birthday! It's message is to follow your passions in life. Open up to them, keep them always in your heart and let them out to share with the world.
Who would we be without our passions?
They are what keep our fires burning. Vowing to keep stoking that fire, feeding it with doing that which I love to do. My art. My spiritual path.. these are things I share with my friend.
Always good to have a friend to share these passions with and glad to share this path with you.
Happy Birthday :-)

Away from or Towards

I had one of those moments when it "clicked" as to how I was looking at something a bit problematic in my life... attached. stuck. focusing on what I wanted to remove from my life.. what I was wanting to move away from... when I focused on it, I felt terrible.
And then something happened...
I began to visualize what it was that I did want.. what I wanted to move towards and my body felt different. I smiled. I felt good... aaahh, silly me.
Looking out the wrong window again.
It is that law of attraction.. what you focus on is what appears.. even if only in thought.
So instead of moving away from, I am now moving towards.
Not from, but to...
and it feels so much better :-)

All One

A week long vacation to take in the mountain air and spend some time creating. I did quite a few mandalas. Our cabin had a table big enough to share.. John on one side and me on the other with enough room to spread out. We could hear the sound of the water rushing by, birds singing along with the smell of wood burning below at various campsites. It's a peaceful place.
We take walks to the creek, read and do our art. A truly relaxing vacation.
This one I did with the twinkling H2O's that I ordered.. and finally got to open up the new colors.
Most of the mandalas unfold without any conscious intention other than just wanting to create in a circle. Afterwards I sit with it. Listen to what it wants to say, or what I need to hear.
Being in this environment, it is easy to feel at peace and at one with all beings... human, animal, plant, river, rock... breathing in the beauty, listening to the song of the birds... reminding me of what is important.
I feel in alignment again.
I fell out of it for awhile and I'm not so sure why I had to create all this drama. I did have a choice on how I responded to all of it and I didn't do very well.
This mandala reminded me of the oneness...

~All One~

One with the Divine

She is One with Nature

Goddess of Expression

Creative Spirit

Her palette is her Spirit

holding the colors

Nature has manifested for her

Her power comes from heartfelt Service

Wisdom passed on..

Stamina shines forth

Radiating her strength

She knows

She sees

All embracing

Reaching out

Connected

One.

Divine.

8/17/09

Deep Reach

Reaching out from my heart center

How far, how deep

can I reach

stretch

Open

I want to open out to the Universe

Stretch so deeply

as to touch the edges of life and love

Open up so deeply and fully

Embracing all life and love has to offer

Embrace All

even the unknown

Drink it into my heart

filling it to it's fullness

and then exploding it outwards

landing all over you :-)

Insightful mandalas

I did this one on Sat. morning.. called "inner sensing" which I didn't really know why. It was something that popped into my head and didn't question it. I pretty much did that through out the mandala.. choosing colors intuitively. Allowing. Seeing what comes up. Later comes the insight.
Interestingly enough, in yoga class, this is pretty much what the class was about. Inner sensing - getting in touch with what was going on internally. It was an amazing practice! Powerful in "presence" and right in synch with what I am reading... The Presence Process by Michael Brown.

This mandala is called, "when paths merge". Life can be so freaky at times. Small. Without going into the details of it, life has shown me that when we are on a path, you never know who you'll run into. We all have our path in life, but I find it astounding at times how paths interweave with someone else's.. another "pay attention" moment. What is this telling me?

I'm where I'm supposed to be. I guess we all are where we're supposed to be. We just look too much outside ourselves and into the future.. wondering rather than Being in the present moment and receiving and intimately feeling the moments in our hearts, bodies, soul... relishing each glorious moment.

Each step.. walk gracefully.

Each breath.. be aware.

Being conscious of life.

Living it with conscious awareness rather than mindlessly walking-talking-in-the-head-to-the-next-place-I-need-to-be and in such a hurry that you don't consider anyone else around you... ever been like that?

