Sacred Contemporary Art Blog by "Shey"

One Carefully Considered Act at a Time

2012-02-14T21:25:00.002-07:00

"Courage
"Limited Edition Bronze ed/35
Sherab Khandro

Drunk on the luxuries of the world, the financial crisis ofthis past few years has called us to take a sober look at things, to definewhat we really value. There are changes to be made if we are to stabilizeeconomies, communities and our own minds.

There is an invitation in these circumstances. I believe ifwe are listening, we are being asked to step up as individuals, to engage ourlives more consciously, each one of us matters. The things we do, the choiceswe make matter. What are theimpacts of our choices on our larger global community? How do we care for ourresponsibilities, each other and ourselves? Perhaps, one carefully considered act at a time.

I am inspired by the action of Patriot Disposal Inc. a localcompany serving the Verde Valley and Prescott. They have stepped up. They have created a dynamic win/winfor our community and our planet. I hear there are others doing it too. A fewdays ago I walked my carefully sorted trash and recyclables out to thebins. I didn’t see the distinctlyrecognizable red top of the recycling bin. Inquiring of a fellow tenant I amtold it all goes in one bin now and is hand sorted at the other end.

At first blush, I am skeptical. Is he sure? Has this companypossibly given up on recycling? In this day and age? Personally, I think recycling is brilliant. Although itbetter serves our environment if we reduce and reuse, the benefits of recyclingover disposal are many; a conscious choice based on what we know to be theeffects of our behavior to date.

A committed recycler myself, I can not help but notice acontinuing waste of resources, bottles, paper, recyclable bits casuallydisposed of everywhere I go. A vast number of everyday products are100%recyclable. At one time they weredestined only for a landfill or one of those plastic islands gathering out atsea. Now they can become a myriad of products regularly in demand. I call thenumber emblazoned on the side of the can. A knowledgeable woman explains thechallenges of collecting and disposing of the trash and the recyclingseparately, noting as well the lack of people participating in the recyclingprogram. When we know that much of what we dispose of each day is 100%recyclable and the resources to make it happen are nearby, I marvel at how muchends up in the trash. Apparently,so did Patriot Disposal Company.

They have opened their own recycling center. The trash isgathered in one pass through the neighborhood and hand sorted at the other end.They have created jobs, the new facility employs 24 people and there is 100%participation in the program, every bin is sorted and the recyclables arerecycled and the trash is trashed. Patriot Disposal addressed immediateconcerns for efficient business, the needs of the community and theenvironment. A win/win/win if Iever saw one.

Those that see its value and want to recycle have createdways to make it happen. Those that don’t wish to bother don’t have to and itstill gets done. I call that akind of harmony.

Recycling can be a moment-by-moment practice that challengesus to stay present. Recycling begins with small everyday items that are almostinvisible, tossed aside when finished, a crumpled paper, a plastic bottle. Howmany times a day do we handle these items? Do we give any thought to where thispaper or this bottle goes when we are finished with it? When millions of these items each dayare tossed aside, what is the impact? How do our simplest actions support the world we are committed tocreating? How do they impact theworld we are leaving to our future generations?

Small acts add up. The effect can be dramatic. I see it happen in my paintings, eachstroke of the brush a simple gesture, one after another, an image emerges, anentire story unfolds. What are we committed to creating? What are we eachwilling to do? I invite myself each morning to walk my spiritual practicethrough each moment, up off the cushion, mindful, aware. Each evening I checkin, how might I have been more conscious today? I cannot change what hasalready happened, its gift is in what it teaches me. The future holds nocertainty, the moment of power is right here, right now.

What will I do with this moment? What will you?

Patriot Disposal

A Pause ...

