windows, Monotype of the Day #618

Day 248 of Year 2 (Actually Day 253)

Is this a sunrise or sunset? I wasn't sure until I realized it is both. One way of being is ending as another is coming into form. Now is a moment of deep surrender and trust. It is a moment of unknowing. Our old ways have, at least for the time being, come to an end. The studio teaches so much. In the studio the artist learns to let go and embrace the unknown, to let life force run through them and into the world. By doing this, the artist is changed and healed, enveloped by the greening, generative energy that undergirds all of life. What happens in the studio then spills out and effects the world. If you feel helpless think of the artist. There is little we can do right now to change the outside world. We must stay home, we must wait. But we can look inside, we can find kindness for ourselves and others, we can heal and reshape our internal world and thereby create ripples that positively effect everyone around us. We have lost a lot but all is not lost, we can still make these moments count. Sending prayers for healing and love to all those who are sick or in difficulty. xo

doorway, Monotype of the Day #617

Day 247 of Year 2 (Actually Day 252)

Today was difficult but also beautiful. The puppy we thought we were getting fell through due to virus concerns and I spent the day working out logistics for a family member who unfortunately needs to travel. But then, I took a really wonderful, reviving walk with my dear. It's a strange time in the world filled with loss but punctuated by beauty. I am learning to embrace the beauty and let go of attachments. I think this is key for getting through this tunnel we are in, this moment of unknowing. My intentions for being my best self: I will trust, I will let go, and I will remain present. My heart and prayers go out to all those who are ill. Wishing you a speedy recovery. Lots love to you. xo

looking out, Monotype of the Day #616

Day 246 of Year 2 (Actually Day 251)

Something very simple tonight. I'm connecting to a calm and peaceful internal energy while working and it's keeping me sane. I also just received a new ultramarine ink. The working properties are very different from my other inks so I'm exploring that too. Just finding normalcy where I can and looking for silver linings everywhere. I hope you are doing the same and if you can't right now that's okay too. Be kind to yourself. Sending you lots of love. xo

lake light, Monotype of the Day #615

Day 245 of Year 2 (Actually Day 250)

Making landscapes puts me in touch with the spaciousness of the inner world. I find myself making these moonlit scenes when I feel confined. A lot of us are feeling hemmed in right now, but the inner world is a beautiful resource. There is so much to explore and know inside. Let us become explorers and adventurers. The interior world is as vast as our physical confinement is small.

connected, Monotype of the Day #614

Day 244 of Year 2 (Actually Day 249)

Working felt good tonight. I'm finally back in the flow after weeks of struggle. My show was an amazing experience and when it ended that body of work came to an end too. I tried so hard to plan so I wouldn't miss a beat between my show and getting back into the studio. And I did keep working, but the energy wasn't there and I battled. I know this but wasn't listening: you have to respect the cycle and where you are in it. You can't fight the emptying of energy. If you do everything stagnates and there is no room for the new. I resisted this truth and so I struggled. Finally I just accepted that I wasn't making my best work. It was ok, just a wave I needed to ride. After a while, things began to shift and I'm renewed and excited by my work again. Lately I see many artists posting that with social distancing and the extra time, they feel they should be working but somehow can't. It's a stressful time. If you can work great, but if you can't, respect your process. Given time things will shift, your tank will fill and your time will come. Be kind to yourself and this kindness will pass onto others too.
Technical note: I used the ghost image from last night's print under tonight image. Lately I've been taking ghost prints of everything for use later. So fun!
xo

self portrait with chaos, Monotype of the Day #610

Day 240 of Year 2 (Actually Day 245)

Every few months a self portrait comes up. Sometimes they are a way of learning something new about myself, sometimes they are to relieve feelings. Tonight's piece is the latter. Although I am generally feeling calm, it's hard not to pickup on all the anxiety in the air. It's important to acknowledge and embrace whatever it is we are feeling so it doesn't overpower us. This will pass, this will pass.

Jane Hirshfield just released a stunning new book of poetry called Ledger (https://amzn.to/33nvmXF). I highly recommend it. Tonight's poem, from Ledger, is excerpted from the poem Nine Pebbles. It is a work of deep calm and stillness. It helped me to touch this energy today.

This work is paired with "Retrospective" by Jane Hirshfield

You can find it here: https://briefpoems.wordpress.com/2023/03/06/pebbles-brief-poems-by-jane-hirshfield/

from Ledger https://amzn.to/33nvmXF

march of the keyholes, Monotype of the Day #609

Day 239 of Year 2 (Actually Day 244)

Again with the keyholes! 😊 What are they all about? Symbols are complex and have many layers of meaning. Examining them is like peeling an onion and at different times, different meaning come clear. Tonight keyholes strike me as a pivot point between two worlds. There are so many doorways in life, so many times we must leave safety and be thrust into to the unknown. Keyholes promise transformation. Into even the darkest room they shed some light. We are all deep in the unknown right now, these keyhole remind me to look for signs of light.

today in keyholes, Monotype of the Day #608

Day 238 of Year 2 (Actually Day 243)

Poet Lynn Ungar posted a beautiful, comforting poem today on Facebook. Many people are scared and disturbed by the corona virus and all the cancellations and potential sickness. There is so much uncertainty and things feel out of control. I am in the high risk category, but I'm trying not to worry too much, just a little 🙂. Over all my years of dealing with illness, I've learned you can't let a possible future steal your present moment. We can’t control what events happen to us, but we can control how we chose to meet them. Ungar’s poem helped me today. I hope you find comfort in it too.


Pandemic
By Lynn Ungar

What if you thought of it
as the Jews consider the Sabbath—
the most sacred of times?
Cease from travel.
Cease from buying and selling.
Give up, just for now,
on trying to make the world
different than it is.
Sing. Pray. Touch only those
to whom you commit your life.
Center down.

And when your body has become still,
reach out with your heart.
Know that we are connected
in ways that are terrifying and beautiful.
(You could hardly deny it now.)
Know that our lives
are in one another’s hands.
(Surely, that has come clear.)
Do not reach out your hands.
Reach out your heart.
Reach out your words.
Reach out all the tendrils
of compassion that move, invisibly,
where we cannot touch.

Promise this world your love--
for better or for worse,
in sickness and in health,
so long as we all shall live. --Lynn Ungar 3/11/20

This was published on Facebook, but checkout Ungar's book Bread and Other Miracles https://amzn.to/2IDCGov

portal, Monotype of the Day #606

Day 236 of Year 2 (Actually Day 241)

Another evening of failed attempts on the etching press. But I'm really enjoying the learning curve. This monoprint is my favorite of the night. It has a lot of subtlety in color that isn't completely coming through in the photo. What I need is a full day to just play, to work, rest, absorb, and work again. Hopefully soon I'll be rested up enough to attempt this, my tank is a bit empty at the moment. Until tomorrow. xo