The Silence of an Easter morning

For me, Christmas Eves and Good Friday mornings have one thing in common. There's a silence, a peaceful silence that envelopes everything. In the preceding hours, there's a frantic rush to get to wherever people choose to spend these holidays.....and then, silence. It is quite fitting, seeing that this is exactly what the Bible tells us happened after Jesus died on the Cross. Silence. And then the earth started shaking.... It turned out to be the silence before the proverbial storm. But because of that day, we can now relish this silence and enjoy an inner everlasting peace despite our external circumstances. If we choose to believe. May this peace find you. Have a wonderful Easter everybody!

A Picture Speaks.....

I've been at a loss for words lately. So many thoughts criss-crossing like little intersecting footpaths in my mind. Each of them leaving indelible imprints on my consciousness - so many possibilities, so many options, so many probable outcomes. One thing remains certain. I choose to take the road less travelled.

Insp'i Rayyo 1

...in...spirit....in.....spire...in...spi...ration
...to infuse with enthusiasm
...en...thuse...en...Theos
...to be infused by God
...in ancient times, people chanted "Ole...ole..ole" when an artist gave an inspiring performance, according to writer Elizabeth Gilbert. It literally meant "I see God". That is exactly how I feel when I am inspired. It is to experience a glimpse of godliness in your spirit. We even have expressions in English to decribe it. We say things like, "...my spirit has been lifted...or; I feel so lighthearted..!"
Everytime I encounter something that inspires me, this is how it feels. I see a glimpse of God.

Insp'i Rayyo will be brief, flash blog entries where I share with you those things or people that give me "a glimpse of God". The word inspirayyo is Portuguese for inspiration. Such a happy word full of rhythm. You could dance and sing to the sound. Which is what inpiration does to me.

Meet Sibella Court, stylist, adventurer, hunter-gatherer of objects with stories and owner of The Society Inc. in Paddington, NSW. I just received her latest book, "Bowerbird - creating beautiful interiors with the things you collect". This is so clearly not a book commissioned by a publisher. This is a concentrate of Sibella's passion for collecting, styling and arranging handforged, found objects that she also displays in her home and in her shop. Her authenticity and enthusiasm is contagious. Beautifully photographed by her brother Chris, this book is one of my treasures.

Faces

Lately I've been focusing a lot on drawing the face. I am mesmerized by the symmetry and proportion of the human face. There's a formula to achieving these proportions and if you follow the formula, you are able to create a portrait. Not only that, but every drawing renders a different face, just by making slight changes to the shape of the eyes, the nose, the eyebrows and the mouth.

Something wonderful occurs when you start shading the face, for the human skin is able to reflect the colors of its surroundings. The real magic happens when the eyes are colored and shaded. In an instant, there is life and light and emotion. And you suddenly understand the old saying, "the eyes are the windows of the soul".

Learning, experimenting and having fun

Lately I've been having midnight (art) feasts all by myself. And lots of espressos in the mornings after! I've been binging on new techniques and I'm having so much fun in the process. Happy weekend everybody!

The little things

In our part of the world it is one of those summers where every element competes in its extremity. Sweltering heat interspersed by monsoon like rain resulting in verdant and fluorescent greens. Just when my 2 year old and I reached the point furthest from our house, down by the gate, it started showering again. We huddled underneath the branches of one of the young oak trees next to our driveway and stood there watching it all. And time stood still. And everything happened in stereo and in slow motion. There, under the outstretched arms of that oak tree. We looked up into a sea of surging sap green, pitter-patting gently as soft droplets escaped down through the swarm of tiny umbrellas. We were shrouded into our own little cathedral by soft sheaths of grey. And I realized that what I am feeling is exactly the same elation that I've experienced when I looked up into those giant Redwoods in California. There is great wonder around us! If we're willing to stand quietly, watch, listen..

Today was another hot, sunny, ice-cream-eating day. And my little girl and I did just that. I sat quietly watching her as she enjoyed the messy coolness, taking in every curve of her tiny face, her large doe-eyes, the golden curls framing her little face - the blissful abandon of just being in a tiny moment.

Serendipity ....the sequel

...so in my previous blog entry I told you about the strange chain of events around the books of dr Seuss. Well, what I omitted to tell you was that on our return flight from LA - 2 days after discovering the art gallery in Coronado with all of his paintings and original illustrations - my daughter got a little complimentary backpack and inside it we discovered snacks and....a book by dr Seuss entitled "Oh the Places you'll go!". Angels for sure.