2012-02-02T00:03:00.001-07:00

A truth that fills all space and time

A nourishing balm that warms the heart direct and true

It is to Love I refer

A choice my friends

Inflamed passions that divide
Looking through

We see other

Wishing happiness

Mirror to ourselves

"Perfect Ground"
Limited Edition Fine Art Print
Sherab Khandro

From My Deeper Truth

2012-01-03T16:43:00.000-07:00

I do not know exactly where truth lies with all the variousphilosophies and perspectives that exist in our world and I am not likely tohave the opportunity to explore them all in this lifetime but speaking from myinterest in philosophy and physics I subscribe to the belief that all physicalreality exists as energy. Ibelieve our thoughts, our words and our deeds also generate an energeticfootprint, they have an effect, they matter. I believe this is an importanttime of choice, of change, of deepening understanding. It is a time tore-evaluate our priorities as a culture, as individuals, as a human race. Wehave an opportunity to make conscious choices personally and as global citizensthat can turn the tide of hatred, greed, ignorance and pride that run rampantin our world and seem to be at cause for so much suffering.

Our world appears to be in crisis. Much will need to be doneto shore up the systems that can allow us to live in peace and harmony with oneanother. You know that I believe that we can. Although I will not rule out the possibility of anephiphanal awakening that puts a sudden and lasting end to war and sickness,hatred, greed and ignorance, it is not the most likely scenario based on my ownexperience of humanity. We have work to do and accomplishment may takegenerations.

Many of us are experiencing a call to awaken, a call to lift oureyes and open our hearts, an invitation to live from a higher perspective. Our eyes have opened wider as we arenow able to see all over the world in an instant. Possibly something hascaptured your attention that is suggesting a purpose for your life that isbigger than yourself. You are yearning for something, a deeper fulfillment, acause for rejoicing.

When I felt this way it was suggested that I was thirstingfor a deeper truth. I began to study fundamental Buddhist thought. I began tolook closely at the world as it appears, to study the nature of ourperceptions, the habits of our minds and the results we produce. I studied in depth the myriad of formsof suffering running rampant in our world. I was moved to action. I haveembraced practices that I believe help us to see through the illusions, toheal, to offer healing to others. 20+ years ago this became my vocation.

It was my supreme good fortune to take the vow of theBodhisattva, each day, its fulfillment my aspiration. This vow is at the centerof my motivation and intention for this lifetime and any future lifetimes if Ihave a say. It is my commitment to live my life in service, not as a martyrdoing without but as a clear channel for the flow of Love and Compassion intothe world. This is what is behind the work I do. I sculpt, I paint, I write, I speak, I teach, all tools tocommunicate, all of it to inspire conversation about Love and Compassion.

Much of the world is in turmoil. I believe we are beingasked by our own higher self to pay attention, to heal, to look deeper at thenature of our existence. From there we can make our own choices about whatmatters. I believe we are being asked to step up, to make a conscious choice tobe cause of Love and Compassion. There are more and more people everyday turning their minds to thispossibility. Thank you. Namaste ... 2012 and beyond.

"May the light of Compassion shine throughout all realms ... "

thanks Crisy :)

Just Sayin’ …

2011-12-17T23:43:00.000-07:00

As poet and philosopher I wax incessant: romantic ideas, World Peace, living in Love with one another. I am not in denial nor am I livingin a rainbow bubble of light just wishing for all to be well. Those immersed ina worldly perspective might say my reflections are all good and fine but allaround us homes are being foreclosed on, jobs are difficult to find, sickness,war, poverty, disease.

Exactly. The condition of our people and our planet does notescape me. I am educated in the suffering of the world. After years of lookingdirectly into it's face, the challenges dealt with by the many forms of life thatshare this planet, it is my call to action. It has called me to say to you,there has to be another way.

I am grateful to those working the various sides of these multifacetedissues, those working in politics, in science, in service, those engaged as avoice of action, of change, those committed to Peace. It truly takes a village,a global village in this case. Ihave taken on role of artist, storyteller, reflecting and recording this spaceand time. Inviting conversation, I seek to challenge ideas to which wecling. Do they still serve us? Couldthere be another way? As we rage against the machine, I invite pause toreflect. What is at fundamental cause of these conditions? Reaching to thelayers beneath.

