Body Sequence of ‘Go Out and See’ 02 / Caving into the absolute darkness
An unearthed prehistoric stonewall some six feet high, built of rocks of
various sizes, is evidence that the cave was likely inhabited by aboriginal
people. It is unknown when the first settler entered Morril’s Cave, although it
has been written that settlers surely would have encountered the cave by the
beginning of the 1800’s. Nothing is known of the cave until it became the
property of Elias S. Worley. Locally, the cavern is often still referred to as
Worley Cave. A large amount of saltpeter was mined from the cave early in the
Civil War. A mill was operated in the early 1900’s where the stream exits at
the lower entrance of the cave. It was said that the stream’s volume was
“sufficient, even in severest drought, to turn the undershot wheel of a
large mill.”
Our journey begins on a very hot day, where the temperature outside the
cave is in the mid 90’s, however, inside the cave the temperature will stay all
year round at about 57 degrees. One of the first things we discover as we
proceed further into the cave are the beautiful rock formations and the
cloudburst that greets us as the contrasting air molecules meet and merge. There
are moments of intrepidity and excitement as we approach the day’s first big
challenge i.e. the 30 foot crawl between two rock formations. Not everyone was
willing to do it, however I jumped at the opportunity—or should I say crawled.
I love a physical challenge and the cave provided many opportunties. During the
course of our 3.5 hour journey we crawled, tunneled, climbed, waded through
water, descended and ascended nearly 180 feet while hiking 1.5 miles. We also
sat in absolute darkness. Sitting in absolute darkness with only the slight
sound of water drops was fascinating. It was quite the meditative moment. Our guide
informed us, that if you remained in this kind of darkness for 72 hours you
would become completely disoriented. After being in this kind of sensory
deprived environment for such a long time one would soon begin to hallucinate.
However, I must say that if you are a practitioner of meditation this is the
perfect setting for deep contemplation.
It was an enjoyable day for all of us on the tour. And if you are
physically able and daring, I highly recommend you try this. What do you think?
Does this sound like something you would do? Are there other challenges or
activities that you would like to conquer?
Our natural resources can provide the excitement and challenges that can
sustain the mind, body and Spirit. Go Out and See.
Art for Summer Vacations
- Art for Vacations / to journey without moving
Art for Summer Vacations
It is that time of the year when we vacation or if we have
the opportunity we “Get Out and See”. Summer
is here, and the temperature is rising. We search for that place to cool our
days and excite our senses. If we are lucky we travel to far off places and
discover ourselves anew while basking in the view of a beautiful sunrise or
sunset. We spend our afternoons lazily browsing small vintage shops, historical
sites, museums, gardens of beauty and restaurants of epicurean delights. I have
not travelled much abroad, but I am grateful to have visited both The
Netherlands and France during my 1990 group art exhibition in Deventer Holland.
These locales are wonderful places indeed, and I will never forget the
hospitality and kindness that I received throughout my journey. It is the
people that make a journey abroad so special.
Here in the states, I often carve out a weekend adventure
here or there. I enjoy outdoor activities that test my physical being, and challenge
my sense of adventure. I also like to seek out places that provide emotional
recovery through meditative contemplation and recollection. This is vital for restoration.
I feel a great vacation should always provide moments of excitement and serenity….
What do you think? Where are some of your favorite places to
vacation? What do you seek out most when planning a vacation? Is it to find
adventure or is it to just relax? Do you prefer travels abroad or weekends
close to home? Please share your thoughts.
The art work that I have included in this post, are expressions
of the theme I call “Art for Summer Vacations”. The first piece “Vacation / a
journey without moving” is a collage of photographs I took as I travelled to the
city of Amsterdam, the town of Deventer (both in The Netherlands), the shores
of Cape Cod and Nantucket, and the mountains of North Carolina. The second
image entitled “Summer and its Warm Embrace” is a journey through mountains,
lakes and trails in NC, SC and TN during
personal hikes and an artist residency provided by the South Carolina State
Parks.
