I have been reading a lot of poetry lately. I found this great book on line that was edited by James Crews, “The Wonder of Small Things : poems of peace and renewal”. He has a whole series of titles and they really are beautifully selected and include a reflective guide and writing prompts. So lovely and also, I found, very inspiring to me.
Words have always inspired me and I often include quotes and or poems along side my work. When I first started my blog over a decade ago, I would often write poems for a painting I had just completed. I have always worked backwards in a way. I paint and then I reflect on what I was thinking while I was painting. I do not do preliminary drawings but rather listen to the painting and let it progress in a natural sort of way. Reading words and then creating something from those words absolutely freezes my creative juices. As much as I have always loved the idea of illustration or being an illustrator I don’t think my process allows that to ever be a realistic possibility.
Anyway, an ongoing theme in my life has been trying to stay in the moment and really see the world around me at the present. I am a worrier and that really makes appreciating now a chanllenge. I am always thinking the future or reliving the past. I know I am not alone and so I decided to share this poem (and my painting along side) to perhaps help you too be inspired to really stop, breathe and take in where you are in the world right now.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Love,
Maria
Some Wonder
10”x20” mix media painting on wood. This painting is available HERE
The Listening Bridge
Ingrid Groff-Madoff
When you come to the listening bridge,
you must be still there long enough
for the squirrels to sense you are no harm;
for the birds to break their silence with singing
and the fluttering of wings; and for you,
and everything around you, to stop holding its breath.
And so, sit. Rest a while.
Give some wonder to the moss and purple violets.
Turn toward the sun and feel it warm your face.
Notice the rippling current of the spring-fed stream.
Allow a sense of softness to splash and filter in.
Trade the weight of all your seriousness
for the lightness of surrender—
by which I mean faith in a Presence
lovingly wiser than your self.
Remain quiet and listen
for what the voice born of stillness
might say: perhaps, simply:
Love. Carry on. Practice kindness.
Have affection for this day.
From James Crews book The Wonder Of Small Things
The Soul That Sees Beauty
9”x12” painting on rag paper. Available HERE
“The soul that sees beauty may sometimes walk alone. “
Johann Wolfgang Von Gocethe
This one I started last week and have been letting sit for a bit. I am trying my best to keep it black and white but am adding a little bit of sparkle with gold acrylic inks. I look forward to working on her again soon.
I did this girl a little while back and she is still waiting for her forever home.
All The Small Wonders
4”x4” on wood.
"All the wonders you seek are within yourself."
Thomas Browne