I believe more Love is a vital component to the shifts andchanges our current circumstances demand. I believe we are unskilled in it’spractice. We speak the word withlofty praise as though we believe it is the only way. Yet it often sits on ashelf as glorified ideal. Whereare we in the skills of it’s practice from day to day? Where are you? Do wecontinue to rearrange the outer circumstances of our lives in an effort tocapture a bit of happiness for ourselves? A new job, a new car, a partner, a cause to be championed; fighting overborders, laws of import export, pointing fingers, assigning blame. What is at cause for happiness, for peace,in our individual lives, in our world as a whole?

We each hold a space for truth to emerge. I cannot tell youyours, I would not presume to know. I, as artist, poet, philosopher, dreamer,hold a space for World Peace, for the possibility of living in Love with oneanother. I believe it could be so.

I do not claim to have the answers. I offer reflections onpossibilities and probabilities, an exploration of ideas proven to transform,an opportunity to consider our moment by moment choices, their impact, ourresponsibility. Where can we be more conscious? Where can we raise our sights,see outside of our own needs? Where can we be more generous, a simple offering of praise,encouragement, a smile? Where can we look in the eyes of other and seeourselves?

New Release: Open to Life

2011-12-09T19:12:00.001-07:00

Inspired by a small sketch during a moments quiet reflection: a painting, a poem and a pendant. I welcome them as invitation, as reminder ...

Open to Life

"Skydancer"
Acrylic on Canvas
10" x 30"

Feminine

Energetic principle

Golden light of Wisdom

Born of fire, Skydancer

Rising

Far above the mundane

Aspiration Vowed

Engaged, Open to Life

This moment

Discovery

Infinite in possibility

Wonder, joy

Tears, release

Wounded healers

Invitation to dance

The veil pierced

Broken chains

Exposed, Open to Life

Brilliant in radiant splendor

No higher truth to be told

Our own depths yet revealed

Allow your authentic beauty

Gifts, embraced, offered

Exhalted, Open to Life

In Love

Take Flight

On display at Goldenstein Gallery, Sedona, AZ or click thru for more information

Original Painting

Limited Edition Prints ed/108

Poem

Pendant

Thank you, Enjoy

2011-09-04T11:19:00.001-07:00

I have just had an experience. An experience I would like to share with another. I do not mean writing about it and sharing it that way although that is about to happen. I am referring to an experience I imagine sharing in person with another, Abbie’s Kitchen. The warmth and intimate atmosphere invites relaxation and engaging conversation, an ambience this artist and poet finds irresistible. I believe I have found an oasis in the Verde Valley.

I planned my recent return from a week in Phoenix to intersect with, “a private party in honor of our new fine dining establishment,” an invitation received from Abbie Ashford and Charlene Zack. I would not miss this party planned to taste and toast, taste a bit of Abbey’s goodies and toast the magic that she and Char have created since they have come together. What a beautiful couple, the results suggest something is cooking literally and figuratively, for both of them a positive net gain. How they ever got together I have no idea, a story I look forward to hearing told many times over. I wish them happiness without bounds. And was there to say so.

The ambience was perfect. I knew the food would be Divine, indeed, it melted in my mouth. I have experienced Abbie’s cooking before and am delighted that it is available that I may experience it again. I am not even familiar with the menu and I am certain that I will be going back for a full on fine dining experience.

Abbie’s Kitchen is located in the tiny but mighty, Olde Towne Cottonwood, about a block and a half long it is alive and vibrating with life. Businesses collaborating, creating something a bit bohemian, upbeat with an edge of quaint that makes for moments perfect to share; antique shops, top quality restaurants, an oil and vinegar boutique, art galleries. A special favorite of mine, The Red Rooster, is serving breakfast for the new 8 room hotel that was just opened by the owner of Nic’s. Together all of this makes for a fantastic destination weekend.

Abbie has been a personal chef for people of discerning tastes. Her skills refined, her creative genius engaged, she has a sensitivity to the subtleties that make for an experience not just a meal. Coupled with the talents and vision of Char, who for as long as I have known her, has been a strategic, methodical business woman. Char has made some excellent choices over the years. Including buying three houses zoned commercial residential on the very edge of Olde Towne Cottonwood. Abbie’s Kitchen is the small house that sits between the other two, one their residence, one the offices of Char’s accounting firm.

