Friday, September 2, 2016

Come Round the Campfire

I'm no novice at camping, but I am at building a campfire.  Took a deep breath...looked at the directions, took my ax to split the logs, built the teepee of kindling, lit, added bigger logs...



Much better than the first time three years ago.



'Smores are good, and my spirit's getting nourished even more.  Somehow, here, I'm not ashamed to set my intellect aside to become a student of my heart.  My heart's whispers - they're my weakest signal at home.  I used to hear my heart whispering and painted what I heard.  Back, as an art student, I had idealistic fervor that art could bypass anyone's prejudices and head straight to the heart.  "Here's my soul"  my art blared.

But people passed it by, so I figured i wasn't blaring it loud enough.  And since I believed good art is art that sells, and I needed to put food on my plate, I turned to making art people bought.  Until I couldn't stomach making that 'art' anymore.

Now I'm thinking "What the h***".  Let my heart's sensitivity show.  Blare what my soul whispers here:  that all hearts really beat together, beneath all the 'circumstances'.  If I ignore my fears I can glimpse this.   Here.

My muses inspire







I ran into my 'Maine' friend, the artist Elizabeth Ostrander, this afternoon.  She has a few pieces in the show opening tonight and invited me.  If there's any artist who reveals the tender soul in her work, it's Elizabeth.  I head to her show in a few minutes.

Peace in your heart.  I want her brave soul, but I'll have to find mine, instead.

8 comments:

  1. Wonderful photos for inspiration! There is something about being around water and sunsets that helps us all connect with quiet and peaceful places inside our souls.

    Interesting that you are thinking about art out there in the wilds of Maine and using your photographer's eye to capture the art of Mother Nature and of Man. Hope you enjoyed the art show.

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    1. I feel so reverential toward what I'm experiencing here. Somehow art = reverence? Way back, when I used to draw from life, I worked at a measured pace, tuning in so carefully to my subject's 'life'. It was a visual and reverential empathizing with its 'essence'. 'Course it couldn't talk back to tell me if I'd captured its essence Lol. Is this how you'd draw and paint?

      In a way, Rockman's creator, Daniel Wescott, invites us to step into his own essence. For free! Imagine the time to build a 7' tall only 1' deep. Had to work VERY carefully with the laws of nature. Even drywall rock fences are wider at the base than the top. Not Rockman!

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  2. Thank you, once again, for the glowing praise. I find it both humbling and incredibly rewarding at the same time.

    My goal with the rock man Cairns has been to add a little magic to peoples lives and two, hopefully, come back one day and find others that people have made.

    I build one of these on an island about 20 miles offshore from Rockland Maine. It's called matinicus. They've asked me to return and build a permanent one. That's very flattering and I'm going to do that next spring. I think, though, I'll build a permanent one at my house first. Know what I mean?

    I truly appreciate all the nice things that you've said about me.

    By the way, your photos are amazing.

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    1. Sorry about the typos and wrong words. Auto correct ......

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    2. If you would like to reach me directly, here is my email address: DanielWescott@ymail.com

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    3. Daniel, now that I'm back home, I take Rockman with me, in all the memories and pictures. Thanks for building it. I hope it is still there when I return next summer.

      Now...to build a permanent one, to withstand the elements AND human vandalism...that will be a fit challenge. I do want to see your progress, so thanks for your address!

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  3. I loved the Rockman from the first moment you posted him.
    Can you go back to your drawing and painting now and just do what you want? Now that you don't need the $$$ for food? I don't know. I have written a word for a children's book since Fred died. Just can't find my childhood memory muse anymore. Oh well, the genealogy writing still keeps my mind active and occupied. How I wish I were there. I so NEED a big stretch of water to look at and listening to the waves and searching the shore line for treasures.

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    1. I wish I could whisk you there, too, Judy. Next year?

      My childhood muses - mine went *poof* We find new muses, right? Yet these new muses aren't as plain to me. Yup, you can sum up this stage of my life as 'Where's Muse?' "Here, kitty, kitty!"

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