Day 57 -Worship

Interesting what, who, why we worship. Most commonly we worship the Divine. We seek the Divine. Do we see the Divine in ourselves, in all of us, in every living thing? I forgot where I heard this, but the Toltec have a greeting that says "You are my other self". In India, Namaste, means "the divine in me bows or honors, the divine in you." If we all saw the Divine in each other, we would not kill but rather worship each other, including ourself.

Day 55 & 56 "Water Walkers

Yesterday I drew, starting with this plant. I have a picture of this plant growing in the middle of the river surrounded by rocks. I got to thinking about the Esopus River in Phoenicia and Kathi. This was one of Kathi's favorite places and my brother let her ashes go there.
Someone is always building these rock towers. I think there is a name to them. It turned out to look like a procession to me, these "water walkers" going down the river at sunset. It created some sadness for me, but the plant is hope and rebirth. The Rock people are honoring it... birth, death, rebirth.
This evening I painted it.

Day 55

ok, it wasn't for me but it is art. This is what I did today for a family I have been painting for. Not finished yet. It's in a laundry room that I've been working in. I did some towels and a rubber duck and soap on a shelf.( on the other blog)
Now to go do some art for me :-)

Day 54 Oh Johnny, what are you thinking?

I think my thoughts bubble up. I see John's as all wired up, plugged in, tangles of ideas that get sorted...
processed.
The eyes are a bit weird here, giving him a dark feel, but that's how the photo is. something is off, but not sure what...
I've been aware of a theme for the past few days. One of extremes and balance. For instance, I observed an accident involving a car that was going extremely fast on a pretty congested road. He hit a car, taking off parts of the car that littered the road and became an obstacle course for everyone. I was shocked that he continued to drive on. Not sure what happened to the car he hit.
On my return trip, I was behind someone driving 15 mph. It was raining and I was patient, figuring there must be a reason...I was thankful they went straight as I turned though. I laughed at the 2 extreme ways of driving. I was awarded for my patience with the most beautiful rainbow. If the person in front of me did not drive so slow, I may have missed it. Funny too, it was in the same spot as where the accident was.
My husband told me of a friend who had a nervous breakdown. (all work/no play?)
I read in a Pisces article that if we don't slow down during this period of time, creating balance in our lives, the "universe" has a way of creating it for us, and it usually brings it about in a not so great way. It will impose it on you....and you might not like the way it comes about.
Now, I've been there. Work, work, work and no play. It actually was about a year ago and my health took a tole for it. I learned that lesson the hard way.
Interestingly, the work I have created the past two days were black and white. And taking it a stretch further, Lama Surya Das goes on the Colbert Report, talking about Buddhism and the Middle Way. I was just invited to a Buddhist meeting....mmmmm. Interesting messages here.

Day 53 Self Portrait

I had a picture of myself that I was playing around with in Printshop. I thought I may carve a stamp and made a high contrast image. Instead, I started sketching it onto another paper and went over it with a brush marker. Then on that I played with a silver pen, doodling on the black.
I'm going to sit with this for awhile. I may do some poetry on the bottom...

Day 52 - Lotus Blossom

The Lotus is probably my favorite flower. It is unique as it gives fruit or seed at the same time it flowers. It is because of this simultaneous "cause and effect" that Buddha used it as a symbol for the Lotus Sutra. It is one of the main messages, that the instant a prayer is offered up, the effect is registered in our lives. Mud, from which the Lotus grows, does not cling to it's leaves. It stays pristine. Out of the mud (our problems) the blossom grows (the power we have is revealed to us).
While visiting RI, we pass a small area off the side of the road where these beauties grow. We alway stop to look and drink in their beauty and take pictures. this is from one of the pictures I took.

Day 51 -Happy Birthday Mai-Liis

Last night I played around with some images. I altered a photo of a plant in the snow, but then took some clip art and began playing. I was thinking of my friend Mai-Liis, whose birthday it is today...Happy Birthday. This one is for you (one with the balloon and cat and monkey...).
Then today I carved this face,young Frida. It is from the picture I used for my Frida doll in a RR. The lesson is on transfering images. I wish someone would come up with a good medium to use with an inkjet printer. I may try heat transfer next time. I really enjoy carving. Very soothing for me.

Day 50 - Longing for Spring

This is another image I received in meditation class. Hands embracing a flower. It's cold here again and I know it makes me appreciate Spring when it comes all that much more.

Longing for Spring. To touch the warmth and softness of blossoms. It won't be long now. Soon we will embrace the Earth's rebirth. Sprouts of green pushing through. Color is what I long to see.

Day 48 & 49 * OM Flower *

It was close on Friday to not having any artwork done, but I did go in my artroom for a tiny bit to draw this OM flower. I started painting it on Saturday and I changed it after this image I had in meditation. We did this beautiful heart meditation in yoga class, visualizing the heart and it's connection to all the parts of the body. So I was imaging the veins and arteries connecting to the heart and added these lines around the flower image.
Such a wonderful thing, this heart - keeping it's steady beat, it's rythm of love. I'm Thankful for my heart!

