Freizeit ( free time )

Vacation - n.  an intermission of activity, employment, or stated exercises, as for recreation or rest; a holiday.

Watercolor sketchbook page                                          Aug 2011 ~  eakf   

     Some thoughts on the value of spending time "unplugged". ~
By vacating "the routine" and for a time not answering to a schedule, the calender, the clock .... and having little to no connection to phone, computor, or TV, can be rehabilitating for mind, body, & spirit. It becomes a refreshing time for renewal & discovery (maybe even some re-definition too).
     At first it is a bit disorienting (kind of a withdrawal) because we are often so much more pressed into the places of our routines than we realize. But then, there is this wonderful release ( eine fliegen frei ~ a free flight ) from pressure -- like a lifting from heavy weights and growing wings at the same time.
       I spent such time this August while on vacation on Florida's East Coast. Leisure reading, sketchbooking (above page example), beach walking, along with some fine dinning marked the time. We also enjoyed 4 days of family time when our sons joined us , and tho the pace picked up - we  stayed "unplugged"with our activities.
      I am once again back into routines, work schedules, etc., but find myself able to tap into the insights gained during that centering experience to maintain some balance. Mainly, it is about releasing the inconsequential while keeping the important  as you walk through each day. So, if an opportunity opens for you to "be unplugged" for a time ~ give yourself that gift.

 "Rest is not idleness and to lie sometimes on the grass
 on a Summer Day listening to the murmur of water,
 or watching the clouds float across the sky, 
is hardly a waste of time"       ~ John Lubbock

Today is the Fall Equinox ~ a change of season ~ Happy Autumn !!!

Roots N' Shoots Color

What once was white ..... 

"Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth......" ~Budda

.....dye baths at work        2010   eakf

I find it interesting to watch how all manner of things trend & cycle. Currently, I am following the surge/expansion in Fiber Arts ~ both in how fibers & fabrics are produced, altered, or prepped, as well as how they are then incorporated into Art.
   For one thing, I am happy to see the renewed interest in using natural dyes (Earth Hues) and the integration of fibers & fabrics into innovative mixed media explorations. I like that artists (from all walks) are crossing old lines between Art categories, and continually improving/developing techniques while still preserving original foundations of same. A look at natural dyes and their history helps illustrate this nicely. (There are a number of great new books out on this)
   We know that pigments from the earth (and it's kingdoms) supplied the first "art mediums" and that over time, as now, man - the innovator - learned more &  more about culling colors from Nature's bounties. As children we all had clues to this, as we returned home with grass stained knees after a visit to the playground or berry stained fingers from a"pick your own" field adventure.
   I have enjoyed altering colors of both paper & fibers off & on over the years; most recently this past fall, when I did a unit on natural dyes at school. To watch the students react to seeing a bag of papery dry onion skins become a dye bath that turned white cloth into subtle but lovely golden to rosy hues was very rewarding. Then to incorporate those materials into an art work - even better!
   So, even if you have no desire to begin to forage & harvest roots & shoots (and petals, nuts, fruits etc) ~ next time there is a bit left in the coffee or tea pot ~ what say you put it in a container, add heavy paper or a cut of cloth & see what you get ...... then ....... see where it takes you!
   ~ and always remember ~
"As the sun colors flowers, so does Art color life"  ~ John Lubbock

Ripples & Reflections

  "A water surface of glass
    Mirrors the surround
    Stirred by a web foot"     ~ Haiku   eakf 

Reflections            Woodlands photo                   Billy '05

Time spent at a water's edge has to be one of the great pleasures. Seaside, lake or river matters not, as it is the water itself that calls us ~ like mythical sirens ~ to it's beauties & mysteries.
Water provides refreshment, recreation, relaxation (think of waterfalls or crashing wave music here), meditation, and inspiration in our leisure time.
And then there are those COLORS ! Kind of mystical because we all know that as a substance, water is clear (colorless) and yet ~ some kind of magic happens ~ some mix of elements from under it's surface and around it's shores with the addition of Solar power from above ~ and we have the awesome spectrums of jewel tone blues to greens of the Caribbean to the icy Arctic's laser bright whites, silvered grays and deep indigos.
Back to the surface, and viewing it as a canvas for contemplation, we are drawn to the beautiful water patterns made by reflections & movement. Who of us hasn't tried our hand at skipping a stone across a pond just to see the ripples & rings we create? Or watched in fascination how wildlife in & on the water interact with it's surface? Picture the Pelican soaring in V-formation over the ocean and then diving to shatter the crest of a wave or the majestic swan gliding gracefully across the lake, leaving wonderful pattern in it's wake.
So many opportunities for "Reflections" of the contemplative kind are also offered to us at a waters edge. A chance for careful consideration of things around us by gazing straight at a thought,  listening carefully, and noticing the edges & the ripples of ideas and concepts.

                    "Four ducks on a pond
                     A grass-bank beyond
                     A blue sky of spring
                  White clouds on the wing ~
          What a little thing to remember for years.."     ~ William Allingham 

Where is YOUR "Pond"? What kind of "Ripples" do you create?
Take time to sit and wonder.........