- Summer and its Warm Embrace
Maybe Tomorrow a Better Possibility / Resolution and Redemption
Maybe Tomorrow a Better Possibility / Resolution and Redemption was first conceived as a collaborative project with video artist Walter Smith and fellow artist / singer / actor and friend, Ronald Freeman in 1994. The emotional impetus for the project was the ever increasing urban decay surrounding us in Philadelphia. Through substance abuse, drug warfare, and a rapid deterioration of its infrastructure, we came to see our beloved city in a struggle for survival. The original song, Hunger for Holiness, which accompanied the original video was written and sang by Ronald. The composition sought to give insight to the problems and plight of the urban construct and hope for a better tomorrow. In this remixed version, a dreamlike jazzy trance score replaces the composition to create an otherworldly sense of ambiguity, but again hope.
Maybe Tomorrow a Better Possibility / A Self Portrait of Resolution and Redemption
A Day Like No Other to Find New Memories
Morning in Charleston SC
My first visit to Charleston was in 2005 during my two-person
exhibit at the North Charleston City Gallery. It was my first time visiting the
city, and my first major exhibit in the state of South Carolina. The previous
year I had been awarded a week long artist residency at Barnwell State Park via
the South Carolina State Parks’ Artists Fellowship Program. This series created in the year
2010 is a reflection of the timeless and imaginary moments, found in the beauty of
morning, afternoon, and evening. As in my
previous posts, I am attempting to examine the relationship we have with memory
and place. I loved my visit to Charleston. I found it to be a beautiful, warm city
with great food, ambience and culture.
Afternoon in Charleston SC
A beautiful day in a new place is always an exciting moment of
exploration and renewal, and of recollection in an artist’s mind. Here as the
bright sun of the afternoon beckoned, there were shops, galleries, music halls, and
restaurants to meander lazily through. The South I found, can joyously bring out the
leisurely feeling in one’s step. But the highlight of
Charleston is the bay. Most of the area is filled with historic monuments. The
bay is expansive and walking next to the waves crashing on the sea wall was
exhilarating. It can be a beautiful afternoon of discovery indeed.
Evening in Charleston SC
As the afternoon turned to dusk, evening slowly approached. And in
that serene backdrop of the setting sun, there were floating memories of
friends, family and beautiful times gone by. The memories moved through the
color of evening and I found the night full of waking dreams.
Then and now I trust in the mystery of the day.
Where are the places that you visited for the first time
that has left lasting memories? What do you love about exploring new places? Do
you associate certain moments in your life, or loved ones with those places? If
so, please do share.
The Pier and the Flower in Meditation
Above the shifting tides we stand upon the pier
This past week I have been seeing an image in my mind’s eye.
It is a beautiful, contemplative piece by artist and fellow blogger Leslee
Hare. The title of the work is Inner and Outer Tornadoes. I do recommend you
check out her blog and all of her posts. Needless to say, the atmospheric feeling
in the digital filtering of blue layers, along with her prose, were so
inspiring that it led me to this piece….
The Pier and the Flower in Meditation
I wanted to convey something that was similar to Leslee’s
piece. I wanted soft layering and an organic feeling, if not totally atmospheric.
But more importantly I wanted to reflect on the “cleansing” process that she
spoke of in reference to tornadoes. In my work, I see the pier as an opportunity
to step out into the unknown—above the waters of our fears and shifting emotional
tides.
What elemental forces or structural constructs give you
pause? What questions arise, what “pier” do you stand upon in meditation as you
face the reflection of your thoughts and emotions?
The Conscious Light that Illuminates the Darkness of the Mind
Sunrise and the pier 2009
Waking up early during the summer of 2009, there was a
pervading need to see the sunrise. It was still dark, as the consciousness in
waking slowly came into being. In anticipation of a beautiful moment in time, I
found myself rushing to meet the light. Standing upon the pier, I witnessed the
beginning of a new day.
The mind has an opportunity to wake to a new consciousness
as well. Every day the mind finds itself surrounded in thinking and perpetual
thought. As I stood on the edge of the pier, watching the darkness fade away, I
was reminded of the beauty that is the Light that takes away all darkness. In
that moment, my mind felt the Light of Awareness as it responded to the ever
approaching rays of sunshine.
I stood quietly in a meditative state.