Take a moment to walk. slowly. consciously. allow your body to move the way it desires. Give it permission.. to sway. to swoon. to glide... to move into dance. Be inside and take notice.
Have fun :-)

Jungle

Wandering eyes

Starting to slack off on my mandalas a day... I kept up with it pretty good and even went back to color some in... but the last week, I've only been able to do some on the weekend.
Today, this one is taking on a new meaning.
I think what happens sometimes in art is that the unconscious is revealed to us but not always right away.. it takes awhile for the conscious mind to "get it".
I'm a pretty stable person. I've lived in the same place for over 30 years, held the same summer job for about 25. There is a comfort in stability, but I also like diversity. I take on a lot of different jobs throughout the year... this year, there was a big increase in work. I teach art to children, teach yoga to adults, teach private art classes at various times, take on various other art jobs painting furniture or walls or tiles or whatever someone may want painted... add to that community projects: window painting, mini workshops, etc.
I am full, overflowing with an abundance of work. (For this, I am grateful )
Add to THAT- caretaking parents, fitting in my own art, so yes... life is full and diverse.
Summer involves camp.. pretty much a full time job and I still have clients that want stuff, yoga classes, incomplete projects waiting in the room, and I AM BURNT!
Wandering eyes revealed to me that it is time to let something go... and it is camp.
I come home and veg.. nap... or whine... Client's work sits waiting to be done. My own work waits to be done. My energy is depleted.......... my eyes wander to where I can go, what I can change.
Goal: Next year start a preschool art camp. Mornings only... Saving my afternoons for my own art, clients.. and having some fun.
Yes, these eyes are looking to the future - knowing it's time to leave. Let it go.

Blogger mystery...

I have my blogs back. I like some things with wordpress, (www.mandalas4me.wordpress.com/ )but I love that you can click on the above picture and it'll pop up larger... not sure why wordpress doesn't do that, or maybe I just don't know how.
I have stuff to scan. So now I know it's not ME that messed up, that I deleted something, but some weird glitch with IE, because this happened to someone else as well.
I love the computer, but damn! they are so temperamental.
Sometimes, you just need to let it go... does everything need to have an answer? and sometimes, I don't really care as the why (although this is rare :-) just as long as I have what I want.. in this case, my blog... it's a mystery as to what happened and right now, I don't care.. enjoying the moment :-)

A Station Break

Here's the deal... I'm at the library. I cannot access my blog from my own computer because, well, I messed up something and until I figure it out, you can go to my NEW blog over at Wordpress.
See my mandala art at http://www.mandalas4me.wordpress.com
and my main blog will be http://www.doegrozart.wordpress.com
So, until furtur notice....... that's where I'll be. Hope you come visit.
thanks.

Tiles in progress........

So far, here is where I'm at with the tiles. Some of the work will be done on site, adding grape vines... one bonus of doing fruit bowls and doing them in a timely manner, is that I get to eat the "still life"

Ate the mango today :-)

Yum.

Remembering

Remembering

It's been awhile, but it's coming back to me.

yes.

I remember your radiance and how magical you made me feel about the world.

You were gone for such a long time, but now you are back.

You were deep in slumber, waiting for this time.

This time,

I will keep you in my heart center.

This time, I will not take you for granted.

This time,

You are deeply appreciated.

Art of the Young Child

I have been lucky enough to fall into the work I do... I give children an opportunity to create.

Important stuff - for them - for all of us. From the beginning of October until the end of March I give them a variety of materials to create with and take pictures of the creative process. The celebration of Week of the Young Child is this week, and we celebrated yesterday with a reception of their work... It is diplayed along the walls, covering both floors, and in the case.. It brings color and joy to all who see it. The next few posts are some of the photos... enjoy :-)

Party Time...

Sometimes, one sings their art...............

At the Reception...
Sharing their art with family and friends...

enjoying some snacks

Chatting with friends, finding their artwork..

and taking some time out to do a little dance

say "Cheese"


Parties over ....

What I have been up to....

I have been working with a group of preschoolers and the culmination is an art show of their work, their photos capturing the process of creating and some quotes to go along with it.
We worked with a variety of materials; paints, clay, collaging... always with some fun embellishments... but it is always about the processs of creating. Learning, playing, experimenting, playing and of course making a mess.

