Beautiful photography by Stephen Strom. Website here
There is something enchanting about walking near water and I've realized that I'm happiest near the sea or a mountain stream.... or at any waters edge, for that matter. My husband loves to tell the story (and it's becoming a bit tiresome) about how whenever I'm walking in the mountains and hear a stream burbling nearby I disappear into the bracken in search of it and he knows he will find me kneeling at the waters edge to taste the water.
Marsh (Reduction woodcut) by Jean Gumpper. See more of Jean's work here
AT BLACKWATER POND by Mary Oliver
At Blackwater Pond the tossed waters have
settled
after a night of rain.
I dip my cupped hands. I drink
a long time. It tastes
like stone, leaves, fire. It falls cold
into my body, waking the bones. I hear them
deep inside me, whispering
oh what is that beautiful thing
that just happened?
Maureen Shaughnessy
While searching for an image to go with Mary Oliver's poem I stumbled across Maureen Shaughnessy's blog. Maureen is an artist/photographer/poet who illustrated Mary's poem, In Blackwater Woods with the artwork (above). I think Maureens's images are perfect for Mary Oliver's poetry. Read her blog post here.
Moon Rising in Grasses by Maureen Shaughnessy.
"In our spiritual tradition, we give away whatever is holding us back -- whatever is troubling us -- by sitting beside running water and letting the negative feelings, thoughts, or obstacles go. We imagine the obstacles flowing away with the current, like a leaf or a twig". Maureen Shaughnessy
I love this idea. Go here to read more.
Ripples by Paul Mitchell. See more of Paul's photos on Flickr, here.
Olli Kekalainen. See Olli's blog here
"Here is the fringey edge where elements meet and realms mingle, where time and eternity spatter each other with foam. The salt sea and the islands, molding and molding, row upon rolling row, don't quit, nor do winds end nor skies cease from spreading in curves". - Annie Dillard from Holy The Firm
Stephen Strom. See more here
Stephen Strom
Suburban sand castles by Chad Wright. Photography by Lynn Kloythanomsup. See more photos of Chad's installation, Masterplan, here and Lynn's photo stream at Flickr here.
Masterplan by Chad Wright. Photography by Lynn Kloythanomsup. See Chad's website here
Arc by Sam Lock. See website here
Meltwater by Sam Lock
"Walking, I am listening to a deeper way. Suddenly all my ancestors are behind me.
Be still, they say. Watch and listen. You are the result of the love of thousands." - Linda Hogan, Native American writer
Ancestors by Emil Alzamora (ceramic, iron paint) See website here
Mark Chatterley. See website here
"Life, death, creation and destruction, this is the world I find myself in. I want my art to echo these thoughts, everything in a state of flux, changing and reforming. A sense of decay along with life. Nothing is permanent and nothing stays the same." - Mark Chatterley
The Messenger (I think this is by Anthony Abrahams)
Dreaming Guardians by Hib Sabin. See more here
As a shaman practitioner, Hib is acutely attuned to the connection between the human and animal spirit worlds. His cast of figures moves in and out of the spiritual world and evokes a certain ancient timelessness. Themes of transformation are quite common in his work, specifically transitional moments between life and death.
- Stonington Gallery
Hib Sabin. See more here
Did you ever find out what your dreams were about? by Fran Williams. See website here.
Fran Williams See more of Fran's beautiful work on FaceBook
Jesus Curia Perez. Website here. Current exhibition here
Jesus Curia Perez
".... may the protection of the ancestors be yours.
And so may a slow
wind work these words
of love around you,
an invisible cloak
to mind your life."
- John O'Donohue
Stephen De Staebler
Leaf Forms by Barry Smith. See blog, here.
While preparing for this post I kept coming back to Barry Smith's metal leaf forms. Barry is a generous soul who creates his metal artworks with love. He teaches his craft to others and sends his leaves into the world like little ambassadors, spreading peace and goodwill wherever they land.
Leslie Avon Miller. See blog, here.
Leslie Avon Miller's art speaks to me on an emotional level. I can't put my finger on it, but I'm thinking it has something to do with meraki.
"Please keep demonstrating the courage that it takes to swim upstream in a world that prefers putting away for retirement to putting pen to paper, that chooses practicality over poetry, that values you more for going to the gym than going to the deepest places in your soul. Please keep making your art for people like me, people who need the magic and imagination and honesty of great art to make the day-to day world a little more bearable". - Shauna Niequist
History by Donna Watson. See more from this series, here.
When Donna was struggling with a creative block I kept thinking ..... when she returns she will create art that will catapult her to another level ..... and I wasn't mistaken! Her new pieces incorporating cold wax, oils and collage are beautiful.
Leaving Egypt by Mary Ann Lehrer Plansky. See blog, here.