This could easily become the cool place to hang out. In addition to the food and the ambience: the eclectic mix of people that were present that night, people intersecting from many circles, bright, creative, fantastic. Like the stories of travelers West, the trains, the Colter houses, a meeting of creative minds, from the arts, business, all walks. Or like Midnight in Paris, the magic of strong creative minds coming together in support of each other.

What conversation can arise from these places, a coming together, connections made, things set in motion. Olde Towne Cottonwood is a bit of a hub, a place to stop for an overnight or make a day trip destination, Jerome, Sedona, Clarkdale, the Verde Train, Page Springs wine country, history and majesty of the Verde Valley. An inviting local hangout, it is an easy drive from the any of these surrounding areas. I imagine I could meet just about anyone there.

Thank you ladies. Thank you for bringing your dreams alive. Thank you for sharing them with others and thank you for calling me friend. You are both amazing.

Companion on the Path of Artist and Philosopher

2011-08-30T21:49:00.001-07:00

There was a time when I was afraid of color. I worked in neutrals, only straying at moments towards accents of copper and gold. I was a sculptor, creating magnificent images of the Buddha, the blessings available in this opportunity many. I sculpted for sacred monuments called stupas; lotuses, spires, snow lions, architectural elements that tell the stories and radiate the energy of profound spiritual ideals and practices. I could see in dimensions. I could pull an amorphous shape into form. I could see possibility where only an idea existed, an imagining coming into life, light and shadow defining the space. Neutrals, whites on grays, browns and tans contrasting their own darker selves. Color as light, a hint of red or green might flirt with the moment but never invited, it did not retain a strong presence. Yet my curiosity stirred.

Color, what is it? Capturing my imagination, it is everywhere. Was it a way to expand my voice, something more to delight and enjoy about being an artist? It looked like it might be time to step into new places, invite new experience. Timid, a bit clumsy, I began to experiment. Washes with subtle contrast, bold splashes, yellow with blue, what with red? Orange, purple, green, shades, tints, blues that are green, reds that contain blue, some leaning orange, what was the pattern, the dance? How to find rhythm, a harmony, a tension that speaks. How do they work to tell a story, to communicate? It is not my habit to entertain timid for long. I will stand before the initially daunting presence of something new and unfamiliar, register my fears, or not. If my mind has been hooked, I step forth boldly. I may teeter as I find my legs, I may doubt but if something compelling peeks from the horizon, I sally forth. Color was compelling.

As is my habit when seeking to navigate new territory, I sought a guide to introduce me to the magic and wonder of color. I found her at a community college in Montgomery County, Maryland. A working and showing artist herself, she was alive for her students. Her understanding of color, it’s history and dimension, her ability to communicate, iced my cake. I am a veracious student. No matter what I take on I enter with all my bits, hands, feet, mouth wide open, ready to take it in. She provided a feast that would prove to be only the beginning of an experience that still nourishes me today. Thank you Andrea, you rock.

Color rocks. Color is dynamic. Color communicates. Color creates space and dimension. Color is relative, subjective. Color can evoke harmony, create tension. It has inspired debate and lives devoted to it’s study. Color is a measurable scientific vibration, alive, present, available to experience. Color is amazing.

We can talk about our favorites, the way they make us feel, the memories they inspire. We can talk about our tastes in fashion and design. We can talk about the spiritual vibrations associated with colors, color as a symbol of diversity and harmony. We can talk about it’s power to define and communicate. We can talk about owning our own colors and letting them shine. After allowing color to weave itself into my life, in it’s boldness and it’s subtleties, it’s magic and it’s power, I am no longer afraid of color. We are allies, companion on the path of artist and philosopher.

It was the final project in my color class that inspired my love of pointillism. Pointillism was born of a debate about color during the time of the neo-impressionists. Pointillism became method, a method to observe color play, how those that are analogous in their placement on the color wheel will support each other in harmony, a like resonance, blues with blue-green, blue-violet or the warmth of orange with red and yellow-oranges. Those that are in opposition in their placement on the wheel will excite each other. It is called a color's compliment, blue will never look bluer than when it is with orange. Other combinations create visual chords from around the wheel. Analogous elements, simple harmonies and a play of opposites can create a fantastic composition.

