January 21. 2012. 05:59 PM (A Heavenly Slideshow Remix)
2011 and now 2012 promises to bring to the forefront—images and ideas for the contemplative and visionary mind.
Here is just a sample of recent work.
Music by Tomasz Bednarczyk
I Love A Place When It Becomes A Part Of Me
The memories of a place in time brings the heart such joy….
Table Rock State Park in South Carolina
waking up this morning, I could not free my self from the thoughts that surround me
like the stream that flows so fluidly
my mind embraces and caresses the rock of my salvation…
nurturing the journey within….
To The Right Side Of My Design (A Force Of Nature Remix)
A beautiful perspective just to the left of my mind….
To the right side of my design
In the evening I sometimes wonder if that walk today has yielded a new perspective.
Something I can hold onto….
Perhaps the thought that will change my life … tomorrow.
Contemplating The Beauty Of Nature And Design
An Afternoon with the beauty of nature brings the life of design to the mind….
Self portrait with nature and design
Have a great week ahead. Get out and enjoy some nature. Design something beautiful….
Asheville And Art For Cities (A Post Canvas And Paint Video Remix)
Asheville the Paris of the South….
I have had the pleasure and opportunity to travel to some rather unique cities such Paris France, Amsterdam in the Netherlands, and here in America, cities like Washington DC, NYC, and Los Angeles. In these major cities there are never a shortage of great art, fine dining, and exciting culture. The streets are always alive throughout the day and into the night.
But I have also come to love the small to medium-sized cities such as Greenville SC, Burlington VT, and my favorite Asheville, NC. Asheville is very beautiful. Bohemian and unique. It is a gay-friendly city and a haven for those who seek a more spiritual lifestyle. It is nestled in a valley surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains. It host for the visitor or long-time resident, diverse experiences to discover the world of art, theatre, music, and outdoor adventure. I simply fell in love with the city many years ago.
Here is my tribute to a great city….
Winter Fog On the Blue Ridge Parkway
On a cool, brisk Sunday afternoon the fog rose along the ridges of the Blue Ridge Mountains….
In 2012 I hope to explore in-depth various elements of video, video art, and video abstraction. There is a lot to process in the machinations of creativity, productivity and presentation. And it will certainly take a moment or two to master linking all the various social media outlets to accommodate the various video formats.
Some of the elements I will be working with are natural atmospheric landscapes, seascapes, and cityscapes. “Winter Fog On the Blue Ridge Parkway” was filmed while ascending from Asheville, NC to the higher elevations along the Blue Ridge Parkway. The mountains here are quite beautiful, even when shrouded in mist. Hope you enjoy the piece.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Simple – A Walk With Nature
I love this challenge. I wanted to somehow continue the theme of my last few posts. They have been centered around self-reflection and nature as a background. As I thought about this post, it really dawned on me how simple life becomes when we take a walk in the woods. The beautiful serenity and calm that evokes reflection; a oneness with All That Is—and a simple joy.
The woods at Lake Greenwood
Two Bikes and A Tree (A Distant Discovery Remix)
I often wonder where the path of discovery will take me….
A tale of two bikes and a tree
before the day begins
it never seems to end
the winding road
the uneasy path
has left what we hold
so dear
so far behind
because the dream we find
is no longer here….
A Tree (A Moment Before You Go Remix)
Sometimes it’s a beautiful day sitting by a tree with your thoughts in hand…
At other times it’s moments before you go at an abandoned monorail station….
You and I have been here before
distant thoughts
keep me there
where you are….
Supported reflections by the band Trouble Books and the song Abandoned Monorail Stations.
Lake Greenwood and Shore
Another beautiful afternoon at the lake, on a brisk cool day….
Our day at the lake was very memorable
“I remember a hundred lovely lakes, and recall the fragrant breath of pine and fir and cedar and poplar trees. The trail has strung upon it, as upon a thread of silk, opalescent dawns and saffron sunsets.” – Hamlin Garland
“Let yourself be open and life will be easier. A spoon of salt in a glass of water makes the water undrinkable. A spoon of salt in a lake is almost unnoticed.” – The Buddha
Weekly Photo Challenge: Peaceful 03 – Slow Creek and Trees
A lovely hike of leisure along a creek in the low-country of South Carolina….
During my 2005 artist in residency with the South Carolina State Parks, I had some time to hike and reflect. An important source of inspiration was the beautiful landscape at Barnwell State Park. Here I discovered a trail that meandered by a slow-moving creek. Trees over-hanging, and the glimpse of sunlight flickering on the water made for an exciting contemplative view.
Finding peace in nature and solitude
Life offers some very rewarding peaceful moments….
Weekly Photo Challenge: Peaceful 02 – Mountain and Sky
Just a glimpse of a peaceful moment … fleeting … mountain and sky….
Through the shadows, mountain and sky
A photograph taken while hiking in the mountains of Tennessee….
Weekly Photo Challenge: Peaceful – Lake and Sky
Moments that give us peaceful reflections are all around us….
Giulas over at the blog The Eternal Solitude of the Restless Mind says this is a wonderful prompt for the beginning of the new year. And I agree wholeheartedly. As we move forward—working hard, playing hard, and living life to the fullest, it is important to slow down and find a peaceful moment. A time out is needed. So a visit to a beautiful lake on a lovely day, can be just the ticket. It will rejuvenate the mind and body.
Hope you enjoy my visit to the lake.
Lake and sky on a beautiful day
It was a cold, brisk day but warm in statue….
Maps and Trails (Turning the Page – A Bend In the Curve Remix)
Crossing the bridge of discovery we find ourselves….
Biking to a new place
Some thoughts on ambition and the nature of Self….