A lot of research goes into Mary Ann's art. I enjoy tracking the ideas and thoughts that gently meander through her blog, culminating in beautiful artworks.
Gabriel Lalonde. See blog, here.
I visit Gabriel Lalonde's blog regularly because I enjoy his work. I detect a playful spirit with a "what if" attitude when it comes to his art.
This exhibition of Hanelore's work is well worth the browse. I enjoyed reading the press release too.
Lawrence Carroll
Ikuko Ando. See more, here.
" I would like to envelop myself ..... to enclose a sense of space, of landscape, within clay. Creating day by day, like putting entries in a diary" -- Ikuko Ando
Lynn Chadwick
"And what is it to work with love?
It is to charge all things you fashion with
a breath of your own spirit."
- Khalil Gibran
Totem by Robyn Gordon. Website, here.
I felt a deep connection to this piece. The person who commissioned it shared just enough of her story for me to recognize similarities in my own life. I could relate to her story and was able to create the totem for the both of us.
"One of the loveliest words in the English language is the word 'inspiration'. It signifies the creative breath. It also has to do with spontaneity, with the arrival of the unexpected image or idea in the mind. Inspiration is the flash of connecting light that suddenly comes from elsewhere and illuminates." - John O'Donohue
A very old bible of the Ethiopian Christian church, carefully inscribed on parchment in the sacred language 'Geez'.
Secrecy by Margaret Atwood
Secrecy flows through you,
a different kind of blood.
It's as if you've eaten it
like a bad candy,
taken it into your mouth,
let it melt sweetly on your tongue,
then allowed it to slide down your throat
like the reverse of uttering,
a word dissolved
into its glottals and sibilants,
a slow intake of breath --
And now it's in you, secrecy.
Ancient and vicious, luscious
as dark velvet.
It blooms in you,
a poppy made of ink.
You can think of nothing else.
Once you have it, you want more.
What power it give's you!
Power of knowing without being known,
power of the stone door,
power of the iron veil,
power of the crushed fingers,
power of the drowned bones
crying out from the bottom of the well.
Secrecy by Irini Gonou. See more of Irini's beautiful work here.
"Tracce di un dio distratto" by Maria La. Read more about this piece , here.
Sharmon Davidson shares details from Book of Secrets, a work in progress. Read more on Sharmon's blog, here.
"My inspiration for the piece came as I was thinking about secrets and how they are so hard to keep; no matter how well hidden we may think they are, or how well-guarded we believe them to be, there is always a bit showing here and there around the edges. I was thinking of esoteric knowledge, such as magical grimoire (spell book), and how these two ideas are related" - Sharmon Davidson
Book of Shadows, a movie prop from Practical Magic.
Saruman's Book by Daniel Reeve (Movie prop in Lord of the Rings)
A Book for Devotion: BL M S Egerton. It is believed that the pages have been partially erased by kissing.
Batak, Indonesia (wood, fibrous leaves and string) Late 18th - 19th Century
Batak Book of Wizards, Indonesia. See more here
The Batak people of Indonesia recorded information on genealogy, religion, devination, and magic on long strips of bark, some as long as thirty feet, which were folded accordion-style and bound between wooden covers. See more here.
"All the secrets of the world are contained in books. Read at your own risk." - Lemony Snicket
Commentary on Averroes' Middle Commentaries on the Isagoge of Porphyry, the Categories and De Interpretatione of Aristotle
If you've read the comments you will be as curious as I am about Priya Sebastian's illustrations for the poem Secrecy by Margaret Atwood. See Priya's blog post, here.
Secrecy, Verse 1 by Priya Sebastian.
Secrecy Verse 1, Verse 2, Verse 3 by Priya Sebastian. See more of Priya's beautiful illustrations at her website, here and see her blog, here.
It's been a busy few weeks amidst a long heat wave
Today seems to be a little cooler
but I won't hold my breath
since every day has turned into a scorcher
The storm that didn't...
Bella and Digby are relishing a cooler morning
Diggers doesn't particularly enjoy the heat
This week, I worked hard getting commissions ready
for fumigation before shipping them out
across the world to two different continents
It's a good feeling knowing my totems
are travelling to countries I long to visit.
Packed for fumigation
When it's too hot to work I have a good excuse to catch up with my reading
Wild by Cheryl Strayed, Notes from an Exhibition by Patrick Gale, West with the Night by Beryl Markham, Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist. Click to read reviews.
... a little journaling
.... and endless discussions about wedding plans with the bride-to-be
Wedding chapel at iNsingizi
It's a relief that we've booked the venue
the photographers
the cake
the dj
..... and that's as far as we've got
but it's a start
View from the chapel deck
Inside the chapel
A beautiful setting for a wedding
It's going to be a busy year!