Ordained as a Buddhist nun at this time, I chose to paint a sacred image as my final project, an image of the Buddha as my first pointillist piece. I planned my composition, my harmonies, my contrast. I began to lay in the dots of color painstakingly mixed to match the swatches on my color wheel. There are no neutrals in a pointillist painting, colors are not mixed together on the palette or on the painting, they are bits of pure color laid next to each other. This is when the excitement begins to build. As each vibrant stroke finds it’s place among the others they begin to resonant, they effect each other. Standing back, an image reveals itself as the eye optically mixes the colors creating shapes and shadows, experience. I was captivated then and am captivated now as I continue to play with the endless combinations of colors, shades and tints to create form, pattern and texture. My world expanding with an understanding of color, it continues it's expansion as I allow myself to sink further and further into awareness of it’s presence.

Come with me as I explore some of the dynamics of color at the Omega Institute in October. We will explore the impact of color in our lives. What it tells us, what it offers us, how it can inspire and shape our experiences. We will play, we will delight and we will discover. I look forward to sharing a bit of your journey.

Does That Make Me Fickle?

2011-07-14T23:40:00.002-07:00

I have been in Phoenix the past week. The experience has been incredible on so many levels. As I packed up and prepared to leave from Sedona, I anticipated four solid days of painting and writing. I had a couple of commitments and was open to a few hours of building relationships with new friends. Most of the time, Mr. Pooh and I would be sinking deeply into the creative process. I will challenge myself to write about that part of the experience one day but today we explore another facet of this recent adventure.

I wake up in Phoenix, settling in, I write during the day. That evening I attend an event held right there at theSPACE where I am staying. It is a spoken word slam, the voices of the artists participating are powerful, some of it clever, funny, some raw and passionate. A young man, high school age, brilliantly exposes the superficiality of conversation among his peers. His perspective one that encompasses a broader view of the world, oh how I celebrate this! A young black woman tears the heart with her account of a mother lost to her children through her addiction. My heart opened, I offer a prayer. May these voices be heard far and wide; these people have something important to say.

That same night, I step out to a ladies event, BLUSH, it isn’t far, nothing is far from where I am staying. Central Phoenix is like a small town with a lot more stuff. I dance, visit with friends, meet a few new people. Contact with Big City Lesbians, I am learning a new language, more on that later. I head to theSPACE to set up my studio. By the next morning I am deep in it, new canvases, paints, pencils, inks, sketches, writings, all the tools of the trade. My best work happens in a space of freedom and possibility, both were present. With a little help from my friends, I extend my trip three extra days. This is so working for me.

Friday night I roadie for my dear friend Adam Smith, talented musician, songwriter, painter & poet, absolutely delightful human being, the performance is divine, the urban coffee shop experience one to be repeated. Extreme Bean Coffee in Tempe, Friday nights in July, Adam plays 8-10 pm. Fantastic, check him out. Sunday I have a delightfully nourishing visit with a valued friend. Monday I am tutored in business systems to support my work. Tuesday headshots, Wednesday a productive meeting about our next event “Vibrations ..,” dinner out with friends, connections and intimate conversation. I am going to find it hard to let go when it is time to head back to Sedona.

Okay, so here I am having a really great, productive, personally and professionally fulfilling time, a couple of the gals I have become friends with are performing this coming Friday night, July 15^th, at this cool little place called Club Sutra. They are calling it Jamfest (details below). It is a big deal concert and fundraiser for Youth at Risk. An event I feel compelled to attend. I am scheduled to be in Goldenstein Gallery Jamfest Friday through the following Monday. These days require that I be out and on, I am resident artist but am also in sales, the arts are counting on me. Although the thought is appealing it is potentially rather impractical. High on the city vibe I look at the perceived obstacles and set in motion a plan to overcome them. Sometimes I have this idea I can do anything, like I am some kind of a super hero. Reality usually catches up with me, my humanity exposed.

