Holiday Art Giveaway #3 "All is in Balance"

Christmas this year is a bit fragmented.  Due to the fact that one of my granddaughter's is having surgery in a couple of days, we are having several smaller celebrations with different groups.  Today was my birthday and also an early Christmas celebration.  It was fun and a bit hectic. I got to spend the day with my 4 little grandchildren and 3 of my 4 grown children.


Most likely we won't be gathering all together at the same time this year.  Orchestrating everything and making sure that everyone is included at some point seems a bit stressful.  It had me thinking once again about what is most important to me at this time of the year. 


I have many memories of past Christmas seasons, most of them wonderful, but also an exercise in trying to maintain balance while preparing for and celebrating a sacred time of the year.  I keep thinking that it should be easier and more peaceful.  I keep looking for that balance.  Sometimes for a moment I achieve it but most often it eludes me. 


I think this is a good week to be giving away this particular piece that Cristina and I created.  It's about finding that perfect balance within ourselves.  I hope my painting and Cristina's lovely poem bring you a sense of serenity today.

All Is in Balance

(Inspired by the painting  “She Slept Like a Log” by Holly Kallie)

The water’s current is a lullaby.

The air brushes her hair in sleep.

The wood’s grain welcomes floating dreams –

exquisite balance.

Beautiful dreamer,

with peach skin warmed by the sun,

let deep waters stir beneath you,

so that waking life may carry the torch.

With an essence so clear

that a bed of stones

reflects stardust at night,

your center shines with purpose –

a beacon to the heavens.

All is in balance

in this restful, water reverie.

With cupped hands,

carry your heart’s light

to the body’s temple,

and offer up

the balm of peace you seek –

to others.

May this lapping at the shore

of love’s haven

be our cradle.

Cristina M. R. Norcross

Copyright 2008

http://www.firkinfiction.com/

Holiday Art Giveaway #2

Artists and writers must have the desire and the courage to share who they really are in order to create something meaningful.  We put our hearts and souls into each piece, and then we send it out into the world, hoping that it will make a difference and touch others in some way.  It is even more powerful when 2 artists create something together.  This collection is very dear to my heart, and the months that Cristina and I worked, combining my artwork and her poetry will always be very special to me.
 
This painting and the following poem was inspired by my relationship with my precious granddaughter, who came to us from China when she was just a year old.  Watching her grow and experience her world gave me a new perspective on life, or perhaps helped me remember one that I had forgotten. 
She has given me the gift of seeing the world through new eyes.  Whenever I am with her, I recall the delicious wonder and curiousity of childhood.  Through her, I am able to live it again. 

Cristina has the unique ability to understand what I am trying to say with my paintings even when I can't put it into words myself.  You could say that this poem has traveled quite a distance.  From China....to my eyes, heart and hands....unto a canvas...to Cristina's eyes, heart and hands and into her words....becoming more powerful as it traveled!  It is such a beautiful journey from the other side of the world to ours and now yours.  I hope it touches your heart as much as it does mine.

Please leave a comment after the blog, and we will pick a random winner for this Poetic Captured Reflections canvas gallery wrapped print next Sunday and send it to you.

Seeing the World Through New Eyes

(Inspired by the painting by Holly Kallie)

Child of my child,

the wind is at your feet.

You touch miracles with your eyes –

show me the world again,

so that I may truly see.

Your fingers and toes explore the world

with no care for what lies ahead or behind.

For you, in this moment,

there is only sand.

I see a single finger dipping into the beach,

making a water’s edge sculpture with the fullest attention.

Childhood fascination returns,

as I put the Sunday paper down

and join you in joyful, simple pleasures.

The wonder in your smile

lights up the sky with the promise of dawn.

Nature applauds your dance of delight

with the cheering sound of waves,

rhythmically beating against the shore.

Both of your delicate, padded feet are framed

by the shape of a heart.

I make the contour larger,

drawing a message of love

right where you stand.

Seeing the world through your eyes,

I love this life even more.

Cristina M. R. Norcross

Copyright 2009

 http://www.firkinfiction.com/

Holiday Art Giveaway

I have had the good fortune to meet many creative people over the years. 
Cristina M. R. Norcross is a talented writer and beautiful bright spirit whom I have had the great fortune to collaborate with on several occasions, combining my artwork and her lyrical poetry into what we call, The Poetic Captured Reflections series. 
As artists we all feel a deep desire to express ourselves and hope to make a difference in the world in some way.  In this spirit we have decided to have a giveaway for the next 7 weeks.

Each Monday, I will be offering a different canvas print from our Poetic Captured Reflections collection.  Each giclee is gallery wrapped and ready to hang.  They are also signed by each of us and come with a certificate of authenticty.  It is our way of celebrating the gift of life, creativity, our families and friends and these beautiful holidays. 

All you have to do is comment on the blog, and we will randomly pick a winner on Sunday of each week for that particular piece and send it out to you.  We hope you will enjoy them.  They were created with much love and inspiration.  The first one is "Finding Her Treasure."  I have included the poem below that is inscribed on this piece.

Finding Her Treasure

(Inspired by the painting by Holly Kallie)

A pilgrim’s journey

of overlapping, ever increasing circles of light –

you step into the caress of summer’s awakening,

with foam surf and crystallized grains of sand.

One furtive step follows another,

until only tracings remain –

fading footprints on the beach.

You carry a collection, a treasure trove –

overflowing like the hungry tide

that washes the land clean in crescent brushstrokes.

Hidden within your heart –

the fear that nothing can contain your precious gems.

Set them free today.