Sunrise and meditation 2009
Ever increasing awareness is obtained as the illumination in
the power of light over shadows the darkness of the mind.
Do you find moments in nature that like a sunrise brings a
greater sense of awareness? Does it provide a greater feeling of peace with
oneself and of knowing who you really are? Many of the great gurus of our time
have taught how important it is to find the path to greater self awareness and
knowing….
“Through the mind and intellect, consciousness is divided
into I and other. I am on one side, and
the world is on the other. Light is on this side and the other side is dark”.
The Direct Experience of Truth
From the Discourses of Swami Parmanandji Maharaj
Final meditation 2009
In the Reflective Mirror / Various Artistic Influences 02: Music Playlist
10. 13. 2010 6:49 a.m. Post Canvas and Paint series
In continuing the theme of various artistic influences, I
need to first address the musical aspect of the reflective mirror of my
creative journey past and present. These
posts are simple playlists of music from the past and present that have had
significant influence on my art. In doing these musical playlists and
reviews (some of the reviews are by music critics and fans of the artists), I
hope to introduce my readers to new and exciting music.
- CD: Xerrox Vol. 2 – Alva Noto (Carsten Nicolai):
released Dec 01 2008, Genre Electronic
Reproduction, alteration and decay are the main focuses of
Alva Noto’s Xerrox series: the music consists of samples altered by inserting
noise through several rounds of copying. The resulting tracks seem to atomizing be
before your ears, with an occasional effort to coalesce. Where Vol. 1 offered a
sequence of alternating short raw pieces and mid-length ambient tracks, Vol. 2
presents itself as a more even and almost continuous suite of pieces. Vol. 1
was subtitled “Old World”, this one is “To the New World”, but the meaning of
those subtitles remain obscure and might very well be restricted to the
geographical origins of the samples (provided this time around by Stephen O”Malley,
Michael Nyman and Ryuichi Sakamoto). You can either study the copying/decaying
processes used by Carsten Nicolai, or simply dive into this soundworld of
gritty textures, glitch pulses, and skeletal pieces whiteout melodies.
~ Francois Couture, Rovi
I find Alva Noto solo works, and his collaborations with
Ryuichi Sakamoto to be quite beautiful. The technical production quality is
incredibly intricate and well mastered. The music transports you to a world of
micro-tonal sound that envelops and loops itself almost to noise, while
sustaining the mood of silence and space.
Each post under this musical series is accompanied by an image
from my Post Canvas and Paint series. I feel that this particular style of
Electronic music, both the earlier analog space music and the present digital
IDM lends itself quite well to the style of work in the Post Canvas and Paint series.
A Mysterious Thing … The Photograph of a Place in Time
Biking around Lake Junaluska, Maggie Valley, North Carolina
It was a golden morning and a beautiful start to the day. It was a Monday and there was a
chill in the air as the cold wind made its way down the mountain and across the
lake. I’ve always been mesmerized by beautiful seascapes and landscapes—where
water, mountain and sky meet. Drawn to their spiritual vastness, I sometimes
find (if it’s a good day) revelation and beauty, hidden…deep inside the
soul. When transfixed by such a mysterious place—we question its magnitude.
In-turn, we can at times find our very own inadequacies. We come to know our fears and our doubts. Usually
if I attempt to elevate myself, with pride—by thinking: I can do this…or I can do that—whatever the
thoughts may be, I then know I am no longer centered.
It is a golden morning and a beautiful start to the day. It is early April 2011 and spring is
on its way. There is anticipation and a longing for the discovery of beauty and
the Self in recollection. I am still mesmerized by beautiful seascapes and
landscapes—where water, mountain and sky meet. There is a planetary energy, a
Consciousness that lifts my Spirit. Transfixed I find it is a mysterious thing—the
photograph of a place in time. I remember the beauty of the moment and my
present fears and doubts are washed away. I will elevate myself today, with joy—by
thinking: I can do this…and I can do that—whatever the dreams may be.
It is April and it is spring and all the growth of my soul and Spirit is before me.
If you have a photograph of a place in time that transcends your life experience, embrace it and share it with others.
Namaste
Last Night a Dream and a Celebrated Life Deeply Loved.
A dream can be like a blooming rose touching all our senses.
