Monday, July 11, 2016

CREATING A CLEARING

Deena Haynes. Click

"Stillness is not about focusing on nothingness; it's about creating a clearing. It's opening up an emotionally clutter-free space and allowing ourselves to feel and think and dream and question..." - Brene Brown

The sense of peace we achieved on holiday is already seeping away. My chiropractor who has to deal with my tense shoulders suggested I find something that instills peace closer to home since we can't  go racing off to the Wild Coast (a 7 hours journey away), every time I feel tense.  I'm taking the advise of Brene Brown and trying to create a clearing within the busyness of life.


Jessica Rimondi. Click

Recently I discovered the work of Mary Anne Aytoun-Ellis, an artist who is inspired by nature and the surrounding countryside of the Sussex Downs. 


Mary Anne Aytoun-Ellis. Website here

"The artists deep affection for place and rural history is the antithesis of sentimental pastoral, as she seeks to understand all that is complex and valuable in our landscape heritage. Giving as much or more attention to the detail of a sycamore leaf as she does to a classic sweep of downs or a tempestuous sky, Aytoun-Ellis shows us how to look at landscape and nature with compassion, fairness and honesty. These are vital ways of thinking about our countryside as it continues to be threatened by creeping urbanization." - Clare Best   #

 Mary Anne Aytoun-Ellis  Click


Mary Anne Aytoun-Ellis

"Every soul innately yearns for stillness, for space, a garden where we can till, sow, reap, and rest, and by doing so come to a deeper sense of self and our place in the universe. Silence is not an absence but a presence. Not an emptiness but repletion. A filling up." - Anne C LeClaire

I enjoyed Anne LeClaire's book, Listening Below The Noise: The Transformative Power of Silence. It "offers readers the possibility of finding grace and peace in the natural world". Find it on Amazon here

The beautiful art of Jeanie Tomanek. Website 

"Silence is something more than just a pause; it is that enchanted place where space is cleared and time is stayed and the horizon itself expands. In silence, we often say, we can hear ourselves think; but what is truer to say is that in silence we can hear ourselves not think, and so sink below our selves into a place far deeper than mere thought allows..." - Pico Iyer

I have started reading The Art of Stillness: Adventures in Going Nowhere by Pico Iyer. Find it on Amazon here

"Accept what comes from silence. Make the best you can of it. Of the little words that come out of the silence, like prayers prayed back to the one who prays, make a poem that does not disturb the silence from which it came." - Wendell Berry


The imposing Mennesket ved Havet (Men at Sea), Denmark. Photo by Marco Franchino. Click

"Be secluded in your secret heart-house, that bowl of silence..." - Rumi

37 comments:

  1. Hi Robyn,
    Such a beautiful post. So many of my favorite writers quoted here. Pleasantly surprised by your profile and the many connections we have. My daughter and son-in-law and tomorrow a grandson live in SA.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Roxanne, thank you! It's a small world. I'm presuming it is the birth of a grandson tomorrow?

      Delete
  2. Beautiful work and words. I surround myself with silence and stillness daily, no matter how busy and one thing I do that creates that space in me the most is making art. Walking also helps and reading :-). xoxo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Annie I do all those things however i am battling to make the time at the moment. Too many other things to do. But I am working on it. That balance of quiet and noisy busyness is essential. xoxo

      Delete
  3. Still working on that way over here on this side of the ocean, as well. Find some of your peace in the fact that you are not alone.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Karen.Sometimes it's easy and other times it's just frustrating!

      Delete
  4. Sometimes it is difficult to find that center, the clearing where you can rest and recover from the traumas of life. Keep on...

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love how you create this contemplative space in the cyber sea to share here and over on Facebook raising our collective consciousness, inspiring art & deep hearted awareness

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mo that's such a nice thing to say. Thank you. I enjoy the feedback and the shared info, much of which comes from you.

      Delete
  6. As usual Robyn - an inspiring post. Those trees are so ethereal - I absolutely love them and am going over to have a look at her web site if she has one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pat click on the click under each image. I think you will enjoy her website.

      Delete
  7. well your post inspires peace in us! love that first piece especially. it is the work of those of us who choose to learn to feel that peace within. such a worthwhile journey with so many paths leading toward it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Creating this post inspired peace in me too, Carole and as you say finding a way to find that quiet place within is a worthwhile journey.