To attend this red, hot, rockin’ event, raise funds, build friendships, I will need to head to Phoenix after the gallery closes, 6pm, a two hour drive for those that may not know the area. I will need to be pressed and ready for gallery duty the following morning at 10am. 16 hours, at first blush I should be plenty of time, 8 hours sleep, 4 hours of driving, 1 hour for miscellaneous bits, 3 hours to support the cause, piece of cake. I will go with a friend we can share the gas and the driving. Sounding really great!

I wake up Thursday morning, drop-dead hour, time to get back to Sedona. I begin to think of the week ahead, it is riddled with details of managing my life. I am also a week out from an event of my own, well, one I am part of, “In the Footsteps of Mary Magdalene” I will address a couple hundred people for 20 minutes about compassion.

What am I thinking? I am 50. My energy stores are quite different than they were say, 20 years ago. Intoxicated by the people of the city and all the city doings I may have gotten a bit ahead of myself. As I get closer to Sedona, my Sedona things in sharper focus, I realize it may not be a prudent choice to head back to Phoenix for the one night. As I feel a bit of sobriety coming on I realize it might actually be downright destructive.

So, to my question, “does that make me fickle?” It seemed like such a great idea at the time, with further thought and sober consideration it seems the more responsible thing to hold my course in Sedona, to show up as fully present as possible when I am here and when the time comes that I find myself back in the big city vibe I will show up fully there. Oh dear, I just might be behaving like a grown up.

I will miss the show. It will be fabulous and will support a great charity, there will be fun, laughter, possibly a bit of drama, you know how we are. But even if I am fickle, what you will also know about me is when I do show up, I will show up fully. Have a great time ladies! I will miss you!

Some Rockin' Hot Talent!

Two Blog Posts in One Day? A compelling story that needed to be told ...

2011-06-16T23:33:00.001-07:00

Seeking to gas up before heading back up the mountain to Sedona, I had been driving around Central Phoenix for about an hour, a bit lost, relaxed, exploring the city. As chance would have it a rich and compelling experience waited for me at a place yet to be revealed. Have any of you met Dennis?

11:30 on a Monday night, I roll into Circle K. I set up the pump and sit on the edge of my seat. Two hours of driving ahead, it crosses my mind that I might have benefited from leaving a little sooner. Done now, I rest in the present. A little man approaches. Little, I am to learn, only in stature. He is older, a full, curly gray beard, a navy ball cap on his head with the letter D. Tangled up in his arms are the tools used to wash windows. He asks if I would like my windshield washed. It is only in that moment that I notice that my windshield indeed needs a scrub. It is usually my practice to wash my windows well when I fill up my tank. It is late, a bit off my game, I am delighted by the reminder. Disappointment avoided. I check for a bit of cash, all good, I employ his service.

He is fumbling with the squeegee and the spray bottle. At about 5’ tall, he can reach about twenty percent of the windshield of my full size Chevy 4x4. I climb out to give him a hand. He seems to need some instruction in his own craft. Long and tall, fitted for reaching the distance, my truck, my primary vehicle for 11 years, I am at ease in the task. I perform the dance that is so familiar, narrating the steps as I go. I hand him back his tools, he scrambles up the passenger side. Watching his movements, I notice his hands, the reason the tools were tangled up in his arms. His hands are not what I expected to see. Each one like two fingers pinching together, both of them a mismatched set. I watch the earnestness with which he applies himself to his task. I am moved by the effort this man is making in spite of his odds. I slip a bill under the bottle of glass cleaner resting on my hood.

I am curious now about the man. Our business complete, I ask him his name. Dennis he tells me, I note the D on his hat and comment. I ask him if it would be inappropriate to inquire about his hands. There had been problems with his mom’s pregnancy he told me but his baby sister was fine. Pointing to a large scar, he told me about the teasing of his childhood, of wanting to destroy his hands in response to their taunts. Teased as a child, I remembered my own pain, we all just want to be loved. He told me of his work as a janitor, he had tried a steel mill but the work was too hard, he had really tried. With pride that I heard as courage, he told me that as he left the steel shop he saw an ad for a janitor. He raced to apply. He had that job for 17 years. He told me of the woman he loved, she had died four years ago. He misses her. We spoke of a love he would never forget. I celebrated the spirit of my new friend as he continued to recount his many blessings. Dealt a challenging hand, literally and figuratively, he shared with me his gratitude, the joys that illuminate his life. I am moved by this man’s spirit, a gift I hadn’t expected in the middle of the night at a Circle K in Central Phoenix, I think that is where I was.

