Feeling creative...

In the town where I live there is a lovely old brick building that used to be a school at the turn of the century. Now it is the Bowman Arts Centre, where painting, pottery, stained glass, and drawing classes are held. It is filled with works of art from all these media, and there is even a dance studio where ballet and bellydancing classes are held. I went there last nigh as I have enrolled in an 8-week drawing class. It was inspiring and uplifting to begin a class that lets me tap into the creative side of my brain. After spending the past 3 years working on my doctoral degree, it was a much needed change.

It was fun to draw on paper clipped to a much-loved wooden easel. There was every imaginable type of pencil to draw with: charcoal, willow charcoal, graphite, conte crayons, colored pencils, smudgers, and even kneaded erasers to fix mistakes. I learned about white charcoal and how it can be used on colored paper. I would love to try this sometime!

We worked through lots of exercises. My drawings of my hands were rough and crude. But, I learned about outside lines and inside lines. I learned about proportion and different ways to draw. Sometimes we used ‘shape searching’, other times we used a technique where the pencil was never lifted from the page. Some exercises even included drawing without looking at the paper. The goal was to train the eye and the hand to work together. It was a terrific evening!


I am already looking forward to next week!

Feeling a little Irish today...

Feeling a little bit Irish…

Newfoundland is one of the most beautiful provinces in all of Canada. Along her coastline are soaring cliffs that offer endless views of the sea. The ceaseless tide ensures she is demurely ensconced in a frilly white petticoat where her solid rock base meets the deep blue sea. If you ever have the good luck to visit, beware! Her tides will enchant you, placing you under a spell that is impossible to shake off, and her winds will echo in your heart, no matter how long or how far away you go.

Her people have a friendliness about them that is warm and welcoming, even if you are “from away”. Their sing-song voices have an accent that is unmistakable. And their music is unforgettable. It is all at once bold, bawdy, beautiful, and unmistakeably Irish to it’s very soul. Her “East Coast” music has it’s roots in Ireland, which lies just across the Atlantic ocean to the east. Cape Spear, situated along her shores is the eastern most point of North America. It is the closest to Ireland I have ever been.

I have been to this unforgettable Rock many times, and each time it grows harder to leave. The last time I was there I took a piece of her with me. In a jar on my desk is some sand and rocks from her beaches. On my wall hangs a watercolor painting from a local artist. In my memory the salty sea air hangs, pungent and sharp. In my ears I can still hear that wonderful music. It must have been fate that compelled me to buy a bodhran on my very first trip. I fell instantly in love with her music and wanted to play a part in it. My bodhran is a work of art in itself. It is a beautiful Irish frame drum, covered in goatskin and decorated with Celtic artwork of musicians playing the harp, the fiddle, the flute, and the drum. For years I have been trying to learn how to play this drum. I am getting better, but have a long way to go. I hope that someday the drumming will be as easy as breathing.

As today is St. Patrick’s Day, I plan to celebrate in my own little way. I will put on my “East Coast” music, turn it up so it fills the room, and I will once again play my drum. I will play it loud, fast, and furious. I will play it until my wrist is sore and I can no longer sit still. As always, it will feel good to get lost in the music, if only for a little while. I will be transported back to Newfoundland, a magical place that has captured my heart and imagination.

Libra moon...

Each night before I go to bed, I take a moment to find the moon in the sky. Not only do I watch her, but I like to think she watches over me. Long ago she cast her spell on me with her rhythm and mystery. Like the never ending pull of the tides, she continues to inspire in me a sense of wonder and curiosity. Tonight there will be another glorious full moon. With a forecast of clear skies, she will light up the winter sky and shine into my bedroom, bathing it in an ethereal silver light. Everything will be transformed and will take on a look that is otherworldly; once again I will offer thanks for the eternal guardianship given by earth’s only moon.

This particular full moon is special because I learned something about myself today. The moon was in the constellation of Libra on the day I was born. Libra is represented in the stars as ‘the Scales’. Among other things, this means that the moon’s influence on my personality is such that the desire for harmonious relationships and surroundings is so strong that I avoid personal confrontations or any expression of intense, unpleasant emotions. As an idealist, living in peace and harmony with others is of paramount importance. Inwardly I am often torn with indecision and am much more at odds with myself that others would ever guess, given my relatively even disposition.

I happen to appreciate the basic tenant of astrology, the “as above, so below” influence of the planets and the stars. I count myself fortunate to be the recipient of the gifts the natal Libra moon brings to my life.

Image by Josephine Wall as featured at www.mystical-art/com

Our dreaming selves...

While reading about our dreaming selves I came across the concept of ‘dream appreciation’ which I believe is a perfect term. Less scientific than ‘dream theory’, or ‘dream analysis’ or ‘dream interpretation’. Our dreams speak the truth, uncensored. We can appreciate our dreams as one would appreciate a work of art. Our dreams are works of art, usually visual images. As a poet uses the language of metaphor, a dreamer will dream in images, an entire world of visual metaphors is created, rich and deep. Our dreams speak the truth, uncensored. Of course, these observations barely scratch the surface, but I have time to go deeper with my books. Last night there arrived in my dream in box a trio of dreams. In one of them I felt like I had fallen in love.

Here is something for you to think about: When we perceive images, independent of physical input, while awake, they are described as an hallucination. When we perceive these independent images while sleeping, they are called dreams. How strange that the perceived image can move from the ‘abnormal’ to the ‘normal’ simply as a function of one’s state of consciousness. The line indeed, is very thin…

“Dreaming permits each and every one of us to be quietly and safely insane every night of our lives.” ~William C. Dement


Image: Nap Time by Terri Windling, Endicott Studio