Thoughts Still like River Water at Dawn

A river is like a living breathing thing.  It moves, it roars, it stills and quiets like the thoughts in our mind.  This is an image of the Oswegatchie River in the Adirondacks in the early morning when it hasn't quite wakened.  The frothy swirls have gathered overnight to make this beautiful mosaic. 

 It reminds me of thoughts and activities that occurred during the day and the mind quiets and let's the thoughts gather and twist and turn slowly and naturally clumping nestling together, giving the mind a rest. 

Then the sun shines a little stronger, warmer and the quiet of the morning is broken with the first birds' songs and the whistling breeze racing through the pines like kids racing to the playground to start the day.  The river moves and the swirls untangle and start their downward trek stretching and disappearing with the bobbing ripples riding the current.  The day has begun and so has the busy bustling mind.  

Darkness to Light - Fill the Palette

Glob on The Paint to The Palette....

If ever there was a time to seek asylum from the world with art healing, it is certainly now.  A gloom has set over the world like a murky veil as if Dementors, the kind in Harry Potter have circled our skies staining it in inky black and reigning/raining despair upon humankind.

I, of course, am speaking of #ISIS.  An acronym that holds no humanity within it; these aren’t humans.  They are demons upon this earth.  The darkness preceded them with #MH370 vanishing in thin air, a mystery still unsolved. The conflict with Russia and Ukraine, Gaza and Israel, Syrian Refugee crisis and yet, another horrific plane disaster, shot from the sky was  #MH371.  And, shall we throw in a Pandemic disease with no sign of relenting? Ebola. A savage disease that has taken way too many lives with more suffering to come.  We have our own unrest right here in the USA with an economy that never recovered and a government so dysfunctional, IT needs to be impeached.  NRA, forgive me, but America is Guns Gone Wild.  Debate all you want and bow down to the Constitution, a document made during another time that resembles nothing like it is today, but America has a problem with guns.

It is hard to see the lightness and laughter right now.   Even laughter was extinguished with Robin Williams’ passing in such a distressing gut wrenching way.  I felt his pain and anguish.  If only… 

They say, “Every generation has its war.”  Can I tell you how much I hate that saying?  But it is true.  Humans are humans no matter the year.  Think of all the horrible wars over kingdoms, religions, and even Hatfields vs. McCoys.  And we have had Pandemics before, the Bubonic Plague and the Spanish Flu, for example.  What’s different, I guess, is that it feels new to me.  It feels horrible.  It feels like the walls are closing in and I am frightened. 

How many people are feeling anxious? Sad? Worried? I am sure I am not alone.  I can’t even watch the news lately, it has turned so ugly, so very ugly.

I can do the only thing that is in my control.  I can try to brighten my little sphere of life with color.

Well, this is a time when we have to work extra hard to find the light and colors of the world.  This is a time when the art community can draw together, no pun intended and spread the art joy.   Take that blank canvas and splash on the color and post it!  That art easel that has been staring at you, begging you to prop up a canvas and to create something, well,  go make it happy and USE it! 

I finally have an easel and I want to use it, but haven’t decided what to paint next.  Maybe I should just do an abstract of colors that make me happy.  When I am done, I will pass it along.

#ArtHeals

Let’s spread the colors to outshine the darkness.

My new fav show! Call The Midwife on PBS

God, I stumbled on this show twice on Channel 13, cried, laughed, cried some more.  I was so hooked with this engaging show chock full of heart, vibrant texture of life in post WWII London, historically filled with cultural milestones and characters a plenty.  It even has Miranda in it who was hilarious on a BBC sitcom titled by her name, "Miranda."  She is a fabulous actress/comedian.  Every single person in this richly packed show is deep in personality.

It is just a pleasure to watch. It is fascinating to watch the stories, how they handled emergencies in that time period and interesting to see the role of these intelligent women.  Look at them speeding along on a bicycle in the above picture?  That says a lot.  Independent.  Confident. Strong. Capable.

Can't find it anywhere.  Well, I am going to have to buy episodes online or something because I love nothing more than a good period show filled with intrigue, mystery and throw in,  of course, a little romance.

I am not the only one that fell in love with Call The Midwife.  It seems to have a following as strong as Downton Abbey. 

Watch for it next time it comes around!

Push Pause on Life. Look Out Your Window

Mindful of a Cat’s View

My cat in the window sill is like a child seeing for the very first time.  Its head twitches and reacts to whatever moves or sound it is drawn to in absolute wonderment.

I give it a try.

I look out the window and see a collage of pine needles, maple leaves green and burgandy,black lines, and brown curves of branches forever reaching outward, swirling zig-zagging dots of bugs, the hoppity hopping of birds finding the right branch and then, taking off in flight to who knows where, and the funny erratic movement of squirrels scurrying and leaping like daredevils.  The puffy white and grey clouds look bloated with rain with the tiniest patches of blue hidden beneath.

I listen.

Bachooowa. Chooow.Chooow. Chooow. A Cardinal?  Cheep.  Tweet.  A bird flits from one branch to another. Hop. Hop. It flies away. I watch until it disappears beyond the trees I can see.