Day 46 & 47

Last night I snuck in some art time carving faux postage stamps. Then again before I run to class, I did some more. I made a postage stamp frame today. So many possibilites with that. I like the idea of using as a frame. I used the back of the stamp as a shadow stamp. Kind of lost the cows head there, but ...
I have a stamp club meeting tonight and will get a chance to do some more art. Actually, the kids are still carving in art, so I'll get to do some more. If you have never carved stamps, I have to tell you, first, it's addictive, but it is very focusing and soothing. Talk about being in the present moment.
I just love art :-)

Day 45 - My Valentine

I made this for John for Valentine's Day. I'm going to put it on a base for some more support.

The words are loose inside the window of the box. It's like a game getting the words in the right place. A toy for my love. Inside is a golden heart.

The other thing I have been working on is more carvings. I carved one yesterday. I think I'll go play with carving again for today.

Day 44 - Altered Bugs

Snow day - play day. Played around with bugs!
I'm not really sure what I am going to do with them. They are temporarily on this paper which is much more purple than what I see here. I started playing around with some layering. I put my face on one of the landscapes, so I may play around more with that.

Day 44 - Altered Landscapes

Monday was a snow day and I played on the computer. I took some pictures of the snow and altered them. They are of the same front yard of the house across the street from me. One is a close up of the shadows in the snow. There was all snow up to the doorway, obviously not their main entrance.
I also altered some pictures I took during a walk in the Fall from the Marshlands. The rocks are from the Esopus River in the Catskills in NY.

Day 42 & 43 *A Full Vessle"

During meditation yesterday I had an image of a vessel. The body as a vessel. Earlier, I read about being an empty vessel, as one cannot receive if you are full. We were having this discussion in yoga class about being empty, what to leave behind, what to keep....But as I was working on this, I was realizing how full I was, how many blessings I have. So instead of focusing on the empty vessel, it became a vessel of gratitude, a vessel of abundance. My cup runneth over!

Day 42 -part 2 "Ajna"

Painted this last night

Day 40 &41-Carvings

The Art Stamping Workshop lesson this week was to carve some tags. I did a few and then more Thursday and Friday. I carved the Room to Create stamp and did some printing yesterday. The smaller one, I played with different colors from the chalk ink pads.

Day 39 - Ajna

Releasing Thoughts
What if all the thoughts we released into the ethers were beautiful, loving, caring thoughts?
What if we constantly sent out- released- thoughts of well-being, thoughts of gratitude and blessings?
Thoughts of compassion.
Thoughts of acceptance.
Tolerance.
Peace.
What if???

Day 38 - carved tags

This was the second lesson in the ASW: carving tags. This is a sample. I carved one side and used the back as a shadow stamp. Carving is addictive. I'll play around some more with them and actually create the tags. I carved 2 more that aren't on this sample....

Day 37 - Dancing Shiva Tree

The dance of Awakening.
You move and sway,
you lure me in.
Let me dance within your branches.
Let me sway in your arms
and feel the cool and wild wind
as you awaken from your long slumber.
Soon, your naked beauty will be robed in emerald,
hiding your tenderness,
no longer vulnerable.
For now,
I see your beauty in the detail.

Day 36-Tired of Flying

Still with the flower theme here...but back to the pen for awhile.

"Oh Iris, are you sure you want that color?"

Iris is shopping for legs. She's tired of flying and needs to be a little more grounded.

Watch what you wish for Iris...

Day 35- Altered Flower Series

Again, I was playing with flowers. This is addictive for sure. Two of the pictures are of a rose and the other one I'm not sure of the name. It's a big white flower with many petals, and usually always in flower arrangements. I printed them out on glossy photo paper. They came out pretty cool but I'm not sure of the mounting part. They are temporarily on black cardstock, except the one on white.
You can click on each flower for a closer look. I wonder what Georgia O'Keefe would have done with a computer.

Day 34 - Altered Iris

From the beautiful bunch of flowers John got me, I played with the picture of an Iris. I just kept playing around and found something new in one of my programs. So my day of art was playing around with altering photos. One of them was a picture of John, which I will post later. I think I am going to work on it some more. I love finding new things, learning new things on this "machine", this addiction!

Day 33 - My Heart for You

Still playing around with several things. Did some more carving. Yesterday in art class, the kids wanted to use the pigma pens again, so we did. I joined them in doodling this heart.
Thought it would make a nice valentine for my sweetie-pie.

My overflowing love,
bursting with intensity.
Always in constant bloom.
I love you.

Day 30,31,32 Sea Goddess

For a couple of days I have been working on different things, some still incomplete. I finally finished this last night when I got in. Other than that, I've been carving some stamps and working in my last book of a color RR.
My monitor went on me Tuesday night and I freaked out. My sister came to the rescue with one she just happened to have....I came home and carved out the word Grateful to make a stamp. Talk about luck!
But for now, here is Sea Goddess. I started out thinking of doing something pertaining to Aquarius (it was my birthday on the 30th) but she seems more "Pisces". She is making herself a clamato coctail, stirring with her swizzle stick. I think that represents the Aquarian more, stirring things up with electricity, creating shocks....water and electricity!?! Yikes! Her nurturing friend the crab shares the clams...how nice.