I, like so many others, find myself attracted to the teachings of Buddha, though I do not consider myself to be a Buddhist. I do however, love to have his image in my space. His presence instantly invokes feelings of peace. I have collected several Buddha images over the years. The seated Buddha was completely different and the artist in me wanted to antique him, so I did. I love antiquing things and somehow, he seemed better suited to this neutral colour scheme rather than his original vibrant colour scheme. I also adorned him with my Mala Prayer Beads ... I love this quote by Buddha so much so that I wrote it out years ago to keep it under the plexiglass on my drafting table, as a constant reminder to do what I love and to constantly strive to discover my life and through that, my 'self'...
playing once again with my watercolours...honestly, if i don't do it often i seem to lose it. i'm using a new handmade paper called Nujabi. i'm not particularly fond of this paper. i prefer Arches 300 lb cold press. maybe, i just need to work with it a little more. it tends to get muddied up and doesn't seem to tolerate much rubbing.
i adore this image. has always been a fave of mine. to me this says: blissful simplicity this is living in the moment, enjoying life's simple pleasures. i probably don't have to tell you that i love to blow bubbles with my kids, and trying to catch them, is even more fun! keeps my inner child alive and well.
nothing says summer like this...
hope you're all enjoying your summer. ~Calli
image source: whispery moment by Angela Bacon-Kidwell
altar of hope i grace this space with wishing seeds from dandelions fairy dust prayer beads a treasured rosary... amidst candles, God/Goddess and Buddha
all those things held dear
but what i hold even more dear is unseen 'within' - my truest treasure!
that of my hopes and dreams the 'thing' that makes me dance my Altar of Hope
you are sacred to me
i pray on your steps in your temple
i pray i release as i am rocked gently and oh, so slowly
My latest painting! As it stands, she is untitled, not sure why exactly, but she does remind me of a particular scene from the 1998 film 'What Dreams May Come,' with Robin Williams and Annabella Sciorra...to me, one of the most moving scenes in the entire film... Oh, who am I kidding, there are several meaningful and thought provoking scenes in this film. I won't give it away though, in case you haven't seen it. If you haven't, I definitely recommend it. Here's the link to the trailer : what dreams may come Beautifully done movie trailer and it reminded me just how much I love this film.
"After life there is more. The end is just the beginning."
These pics are from a gorgeous view that is above and behind my home. Up on a seasonal dirt road that has the most breathtaking views. I think you can see 3 separate towns from up on that hill. I have been in awe of late, of the beauty that is out there in the rural countryside where I live. It amazes me how Mother Nature creates these painted pictures with the most beautiful and sublime of greens, blues and greys. I noticed on a long drive yesterday, how Mother Nature's 'uncultivated' landscapes are just so stunning. I was noticing things I have never noticed before. For example: the way beautiful vines automatically grow along roadside fences. They go on for miles. They look intentional, but they're not. I love lines and rows of trees that are also not intentional, but appear as though they are. I have always loved nature and the great outdoors, but somehow I feel a new heightened sense of awe that I had not recalled having before. And don't even get me started on my love of wildflowers! ahhh...
What i refer to as 'intuitive creating' created these.
drawing and painting with absolutely no preconceived ideas turns out to be great fun and at times, ends with intriguing results. not always a 'masterpiece' but that's okay. i love to see what comes. it's a mystery, even to me.
I came across a poem today in a book jacket it resonated with my recent thoughts. I was feeling as though I have not been living to my fullest capacity. Not feeling as alive as I should. Withering in my prime of prime's. Knowing it's time to live. Live fully. Live more beautifully. Kiss the skies. Let my heart open and love again. Feel the beauty, the amber glow, let it warm, and let the waters cool, just FEEL...feel something. There is a Goddess inside and she wants to feel, to breathe, to live through me...
I will not die an unlived life. I will not live in fear of falling or catching fire. I choose to inhabit my days, to allow my living to open me, to make me less afraid, more accessible, to loosen my heart until it becomes a wing, a torch, a promise. I choose to risk my significance; to live so that which came to me as seed goes to the next as blossom and that which came to me as blossom, goes on as fruit.
fully alive - by dawna markova
*an experiment in creating off the cuff...
whilst listening to Diane Birch - she's fabulous! love her! go take a listen: diane birch image source: whispygirl1