Several nights, in the last two weeks, I have dreamt of loved ones whom have passed on. And still their love remains. My daughter and my mother came to me and shared their life energy and love with me. They brought moments that had been forgotten and weaved them with the essence of my own thoughts, perceptions, and desires. Dreams always seem to be about people, places and life’s moments intertwined. There are waves of reality, sometimes in a surrealistic manner, merging us with the floods of memories, emotions and deep aspirations. We at times never want to wake up, as we reach across the void to touch and hold on just a moment longer.
What does a dream mean to you? How does one interpret those dreams? These are questions that we have, on many occasions, asked ourselves. The American Heritage Dictionary defines a dream as; a series of images, ideas etc., occurring in certain stages of sleep.
There is always a deeply hidden, yet revealing message in a dream. The nature of a dream is its ambiguity. When we sleep with a dream, we see and feel the unknown, and when we wake, there is the longing for connectivity, revelation and a glimpse into the meaning of our lives.
This post is an invitation for you to describe what a dream means to you, or share a dream that has given you a sense of a life celebrated and deeply loved.
In Celebration of a Life Deeply Loved 01
Dionanna Lady McFadden-Smith
In Celebration of a Life Deeply Loved 01
A Rose
A long slender Rose represents my life
The Rose is sensitive, elegant, delicate…
But Vicious
Harsh to the touch
Manipulating…Deceiving
She makes you want to touch but
You may not touch
Sharp thorns protect her
The Rose is peace, love, beauty
Her red petals speak of love,
Passion, deep down feelings
The Rose needs care
Lots of care
Water, water…constantly
Soil…Rich soil nurtures her mind
Makes her beautiful
The ground is her home
Hard, solid, tough
Nature is her world
By
Lady McFadden
February 10th 1992
At the Summit, the Tree of Life Love Art and Faith
The Blue Ridge Mountains at the Summit of Waterrock Knob
At the Summit, the Tree of Life Love Art and Faith
“Just as the sun shines equally on the cedar and the little flower, so the Divine Sun shines equally on everyone, great and small”.
“Love can accomplish all things. Things that are most impossible become easy where love is at work”.
“Faith and hope give way to love; we had found already the One we were seeking”.
Quotations from:
Sermon in a Sentence: A Treasury of Quotations on the Spiritual Life
ST. THERESE OF LISIEUX
Trees have always presented themselves as being unique and mysterious to me. When I began drawing years ago the most interesting structure in a landscape was the tree. There are so many forms in the roots, trunks, and branches that can create beautiful art and design. As an abstract and surrealist artist, trees seemed to embody a great mystery. And for me, sitting under a tree provides a place of rest, visions for creative thought, and spiritual recollection.
Walter W. Smith
At the Steps of Wall Street and the Powers that Be, Our Price for Freedom
Sometimes In the Waking the Reality Is More Pressing than the Dream 2011 remix
Sometimes in the waking the reality is more pressing than the dream.
Last night, I awoke after a troubled sleep. A desperate sense of uneasiness embodied my Spirit. I really wish the soul of the world somehow was different, had been different, since the beginning of time. Perhaps then, millions of people, of all races, throughout creation and evolution would not have had to fight so hard for their freedom. That fight certainly continues today, in the streets and at the steps of institutions throughout the land with a fervent oscillation of desperation, purpose and will.
We want freedom they shout!
Last night I was dreaming that I was in a Wall Street Bank that had been converted to a video store. I was attempting to return three videos and was told I had purchased a video that I knew that I had not, a video whose contents I was at odds with….
It was the stripping of my freedom.
It was a beautiful building. The architecture was designed to rise above all in its majesty and prestige. It once was a symbol of power and hard earned wealth. And now the money terrorists had taken over…literally in the dream and in life….
Scenes of surrealism abound….
