illuminated, Monotype of the Day #638

Day 268 of Year 2 (Actually Day 273)

The puppy, who I love, is completely exhausting me. My tank is running low and it's taking a great deal of perseverance to keep going on this project. That's ok though. It can't always be easy or joyful. Sometimes it's just a matter of trusting that soon the tide will turn and you will be filled again. This is the way of the artist, radical trust that the moment we are in is necessary to our process though the outcome is a mystery, Every ebb has its flow and faith in this immutable cycle of life can help carry us through challenging times. My love to all those who are sick or suffering. xo

the visitor, Monotype of the Day #631

Day 261 of Year 2 (Actually Day 266)

Another very quick sketch this evening. This large moon is haunting my brain. My studio is a bit out of control at the moment. It's been several weeks without my studio assistant and I am getting down to the nitty gritty. Soon paper must be torn, mat chips cut, trash emptied and I have been spoiled rotten with help. Some things I can't so on my own so it will be interesting to see what effect this has on my work. Attachment. We get attached to things being a certain way. I am trying to let my expectations go and see what comes.

remember you are supported, Monotype of the Day #591

Day 221 of Year 2 (Actually Day 226)

It's really wonderful to work in the morning, totally renewing. I tried a new technique today, gluing a piece of acid-free white tissue paper in the shape of hand down first and then printing over it. I love the effect. Photographs never quite capture these pieces perfectly, but some prints fair better than others. This one lost detail but you can still get a feel for it. The past month or so I've been feeling a little stale with these prints. It's not that I haven't had good prints, but I need more adventure and experimentation. As someone told me today, if you are not making mistakes and messes you're not pushing yourself enough. So I'm excited to delve into this new technique and see where it takes me.

This work is paired with "Evolution & Glass" by Jane Hirshfield

from After : Poems https://amzn.to/2HLOqoF

the observer, Monotype of the Day #510

Day 144 of Year 2 (Actually Day 145)

I spent most of the day in the ER. Don't worry, I'm fine. One of the downsides of having a chronic illness is your doctors become overly cautious. After a battery of tests and a waterless day of fasting they sent me home with absolutely nothing new wrong. I arrived at my door at 12:30am. After taking a drink I headed right for the studio. I observed a lot of callousness in the ER today. It's a place filled with people wanting to help. They've devoted their lives to it and I honor them. Yet still, people are people and they get busy, they get upset, they have their judgements. It's a microcosm of the world at large. The trick to being in the ER is to not take it all personally. It's bloody freezing, your fingers are turning blue and no one remembers to bring you a blanket when you've asked. The best tactic is to watch what's happening and see yourself from above as a tiny cog or even an ant in the ER machine. If you attach to your upsets it only brings more suffering. I admit I struggled a bit with this today, more than usual, but in the end I accepted my position and left without carrying any emotional baggage. Every experience is an opportunity for spiritual training. I'm grateful for another day of learning. I'm grateful that I was still able to make my print. xo

home, Monotype of the Day #498

Day 132 of Year 2 (Actually Day 133

It's comforting to see this figure finally come to rest and stop falling. I feel at peace.

The Mystery
By Dorothy Walters
Some come at it
with weights and measures,
some waving a sieve.
Some sing to it,
ballads and carols,
hoping to coax forth
its hidden center,
unwind the sheath
of who it is.
Some tap on it,
or deal heavy blows
with hammers,
trying to smash
its thick shield,
force it to bow down.
Some seek ways to clamber in,
explore its hidden vaults
and chambers.
Some lie down beside it,
breathe its cool scent,
become its own self.

From The Ley Lines of the Soul https://amzn.to/2qtRCAl

on point, Monotype of the Day #495

Day 129 of Year 2 (Actually Day 130)

Hymn to the Nameless One
By Dorothy Walters

Now as the year swings down,
and the darkness encloses
even the smallest bird,
the largest animal,
and we too enter the hour
when everything is falling once more
into the twilight
of not knowing,
what we ask is that
you be with us,
not as a pillar of fire
nor a blaze across
the heavens,
but like water
at rest in a pitcher
which catches the morning light
and is filled
with its own radiance.