Sometimes, we need to taste our art :-)

This is a taste of some of the art they created. This was our flower garden with imaginary bugs.

Art is about having fun, and while having fun, they learn.

Recycle!

One of the things I have been working on... and you can see them here :-)

Doodle Weekend

Doodle bird takes a walk

eye fly

Bursting through

The Awakening

What a pear!

Travel the Royal Road

I doodled this as I sat talking with my SIL. It calmed me..

and as I am calm, those around me may be calm-er.

I think I was wanting to set an example as well. It doesn't take much to sit and doodle..

You don't have to pull out all the paints and brushes.. just pen or pencil and pad.

I had a title for this when I was there, but I forgot what it was exactly..

The closest to it is something like

Taking the Royal Journey...

I always want to travel the high road. I work hard at taking the high road, the path that I feel is of service, being good, doing good deeds. I like giving, but I also need to receive. I don't mind driving, but sometimes I like to be taken on a ride.

We all need this balance.

I looked at this picture as an invitation to travel well on a royal path. To be carried away to exotic places, exalted. "Oh yes, your highness... be most comfortable and travel well."

Aren't there some days you want to be treated like a princess, or queen (or king, prince)... because you work hard and should be treated this way?!

I can choose my path, but how will I travel it?

with dignity.. with honor...

how will I cushion the rocky road?

how often will I stop along the road to smell those flowers and observe the beauty around me?

who will I travel with and how will I greet those I meet?

We all travel this path.

I want to travel it without regrets.

Now Go! Do thy taxes!

What do you do when you are on overload and don't have much time for art of your own?

doodle.

I carried a pen and sketchbook to my sister-in-laws house. this isn't the one I did.

I did this at night sitting in my big comfy chair in the living room with hubby, half watching TV.

Too tired to go back into a very messy art room.

Energy almost depleted, but not entirely... I go within to see what comes out :-)

Later on after looking at this, he spoke to me...

yeah, no more procrastinating.. get that stuff prepared for taxman.

Not particularly fond of this time - it comes when there are so many other projects going on.

But, it is what it is... so I need to stop whining about it and just finish it up.

Is everyone else as overwhelmed as I am.. seems to me that life has speeded up!

When the wind blows....

Another in the series of theraputic zentangles.

A great shift occured. Stuff got done.. as it usually does.

Sometimes, it is just overwhelm.

Looking at the big picture too much and not being in the present moment.

It is so much easier when there is a gentle breeze, when everything goes along nice and smoothly.

No ruffled feathers.

But that is not the case in life.

Great winds appear, hurricane force winds... stirring it all up.

But hey, maybe that is just to blow away that which is weak,

that which is not strong enough to remain... it gets rid of the dead wood.

Nature's way of cleaning.

We need to take notice.

Observe and learn from Mother nature and all her tactics.

Thanks for the lesson.

Peddle Hard

In the evening, when I can do nothing more than veg out in front of the TV or I just need to be in the company of my sweet husband... OR I just have no more space left in my art room...

I doodle.

And along the lines of these doodle/zentangles, I find it interesting what my subconscious mind has to say about it all.

I had to laugh at this one.

Carrying all the burdens of life, we do the best we can. We just get up and do it. Easy to do the stuff we love, but then along come the "obligations"... the services of love, really. Ok, sometimes they DO feel like obligations, but because we love, we pull up the strength and do it... and we keep peddling, carrying it all heroically, and in the end it makes us feel good to help.

Notice there is no steering wheel.

That is because I move along intuitively, faithfully, guided by Spirit, God, Universe.... the Ultimate Energy that guides ALL of it. I, and I'm sure I could substitute "we" here, surrender to it, believing we will be shown the way.... because half the time, I do not know where the heck I'm going!

Whatever art I can muster up, sneak inbetween, it becomes the call of my soul showing me the way. The more we carry, the harder it is to peddle.

I'm hanging on to too much.

I need to dump some stuff, let it go.... but what?

oh, the desire to travel light seems so inviting... but at what sacrifice?

The heaviest load, and that which I work at releasing is worry.

That will surely lighten my load.