William Steig

William Steig, winner of The Caldecott Award for Juvenile Literature for his book, Sylvester and The Magic Pebble, wrote this as part of his Caldecott acceptance speech:

"Art... has the power to make any spot on earth the living center of the universe; and unlike science, which often gives us the illusion of understanding things we really do not understand, it helps us to know life in a way that still keeps before us the mystery of things. It enhances the sense of wonder. And wonder is respect for life. Art also stimulates the adventurousness and the playfulness that keep us moving in a lively way and that lead to useful discovery."

We know the mystery of things through art. Art enhances our sense of wonder. Wonder is respect for life!

I am all about respect for life. My experience is also that I know the source of creativity through art, not because I can categorize that connection and make lists out of it in some left brained, logical way, but because I can have a relationship with that source. It is an ongoing, shifting relationship and the terrain is unpredictable, at least from my side of things. It is often difficult to wrap my arms around it and ever, ever call it "known." It is not struggle, though, unless I let it be. It is not a wrestling match, unless I let it be. No, it is more like a dance with something so much larger than me that all I can do is be swept up by the music of the universe. The first step is simply showing up for the dance. That's the piece that is just... me. Everything after that is a two way street, a partnership. I take no enormous credit for anything that comes out of me other than that I am so willing to let the mystery of it all work through me. Paradoxically, this is the best tool I know to get to know myself better.

At its best, Life is Love is Art. Living this philosophy naturally encompasses a deep respect for life and this seems a worthy goal to me.

Rose Windows

I'm thinking about doing a series of digital art with the theme of rose windows, which, unbeknownst to the papacy and clergy, were included in european churches of medieval times as a way to restore the feminine in the church. Although I'm pretty sure the windows didn't, in actuality, have that effect on the higher-ups, those noble laypeople and peasants who knew the symbolism had to be encouraged by such a beautiful reminder of their goddess right there before them as the central focal point of entire church structures. Hmmm... awfully clever, you silly artists.

My work would basically be reproductions of those mandalas, in square format, "suitable for framing", as they say. I'm most interested in the windows of gothic cathedrals in France, including

Notre Dame, Paris

The Basilica of Saint Denis, west rose

Chartres Chatedral

Reims Cathedral

Amiens Cathedral

and Strasbourg Cathedral

Depending on how those go, I may follow up by moving into Spain or Italy, but I may have found what I'm looking for in reproducing the French windows. Some of this work also ties in with the revisitation of the France photography in black and white that I took several years ago. I'm not sure the connection yet, but I can see that there might be one.

Scenes From The Studio

Lots of hard-wearing, well-used materials. I've always liked to have the tools - raw materials of all stripes - ready to go so that when I have an idea, I am not stumped by the nonexistence of materials. I'm kind of lazy that way, I guess. I like to start right away when inspiration strikes, and if the materials are right there at my finger tips, I'm much more likely to just do it. Creating a supportive environment has always been a key to productivity and happiness for me.

I've never taken pictures of my life this way before. It's kind of exciting to see it all in this detached way. I'm loving photographing the materials and then looking the images. It's very motivating - makes me want to get to work right away! 

Can't wait to break out the power tools for the next phase of work. Sander, jigsaw?  Ooooh, baby. Here I come! Chris wants me to come up with a header for his blog based on some cover art for Kate Rusby's album Awkward Annie. He loves that image and I'm going to adapt that style to the mixed media wood reliefs that I'm planning. Gotta get that garage cleared!

Also, Caia is begging me to sew her a new bag for school since spending time in the studio the other day, so we came up with a new design. It'll be made of materials I already have here. I think it's going to be darling! I'll post a picture of the sketch as soon as I get it together. 

Love, Kindness and Gratitude

This post is written as a reminder to myself about my own experience, but it is also shared here with the hope that perhaps it resonates with others.

Love is a difficult thing to simply feel when you don't have a road map to it, or you have never felt truly loved and as a result you have never been able to love yourself. It is not something that can be approached directly. Love happens when we are focusing on other things. There are times when those "other things" happen spontaneously, but more often we must cultivate those other things. Cultivating an experience that is suffused with love starts with kindness and gratitude. 

Kindness is a verb. It is a choice that can be put into practice in every day. Approaching each moment with kindness, each creature with kindness, each situation with kindness is half of the equation when living an experience of love in which you have some degree of "control."

Gratitude is the other half. It is also a choice and it has two key components. First, it requires an appreciation for whatever comes down your path into your field of awareness, whether it is "good" or "bad." Second, it requires that the critical thinking process is kept alive with the question "what lesson does this situation offer me?" as long as that question is followed by an increasing ability to learn from the answer.

Purposely being kind and appreciating the good naturally strengthens your connection to the positive things in your life. It also, delightfully and effortlessly, brings more of what you want. The result is magic. Suddenly, by increments, your world becomes more alive, more loving, more creative. The things that hold you back no longer have power and begin to fall away.

Practice kindness. Practice gratitude. Watch your ability grow through practice. Observe your practice deepen over time. Practice them without conflict within yourself and you will get in return the one thing your heart and soul yearn for over all else: love, the essential building block of a fulfilled life. Begin this way and the rest is your story, free to happen in the moment in harmony with the source of all creation.

Ostara

The spring equinox was just a few days ago. It is the day when the light equals the dark and begins to extend longer and longer each day into summer. In honor of Ostara and as an early birthday present to myself, I'm replanting the pots on our front stoop. I included rosemary to welcome visitors with beautiful scents and I just love the pretty little 'Chicks and Hen' plant in purple. It reminds me of the process of the flowering of the soul as we continuously open to the majesty of ourselves and love and creation on our path through this life. Welcome, Spring! 

Creating Space

Right now, the house and the studio are in transition from the inside out. (As it should be!) Extra furniture is leaving, hopefully we'll sell the car now that it's spring, and the garage will be tackled. Once those things are done, it's only a matter of stocking the space and getting to work because the ideas are coming hot and heavy. Exciting!!!

Space. Time. Space.

I'm painfully aware of the things in my living space that shouldn't be here and I'm trying to get rid of them. Had a guy come by to take a look at the chair I bought a year ago to nurse and rock Caden in, but it ended up not being what he needed. So I have several things sitting in the house taking up space that just need to leave - the chair, a drum table, Caia's bunk bed, another club chair. The things feel like an energy drain at the moment, but if they don't draw any takers I'll just drop them at the thrift, I suppose. I hate to do that, though, as a little extra cash could really be nice for the backyard project.

I'm also painfully aware of the concepts for new work that are coming to me but that I can't do anything with as of yet since I don't have the new studio space ready. I'll leave any doubts about whether I'll have time for another day. I'll just have to see how things unfold; I'm just hoping I'll have what I need in terms of time to get some of these ideas out of my head and into the world when the time does come.