work being finished for sept. 21

stamped discs - mjd 2013

the international day of peace approaches.

my plan was for a woven project,

but only metals could finish it off 

the way i saw it/heard it

in my head. 

the way prayer wheels are spun 

to carry the mantra out into the world,

i stamped each disc 

with something meaningful.

brass chimes - mjd 2013

i made small chimes

of shining brass 

and decided to give the elements 

a chance

of imparting their own patina.

woven peace flag - mjd 2013

a simple flag - 

with a bit of stitching

and an opening, 

that necessary opening,

to represent the wound

'where the light gets in'. 

thank you, rumi. 

the blog where projects will be shared

is as heartfelt and humble as they come. 

it isn't too late to join in

should you choose -

just send me an email 

and we'll get you set up.

or just stop in to see 

what talented souls

with peaceful hearts 

have made to honor the day.

transitions

transitions - mjd 2013

the hours

between tides

the day

between sunrises

and sets

transitions - mjd 2013

the years

between a broken branch

and a piece of driftwood

the eons

that form and shape

rock.

there is a rhythm 

to this change

that soothes the soul

and demonstrates

that every thing

every 

thing 

e

ver

y

thing

has an inherent nature

and path

that becomes apparent

when we grow quiet

and listen

to within.

a gift of growing old

is being witness

to what years 

of following your rhythm

reveals. 

in stillness

woven leaf - mjd 2013

slow down,

stop what you are doing

and take a breath.

'sit down and be quiet.

you are drunk 

and this is the edge of the roof.'

 - rumi

the situation is dire

for those unwilling 

to do the work 

of practicing awareness.

distraction lurks 

in every corner

and sits in the middle 

of every room.

but is there really any other option?

cont'd

'your task is not to seek for love, 

but merely to seek and find

all the barriers within yourself

that you have built against it.'

- rumi

(open heart)

opening

(in progress)

'your task is not to seek for love,

but merely to seek and find

all the barriers within yourself 

that you have built against it.'

- jalal ad-din rumi

perhaps with a touch of this?

hidden messages

mary jane dodd - 'portals to awakening' triptych 2011

this post is a continuation of my last... 

i find it interesting when one is guided in a project by thoughts that have so permeated your being that you don't even realize it... until you are done... 

while connected to 'nascent',  i am ready to leave it behind... i thank it for the pregnant forms and the word 'emerge' in the first piece...  

i knew this series would go further - 

'evolve' comes rising up and out of the void... the backplate is opened up so that the light may come through... 

i felt the pull to use a butterfly wing gifted to me by a friend... the word 'fly' from an antique dictionary... and at the last minute the fibers were calling - i am so grateful i decided to get up from the bench and go for a walk on the morning they did... 

the resin is filled with air bubbles in the final piece - as if these thoughts, these desires come bubbling out as you open... 

but when i began to shoot the images, to take the close up pictures, i recognized that my new word was participating as well as someone else's -  

rumi... 

'we come spinning out of nothingness, scattering stars like dust.'
(the first closed form with the spiral)


'you were born with potential
you were born with goodness and trust
you were born with ideals and dreams
you were born with greatness
you were born with wings
you are not meant for crawling, so don't.
you have wings, 
learn to use them and fly.'

(the final form)

and my word?

transcend... (yes, it has been tweaked from 'daring'... thanks to conversations with a friend)

no matter what happens with the submission to the exhibition, i am well pleased with the lessons learned in regard to craft and self... 

does your work reflect back to you things you don't realize you hold?

wishing you all abundance of love, happiness and good health in the new year... and may you always find the balance in any situation you face... 

meditating with metal

this week was all about making pieces, small and large... getting into zen mode... 

'move and the way will open.'

 ~ zen proverb

'only from the heart can you touch the sky.'
~ rumi

(obvious)

'fall down seven times
stand up eight.'
~ japanese proverb

'actions send out ripples
karma brings them back.'

working in this way can be so relaxing - trying to grab a hold of thoughts and feelings and bringing them to life... 

fulfilled

'the tangle of life begins and ends with a single thread'

we moved... 

and in the past 2.5 weeks i have:

completed and submitted 5 pieces (plus the written work and stepped out photos) for 2 publications 

completed a piece to submit to a juried show (which went in bumps and starts - design challenges were abundant)

final deadline met 5 minutes ago... 

my eyes may be bleary but i am ever so  content... 

and ever so grateful... 

