Wabi Sabi Moon

'Wabi Sabi Moon', Drozda 2010

pavement pattern

Today through Friday the days are referred to as the Disseminating phase. This is the sixth phase (out of the eight) that repeat month by month...moon by moon.  Now time and space become available for sharing with others, through your words and your work, what you've learned since the cycle began on May 14.

This is subtle stuff...not something that you necessarily go out of your way to do, yet as you begin to track the manner in which you move through your world you may actually notice how your creative process naturally and intuitively flows with the qualities that we touch on here. Then, if you choose, you can factor this way of using time into your studio schedule. Aligning with the organic quality of the moon's rhythm gives us an easier way to allow all situations and circumstances to gently unfold.

The focus now is on Wisdom. So you have the chance to consciously disseminate that. I'm currently reading a  marvelous book that I choose for this cycle: Joyful Wisdom  by Yongey Mingyur. Another great studio companion is The Thirteen Original Clan Mothers by Jamie Sams...rich in First Nation stories to enrich the creative walk.

On Friday we step into the Last Quarter phase and the focused monthly time that is set aside for prayerful gratitude is here. How empowering it is to be grateful for everything. What a fine exercise during this time to write out all that's come to visit since May 14 when the New Wisdom Moon began.

I wandered  a bit this week looking for simplicity and made a few additions to my Wabi Sabi portfolio:

'Wabi Sabi Sunset', Drozda 2010

pavement pattern

It was a different kind of week. It strarted, as always, in the studio.

'Tree Rings', Drozda 2010

works in process

media blend

And it's ended, after much new and different experience, with a holiday in the garden relaxing on the back porch...

'For K'

This week my bicycle and I had an adventure resulting in two broken bones This cast that will be with me for the next 6-8 weeks. Tomorrow I begin a week long residency. Hundred.s of students will join me and we'll explore the joys and wonders of working with the non dominant hand.

The Wisdom that I have acquired this month is that even a sudden accident can carry multiple silver linings. I immediately began to ask for the best outcome and it has been one demonstration after another of Merci33...thank you, All is Well.

~May you sing the days

Following the Moon

                                                                            Dreamboat #1, Drozda 2002

                                                                                                                36x36 inches

                                                                                                            Acrylic on panel

It's the Full Phase of the current moon cycle ... a fine time, each month/moon to reflect and review. Take the three day full phase, to realize that you are half way around the circle for this moon.

I'm investing in something very new this cycle: Blog Triage. I wanted to be able to look over my shoulder throughout the year ahead and see that I took a step toward learning something new and stretchy as part of my Art Life. It's been so fine. My little sweetpea brain is being challenged (hugely) and I love that... but the additional gift is the friendships with the group of  artists participating; a nurturing, stimulating bonus. Thank you Alyson and Cynthia.

How do you follow your dream of being the artist that you know yourself to be? It's a timeless question. One we come to ask in our own way... in our own time. I've reached a certain point in my life where I'm asking the question anew. I made a decision to consciously open a new door. Stepping through I began to look out ahead, to the decade before me, and ask, "What Next? What Now? What Matters?

Since 1989, after returning from an 18 week solitary retreat on a little island off the coast of North Carolina, I've engaged in reading time in a gentler cyclical pattern by following the moon. With the turning of the cycles and the seasons life takes on a gentle kinder rhythm.

The idea of becoming more intimate with the way time moves appeals to me.

While living on the island I invested my days in writing, painting and wandering. I moved easily from working in the studio to meandering through the marshes. In the early morning light I often followed deer tracks. Their soft hoof marks creating a  narrow path through the high grasses...their path stopping at the tideline. All my life I've followed deer paths. Something mysterious resonates when I see those heart shaped impressions in the earth. Yet here, at water's edge, these imprints seemed more mystical...as if these harmless creatures had strolled through the silence of the night marsh under the moonlight to come here to gaze out to sea.

In the Lakota tradition Deer represents Gentle Medicine. Deer is a totem for healing in my Art Life.

What powers and strengths assist you to be whole and centered in your Art Life?

Recovering from any type of trauma/drama requires a deep and gentle care.

There is no way to push the the healing river. Floating, rather than swimming against the current, brings repair with lasting results. Eventually it becomes possible to climb aboard a craft of our own making. I like to travel in a metaphoric mandorla boat. I have discovered that it is actually wiser, for me, to spend a good amount of time floating gently down the stream. I practice allowing my Art Life vehicle to rest in the moment as it prepares to lead me merrily to the opening of the path that lies ahead.