In the dream I spent several minutes walking the aisles viewing such great documentary and feature film titles such as Food Inc., Gas land, Citizen Kane, District 9, Sunshine, and Inside Job. While cruising, I simultaneously began noticing a sense of tension in some of the patrons. However, most had come to grip with the situation and seemed to be not at odds with their oppressors, the money terrorists. A group of Tibetan Buddhist Monks (who I must say are at the forefront of courageous freedom fighters) are reciting mantras, handing out pamphlets and inviting everyone to India, Tibet and Nepal. A group called Meet the People Time Forgot is touring America e.g. the Liberty Bell, Statue of Liberty, Independence Hall, and the Philadelphia Zoo. The organization is known for its strict membership requirements i.e. only the downtrodden, the young, the old, the disabled, the unemployed, the underemployed, the disenfranchised and those lost at sea may apply. During short interludes, in life, when all their possessions were not being taken from them, they were to be found in the rear vaults; amusing themselves and passing time by playing games of pinochle, gin rummy, strip poker and blackjack. The Buddhist Monks, after having given out the pamphlets, gracefully sat down (yoga style) and held a ‘throw-down’ Zen tea party…unreal Tea Partiers were not invited. Everyone seemed entranced, even one of the money terrorists could not resist the enticing smell of freshly baked goods such as biscuits, cookies, cakes, chunks of butter, lard and manure, and jelly-filled pastries from Dunkin Donuts. On the winding staircases that circumvent the bank, teenagers (e.g. two or more black youths (a “Wolf Pack”)), hip grunge girls from Seattle (listening to Nirvana on their IPods) are strolling (oblivious to the stealing of their constitution and American values) while sipping from designer tea cups; their right hands delicately holding small thimble sized cups of licorice, jasmine, ginseng and caffeine free Echinacea tea. The aroma and taste is downright toxic, I shake my head in affirmation; I pause, center myself, and prepare to “take on the man”.
Yeah, he puts up a good fight. They all do, the money terrorists—a lot of power and influence they possess and wield. And he is nonetheless persistent in his disillusionment, dreaming of ways of putting me down, kicking us to the curb. So I have to be as willful in my rebuttal, in my response, in my voice…..
So I protest, and line the halls of institutions and squares all over the world shouting… I am willing to die for my freedom and yours.
Join me….
And never give up the fight.
At the Steps of Wall Street and the Powers that Be, Our Fight for Freedom
Faith and Choice that Move Mountains
Faith and Choice that Moves Mountains
When it comes to faith as a guiding light, and planting a seed, it is true that the smallest of gestures can produce a life altering experience. At the heart of these moments in life—there is a decision. It is a decision born almost overwhelmingly, of fear, doubt and hope. In these overwhelming moments we can be distracted by our emotions, by our circumstances. And find that there is beauty in madness and in faith, and sometimes they exist in us simultaneously.
I can remember looking back at the moments in my life wherein decisions had to be made that would change my life dramatically. Those moments were so intense that only faith or fear could move me—could move the mountains in front of me. In one instance, I remember looking up to the sky, on a cold Wisconsin night, knowing that speaking, declaring, just a few words would concretely change the course of my life for years to come.
And I spoke those few words….
And in days my life changed….
Was I acting on faith or fear? Do we really understand the mysteries of our decisions? Are they our own? And what is the value of the question, will I regret this moment this decision? As life goes on, it all becomes the past. Looking back, into that past for answers to the present is ultimately meaningless. Life is only the present moment with many paths leading to it. Yes we can learn from the past, but ultimately, it cannot change this present moment, this opportunity for awareness, nor to move forward in faith. Each present moment has its own decision, its distinct opportunity to exhibit faith and trust in the mystery of life.
We do “move mountains” with faith, with the words we speak, with our alignment with Source.
And we also “move mountains” with self reliance, accountability and knowledge…
Choice.
That decision that day did change my life for years to come. And at times, I still question did I do the right thing. But as the years have come and gone, I’ve learned to train my mind, to live closer to this present moment and the life, that decision, in part has given me.
Maybe Tomorrow a Similar Question a Different Answer 03
The Backyard in Meditation 03 2011 remix
Hi Liz
The question is the method in which one creates art… Sometimes in the waking I have a kinetic dream… I love the mystery of art, and find the meaning in the process of creating.
A series of posts in fragments explore the possibilities. And as John Cage the avant-garde artist and composer would see it; art by random chance—whatever the computer dictates.