Dragonfly Power (aka The Power of Influence)

"Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may not remember; involve me and I will understand"
~ Native American Proverb

Zen Odonata    8"x8" scratchboard    eakf

Earlier this week I enjoyed the very special experience of re-connecting with a powerful influence from my past. The desire to do this began in 2007 during my 12 week journey through The Artist's Way  ( J. Cameron). In week one of this course, you are tasked to use "Time Travel" exercises to explore your past for both the positive & negative influences on you as a creative. Once identified, you are then encouraged to send a thank you note to a long-lost mentor.
OK ~ So the name instantly on top of my list was Kay Walking Stick, one of my Art professors in college. I was lucky to have Kay for more than one studio course, and from day one she was magic for me. She is of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, and her style, her Art and her heart all reflected that communion with the Spirits ...... and, like a Totem ( mine is Odonata ~ the Dragonfly), she empowered me.
She had the capacity to push & pull so much more out of me than I knew was there ( in those early days of being creative). I still often "feel" her hand literally pulling me back by the collar when I got too close to my easel and therefore fell into my intense-detailed mode (a NO NO left brain place).
    In 07, I researched to see if she still lived and where, but it was only a few days ago that I finally composed and sent her an e-mail. I had NO expectations to hear back - after all I was a student of hers 35 years ago !! Imagine my extreme delight when she answered with a lovely ( so her style ) e-mail. Oh, did I mention that over these last 35 years she earned a Doctoral degree, taught Art for 17 years at Cornell and has her Art all over the country ? This "connection exercise" has been rewarding and energizing, and I am thankful that I finally did this.

So ~ Who is in your Hall of Champions? What sources have given you creative power? I would suggest that it is time well spent to reflect a bit on this, to re-connect with positives from your past, and be in communion with the Spirit.   May the force be with you........

The Wedding of Heaven & Earth

"What ever you dream on this night will come to pass." ~ William Shakespeare  A Midsummer's Night Dream

Stonehenge @ Summer Solstice

Awed by the great power of the sun, civilizations have for centuries celebrated the first day of summer. Sol + stice from the Latin words meaning "sun" and "stand still" reflects the observation of lengthening daylight, and a big bright sun high in the sky.

Back to the idea of Primitive Wisdom ( previous post ) it is again early man who, in trying to make sense of his world, gives us interesting insights for this celestial ocurance. Ancient pagans (world wide) found this day to be a reason to celebrate ...... light, love & growth. Notable revelers in the west were the Celts, Slaves & Druids and from the east, the Chinese, each with unique festivals/ practices & rituals. Common to each, though, were the presence of big fires, dancing, garlands of flowers & herbs, and food & drink.
It was the Druids' who dubbed the day as "the Wedding of Heaven & Earth" with the most spiritual location being at Stonehenge; other pagans called the Midsummer moon the "Honey Moon" for the mead made from fermented honey that was part of wedding ceremonies performed at the Summer Solstice ( leading to todays idea of June Brides having good luck ), while across the globe, the Chinese were honoring Li, the goddess of Light. Most believed that their celebrations and the use of big bon fires would help to increase the sun's energy which was so critical to early mans survival.

So in the spirit of the day... I wish you all enlightenment, and joy and encourage you to dance or look  into the heart of a flower and appreciate the power of the sun.
~ Happy Solstice and Sweet Dreams.

Primitive Wisdom

"It came upon my mind to clear........." - Anne Gillis

Ancient Echos I ~ watercolor sketch 2011 ~ eakf

~ that to go forward we must first go back !

Why are we often drawn to the past ~ seeking to unlock the mysteries of the ancients & their ways ? What were their lives really like ? and perhaps, most importantly, how did they "make sense" of the wonders & perils of the world around them ?

  What Primitive Wisdom did they call upon ?
In researching this and drawing inspiration from the early marks of man still found (globally) etched & stained into cave walls & rock faces ~ like ancient echos ~ a new series of ATC's are now in the works.
One significant "primitive wisdom" insight for me kept emerging in the idea of "Listening Deeply".
 Seeking answers & direction in any area of one's life is all about listening deeply to ........ a higher power, our true inner selves, and the ecological web (including fellow man). So this series of ATC's, though simple & primitive, will hold that message. Have you tried your hand at ATC's yet ? Are you ready to "trade" ?  :)  Either way, I'll sign off today with another thought provoking echo from the past ~

"Wisdom begins in Wonder "  ~ Socrates

Creativity Windows

"Creativity is a lot like looking at the world through a kaleidoscope..."  
~Rosabeth Kanter

ATC's - 2011  "Nature Sings" edition         eakf

The idea of looking through; into or out of something  has always intrigued me. Physically~ windows or portals provide us these opportunities while also allowing light to pass through. Metaphorically, it is a quick step to the ideas of illumination and visualization as linked with creativity and all those times of inspiration, serendipity and "ah ha's". 
I welcome all opportunities to explore both new windows of creativity as well as revisiting those views familiar to me.
Recently I attended a demo & hands on session about ATC's ( Artist Trading Cards). This was not a new window for me as I first tried my hand at ATC's in 2007 during my 12 week study of The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. Was fun to again play with creativity in that form.
ATC's are essentially miniature Art works with the only guidelines being a standard size of  2.5 X 3.5 in. and that they are produced for personal enjoyment or "trading" with fellow artists only. Otherwise it is a wide open window. My personal preference is to work in a series and produce editions (usually sets of 12). The set featured above is from my dragonfly power series, which is nature inspired. I am also working on an edition from my coffeehouse series, which is a look at Human Nature.
Why don't you give it a try and then let me know if you wish to trade :) For sure, I encourage you to take advantage of all "Windows" in your life as to not miss any "Views" !!