annunciation, the wait, Monotype of the Day #758

Day 26 of Year 3

All day I tried to get a good watercolor print with no luck. Mess followed mess, much of it due to technical problems. It was terribly frustrating so I went back to my friend, the ink for a few prints at the end of the day. One thing is certain, I definitely appreciate my ink a lot more! Both watercolor and acrylic have lots of possibilities so I'm going to keep at them and see what happens. For now though, I'm still in that uncomfortable in-between place waiting for my flow to return. A new wave is coming but when it will arrive is a mystery. The trick is waiting and remaining empty, holding the space for when it arrives. Waiting doesn't mean stopping work, it means not grasping and not trying to make something happen. It means putting one foot in front of the other and being present so you know when it happens. I think this print captures some of that needed inner spaciousness.

The Avowel
By Denise Levertov

As swimmers dare
to lie face to the sky
and water bears them,
as hawks rest upon air
and air sustains them,
so would I learn to attain
freefall, and float
into Creator Spirit’s deep embrace,
knowing no effort earns
that all-surrounding grace.

From The Stream and the Sapphire https://amzn.to/3a97hqO

Annunciation 2, Monotype of the Day #719

Day 349 of Year 2 (Actually Day 354)

This piece is speaking deeply to me tonight. I've paired it with a poem I love, Annunciation by Denise Levertov, about the courage to embrace and accept moments of great change in life. It's long, but worth it, the kind of poem that gives courage. xo

Annunciation
By Denise Levertov

We know the scene: the room, variously furnished,
almost always a lectern, a book; always
the tall lily.
Arrived on solemn grandeur of great wings,
the angelic ambassador, standing or hovering,
whom she acknowledges, a guest.
But we are told of meek obedience. No one mentions
courage.
The engendering Spirit
did not enter her without consent.
God waited.
She was free
to accept or to refuse, choice
integral to humanness.

____________________

Aren’t there annunciations
of one sort or another
in most lives?
Some unwillingly
undertake great destinies,
enact them in sullen pride,
uncomprehending.
More often
those moments
when roads of light and storm
open from darkness in a man or woman,
are turned away from

in dread, in a wave of weakness, in despair
and with relief.
Ordinary lives continue.
God does not smite them.
But the gates close, the pathway vanishes.
____________________

She had been a child who played, ate, slept
like any other child–but unlike others,
wept only for pity, laughed
in joy not triumph.
Compassion and intelligence
fused in her, indivisible.
Called to a destiny more momentous
than any in all of Time,
she did not quail,
only asked
a simple, ‘How can this be?’
and gravely, courteously,
took to heart the angel’s reply,
the astounding ministry she was offered:
to bear in her womb
Infinite weight and lightness; to carry
in hidden, finite inwardness,
nine months of Eternity; to contain
in slender vase of being,
the sum of power–
in narrow flesh,
the sum of light.
Then bring to birth,
push out into air, a Man-child
needing, like any other,
milk and love–
but who was God.
This was the moment no one speaks of,
when she could still refuse.
A breath unbreathed,

the spring, Monotype of the Day #708

Day 338 of Year 2 (Actually Day 343)

The fountain or spring is such a hopeful symbol, the deep and irrepressible source of creativity breaking through the hard shell of the material world. It's always there, this underground well, a gift for every human to tap. In troubling times it is great comfort to have this inner resource. Through deep listening I have found solace, nurturing, and profound connection. More and more I find my true work is listening to the tinkle and splash of this spring and then transcribing.

The Fountain
By Denise Levertov

Don’t say, don’t say there is no water
to solace the dryness at our hearts.
I have seen

the fountain springing out of the rock wall
and you drinking there. And I too
before your eyes

found footholds and climbed
to drink the cool water.

The woman of that place, shading her eyes,
frowned as she watched — but not because
she grudged the water,

only because she was waiting
to see we drank our fill and were
refreshed.

Don’t say, don’t say there is no water.
That fountain is there among its scalloped
green and gray stones,

it is still there and always there
with its quiet song and strange power
to spring in us,

up and out through the rock.
From Selected Poems https://amzn.to/2Y5nlUE

into the Light, Monotype of the Day #581

Day 211 of Year 2 (Actually Day 216)

It is really common for an artist to have an ebb after putting together a large project like a show. I knew this and planned a number of projects to keep me moving. I've embarked on all of them and things are moving forward in the studio but the flow of energy is what it is. Things fill and empty, they ripen and fall. I can not escape the cycle of life. Although planning has helped lessen my ebb, I still find the need to recharge. That means keeping up my work but being ok for now that it is floundering a bit and I'm not satisfied. Something new and mysterious (for now) is growing. My job is to refill my tank so I can pour forth creative flow again. By trusting in and accepting that this is a natural cycle, it is much easier to go though.
Technical note, tonight I started with printing small plates multiple times and then put the large plate on top. That's the reverse of my usual process. It was fun to work this way and I like the results.

"...That Passeth All Understanding"
By Denise Levertov

An awe so quiet
I don't know when it began.