A series of effects upon the landscape the Backyard in Meditation 03, a soft focus and a repeating of the displacement map—finding oneself, losing oneself—melting into the process.
Abstract Art and Surrealism are early influences: Jackson Pollack and Salvador Dali fuel the fire and stroke the process.
The meaning, the how, and the essence is in the process.
Major effects for The Backyard in Meditation 03: Multiple layers, Displacement Map Repeat (3) @ 48 % blur, Displacement Properties @ 2D offsets, intensity 24.00, and edge mode: wrap. Soft Focus @ 90 % softness, 100 @ edge importance (Focus), 80 % amount, 50% halo size, 90% halo visibility (Halo). Edge Effect, Erode.
Maybe Tomorrow a Similar Question a Different Answer 02
The Backyard in Meditation 02 2011 remix
Hi Liz,
You asked about the process of creating my work. That question is perhaps leading me to think about this as a series of posts that in fragments will convey the answers visually and instructional. So with that in mind, here is a collection of answers highlighted in large type. I have a large inventory of images from over the years. And as I have said on my website, the computer allows for what seems like infinite possibilities of creative choice and energy. I have certain steps that are basic such as photo correction (done first and throughout the image manipulation). I then create a series of effects, which are based on the photo style itself (portrait, landscape, abstract, etc) and in which direction I want the image to go (sharp or soft, but always rich in color and form). I love to layer my images when creating large conceptual pieces. However for the posts I am usually looking at more simplistic imaging to correspond with the immediacy of the posting. I find this to be like “sketching”. Sometimes I can complete an image for a post in 30 minutes or less. The internet and social networking provides a new art medium in-of-itself. It can dictate how an artist approaches his own work. It also forms a new way of communicating with large exposure. In the past the concentration was on gallery exhibitions, and producing hard copies, (prints) etc. But now, I can also hope to find various internet vehicles to promote, and to create, new visual processes for the future.
Major effects for The Backyard in Meditation 02: Multiple layers, Glowing Edges @ 3% intensity, 20% sharpness.
Maybe Tomorrow a Similar Question a Different Answer 01
The Backyard in Meditation 01 detail 2011 remix
Hi Liz,
Thank you for the wonderful comments on the series entitled “Biking to a Place Inside and Out”. In this four part series entitled “Maybe Tomorrow a Similar Question a Different Answer, I will be using the element of repetition (the heart of my work is in repetition) both in prose and image to answer the question… How do I create my art? For this series the piece I will be reconstructing is a detail from the 2004 collage “The Backyard in Meditation”. My goal is not to convey a step-by-step explanation of the process, but to hint at the intuitiveness that is inherent to the process.
First, I have a large collection of photographs and remixed images that I can use. I have been creating digital art since 1985. I always start a piece with photo correction techniques before creating effects. Depending on the image (portrait, landscape, abstract) determines where I want to go in relation to effects (soft, sharp organic, geometric, opaque, transparent etc). I always let the computer contribute its own “ideas” as well. It is important to note that for my posts, I usually utilize a single frame image and not a multi-layered, multi photo, image that I produce for my more conceptual collages. The images for the posts are similar to “sketches” which are quickly created… unless it is a previous image already found in my portfolio. One of the things that I am discovering in this process is the immediacy of the internet and social networking i.e. YouTube, Facebook, blogging etc. I want these various internet mediums themselves to become the vehicle for art, individual and collectively. That is why blogging is exciting. It provides a challenge to produce regularly and also provides tools for creativity and a diverse audience. I recently thought of the idea of creating an avatar of me, as an artist, and a real-time internet gallery space to create work in and interact with visitors who come to the gallery.
Major imaging effect for The Backyard in Meditation 01: Multiple layers, Displacement Map @ 48 % blur, Displacement Properties @ 2D offsets, intensity 24.00, and edge mode: wrap.
Our Super Admiration and Grandiose Celebration of Violence American Style
It's a Super Bowl football thing
On a recent Sunday most Americans found themselves glued to a television set with friends and family, at home, in bars, and in parking lots to watch a game called football.
I was NOT one of them.
