Inspiring interiors, rejuvenating everyday routine!

Have you ever been caught unawares by the sunlight falling over an ordinary corner of the room?  In its path of revelation, colors and shadows that you never noticed become apparent.  The air is electric with expectation and time slows down so you can drink it in. 

                 Then you wonder , which is the real place and time?   What has allowed you to notice the lively energy and vivid colors? How can you save this memory? How can you see past your daily routines, allowing light, time and space to open another view of the ordinary?

Pierre Bonnard, in the current exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, “The Late Still Lives and Interiors”, shows us the results of his attention to daily routine.  A breathtaking exhibition that brought tears to my eyes in its simplicity  and grace!  A show not to be missed! it will help you to see beyond the mundane!

interior dining room by Bonnard

dining room on the garden

Taking time to wait…

“When you come to the edge of all the light you know
and are about to drop off into the darkness of the unknown,
faith is knowing one of two things will happen:
There will be something solid to stand on
or
you will taught to fly.”

Patrick Overton

Sometimes, when I can’t decide what to paint, I just leave room for the colors to flow through me! This is good practice for my ordinary existence, everyday. It is as difficult to listen and wait in front of paper or canvas as it is as I journey through my daily activities.

heartprayer 1

It can seem like I’m just not getting anywhere, that life has presented me with so many obstacles to my original quest that and I am not even sure what is possible anymore! So I open the curtains of my soul, and let myself rest there, waiting. Then I pick up my brush or pencil and paint. Or I read the newspaper and hold images and words in my heart.

Or just wait …. and listen. There is always some kind of response to my waiting and listening if I have the patience to wait.

I don’t always make the time to wait and listen to my internal voice. Are you able to?

Taking notice of flowers…

watercolor sketch

Today, I noticed these sunflowers, the way they catch the light and how they embrace the space on my table. I made a little watercolor, 7″ x 5″. Sometimes the most ordinary elements in my life say al lot to me about light, space and time. In fact, they change every day, and how i see them changes, too. I will keep track of them as they react to the light, space and time.

<a href=”http://technorati.com/claim/5sqvj4nvns” rel=”me”>Technorati Profile</a>

Working with veiled objects

Good morning!

Just working on the concept of ordinary moments taking on greater significance as I notice and record what is in front of me. Sometimes in the translation form daily course of events,such as wrapping up a room to be painted, and drawing and painting it, I see metaphors that I was never able to articulate as clearly!

When things are wrapped together under a translucent cover, their individual detail is embraced as it becomes a part of the greater whole. An ordinary job is viewed as ethereal. Perhaps things aren’t as concrete as they first appear!

Taking time…

• 

Well it has been a day of playing with color, reading and making mini landscapes And it is all because my knee was in need of a rest. Sometimes when you slow down and focus on the now moment you can get more done and feel like you have all ofthe time in the world. I started reading a book called “finding sanctuary” by Abbot Christopher Jamison. the book inspires one to find spiritual space and peace in our everyday hectic and busy lives! Always interested in going beyond our day to day worries to the real reason of our existence, I search in books as well as in my artwork. Carpe diem!

Remembering one moment in time…

late afternoon company

It is early on a beautiful rainy day, dark and enveloping, chilly , yet I am fortunate enough to be able to wrap myself in warmth! I face the blank paper and draw out from my mind a memory of yesterday, a reflection on one small moment in time. Its importance lies in recognizing the dignity of each person and the need for allowing the spirit time and space for quietness. I am surprised at how much I actually recall! Remembering imagery and relationships between colors, shapes, lines and values seems to get better with consistent practice and and focused intention during each day. For instance, I “bookmark” key moments in my head as they happen and store them for future reference.

Art as language

Hearing Thomas Beale speak about his work at the Long Island Craft Guild last night reminded me how important it is to honor that small still voice inside of yourself. He saw something in his mind’s eye…a shape, and finally didn’t ignore it anymore, searching until he found a way to give it voice. His work is now reflecting that initiative. It evokes the concepts of patience, light and transformation.

Sometimes I will observe clothes drying on the line and see the complexity and fragility of our lives. I paint the ability to be moved by the wind and still remain whole. I encounter the utilitarian and ordinary only to realize the constant movement of light and shadow as it transmutes this moment and us in time. Suddenly, observing an image clarifies elusive concepts for me.

Has that ever happened to you?