      Delete
  8. Oh Robyn - such a beautiful post, and such beautiful thoughts. i am drawn to stillness and silence, I yearn for it but don't seem to do so well at creating it in my life. Like you, it seems to come to me best when I am away from my life so that is interesting. I have listened to Pico on the podcast On Being with Krista Tippett - beautiful. Love it all thank you so much!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've just listened to the podcast again. Thanks for the reminder Fiona.I think when we are away, especially in a tranquil place we don't worry about all the household duties, phone calls or the problems of the world, politics etc. I switch off completely the moment I set foot on the beach. I do find stillness at home especially when I am carving but Oh the interruptions! I have begun to hate the phone and yet it is very useful :-)

      Delete
  9. magnifique! des artistes à fleur de peau...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love all these artworks, Elfi. They instill peace.

      Delete
  10. I am cold and tired, a busy day in Adelaide, a delightful art show, textiles and books by friends, gale force winds, almost snow a new hair currently, and this delightful post. Too tired to do it justice tonight but I wii come back to it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Penny I visualized your day while reading your comment. No wonder you are tired! But you sound inspired inspite of the gale force winds.

      Delete
  11. Lovely blog post and I echo all that the above comments.
    My advice to you on dealing with those tense shoulders might sound a bit eccentric. Well, this is what I do - sit in an upright chair and consciously pull the shoulders down and then breathe into them visualising a colour that feels restful to you, my colour is a sea green yours may well be different.
    This method works for me :-)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Not eccentric at all. I have taken your advice and could feel the tension leaving my shoulders. Sea green is a healing colour so I visualized the same. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  13. so glad to see you back here Robyn, gorgeous post as always... and I understand the tense shoulders, my chiro has her hands full too.. hunching over art work does it to me and so I have been getting horizontal for a few minutes, even 10 to 15 a day, not a nap really, just a ... clearing... if that makes sense.. for some reason, now in my 60's I seem to need a bit of a lying down... lol

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You were one of the instigators, Cat :-)
      Indeed, art...carving doesn't help the old back but I will persevere. Can't do without my carving!

      Delete
  14. Hello, Robyn! It's so nice to read again a post from you - like in the "old days".:) To have a rest in peace and silence, to listen to your inner voice, to discover and follow your deepest wishes, to spend the day without hurrying and looking at the clock... I hope to have the opportunity of doing that soon, like a remedy against the fatigue, piled up during the last months. Thanks for the quotes you've shared! And the beautiful drawings of Mary Anne Aytoun-Ellis. I have the feeling that the sun will show up behind the misty web... Hope you are doing fine!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Rossichka!! Yes, just like the old days! I think we need to find the balance or we do tend to feel drained of energy.Enjoy your day off.... or hopefully several days.

      Delete
  15. From my favorite curator, who always manages to touch the soul.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You've made my day D. Thank You! When I am needing something in my day to day life I create a post to fill the void and somehow I feel refreshed.

      Delete
  16. R - thank you for finding and sharing the passages and quotes own silence. Asa indicated there are many facets and purposes for silence - but feeling centred and uncluttered is a good outcome. And I particularly enjoyed the image of D Haynes - solid and quiet like a tree holding itself. I hope that the tension releasing spot in your garden manifests itself and you can journey there each day and find that just by sitting the tension in those shoulders melts away. Go well. B

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There are quite a few favourites in this post and Deena's painting is one of them. I have a few spots in my garden....when its warm enough. At the moment we have icy breezes off the snow covered mountains. Winter was late but I'm happy its finally here.

      Delete
  17. When I am alone, I feel myself expand into the space and silence, and my own true self emerges, like a shy bear from a den, hungry and eager to explore. I silently grin...xo

    ReplyDelete
  18. The work of all these artists is absolutely stunning, and seem to me to be perfect expressions of silence... sigh...

    ReplyDelete
  19. Silence is the medicine.
    Great post. Good to seeyou"here".

    Hot n humid here. Your last post some gorgeous photos.

    ReplyDelete
  20. beautiful wonderful art!
    I so enjoyed the quotes, they changed my breath.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Thank you Robyn...a timely reminder. Such beautiful words.

    ReplyDelete