Of course I am not talking about any football game. I am talking about the highly revered Super Bowl. It’s a day when America will stop virtually everything to watch a game. The Church will cancel its evening services, the NBA will make sure it does not schedule any night games which may come in conflict with its consumer viewing, government dignitaries will stop serving the people to attend, weekend workers won’t show up at work, and kids won’t go out to play.
And drunk drivers will kill people on the roads of America.
I can never understand this fascination for a game that, for lack of better expression, celebrates violence.
But then America does love its violence….
We love war, guns and the death penalty. I have to chuckle just a little bit when I think of the millions of Texans, in particular, who just love the fact, and can boast that this monumental testimony to violence was being played in their home state. All hail Texas, the death penalty and the right to carry a gun!
What is it about men, dressed as Gladiators, running into each other at full speed with the single intent to “knock the other person unconscious”, or to “knock the %*$# out of the other player” that brings so much pleasure, so much delight, to a cheering fan? What is it about this over exaggerated state of machismo that fuels the imagination of so many people?
Have we lost our minds?
Well, there is a certain awakening or awareness in my mind. Needless to say it does not engage in, nor feel, nor know, nor need the connection to this or any celebratory and fortuitous act of violence. Am I immune to rising thoughts of violence or distraction? Of course I am not. However, I’ve come to understand through innate intuition, a daily practice in mindfulness, and structured study—the need for love, compassion and non-violence….
In a world, that often celebrates violence fortuitously, as people simultaneously struggle against tyranny, in which to build their own democracies, there is a need to step back for a moment and ask ourselves honestly….
Does this make any sense?
I say … NO, it does not.
Now, it should be noted, that I am not against sport or competition. I too have a love for athleticism that brings out the best in us. Some of my more recent posts via my blog explore my own love for athleticism (biking) and the sense of achievement that can be found in the mastery of self in athletic pursuit. I think we all have our reasons for challenging ourselves. Maybe a closer scrutiny of the “why” is needed.
But our admiration for violence in and out of sport leaves me puzzled, and to this final question….
Is this REALLY the America we TRULY want?
Biking to a Place Inside and Out / 07
In addition to challenging biking opportunities there are hundreds of trail to hike as well
One of the best places to road bike is along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. The BRP stretches for hundreds of miles (approximately 470) through North Carolina and Virginia. It is one of the most beautiful scenic rides in the country. The parkway follows the Appalachian Mountain chain. From Shenandoah National Park the parkway follows the Blue Ridge, eastern rampart of the Appalachians. It then skirts the southern end of the massive Black Mountains, named for the dark green spruce and fir that cover them. Then it weaves through the Craggies, the Pisgahs, the Balsams to end up in the Great Smokies. I had the pleasure of staying at the famous Pisgah Inn located on the southern end of the parkway, at Mount Pisgah about 30 miles from Asheville, NC. You can marvel at the forest-clad mountain peaks, mist filled coves, and the slopes of fragrant balsams, rhododendrons, mountain laurel and flame azalea. It was a great week of biking, hiking (Graveyard fields to the Upper Falls), art galleries (Blue Spiral and galleries in the River Arts District), independent films (La Vie En Rose, the story of French singer Edith Piaf) and fine dining (organic, Thai and Indian). But I must say that for a spectacular view, and good food, the restaurant at the Pisgah Inn with its panoramic view overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains is unsurpassed. And finally, a perfect end to an evening is sitting on your private back porch watching the sun set beyond the mountains.
Stopping to take in the view from another vantage point along the Blue Ridge Parkway
Biking to a Place Inside and Out / 06
Sometimes on the bike the reality of life and the beautiful dream become one
I am very fortunate that were I live, I can immediately access miles of rural back roads to immerse myself on my road bike. I spoke earlier about the sense of transformation that is achieved while biking. Here on these winding roads and gently sloping hills, I pass by farm lands, historic areas, woods and beautiful estates. What enhances a great ride is the right music. There is a distinct difference in the selection of music for road and mountain. On the road there is a need to be able to hear your surroundings for safety measures. Hence, my selection is always, soft, slow dancing ambient. My favorite band for a ride is the neo-classical ambient band from Austin Texas, Stars of the Lid. In fact, this has been the most prolific band for me in the past two years. This is aural mastery of the highest order. In contrast, when mountain biking, there really is no need to be conscious of your surroundings. Now your music can flow anyway you like. For the mountain, I prefer long flowing electronic sounds from bands like AES Dana, Bombay Dub Orchestra and Near the Parenthesis, or French Pop artists like Etienne Daho, France Gall, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Alizee to name a few. It is here on the mountain when you need that extra aural drive to push your rhythm to its fullest—to make that climb.
