Bird Egg, Camera Walk and Haiku

Many folk tales have "within-within" imagery. For example, Russian fairy tales often involve a journey where the hero or heroine needs to find a magical object enclosed within many layers of objects or even animals. Here is Koshchey speaking, from Alexsandr Afanas'ev's collection of Slavic tales, describing to the heroine where his "death" can be found: "My death is far away. In the sea there is an island, on that island stands an oak, under the oak a coffer is buried, in the coffer is a hare, in the hare is a duck, in the duck is an egg, and in the egg is my death." This is 8 by 10 linocut, just carved and printed.


Camera Walk pictures—a one-block, half-an-hour walk.

And first haiku of summer:

Cry of the catbird
calls me back to sadhana
in the heat of May.

Cocoon: to enclose protectively

Protective layers and the mysterious metaphysical energies just below the surface!
This is a small 4 by 6 inch linocut, carved in moments of wonder and humility. : )

Rescue

In the devotional tradition (bhakti yoga), singing hymns and mantras is helpful and joyful. Bhaktivinoda Thakur, a 19th century scholar and yogi, composed many beautiful verses infused with poignant feelings. His poems often touch on the theme of entanglement in the material world.
Here is one of my favorite verses from his 24-stanza poem “Gopinath”: “”O Gopinath, after sitting down in the core of my heart and subduing my mind, please take me to You. In this way, the horrible dangers of this material world will disappear.”
My 8 by 10 linocut, just carved and printed, is called “Riding the Boat of Compassion.”
Have a great week!

Focused

I think of the owl as a master of focus. This weekend I visited a couple of Great Horned owls, nesting in a public place, and they appeared mystically unmoved by all the din around them!
This is a 11 by 11 inch oil on hard board, featuring a Barn Owl.
Have a great week!

Renewal

Hello everyone! Happy 2010!
Renewal as an organic thing, like the ripening of fruit. There really is an amazing, big plan, where the very best of us shines through. I wish you all the very best...with inspiration from the ancient seers. They remind us we are indeed something far greater and more sublime than physical and subtle matter.
This is an 8 by 10 oil. More to come in the new year!

Songs of the Right Whales

On December 5, there is a celebration at the Jacksonville Sea Pavilion; the North Atlantic Right Whales are returning! They are coming back to calve and enjoy the gentle North Florida coastline. These graceful creatures are intriguingly mysterious; looking into their eyes, as they appear on film, gives me the sense I am meeting them face to face, soul to soul. "Songs of the Right Whales," a block print, is my humble attempt to honor them.
So, if you are in the area, pop by in person! Or, if you are far away, check out www.rightwhalefestival.org
Have a great and festive week! ; )

Worn

I carved this 7 by 9 inch linocut outdoors yesterday. And still today, there are villages where every household parades beautiful, flowing washing lines. Here, where most of us have a choice (we have driers), perhaps beauty can be a trade off for the extra work. Have a great week! : )

Unfold

I have a penchant for folk portraits. This piece was painted in that spirit. It is also a meditation on unfolding processes; sometimes things are hidden even to ourselves and we have to dig deep to learn something. An 8 by 10 oil on canvas, painted in two sessions. Have a great week!