“Five dollars is a lot of money,” he says. Wishing I could have given him more, I reply, “I hope it is a lot of money my friend, I wish for you all you need.”

I head home, finding my way easily to 51, North seems the general direction I am looking for, possibly it crosses 17 at some point. Indeed, I find my way easily. I make it home safely. I am not likely to forget this man who’s light shined so brightly on me. I am mostly grateful I was paying attention.

Noticed

2011-06-16T10:06:00.001-07:00

So often we are waiting for happiness to find us. Yet all around us, color, sound, scent, the warmth of the sun, the caress of a breeze, each a spark for the senses, a gift, a doorway to discovery. What do you notice? Do you hear the birds, the insects? The sound of traffic, tires on the road, the near silent movement of the mechanical bits of a car driving by. I can hear them all in this moment. I let them touch me. We share this Earth with so many other beings.

How much do we take in? In this moment, ears engaged, I have yet to explore the visual sense with a consciousness that brings color, texture and line alive. Is that a role of the artist, to help others to see, to hear, to feel in a different light? To bring to the attention something that may have been missed, a treasure, a delight. Skimming, busy, the mind misses so much.

I want to take it all in, light up my senses, please. Is that wrong?

Expanded awareness, awake, not grasping, I do not want them, the moments, the sensations, as mine. I allow them to touch me, lift me, swirl around and flow through me. Acknowledged, I offer them to be the delight of another, a moment shared.

Other will see them differently. Other may find the humming chatter of the insect annoying. Other may not like the sound of the birds, the traffic. The sights and sounds assault, disturb. Where is Peace? Peace is in knowing the moment is perfect as it is. Peace is the firm knowledge that you are connected to all beings, we are them, they are me, each life a pulsating channel of consciousness.

Do I have room, room in the dimensions of my senses to accommodate all that I may experience? Do we distract ourselves, shift focus, redirect, protect? Give me a moment, the information is too much.

Is this why so much suffering goes unnoticed? Is this why we defend with an attack? Our senses become overloaded. If we let it all in, let it touch us, we may come “too alive.” If I feel deep joy, will it touch my pain?

Assumptions About You

2011-05-17T09:18:00.002-07:00

Detail: "Amitabha: Red Buddha of Infinite Light"
Limited Edition Bronze Sculpture

I am starting with some assumptions about each of you. Ones I am committed to based on my beliefs about our world and how it works. Things that for me, hold true for every one of you.

Each one of you matters.
The love you bring to the world matters.
You are equally a pure display of loving light, an expression of the Divine.

Of course these aren’t my original ideas. These ideas have circulated in my orbit for most of my life but they came into sharp focus during my intensive study of the Buddhist faith from the Tibetan perspective. The Buddha taught that we are all the same in our nature, that we each have within us the enlightened essence of Buddha mind in equal measure, we each are in truth, an expression of the Divine. The Buddha also taught that our ability to see the truth of this in ourselves and in others is limited, clouded by the habitual patterns of our mind and the negative emotions that arise from there. We see ourselves as separate from each other. Identifying and focusing on our differences, we judge and divide and separate ourselves into smaller and smaller bits. According to the Buddha, we are not separate in our nature, we are the same. In our mistaken view, we divide our self from our Self.

We also share another powerful common denominator: We each just want to be happy. If we can understand this truth we can begin to understand the most fundamental motivations of our fellow humans in this experience of life.

I love the phrase “Namaste.” Over used and often not understood, it means, “the Divine in me, sees the Divine in you.” So this is where we are. Namaste friends old and new. I invite you to start with this simple assumption and watch the change unfold in your life … Let the fun begin!

