Sunset over Glow-Worm Pond

One of my dreams is to one day live where I can see the sun set every day.  There is something about acknowledging the end of the day by taking time to watch the sun move below the horizon that speaks to me.  It seems like a good way to be present to the passing of time and to the beauty of nature, and seems like a perfect time to give thanks for the privilege of being alive at this time and in this place.

Last weekend my husband and I were fortunate enough to be invited to visit the farm of a Joe and Hilda Madaras in Peachland, NC.  Joe and Hilda have created a beautiful haven with trails through the woods, ponds with inviting places to stop and sit, and they get to watch the sun set every day over their pond from their home.

The sunset looks different every day.  A spectacular sunset depends on clouds in the sky.  But even when there are no clouds the jewel tones water-colored across the sky make you stop and want to breathe in amazement at the art of nature.

After our walk around the farm we sat snugly inside as the sun journeyed below the horizon.  Looking through the window I was greeted by the lights of Joe and Hilda's Christmas tree reflected on the glass door adding even more magic to the end of the day.

Live Each Day as a Work of Art

"What would it be like if you lived each day, each breath, as a work of art in progress?

Imagine that you are a masterpiece unfolding, every second of every day, 

a work of art taking form with every breath.

Thomas Crum

What would you do each day if your life were a work of art in progress?  Think about it.  Because your life is a work of art.  You create your life with each breath you breathe, with every thought you think, with every action you take.

Los Dias de Los Mertos

 

I spent some time in Mexico recently and was privileged to be there for the Days of the Dead celebrations. This is an interesting celebration for someone who comes from a culture where we do not have an annual holiday that encourages us to remember and honor those close to us who have died.

The Mexicans believe that people die three deaths: The first is when our bodies cease to function; the second is when our body is returned to the ground and the third is when there is no-one left alive to remember us.

Therefore Los Dias de Los Mertos is important because it is a time for remembering friends, family and ancestors. To do this altars are prepared with photographs of loved ones, flowers, candles, favorite foods and drinks. It is a time to transform grief into acceptance and invite the spirits of those departed to return home for a few hours.

Creating my altar was a soulful experience. I placed a photograph of my father, who died when he was the age I am now, in the center. Around him I placed photographs of my grandparents. It felt very healing sitting in meditation with my memories of these people who were so important in my life.

The marigold is the most traditional flower used at this time. The fragrance of the marigolds leads the spirits home and so one creates paths of marigold petals to your front door to show the spirits where to come. I know it was comforting to me to be able to honor my ancestors in this way and to feel that they were close to me. It felt like the veil between worlds was indeed thin when I awoke in the morning and saw the sun shining through the door on the pathway of marigolds petals.

Following his Curiosity and Intuition

Steve Jobs shows us how following our curiosity and intuition and trusting what happens to us makes our lives rich and meaningful - but only after the event. At the time it can be frightening. He reminds us that our time is limited - so make sure that you love what you do and follow your heart. He says: "Have the courage to follow your heart and your intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become." And his advice to the Stanford graduates? "Stay hungry. Stay foolish." Thank you Steve for sharing from your heart and for following your intuition.

Image Mandalas

Recently I had to write a paper for my studies with Wisdom University for a workshop in which I participated called Moving Toward Wholeness.  The paper was on the work of Stan and Christina Grof and Holotrophic Breathwork.  At the end of Holotrophic Breathwork sessions participants are often asked to draw mandalas, as a way to ground the experience and express it in a non-verbal way.  According to Heita Copony in the book "Mystery of Mandalas"

“A spontaneously painted mandala might carry messages from the psyche into our conscious awareness, sometimes with a clarity that could never be produced by our ordinary consciousness.”   

Since writing this paper I have been looking for a way to create mandalas with my photographs.

This past weekend one of the talented photographers attending my photography retreat showed us the amazing mandalas she had created with her photographs. This led me on search of the internet to see if there was any easy software available to create mandalas.  I didn't find any, but I found a great tutorial which guided me in making this mandala out of an image of daisies in a glass jar. It took some time and the colors are brighter than those I usually work with (I just picked the first image that I saw on the screen to work with), but it feels like magic when you see the final result. 

I know I'll be making more mandalas.

Everyday Art Supplies

It is amazing how many art supplies you have lying around your house.  Recently I had to submit a page for a collaborative art journal with the theme of Black and White. I find the way I get inspiration for a new project is to gather up anything I find that speaks to the theme.  And this is how I discovered that I could collect plenty of black and white papers merely by collecting old security envelopes which would usually end up in the recycling box.  The insides of the envelopes are covered with many different, interesting black and white designs.  So black paper, a white pen and security envelopes allowed me to create my page for our collaborative journal.

Meinrad Craighead: Praying with Images

Meinrad Craighead: Praying with Images Preview from Amy Kellum on Vimeo.

In this extract from Meinrad Craighead's video, she says: "If I didn't paint, I wouldn't know where I was in the universe."  This really resonated with me, and is the reason I am drawn to photography.  It enables me to understand my place on this earth.  It allows me to connect with something larger which speaks to me of my relationship to the natural world and everything in it.  Creating in a mindful way is a prayer of gratitude - gratitude for the gift of our senses with which we can experience the beauty of the world.