Did I Dream This? Drozda 2003

20x24 inches

Acrylic/found wood

A workshop presenter broke apart the lyrics for the popular Row Row Row Your Boat song. She pointed out that there are three rows and four merrilys. That is clearly the instruction to row gently down the stream. How about we stop struggling against nature. It's an exhausting up stream fight against the current.

I prefer the merrily down the stream approach... whenever possible.

~Sing the Day...merrily.

Applause applause

I love a good opening...and this evenings launch of the Virgina Beach Institute of Art had pizazz to spare.

My contribution to the state of the art street level gallery is titled 'The Wish Fulfilling Tree'. It's an unstretched canvas tapestry measuring 60 x 84 inches... the largest piece on view and you know how it feels when you see a piece of your work in just the right setting?...yeah...the gallery is beautiful and she's at home there. And in such good company; artist's invited to exhibit contributed stellar works so there is a wonderful glow in the atmosphere.

Sizzle in the Studio

It's been quite the winter in an area where we rarely see the birdbath freeze.

There was a great collection of snowmen in the paper the other day and I thought I'd share this great image.

On the art front it's been sizzling... many great projects percolating in the studio and openings galore.

There was a wonderfully attended multi-gallery opening last Sunday at the new experimental Art Space in Pembroke Mall. My work is in my friend Debi Stadlin Studio where I have one large canvas tapestry titled 'Talking to Trees', a series of mantras and three painted benches.

Tonight my large canvas titled 'The Wish Fulfilling Tree' is being shown in the inaugural exhibition at the spanking new Art/Culinary Institute here in Virginia Beach. Tonight is also the opening where I am invited guest artist in Ohio at the Tri-C/Ursuline College Art Therapy graduations exhibit and 'Simplicity Symposium'.

The opening for Shooting Star Gallery is this Friday and also the opening in Brooklyn, New York for the Art House Sketchbook #4 Project.

Sunday I'll be presenting a talk and a workshop at Unity Fellowship in Newport News.

It's such fun to simply keep on keeping on...lovin' life.

Conversation with Young Artists

I've been invited by my dear friend and artist (with food, writing, teaching and her own art) extraordinare Betsy DiJulio to visit the National Art Honor Society students at Princess Anne High School tomorrow where Betsy also teaches some very jazzed and amazingly thoughtful classes.

I'll pop in a jump drive so we can look at some images and influences. And I'll carry along some sketch books and a couple of large works on canvas.

There is nothing like having a chat about process and focus followed by Q&A with bright young adults who are walking toward the front of the living creative line.

It's going to be a terrific afternoon.

pictured here: ' The Call' Acrylic on canvas 60x60" 1987

Steps and Stages

I'm honored to be invited once again to be the guest artist at the Ursuline College Art Therapy and Counseling Department /Cuyahoga Community College Pre-Art Therapy Dept. Tenth Annual Exhibit, Lecture and workshop. This year the theme is Simplicity: Creating a Vision of Doing More with Less.

This is 72 x 44" unstretched canvas tapestry is in process. It can be seen in an earlier stage in the last post...included here are a few details.

Lately I've been inspired, in my work, to pare things down. Simplicity and simplifying are concepts that I have embraced, in terms of this artist's lifestyle, for many decades.

Even so I have not often applied the idea to my use of color. I suppose more than anything else I am a colorist. I am intoxicated by rich and layered hues. So I'm experimenting and simplifying the colors within this painting. First using a customary riot of color and then applying layers of glazes to 'fog' or quiet down the color range.

I enjoyed realizing that the planet Neptune, which is often thought of as 'a fog' is coming to kiss my sun for the one and only time in my life and, perhaps as a result, I find myself particularly enamoured these days by all things natural... when seen through a veil of mist...the idea of being cocooned and contained within fog simply thrills me.

There are two other canvas that will be traveling along with this one and hopefully they will be posted in the next few days...in bold contrast.

Thank you so much for any comments you may have regarding this unfolding.
Happy day.

Hand Painted Furniture

I bought three benches at the thrift store last week and have been giving them a new life. I believe I'll have them ready to post, in their varying stages, within the next few days.

In the meantime I walked around the house and snapped a few of the pieces that I did when I owned my gallery. The 'Water table' is a farm auction find made of wide, mismatched planks. I cut the legs down to make it a coffee table height and have used it in that fashion ever since.

The bench is a theatre seat that folds flat for storage...a fabulous design and so incredibly comfortable one could even fall asleep during a boring performance. I had about 7 of them and painted and sold them all keeping this one, that I painted with my fingerprints, as part of my collection. I still have one more unpainted one in storage and one day...

The little hall table is one of many, and during the time I was doing these lizards and frogs just kept leaping onto the surface.