“At any time you can ask yourself: At which threshold am I now standing? At this time in my life, what am I leaving? Where am I about to enter? What is preventing me from crossing my next threshold? What gift would enable me to do it? A threshold is not a simple boundary; it is a frontier that divides two different territories, rhythms and atmospheres. Indeed, it is a lovely testimony to the fullness and integrity of an experience or a stage of life that it intensifies toward the end into a real frontier that cannot be crossed without the heart being passionately engaged and woken up. At this threshold a great complexity of emotions comes alive: confusion, fear, excitement, sadness, hope. This is one of the reasons such vital crossing were always clothed in ritual. It is wise in your own life to be able to recognize and acknowledge the key thresholds; to take your time; to feel all the varieties of presence that accrue there; to listen inward with complete attention until you hear the inner voice calling you forward. The time has come to cross.” - John O’Donohue, To Bless the Space Between Us This post is celebrating my 69th birthday! At the threshold of my seventh decade-Aging is a privilege.
0 Comments
My second grade teacher liked to ask us,
“How do you feel today, on a scale of one to ten?” Ten always meant I’m super, thank you and one was always not today, Mrs. MacAuley, not today. But I never liked numbers, they would always twist and rebel against my mind so I chose to speak in colors instead. January third – I am the color of mint chocolate chip ice cream but I’ve eaten all the chocolate chips. I am calm. February seventh – I am a bruise of blues and violets today. I think it would be best if I sat by the window. These are unhappy colors. April eleventh – I am turquoise, I am magenta, I am every color in the rainbow. April thirtieth – I am gray, I am silent. May first – I am orange, the color of melting creamsicles on a beach in July. June twelfth – I am as yellow as the school bus that will bring me home to summer. I am free. Twelve years later, I still use colors. The winter makes me feel cobalt blue, the ocean turns me a seafoam green. Violets and purples leave me uneasy and scarlet is a fever of fury. Some nights I drown in shades of navy, denim, and cornflower but other nights I meditate in forests of harlequin and shamrock. But you, you leave me a blinding white followed by a soft yellow: the color of sunlight after a period of darkness. – Kelsey Danielle, “A Diary of Colors” "Nothing can replace the power of practice and figuring yourself out. Nothing has been more rewarding than knowing I have practiced myself into my own style. Nothing has made me as proud when it comes to my art as someone saying, “I knew that was yours before I knew it was yours”. Practice and through that making lots of bad art to also make good art. “ -Jeanne Oliver “What you learn from one journey guides you to follow another, these creative processes are also exactly that. My daughter Whitney and I had a great road trip in September. Along the way we journaled, had fun drawing and end product was this up cycled journal from a kid’s book and hand crafted origami fold diary. Collaged photos. I prepare the piece in advance of the trip, and date the pages. It helps along the way to visually see how far you’ve gone, and how many days are left of your adventure. Each day we draw and journal little mini Artworks, add memorabilia picked up along the way… It all comes together as a beautiful visual memory of memories! "....when I walk into my studio I walk into me. My studio gives me permission to explore and investigate without being judged by anyone else around me. I can make mistakes without judgement, then stand back and look at my work. My studio is a special place that defines who I am as an artist. If I didn’t have a studio I don’t think I would have a soul. It is my spirit place, the place where I make. I draw inspiration from other places but this is where the real stuff happens. This studio is where I store my memories and materials. It represents my past but also defines the potential in the future as well."
- Lorna Crane Don’t Fence Me In Gene Autry lyrics –
Oh give me land lots of land under starry skies above Don't fence me in Let me ride through the wide open country that I love Don't fence me in Let me be by myself in the evenin' breeze Listen to the murmur of the cottonwood trees Send me off forever but I ask you please Don't fence me in Just turn me loose let me straddle my old saddle Underneath the western skies On my cayuse let me wander over yonder Till I see the mountains rise I want to ride to the ridge where the West commences Gaze at the moon till I lose my senses Can't look at hobbles and I can't stand fences Don't fence me in Just turn me loose let me straddle my old saddle Underneath the western skies On my cayuse let me wander over yonder Till I see the mountains rise I want to ride to the ridge where the West commences Gaze at the moon till I lose my senses Can't look at hobbles and I can't stand fences Don't fence me in. "Being in your studio working regularly allows for the work to come through. |
KTAs a working artist/retired art educator, I've always lived the artful life. Let's share! |