Teach Us to Sit

"Teach Us to Sit  - acrylic, gesso and walnut ink on aquabord, 11" x 14".  Available here and at Artfinder.

Teach us to care and not to care
Teach us to sit still
Even among these rocks
              - T.S. Eliot

This quote, tucked within ​The Five Things We Cannot Change, made me chuckle.

Oh yes, I've been learning about caring and not caring, being still among the rocks and sitting with this feeling and that thought and watching without being defined by it.  And I'm learning to say yes to whatever conditions the universe presents, dropping my resistance and following the flow.  Mostly.

But I've also been teaching Wonder Mike to sit.

This really means I am teaching myself to sit among the rocks of dog training.  Patience, repetition, eye rolling (whoops!  did I say that?) and more patience.

Teach Us to Sit

It is funny to me how the universe plunks a lesson down in front of me, and then proceeds to wrap everything else around that lesson.  

Wonder Mike, on the other hand, tethered to my belt loop by a long rope which requires him to follow me everywhere and set his alpha dog aside, is quietly plotting to steal another ink pen and chew it on the rug.  Ink pens, of course, become rocks to sit still among as I am scrubbing the carpet.  

This piece, a little return to whimsy, was an experiment with the rich walnut ink used by artist Carl Stoveland in his recent series of work.  Ink requires patience (rock sitting) while it dries, even when blended with gesso and acrylic paint. But the deep, murky darks it creates are worth the wait.  Don't worry - the walnut ink is safely tucked away where my little troublemaker can't reach it. :)