Saturday, December 9, 2006 B
"Christmas Joy"
5:23pm
There's been all sorts of Christmas activity in town. Last night, I'd hoped to find good photo opportunities at the annual Yuma Electric Light parade. But the traffic was terrible, as no one had planned that part of it. After waiting forever at a street corner in which only our street had a stop sign, I gave up and turned right, away from where the hullabaloo was happening. Julia suggested we watch the parade on TV. Sure enough, there was live coverage of it, and most likely better views. The announcers said so many people came, they were lined up eight rows deep to see it:
Just one of the sights, rather sketchy for the TV capture...
This morning, we continued the entertainment. I was curious about the Yuma Potpourri Artists show they are having this weekend at the Fairgrounds. There's a wide variety of arts and crafts represented. One painter had a large collection of his paintings displayed. I recognized his art from displays seen at the library, very striking and colorful images. He, however, doesn't have a website. It was interesting to see how each artisan set up their tables. I tried to imagine how I would have such a table, were I to be there. Am I 'too radical' for them? I don't know.
From there, we went to the used bookshop. We spent a good bit of time there, combing the vast selections to make sure we hadn't missed anything. Two playful cats wander the grounds, and this little kitty was fascinated with Julia's purse:
Of course, by the time I got the camera out and on, he'd moved his attention elsewhere, but I did get a good shot of his expression:
Click for larger view
The shop was filled with Christmas deco, and I was amused to see Julia through one 'joyful' window:
Click for larger view
Later this afternoon, I pulled together the annual Christmas letter. I am amused that this time it came to 1237 KB, vs 198 KB for last year's letter. I couldn't resist having lots of pictures.
Rather than tax our printer, I'll go to Staples with the pdf.
Next step, addressing all those cards...
'Talk' to you later...
Sunday, December 10, 2006 A
"Fresh Air"
7:09am
The theme at Photo Friday is FRESH. I thought of the FRESH AIR we experienced on our Thanksgiving walk at West Wetlands Park:
Sunday, December 10, 2006 B
"Cute Dog"
10:29am
Here's a nice balance to my recent cat pictures.
A charming pps presentation of 'dog wisdom' a friend sent to us inspired me to draw one of the dogs:
Not knowing dog breeds very well, I asked Julia, who informed me this dog is a Bassett Hound.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
"Lily Pad Logic"
1:14am
Once again I wake at night, liking the quiet. Earlier we saw the movie, 'Scared Sacred', in which people rise above the worst situations and find hope and the courage to change their situations. It is quite moving, very rewarding to watch. Yet I notice the dichotomy of the definitions of 'darkness' and 'light', the way most people define 'darkness' as hopelessness, crushing inhumanity, etc. Well, that IS the standard definition, and I know I am quite bucking the 'standard' to come up with my own definition:
"Dark is the place where Mystery dwells. It is the place of Possibility and Potentiality. It is also the place of the Unknown. It is the quiet where I can think, where I can return to the center that is mySelf. Darkness represents the 'subconscious', for in those deep waters lie my creative powers. I experience strong emotions when I embrace Darkness, the intense desire even unto lust. But this does not become the 'lusting for results' that disables magical endeavor. Perhaps because this lust is rooted in Potential, I am not placing demands on how it will manifest. The evolution is natural and spontaneous."
Still, I see even the dictionary gives 'depth and richness' as one 'standard definition'. So there are all sorts of definitions, not just those based on a duality of 'good and evil'. And yet I am thinking I have more in common with the hairless Buddhist lady in that movie than I do with the average person on the street. Her path is different than mine, yet in some way we are both devoted to a 'willed conscious evolution'.
In contrast the average person on the street is a 'sleeper', just mechanically going through the motions of life, seeking the least
amount of thinking they can do. Why do some prefer to drink until drunk? All so they don't have to THINK much! Why do some prefer fundy religions in which rules are laid out for you, every aspect of your life? All so they don't have to THINK much!
But the road of the thinker is always paved with adventure!
As I ponder mental adventure and its possibilities, I am feeling sad that I haven't done any art recently. I crave doing it, feel somehow not fully 'alive' when not pursuing it frequently.
2:17am
And so I decided to make time for that visit with 'inner space', the way I like to do...
Lily Pad Logic
On the 'Earth pond', in the 'House of Myself'...
I, here on my lily pad, wish you well on your lily pad!
Friday, December 15, 2006
"An Art Dream"
6:20am
I wake after very vivid dreams. In it, I am creating an art piece, the image of which comes to me in my dreams. I keep struggling with it and realize it must come to fruition. It is a vertical piece, height taller than width. The image in it of peach tones, greens, yellows, blues is forgotten. Although at the dreams time there was a sense that I'd gotten the image out there, created it. Then next is a long piece, width longer than height, Three woman placed separately against a field of earth's ecological devastation, the trees are not growing, and the grass has died....
Are the three women representing 'the cosmic triad' perhaps? A Kali figure for Set???? 'Triple Goddess' gone to represent this? Anyway, the three are all separated, one is to the left, one to the middle and one to the right. Perhaps it is saying without interaction of the three, desolation results...
I am all of a struggle to get this piece out there. I am crying, 'even if no one else understands this art, I must create it, the very process of creation is redemption, I am bringing into being something _I_ need to see created.
Then next somehow that separated triad piece has been cropped to a tiny piece in the center. How? What's it represent?
Perhaps this is the effects of monotheism, seeing only a tiny crop of the whole.
After that I wake, with a feeling I need to write all this down.
Saturday, December 16, 2006 A
"Trying to Grab Ahold of a Concept"
7:51pm
Sometimes the process of trying to grab hold of a Concept does feel all disjointed...
After I drew this, feeling no more impulse to draw anything else in addition to these few lines, I first thought, "Oh that's not so good. The arms aren't even connected with the head!" But my next attempt with the 'automatic' drawing had the same theme, but very clumsy. I figured my 'subconscious' really wants to get this message across. Then I realized this drawing's very disjointed nature is part of its communication, that trying to grab hold of a concept DOES feel very disjointed.
Saturday, December 16, 2006 B
"Old Town Shop Scene"
9:43pm
Although we did go to Old Town this week to see "The Queen" (which was very good. Helen Mirrin should get an Oscar,) and do some shopping, this is a scene from a visit to Old Town two weeks ago.
I got inspired to play with 'old' pictures after looking at another's photo blog. This photographer quietly tucked a small mouth icon "Digital Darkroom Secret" in the lower right corner. Mousing over this mouth turns it red and the photo is then seen in its unaltered state.
I don't know how she did the html to make it show like that. But I can show you the transformation in my simple way.
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