A gratitude
had begun
to sing in me.

Was there
some moment
dividing
song from no song?

When does dewfall begin?

When does night
fold its arms over our hearts
to cherish them?

When is daybreak?

From Selected Poems https://amzn.to/2SpmWLn

the fountain, Monotype of the Day #507

Day 141 of Year 2 (Actually Day 142)

I've posted this poem before, but I love it and it says so much

The Fountain
By Denise Levertov

Don’t say, don’t say there is no water
to solace the dryness at our hearts.
I have seen

the fountain springing out of the rock wall
and you drinking there. And I too
before your eyes

found footholds and climbed
to drink the cool water.

The woman of that place, shading her eyes,
frowned as she watched — but not because
she grudged the water,

only because she was waiting
to see we drank our fill and were
refreshed.

Don’t say, don’t say there is no water.
That fountain is there among its scalloped
green and gray stones,

it is still there and always there
with its quiet song and strange power
to spring in us,

up and out through the rock.

From Selected Poems https://amzn.to/2Y5nlUE

the transfer, Monotype of the Day #460

Day 94 of Year 2 (Actually Day 95)

A larger sheet of paper would have been useful here. I wanted to do more with the second plate but alas, no room. Maybe tomorrow. This image was printed 3 times. 1, the hand, 2, the hand again with the left over ink from the first print, & 3, the person holding the finger. Printing is so magical, you never know exactly what anything will look like once ink hits paper. It teaches detachment. If you really love an image, it's difficult to take that leap of faith and print a second or third layer over it. So you must reserve judgment. This is one of the most important rules in the studio.

Raga
by Denise Levertov

The fluteplayer
can’t be seen to draw breath,
doesn’t even
part his lips. But music
flows from the
wooden flute, a river
of honey over-
flowing the honeycomb.

From Sands of the Well https://amzn.to/2pmQyNG (To see the bonus content posted with this on my patron page checkout www.patreon.com/sybilarchibald)

The Way, Monotype of the Day #451

Day 85 of Year 2 (Actually Day 86)

I had a lot of fun making this monotype tonight. I'm not usually aware of having fun while working, it's more of a meditative state. But I think playfulness is important. It's another way to set the ego aside and let what comes come. The second image is a picture of the plate just before I printed this image in the comments. I thought you might find it interesting. xo

What Harbinger?
By Denise Levertov

Glitter of grey
oarstrokes over
the waveless, dark,
secretive water.
A boat is moving
toward me
slowly, but who
is rowing and what
it brings I can’t
yet see.

From Sands of the Well https://amzn.to/31UnwTI

the fountain, Monotype of the Day #410

Day 45 of Year 2

I am feeling unsatisfied in the studio this week. This happens, it's part of the creative process designed to keep an artist growing. I still feel immense gratitude for each monotype that comes through and I really like this print. It's not that, it's more that making this week's prints felt too safe and easy. There is a tension between experiencing flow or being "in the zone" and the discomfort of exploring new territory and the potential for failure. The potential for failure is so important to keep the work alive and energetic. Safety is the enemy of art. Patience, I tell myself again, have faith and keep working. I am delving for the eternal fountain of creativity deep inside and those who seek will find.

The Fountain
By Denise Levertov

Don’t say, don’t say there is no water
to solace the dryness at our hearts.
I have seen

the fountain springing out of the rock wall
and you drinking there. And I too
before your eyes

found footholds and climbed
to drink the cool water.

The woman of that place, shading her eyes,
frowned as she watched — but not because
she grudged the water,

only because she was waiting
to see we drank our fill and were
refreshed.

Don’t say, don’t say there is no water.
That fountain is there among its scalloped
green and gray stones,

it is still there and always there
with its quiet song and strange power
to spring in us,

up and out through the rock

the hand, Monotype of the Day #392

Day 27 of Year 2

This one is subtle, look for the head at the bottom. It’s hard to get the detail in the photo. ...that passeth all understanding
By Denise Levertov

An awe so quiet
I don’t know when it began.

A gratitude
had begun
to sing in me.

Was there
some moment
dividing
song from no song?

When does dewfall begin?

When does night
fold its arms over our hearts
to cherish them?

When is daybreak?

at sea, Monotype of the Day #381

Experimenting with printing on multiple plates at one time. It’s a lot of fun and it’s stretching my brain in a new way which is excellent. We are here to grow. Embracing change as it naturally unfolds in our lives and, for the artist in their artwork, helps us grow. There are moments of vertigo as an artist jumps into the unknown. However, artists who have faith in the process of working know that any discomfort is temporary, the Artist (with a capital A, universal source of all creativity) will embrace us and provide. Just show up and keep on working, all will be well. Tonight’s poem expresses it perfectly...