'everyone has been made for some particular work,

and the desire for that work has been put in every heart.'

~ jalad ad-din rumi

hoping the challenges you faced were met with an open heart and mind... if only they could all be as easy as deadlines... 

changes

 'the ground submits to the sky and suffers whatever comes.

tell me, is the earth worse for giving in like that?'

~ rumi

as water causes reactions with the elements, creating a weathered beauty of patina and texture... so too do tears, adding depth and beauty to our souls...

~~~

tears that follow the contours of the face, 

as droplets on branches, leaves & rock faces...

leaving behind changes for better or for worse (or even just because)... 

adding the color of joy and grief to our souls... 

pressing us to gratitude for being able to feel these things at all... 

secret life of tears

'all that you think is rain is not.

behind the veil angels sometimes weep.'

~ rumi

like the rain that falls to a parched ground, nourishing the earth and bringing forth life, so too are tears... soaking into a heart that finds itself numb or disengaged, tears of joy and sorrow can bring one back to the fullness of their experience... 

the practice of openness...

as the sun set on 2010 i thought of how grateful i was for the opportunities and balance it brought... it was as difficult as it was wonderful... it was beautiful... 


i am not a resolution maker... but a friend made the fine distinction of being resolute (which i very much appreciated)... while reading new year's posts last year i noticed that some people were choosing words - i rather liked that... and so mine was 'nascent' - coming into existence; emerging... it felt right all year and still does - emerging doesn't stop - but i do feel like i got a real toe hold on who i am and what i am doing... 


so many posts were meaningful to me last year - but i have to admit that one was unforgettable... by beth hemmila  & called 'open or closed heart?' , it stuck with me all year... and it is something that i must be mindful of each and every day... 

by nan emmett of spirited earth

so my focus is upon being open... keeping an open heart... being open to opportunity... we look to a new year for a new start... but really, each day, each moment, presents this... 

'follow your bliss and the universe will open doors 

where there were only walls.'

~ joseph campbell

'only through the heart 

can you touch the sky.'

~ rumi

the time comes to fly...

this beautiful wing by barbara bechtel of floridity was gifted to me by a dear friend... 

'you were born with potential

you were born with goodness and trust

you were born with ideals and dreams

you were born with greatness

you were born with wings

you are not meant for crawling so don’t

you have wings… learn to use them and fly!'

~Rumi

when the sun, the earth, the moon and the stars align...

as you probably already know, a lunar eclipse occurred on the same night as the winter solstice early this morning...   i believe i read that this hadn't occurred in over 300 years... so we got up a couple of times to take a look... 

there really is nothing like a winter sky to begin with, but this was spectacular... the moon was aligned over orion... the universe was vast and welcoming... it once again made me feel ever so comfortably a part of something much bigger...

'sic itur ad astra'

'thus you shall go to the stars'

these are going out today to female relatives in remembrance of my grandmother and aunt - we lost them, the universe gained them... and they are missed... sapphires hang for their birthstone and for faith... 

another of those we loved joined the dance last night... the energy wrapped up in brown fur and named chuck returned to the eternal source... what a fabulous night he chose... 

here's wishing you a step up the karmic ladder - you certainly brought joy to the humans in the house... and kept the felines on their toes... 

'i died a  mineral and became a plant,

i died a plant and rose an animal, 

i died an animal and i was a man.

why should i fear?

when was i less by dying?'

~ rumi

to the bittersweet... 

from the void

'we come spinning out of nothingness,

scattering stars like dust.'

~ rumi

embrace uncertainty
inner sanctum
'luctor et emergo' - i struggle and emerge 

'why do you stay in prison

when the door is so wide open?

move outside the tangle of fear-thinking.

live in silence.'

~ rumi