Buzz. Buzz. A honey bee flies near the screen of the window.  I know this bee. It is protective of the flowers around this house.  I respect its territorial nature.

The buzzing drifts away.

To the left, a patch of young green leaves stir and sway by an invisible breeze, and then my attention is drawn to center to another patch of merlot colored leaves up high stirring them gently.

The gently massaging cool breeze reaches my face like a gentle stroke of a hand across my cheek.

Tweets. Cheeps. Trills.  Caw.  Caw.  Sounds of the suburban jungle is the background music that is massaging my soul.

Every moment is new, fresh to hear, feel and see.

Pause and look out your open window.

 

"Am I Wrong" by Nico & Vinz Hits A Nerve

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBmEJZofz2s

That's just how I feel. Trying to reach the things that I can't see.  Am I wrong?
Walk your walk and don't look back, always do what you decide
Don't let them control your life, that's just how I feel
Fight for yours and don't let go, don't let them compare you, no
Don't worry, you're not alone, that's just how we feel

So many lines of these lyrics have a yearning feeling that I can somehow relate to. I feel trapped, suppressed and want to fly.  I feel like my wings are clipped.  I so want to find my place in this life and want to find my niche, and feel proud and secure.  I want to move forward, but feel held back.  By what? By others? By my own inner demons?  The economy?  I have to be brave and take a leap, take a chance for my soul to feel free and satiated.

If one thing I know, I'll fall but I'll grow

The rhythm and the melody of the song is smooth and has a sweet almost Jamaican tempo beat that soothes me like rocking in a breezy hammock. 

It's a pleasantly haunting song.

Take a listen to the link above.
Am I wrong?

When Life Tosses You Lemons, Sometimes You Need to Squeeze Them In Someone's Eyes! What?!

Ouch! Well, sometimes you get tired of making lemonade.  You know?  Sometimes it's okay to have a bad day.  It's okay not to suck it up, man up and deal with it.  Sometimes it is perfectly okay to get angry and let it out by making a silly "meme."  I am not really going to squeeze a lemon into someone's eyes, but man, there are times, when I am being tested where insanity reigns and I don't feel so nice.  Thus, see above.

The point here is: It is okay to feel angry.  Let it out somehow and someway.  You can't keep denying how you feel. You can't keep squashing it down. We all know the saying, "This too shall pass.  It could be worse.  Make the best of it."  That is all true, but sometimes we get pushed to our limit of tolerance of toxicity and it is not okay.  As long as you deal with your anger or frustration in a healthy and harmless way. 

Acknowledge it.

"Ahhhhhhhh. I'm angry.  Take that!"  Squeeze. Squeeze.  (In my mind...)

Go for a run, play a song, doodle or scribble hard in red and black and/or  create a Meme.  It actually made me laugh out loud.  I thought I was so clever.

Hey, well, I thought it was kind of funny.  See?  Anger diminished.

I'm not a mean person.  I promise! :)

Huh. Funny, I could go for a lemonade now.

Peace!

Fell in Love with a Painting

 I remember well when I received this print as a gift for one of my birthdays by my husband.  We used to love going out to Jamesport and picking through the antique shops, but particularly one I loved that was filled with vintage prints, paintings and furniture.  The back room was filled with beautiful paintings.  They weren't cheap, so I had to just look.  I always look in Antique shops for one to pull at my heart, my soul and wait for that "I have to have that." moment.

Sometimes, nothing.  Sometimes, there is that one painting that I keep staring at.  This was one of those paintings, well, print of one.  Everything about it pulled at me.  It struck a chord, a nerve in a very good way.  Oh, how I wanted it.  It wasn't cheap for some reason.  It was something like $250.  It was probably way over priced for a print after all, but the owner wasn't pleasant at all and wanted what she wanted.  So, my husband and I left, alas, empty handed.

Geesh.  I felt broken hearted.  It is weird with art how it can really draw out emotion both positive and negative.  Someone else's creation, even.  I don't even know who the artist is, where this picture takes place.  I have clues. One she is wearing wooden clogs, which you think is Dutch, but that is not where I imagine this setting. I picture that she is French, walking a rural path in the French Countryside with her wine, baguette, a canteen of water for herself and she is enjoying herself.  This is her moment of pleasure walking the dirt path, enjoying the colorful flowers along the way and soaking in the fresh country air.  This is her quiet time, her exercise, her fresh air, her "me" time and she is serenely smiling. I bet you she looks forward to this time of day and it is a sacred routine where she experiences pure joy.

That's what this picture does for me.  My husband got that, and he had secretly made payments to the antique lady to be able to bring this beauty home for me for my birthday.  It is one of my absolute favorite paintings/print hanging in my house.

Art is Magic.

 

Side Note: May is Mental Health Awareness Month  and Art can be such a valuable & enjoyable tool to aid in stress, depression, anxiety, fear, lessen pain & expression of pent up emotion.  Use crayons if you have to  and mindlessly color 

Tweet your art to #art4mentalhealth and Share with others while enjoying others art as well

You are not alone and that is a beautiful thing.