The Avowal
By Denise Levertov

As swimmers dare
to lie face to the sky
and water bears them,
as hawks rest upon air
and air sustains them,
so would I learn to attain
free fall, and float
into Creator Spirit’s deep embrace,
knowing no effort earns
that all-surrounding grace.

help will come, Monotype of the Day #374

Day 9 of Year 2

A great studio day today. Meditation is back and it makes such a huge difference in the creative flow. I've been trapped in my head since day 365 and that blocks everything. Finally while working, I lost myself completely again. Happy dance! Things are marinating inside. I feel it, but the work goes on. I am relieved and have a great deal of gratitude for this gentle beat of work that gives rhythm to my life.

The Sea's Repeated Gesture
By Denise Levertov

Stroking its blue shore
though out the night, patient, patient
determined rhetoric that never
persuades, the rocks unwilling
to be pebbles, nights and days and
centuries passing before the pebbles
dwindle to join the sand, the sand itself
at last barring the sea's way
into the land, an island
forming from the silt. Yet still
all this night and all
the nights of our life the sea
stroking its blue shore,
patient, patient

Found, Monotype of the Day #357

I am trying to clear my mind. I have been pushing to get all my prints catalogued, my website updated (coming soon) and complete a number artistic housekeeping items. It's a different part of the brain. So tonight I thought for a brief and sublime second I had photographed every print in my studio. But then I found one I had missed and it was so disappointing. Not that it matters really because I just went to my plate a made another. I would have had all my prints photographed for a total of an hour. These silly things the mind gets fixated on! So I knew I had to recenter and connect to what really matters. I love tonight's poem. xoxo

Moments of Joy
By Denise Levertov

A scholar takes a room on the next street,
the better to concentrate on his unending work, his word,
his world. His grown children
feel bereft. He comes and goes while they sleep.
But at times it happens a son or daughter
wakes in the dark and finds him sitting
at the foot of the bed
in the old rocker: sleepless
i his old coat, gazing
into invisible distance, but clearly there to protect
as he had always done. The child springs up and flings
arms about him, presses
a cheek to his temple, taking him by surprise,
and exclaims, 'Abba!' - the old, intimate name
from the days of infancy.
And the old scholar, the father,
is deeply glad to be found.
That's how it is, Lord, sometimes:
You seek, and I find.

Alive, Monotype of the Day #342

I posted an image similar to this several months ago when I was in and out of the hospital. It was all black with a touch of blue, rather than red. (Here's the link if you'd like to see/read it https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvsvx1CDNkQ/.) That image was about being held and supported even when we don't feel it, the dark night of the soul. This image feels alive to me. It's the feeling of being okay and supported anyway and also knowing it. It's fascinating how images come up again and again but carry very different meanings. I've included some closeup details for fun 😊

Variation On A Theme By Rilke
by Denise Levertov

A certain day became a presence to me;
there it was, confronting me--a sky, air, light:
a being. And before it started to descend
from the height of noon, it leaned over
and struck my shoulder as if with
the flat of a sword, granting me
honor and a task. The day's blow
rang out, metallic--or it was I, a bell awakened,
and what I heard was my whole self
saying and singing what it knew: I can.

xoxo

the heart, Monotype of the Day #323

A quick print tonight. I've been working on more complex prints lately and that has to be balanced with gestural prints so the mind and body stay in balance. I had a lot of trouble getting down to work tonight. My day was busy and it was wonderful but there was no emptiness or down time. Emptiness is necessary so there is space for creativity to fill. Eventually I sat down and meditated and opened enough room for this image. It's a good reminder that no time is wasted for an artist. It's easy to judge ourselves for not being more productive, organized, or whatever. But periods that seem lost, boring, difficult or chaotic give internal space for roots to grow and ideas to mature. To bring forth something new, old structures need to be broken down. Doing reinforces structure, being softens it. It's a matter of trusting the process and having faith that the creative flow will carry you where you need to go. Of course where you want to go and where you need to go may not be the same place! But that is the adventure of making art.

Suspended
by Denise Levertov

I had grasped God's garment in the void
but my hand slipped
on the rich silk of it.
The 'everlasting arms' my sister loved to remeber
must have upheld my leaden weight
from falling, even so,
for though I claw at empty air and feel
nothing, no embrace,
I have not plummetted.

xo

emergent, Monotype of the Day #315

So I made a lot of truly horrendous prints tonight before I got to this one. The learning curve is steep with my new graphite ink. You might think this is funny, but making terrible prints is wonderful. It keeps you on your toes, challenges you, puts a spring in your step. Unfortunately, you really can't see the full beauty of this ink in a picture. When it's fully dry it sparkles and shimmers with a life of it's own. Which brings me back to something I've touched on before, will I let social media change the way I work so it’s more presentable online? No, I won't so you'll just have to come to my next open studio to see these pieces in person.

Variation On A Theme By Rilke
by Denise Levertov (The Book of Hours, Book I, Poem 1, Stanza 1)

A certain day became a presence to me;
there it was, confronting me -- a sky, air, light:
a being. And before it started to descend
from the height of noon, it leaned over
and struck my shoulder as if with
the flat of a sword, granting me
honor and a task. The day's blow
rang out, metallic -- or it was I, a bell awakened,
and what I heard was my whole self
saying and singing what it knew: I can.

xoxo