- Published on
Rearranged
"Rearranged" - charcoal and pencil on toned paper, 18" x 24" "Blue" - acrylic and charcoal on paper, 11" x 14" . Ready to frame. Each available here and at Artfinder.
"Inevitably, certain experiences rearrange us."
MARK NEPO
Oh, Mark Nepo! How did you know? Rearranged. I have been rearranged. And still sorting out where the pieces fit well together.
This puddling into the new year is a bit off-putting for me. Plans? Schedules? Calendars? These have always been my crutches. They're still here, of course, but I am keeping them just out of reach. Careening through each day like a drunken bull and letting the terrain beneath my feet determine which way I will meander.
This isn't a graceful method for navigating through life. But it is something new, which leads to, well, more new things. Like an urban hike after dark with my sisters - standing on the muddy bluff of Overlook, peering down at the sparkly lights of the rail yard and the glistening Willamette river, navigating flooded back alleyways and streets. Graceful? No. Exhilarating? Yes.
"Inevitably, certain experiences rearrange us."
MARK NEPO
Oh, Mark Nepo! How did you know? Rearranged. I have been rearranged. And still sorting out where the pieces fit well together.
This puddling into the new year is a bit off-putting for me. Plans? Schedules? Calendars? These have always been my crutches. They're still here, of course, but I am keeping them just out of reach. Careening through each day like a drunken bull and letting the terrain beneath my feet determine which way I will meander.
This isn't a graceful method for navigating through life. But it is something new, which leads to, well, more new things. Like an urban hike after dark with my sisters - standing on the muddy bluff of Overlook, peering down at the sparkly lights of the rail yard and the glistening Willamette river, navigating flooded back alleyways and streets. Graceful? No. Exhilarating? Yes.
Blue
As I contemplate the muddy waters of being rearranged, seeking meaning and direction, Nepo's words whisper soothingly: "despite what we're taught, we don't have to choose between meanings. Rather, we can absorb and integrate many meanings." The world wants us to choose a direction, a meaning, a purpose, a path. But there is just this one wild life and so many meanings to choose from. I am happy to absorb and integrate them all, gathering them in baskets and boxes and with open arms and heart.
A wise Irishman once told me all of these experiences are puzzle pieces. Only I never knew the puzzle itself could change size and shape. Whoa. I'm gonna need more baskets.
A wise Irishman once told me all of these experiences are puzzle pieces. Only I never knew the puzzle itself could change size and shape. Whoa. I'm gonna need more baskets.
For those who attended my "Once Upon an Artist" demonstrations this past fall (or anyone else who is interested), Andrew Simonet, author of Making Your Life as an Artist now has a workbook you can download for FREE here. The book is also available for download. It's a little roadmap toward making your artsy dreams come true.
Fully immersed in the figure for a bit. It is luxurious to focus on just the one thing for a short time. Getting ready for seascapes in February, though! Cannot wait to see what you're working on...xo
Your 2019 posts have been resonating strongly. Something has rearranged me, and I remain in a place of ongoing rearrangement. The swirl has not settled. I find myself somewhere new, which will lead, no doubt, to more new.
Thank you for you.
More and more new...and then, some day, it will gel into its new formation. Right?