Like flowers with wings,

these gifts are Love’s Light to be shared.

They take flight towards the grand horizon,

just beyond our sight.

You are the treasure,

Dear One.

You are the Light.

Cristina M. R. Norcross

Copyright 2008
http://www.firkinfiction.com/

The magic well

A well is currently being pounded into the ground at my little cottage on the lake.  Due to the close proximity of the road behind the cottage, it is being drilled a couple of feet from the corner of the cottage.  Needless to say, the noise and rattling of my dwelling is ridiculous.  After drilling down about 110 feet my Professional Well Guy has still not found water.....pretty strange since I am a few feet from a decent sized body of water.  Apparently that has nothing to do with it. 
Ten years ago, I ran off for 2 years to the mountains of New Hampshire.  I lived in a one room (off the grid) shack on stilts for 6 months while a bunch of Merry Mountain Men built my log cabin.  The well at my new property was drilled first,  because it had to be in front of the cabin.  The drilling rig would be perched in the forest on the side of the mountain.
I had a good friend, named Littlebird, living there at the time, who claimed to have intuitive powers in many areas.  That was cool with me, but I really didn't pay much attention to it, since I didn't have any real need of those kinds of services at the time.....or so I thought. 
Littlebird and I were roaming around on the future site of my cabin one day when she decided to "find" water for me.  I watched in mild amusement as she broke a Y shaped branch off a nearby tree and proceeded to wander around holding on to ends of it in her hands with one end pointed out in front of her.  After several minutes of me struggling to contain my mirth,  the stick seemed to point down to the ground rather forcibly at her feet.  I thought it was a pretty neat trick to make that stick look like it was being pulled by some invisible force down to the ground.  "Yup" she said, "there's your water!"  "Okie dokie," I smirked to myself. 
The Professional Well Guy was scheduled to come soon.  Later that day, a respectable looking, middle-aged man drove up in his pick-up truck to size up the situation and decide the most likely place for the big well-drilling rig that was arriving the next day.  I was hoping my friend would not feel too offended when the Professional Well Guy picked a different spot for the well. He stood there for several minutes and then paced around for a few more.  I could see that he was coming up with some logical and calculated conclusions as to a possible spot to start drilling for water. 

Then to my complete astonishment, he walked over to a tree and broke off a Y shaped branch.  He proceeded to wander around holding it in front of him in the same fashion as my friend had.  Since these two people had never met before, I started to pay attention.  In exactly the same spot that Littlebird had supposedly "found" water earlier in the day, my Professional Well Guy "found" it too.  At that moment it occurred to me that this was going to be my "magic well."  I guess that people think differently in that neck of the woods.  I know that my ability to believe in magic and the power of unseen forces was restored to me in that special place in the forest 10 years ago.

Sage, a Feather, and a Stone

As a mother of 4 grown children, I try with some success not to worry about them when they have problems.  I am fortunate to have children that call me and share their lives, including their hopes and fears with me on a regular basis.  I feel honored to be included in their lives this way, but it can be difficult to be supportive and positive at all times.   Today was one of those days where I needed to "do something" with my anxiety about a particular outcome one of my sons was facing. 

Having been raised a Catholic, I had plenty of ritual in my life over the years.  But at a certain point, it started to feel contrived, and I needed to move on to something that held more meaning for me.  It was the start of my spiritual journey and over several decades, I read about many different spiritual concepts.  One in particular came into my life 10 years ago, because of some lovely friends that practiced a Native American Spirituality.  We shared many wonderful full moon ceremonies, and I even attended a Native American Sundance.  It was an extremely moving experience.  Partly because of these people, I moved to the remote mountains of New Hampshire after a divorce and built a log cabin on the side of a mountain.  I spent a glorious 2 years roaming the forests, painting and enjoying the solitude. 

When I moved back, my Native American friends had all dispersed to different parts of the country.  I felt compelled to continue my spiritual quest and left my Native American period behind me. 

I have saved several precious gifts from my friends during that time.  A beautiful sacred feather, a healing stone that I found at The Sundance Ceremony, my abalone shell for burning sage, along with a small pouch of dried sage, among other lovely mementos.  

Recently I felt compelled to unpack these items, and today felt like the perfect day to hold my own little ceremony.  There is really no special way that a ceremony needs to be performed, so I just did what felt right.  It felt healing to sit by the lake, burn a little sweet smelling sage, wafting some of it out into the universe with a prayer for my son and his journey.  My smooth healing stone rested in my lap. 

This simple little "homemade" ceremony helped disperse my anxieties and enabled me to spend my day in peace.  I just received a phone call that all is well in my son's world. 

Did my ceremony make a difference for him?  I really don't know.  It did sooth my frazzled energy, so that I wasn't sending "worried vibes" his way.  Since I believe we are all connected, then perhaps sage, a feather and a stone did make a difference.

Holding My Candle

For some years now I have used the term "Captured Reflections" as a description for my paintings. Since my subject matter most often centers around women, children and water, I felt it was a nifty way to describe what I was doing.
Lately it has occurred to me that there are other things that I am drawn to, including photography of the lake, clouds and other photos of things that capture my interest.  I also feel a desire to share my thoughts or reflections about life on occasion. Perhaps I might be fortunate to capture and reflect a nugget of insight along the way.
In this world of instant communication, there is much to fuel our fears and sadness.
I hope this blog will be my way of holding a candle instead of cursing the darkness.  If we share our light, I believe that we can make a difference and illuminate that darkness. I hope that you will find something of interest or share a comment if the spirit moves you.