Music plays a significant part in creating the aural soundscape in which to find transformation in physical movement
Biking to a Place Inside and Out / 04
Road biking at high elevation on the Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
But here in the South biking takes on a whole new dimension. It explodes with energy and beauty. Both road biking and mountain biking provide a means to an enriching and trans-formative end. This post entitled “Biking to a Place Inside and Out” includes a gallery of images that records visually that magnificent end. And it is an attempt to express the color, beauty, emotional, and physical essence of biking. It is difficult to say what I enjoy most–road or mountain biking. They both provide their own unique challenges. The mountains of Western North Carolina, and the forest areas of South Carolina harbor great recreational parks such as Tsali, DuPont State Forest, Bent Creek, and Laurel River in NC and Paris Mountain, Southside and FATS (Forks Area Trail System (named one of the top 10 machine-made trail systems in the country)) in SC. These are moderate and difficult level trails with hundreds of feet in elevation changes. They are comprised of single track, access roads, and some, like the Left and Right Loops at Tsali, a single track that the rider navigates around a large man-made lake (Fontana Lake). In a recent conversation with a fellow rider, we discussed the horrible consequence of making a riding error and going over the edge into the lake (not good). In the winter the lake is drained and in the summer it is at full capacity. Until then, it had not occurred to me that the prospect of losing one’s bike to the lake could become a reality. But a challenge is a challenge, and in mountain biking especially, there can be no room for fear. Both the Left and Right Loops are each approximately 12 miles in length, and any lapse in concentration could be costly. In contrast to the obvious hazards, Tsali is a very beautiful recreational park located on the borders of Swain and Graham counties with the Great Smokey Mountains as its magnificent playground. One can only marvel at the beautiful surroundings that become infused with every fiber of your being as you push, pedal and commit yourself to go one yard farther—to make that climb. Throughout most of these parks are rivers, gorges, tree roots, rocks, creek crossings, ravines, dead drops, imposing trees everywhere, and some that provide mountains summits that climb to 5000 feet. Expect to fall, expect to get hurt. These and numerous other challenges test the will, the level of oxygen deprivation to the muscles, balance, hand/eye coordination, timely decision making, and your overall physical stamina.
The tree obstacle on the trail at Laurel River, North Carolina
Biking to a Place Inside and Out / 03
Taking a break at FATS (Forks Area Trail System) in South Carolina
Biking in the big city is quite different from biking in rural areas such as here in South Carolina. In the city, it’s about taking your time and blending in with your surroundings i.e. talking with strangers (girls mostly), stepping in and out of stores (got to have a lock), cruising downtown (looking cool), and going to the park for that “getting away from it all feeling”. Philadelphia has one of the largest city parks in the nation called Fairmount Park. It embodies four sections of the city, with beautiful trails and drives (most notably the East and West River Drives). Rivers, creeks, long stretches of trails and scenic vistas can be found only by biking, horseback riding or hiking.
Bike and helmet in a surreal setting at Laurel
Biking to a Place Inside and Out / 02
Biking across the tracks and taking photos at Laurel Creek.
In Philadelphia, growing up as a teenager in the 1960’s and 70’s, I enjoyed the freedom biking gave to my friends and I. We had back then what we called “Vroom” bikes. These were the bikes with the big V-shape handlebars (before the smaller BMX). As a group of young riders we were very competitive. We often challenged others boys from rival gangs in competition to see who could do the longest “wheelies” (lifting the front wheels and pedaling for blocks at a time, turning corners, and riding backwards). Needless to say, we sometimes found ourselves in fights, arguments and riding for our lives. Gangs were a prominent fixture of Philadelphia in the 60’s and 70’s and although we were quite young we were not immune to the violence in rival neighborhoods.
Meditating next to a river of glass and rock at Laurel Creek
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