I took some time for quiet. I looked around from a mountain. The mountain made me not much bigger than a mote, relatively.
I gave my attention to the wind, which took it playfully and carried it off to the clouds.
I studied the remains of things that once were very much alive and that now are art, shaped by time and the elements.
I studied them closely and found worlds there as large as the sky, full of detail, at least at this proximity.
Way up here, troubles
have small voices. Up here, the invisible can be visible. It can fill our vision if we allow it.
have small voices. Up here, the invisible can be visible. It can fill our vision if we allow it.All of this I took inside and, wrapped in the gracious hospitality of my good friend, I worked it in pencils, wood and clay.
It's sound and sane to embrace quiet. It allows things to fall silently into their places, where they make more sense.
It was a good place from which to approach Halloween. I came back down the hill and celebrated with children and candy, with greetings to others in masks. I celebrated also in a quiet inner place, where Halloween feels right and real.
Hope yours was good.
12 comments:
Lisa, I've been a quiet follower of your blog for awhile and have to let you know how much your art inspires me. I have battled depression my whole life and understand what the darkness can be like. Hang in there..
knittylynn: Thanks for speaking up. It's part of the human condition and sometimes I believe it's part of the creative hardwiring. I still deal with it, but I have better tools than I used to, for sure. The one thing I can say about me when I can't seem to say anything else is that I do hang in there. I never quit. Possibly that's because I know you're out there doing it too.
Lisa, this Poppet is beautifull. Quietly so. Beautifull.
I adore that second picture of the poppet sheltering by the tree from the wind. That would make a seriously cool card.
And quiet is good, its calming and healing. I'm doing a bit of reflecting at present as well, I need to find that tree to give me some shelter from the winds of change and turmoil. The tree that allows me to find some quiet - to reflect, to recharge, to repair and step back out to face the next thing.
Hugs
Shonna
Lisa! These are absolutely brilliant! So beautiful. You totally woke me up this morning-- there I was, just finishing my phyiscs homework, when I logged on and saw those. I'm not sleepy anymore. ^_^
oh this wee one is simply devine. the quite mysterious beauty and just a touch of melancholy offset by the darling delicately winged bird. What a beautifully balanced piece. Congrats!
I loved this post, and really related to it. I also seek solitude in the mountains, especially when I'm troubled. There is something about a few miles on the AT that makes our silly human worries so clearly insignificant... I always come back with a cleaner head.
The poppet sculpture is perfect, absolutely perfect. You've captured exactly the feeling that you describe - just looking at it brings me a tiny bit of that peace. I'm not sure if this will be a single piece or perhaps part of a series, or even if it is only for you. But if it is offered for sale I will certainly do my best to have one. I
The quiet and the stillness is good.
The Rule of St. Benedict begins: Ausculta! ("Listen!")
I did not ultimately run away and join the Zen Benedictines as I planned in college, but I'm still inspired by the strength they find in the quiet.
Wow. It's so great to hear from all of you. Things got really tough these past weeks (as if they weren't tough enough already!) and my friend Paul invited me to recooperate at his place in the mountains. He gave me plenty of space in his beautiful house and I had some alone time to cry it out. And good food and classic movies when I was through. Then I worked, walked and did some thinking in the fresh, cool air.
I never would've done the work I did without the mental break and it's greatly appreciated.
I can't stress enough to each of you how powerful stepping away can be. And I can't thank you enough for your presence. I never, ever feel completely alone.
That's real. Really, really. :-)
Absolutely gorgeous work - the fluid lines give a sense of movement and depth to the drawings, while the finished sculpture is a wonderful blend of smooth bone and textured wood. The little bird adds just the right counterpoint/focal point to the piece.
*hi-five* Take that, spencer! You GO, Lisa. ^_^
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