How often in life we complete a task that was beyond the capability of the person we were when we started it. – Robert Brault
Ambition is not what man does… but what man would do. – Robert Browning
It is in our nature to discover things and in our will to reach them. – Walter Smith
We Can Say Things That Are Just Shadows Of Ourselves
The city series….
We are at times left behind
A shadow of ourselves
there was a photo of me
here
against the granite wall
falling
to this very day
knowing
not just a shadow now
with little to say
except
time does fly
when saying good-bye….
We Say Good-Bye To Ourselves
For you and I all that is left….
Looking out to what was
we say good-bye to ourselves
before it is too late
when you ask to know why
before the last door is shut
you smell the rose
you see the forest for the trees
lost at sea
we say good-bye to ourselves
before the next day comes
when you know the answer why
the last door can’t be found
no more pie in the sky
no more man in the moon
is it really too soon
to say good-bye
The Silence In Urban Meditation
The silence series….
Towards the inner silence of the city – urban meditation
Urban Meditation 01
Urban Meditation 02
Meditation is not a way of making your mind quiet. It is a way of entering into the quiet that is already there – buried under the 50,000 thoughts the average person thinks every day. – Deepak Chopra
In the city the choices that become attachments lead us into the noise of our thoughts….
Urban Meditation 03t
Urban Meditation 04
My meditation is without hesitation, and the marks left behind are indications of a state of oneness with my environment, my people and the universe. – Ian Factor
Somewhere in the city; in its alleys, playgrounds, parks and abandoned buildings, we find the place to know ourselves….
Urban Meditation 05
Urban Meditation 06
At the museum a troubled woman destroys a sand painting meticulously created over days by Tibetan monks. The monks are not disturbed. The work is a meditation. They simply begin again. – Susan Griffin
In the city we find the process of renewal; we simply find the quiet place….
Urban Meditation 07
Urban Meditation 08
Is there a meditation that is not the ego trying to become? Is meditation conscious if every effort implies time? – Jiddu Krishnamurti
The city offers its timeless darkness and beautiful heaven; our meditation frees us from both….
Urban Meditation 09
To meditate is to observe yourself, for you are totally responsible for your body, mind, thought. – Jiddu Krishnamurti
The city has always been a place where I could lose myself. And at times I have….
With Every Breath A New Dream Is Born (Discovery Remix 2012)
We have all the means of vast exploration and creativity inside of us….
The inward view and the outward dream
“You must not for one instant give up the effort to build new lives for yourselves. Creativity means to push open the heavy, groaning doorway to life. This is not an easy struggle. Indeed, it may be the most difficult task in the world, for opening”. – Daisaku Ikeda
Talk Amongst the Trees
To meditate in the shadow of mountain, wind and tree….
We reach the summit and find a conversation amongst the trees
If we could hear the trees converse, what would they say to us?
Weekly Photo Challenge: Between 02
Between two trees of a different kind….
Where nature and industry collide
Nature and Science….
When thinking about this photo challenge I was drawn to a question, what is the in-between space that can sustain our planet? Where does it exist, and can it be found? And what is the cost of our ignorance; of not knowing how to balance that in-between space with the complexity of our lives on planet Earth? Is the knowledge we seek, in our meditation practice, in the great institutions we build, or in our hopes and dreams? Can it be discovered in our mind’s eye, in the things we believe, or in the progress of science?
In this piece I thought about nature and technology, and how these two sources of energy interact within our lives and with the planet. How these two vital forces; the organic intelligence of nature and the welded composite structure of modern progress collide. Trees are torn down and in their place the monuments of steel rise to the heavens. Our ozone dies, we reach the stars; our rivers run black, the cities grow tall.
Nature dies.
The question is where is the balance that sustains?
I wish I knew the answers to these vital questions. Perhaps you and I, your country and mine, can one day without personal or national agenda sit down at the table and discover the answers.
For the sake our planet, it is the only in-between thing we must do….
Weekly Photo Challenge: Between
Sky and Mountain….
The space in-between sky and mountain
there are so many paths
one can take
looking inward
facing outward
where we discover
the places in-between
…the between-space
magically soothing
nurturing
quiet
…sky and mountain
and on the summit
we breathe deep
searching and finding
a place to rest
in a moment
where our thoughts
are carried off
so gently by the wind….
Urban Contemplation: 13 – The French Quarter
The city series….
There is always music in the French Quarter
A journey in the French Quarter through a landscape of sound, imagery, and fine cuisine.
At Every Corner the Noise of Our Thoughts Intersect
The city series….
Sometimes the noise of our thoughts take us places we can no longer go
Illuminating the intersections of our lives….
When you arrive naturally at a state of meditation, inspired by the View, you can remain there for a long time without any distraction or special effort. There is nothing called “meditation” to protect or sustain, for you are in the natural flow of the wisdom of Rigpa. And you realize when you are in it that is how it has always been, and is. When the wisdom of Rigpa shines, not one shadow of doubt can remain, and a deep, complete understanding arises, effortlessly and directly.
This moment is the moment of awakening. A profound sense of humor wells up from within, and you smile in amusement at how inadequate were all your former concepts and ideas about the nature of mind. – Rigpa Glimpse of the Day
Sometimes when we are distracted by the noise of our thoughts, we can look within; to the light that illuminates and frees us. Knowing that at every corner, every self examination is the opportunity to renew our perception of the world around us and the thoughts that govern our relationships. – Walter W Smith
Across the River There’s A Place Not Far From Here
The city series….
The bridge that takes us there
it’s there just beyond my reach
a bridge to cross
yesterday I am here
in a present moment
happiness
tomorrow I am there
in a dream to share
ambiguity
across the river
on either side
it’s just the same
nowhere
now
here….
a place not far from myself
n e w d i g i t a l s c a p e s 