From Ley Lines of the Soul: Poems of Ecstasy and Ascension https://amzn.to/2XCnFdq

trust, Monotype of the Day #494

Day 128 of Year 2 (Actually Day 129)

I've felt a little blocked in the monotype studio lately. Mainly because I'm focused on prepping for my solo show in January. I have a limited amount of energy each day and have to be judicious about how I use it. I thought this was my major constraint, but today I realized lack of mental space is even more of an issue. The to do lists, deadlines, and anxieties were overfilling my brain. This last week, I began meditating again to reclaim and empty my mind. It feels great to have the channel open once more. Today while meditating, this image dropped in. With all the tasks to finish before my show, there is a bit of vertigo, a feeling of falling. This image is a gift from The Artist to the artist (me), to sooth and comfort. Trust the process and all will be well.

the rescue, Monotype of the Day #482

Day 118 of Year 2 (Actually Day 119)

I am rescued everyday by my work. Especially on a day like today when most of my time was spent sleeping, making my print brought meaning. Hopefully I will be fully recovered soon because there is so much to do for my show in January. I also need more time in the print studio to develop my ideas. Once again my mantra must be patience. It's easier to accept that than it used to be. Small movements forward do add up. Trust, faith, hope- I never understood the dearness of those words until recently. They are not just concepts, they are salve to the heart and grease to cogs that keep me working everyday. I am grateful for their gifts.

the handover, Monotype of the Day #467

Day 101 of Year 2 (Actually Day 102)

This piece has a lot of subtly that's hard to capture in a photo. My husband's first question was, "how will that look in a photo?" I knew it wouldn't present in it's best light, but I didn't make changes for the photo, there was no impact on my process or the end result. I consider this a victory. One of the hardest things for an artist is to hold their own voice steady, to let the inner world rule the outer and not visa versa. It's human nature to want to please and without even knowing it, an artist's practice can be subtly shaped and altered by what gets the most praise or sales. Don't get me wrong, praise and sales are wonderful! But the artistic vision and flow must come from inside. It's an awareness and a muscle that needs to be developed. This Monotype a Day project has trained that muscle in me and I am grateful.

salvation, Monotype of the Day #464

Day 98 of Year 2 (Actually Day 99)

I love this poem by Lynn Ungar so much. I marked it months ago and set it aside. Tonight after making my print, I went to the bookshelf and was magnetically drawn to this book (Bread and Other Miracles) and the page of this poem. I've learned to trust these feelings over my thoughts, they are akin to the directions I get in the studio. I am so grateful for poets and their inspiring work.

Salvation
By Lynn Ungar

By what are you saved? And how?
Saved like a bit of string,
tucked away in a drawer?
Saved like a child rushed from
a burning building, already
singed and coughing smoke?
Or are you salvaged
like a car part — the one good door
when the rest is wrecked?
Do you believe me when I say
you are neither salvaged nor saved,
but salved, anointed by gentle hands
where you are most tender?
Haven’t you seen
the way snow curls down
like a fresh sheet, how it
covers everything,
makes everything
beautiful, without exception?

From Bread and Other Miracles: https://amzn.to/2VXBUsd

the rescue, Monotype of the Day #463

Day 97 of Year 2 (Actually Day 98)

The physical nature of art materials have a large impact on the way a piece unfolds. My current black ink of choice doesn't allow the rich darks and beautiful line quality of my old ink. Because of this, I feel a bit disappointed in the results. Tomorrow, I hope to go back to this image and find that quality I am seeking. But, whether or not the piece is a success visually, it is definitely a success in shifting my internal landscape. It was born out of sitting and breathing with some fear and anxiety that were plaguing me today. The feelings have passed. I go to sleep with a clear mind and heart.

This work is paired with by "Building and Earthquake" by Jane Hirshfield

Read it here: https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.7560/723436-065/pdf

from Come Thief https://amzn.to/2Bvvya1

the artist is carried, Monotype of the Day #457

Day 91 of Year 2 (Actually Day 92)

I was thinking of many things to say about this print, but when I sat down to the computer, I realized nothing more needed to be said than the poem below. Perhaps my thoughts need another night to mature? Timing is everything. One of the greatest lessons of the studio is listening, when to wait, when to stop, and when to close the computer and call it a night! 😊 . xoxo


Effortlessly
by Mechthild of Magdeburg, Trans. Jane Hirshfield

Effortlessly,
Love flows from God into man,
Like a bird
Who rivers the air
Without moving her wings.
Thus we move in His world
One in body and soul,
Though outwardly separate in form.
As the Source strikes the note,
Humanity sings —
The Holy Spirit is our harpist,
And all strings
Which are touched in Love
Must sound.

From The Enlightened Heart: An Anthology of Sacred Poetry https://amzn.to/2VD9OlT

Helping Hand, Monotype of the Day #435

435.jpg

Day 69 of Year 2 (Actually Day 70)


I'm feeling super stressed out, so when I went to make my print tonight I had an image in mind to express that state. Instead, what came out was an image of support and gentleness. This is an example of how these prints are both an offering to viewers and an intimate conversation between myself (the artist) and The Artist (source of all creativity). I feel the support demonstrated in the print now, that energy is in me. I did however, wipe the ink on tonight instead of rolling it. That's a very satisfying physical motion that helps express the stress away. xo