Exquisite Wings, Birds in Flight Watercolors
It's been a long time coming, but these wings of grace are finally ready to fly....
The details of our lives are what give it, its unique flavor of wholeness. A few years ago I took a most wonderful photo workshop - which was more like an art experience - with artist Catherine Just. It’s flavor still runs deep within. When I look at my life through the lens of a certain "framing" to isolate, capture, and revel in a detail within what is the entirety of experience, it allows me a certain reverence and newness in what I see. And lately I’ve taken on some new morning meditative practices in which I open myself to experiencing this reverence simply through breath and presence.....I will circle back to sharing more this practice.
Gyms have been closed, so instead of my evening workouts, I've been walking and jogging right outside my home. And looking upwards. A lot. And noticing the changing colors, the shifting moods, the lightness of all things above us. Being in nature, simply by stepping outside the front door, gives us the pleasure and the divine gift of a limitless universe before our very beings.
A message came through to me one morning, during my practice, and that was that everything is going to be alright. In these unpredictable times, we are reminded, life is always unpredictable, is it not? But the colors of a setting sun tinting the horizon of the sky, the horizon of our life, with gold, pinks, purples, shimmering orange, reminds me of being carried. It offers us that while we are here and have been given this gift of life, in one way or another, things will be okay....and this is echoed by the sun, the moon, and the stars of creation.
I don't want my art to be or look too thought out or contrived. Instead, I enjoy the mystery of seeing what comes through in the process of approaching a blank 'canvas'. And that is exactly what happened when one morning, when carrying somewhere within me the serenity of the sky above, I simply had to put everything aside and paint. In deciding not to paint any particular subject, one was decided for me. "Exquisite wings" I now call it. Birds in flight. One and many. Having both reached somewhere blissful, and still carrying the grace and elegance of continuing their flight. Isn't this how we experience our own journey of life.
And isn't life most beautiful when we feel a certain flow or synchronicity within our days. I will offer, from experience, that this is always available to us. We experience it simply by making ourselves more receptive to it. Creating space within, in whatever way we find we are most able to.
Other details of my day to day life that am I reveling in....through my senses these days are citrus, rose, and lavender. Both in my tea, and the essential oils blends that I am making. Yes, this is a growing interest of mine, and some of the sources that are helping me with it are Shiva Rose's book, "Whole Beauty," and the educational/instructional articles offered online by Mountain Rose Herbs. If you'd like to try your hand at making your own blend, I will share my latest blend which is absolutely heavenly...and quite simple. Bergamot oil and Rose otto oil, diluted in jojoba oil. If you do try it, I'd love to hear what you think. As for the tea, its Venetian Mosaic by Caffe Florian, in Venice. A delicious black tea with lavender, and orange peel, I stock up on every now and then. I also enjoy Tulsi Rose tea steeped with a cardamom pod. And......strawberry rose yoghurt, as well as lavender blueberry yoghurt. And yes, it's as good as it sounds.
If you have any details within your day to day life that you yourself are reveling in, and would like to share, I would love to hear, if you’d like to send a message.
I have also composed a gallery of my "Exquisite Wings" collection, which can be viewed at the link below. I hope you enjoy perusing, and if any of these watercolor wings speak to the dreams of flight within you, I would love to send to you.
With colors inspired by the sky above. Raspberry and gold dipped wings, sunset and sunrise, together with the time in between. Here soft as feather, there veins of gold. Explore the new collection here.
p.s. Speaking of my love for tea, I was recently featured as a "Teafluencer" with one of my favorite tea companies, Harney and Sons Tea, where I shared my love for tea, travel, and painting watercolors on tea stained paper. It's a wonderfully delicious interview, and can be read here.