Detail of original sculpture: "Amitabha: Red Buddha of Infinite Light"

Commissioned for Amitabha Enlightment Stupa Sedona, AZ

Limited Edition Bronze sculpture available:

www.SherabKhandro.com

What's in a Name?

2011-03-28T08:39:00.002-07:00

"Vajravarahi, sister to Kali"

Another day, another warrior goddess, we are everywhere. I am again at Goldenstein Gallery a vortex of incredible magic. In walks Estela, a beautiful woman from Argentina. Estela has come to enjoy some art or possibly she has she come so that our lives could touch. Both inevitable, we connect over my art, over her love of the butterfly and her respect for the Buddha. We share stories. She is the founder of the Windrise Retreat Center outside of Grosse Point, Michigan. She is an artist and a woman of wisdom. The mother of five, she is here with her husband, she is clearly loved. A woman in her strength, she shares with me some of her convictions as the matriarch of her family. I am inspired by her presence. After admiring some of my favorite pieces, she adds one to her collection. Thank you Estela.

We talk of spiritual matters, delicious, art and spirituality, another day alive in my passions. We talked of names. She had been gifted with the spiritual name Kali, a wrathful goddess, an Enlightened display. How to understand the blessing in this name of feminine spiritual power? Spiritual names, although they may be taken lightly, are not given lightly. There is power in a name. On the spiritual journey, one seeks to live into one’s name. The name holds an energy that one aspires to embody. I wear mine as the badge of a warrior, ever reminded to live into it’s gifts. I like the story of my name. I will tell it one day.

Kali, the red dakini dances a fierce dance. Surrounded by flames, her fiery presence is most often misunderstood. She is part of a sisterhood of fiery red goddesses found in both the Hindu and Buddhist traditions. The image shown here is Vajravarahi, sister to Kali. “Vajravarahi: Dance of the Red Dakini” is the last painting I painted as a Buddhist nun. Like Kali, she is a pure display of compassion, a fierce and passionate presence. Make no mistake, these dancing red goddesses are compassionate regard in action in its purest form. With the wisdom of the awakened, she appears in ecstatic dance. Boundless energy generated for the sake of all beings. Fangs bared, drigu (curved knife) held high, she will nash, she will slash whatever binds you to your suffering. She will burn it, cut it, rip it, tear it, like a mother protecting her children she dances tirelessly for the sake of us all. She is a dakini, an embodiment of one of the many facets of Compassionate Wisdom energy alive in the world.

Instructed in my first formal consultation with my Guru that I should study the nature of the dakini, over the last 20 years I have not wavered in that pursuit yet my understanding continues to seek depth. The dakini, the skydancer, female wisdom display of the Buddha’s activity in the world, peaceful or wrathful, she is also known as khandro. I study and observe as I seek to live into a deeper understanding of dakini, of life, my name, my role as warrior.

This original painting is available. I am sure bound for the home of a very particular collector. She is a big energy to have alive in your space. She will need room to breath and the respect of someone who understands at least on the outer level what blessings she brings. Understanding on the inner and secret levels is possible with great practice but not available to all. I make claim to only the very rudiments of understanding with regards to this profound display. Open, I allow the layers of meaning to continue to reveal themselves.

Thank you Estela for the gift of your story, for the gift you are to the world. Thank you for your courage and your strength. Namaste my new friend, Namaste.

"Vajravarahi:
Dance of the Red Dakini"

"Vajravaraji: Dance of the Red Dakini"

36" x 60" Acrylic on Board

Sherab Khandro

Available at Goldenstein Gallery

Uptown Sedona, AZ

Limited Edition Fine Art Prints Available

Small Steps, New Perspectives

2011-03-19T09:21:00.000-07:00

At 5’ 11” my stride averages about 20-24 inches, a bit of a sway in my hips. At times I may even lope a bit with my long, lanky legs. Of course, if I am wearing heels, particularly a skirt, my gait is bit more demur, more feminine, smaller steps. When I am out for a walk up and down the hills of my neighborhood I am more athletic, covering more ground with long purposeful strides.

Today I take very small, very slow, very careful steps, not much swaying and definitely no loping. The sciatic nerve in my right leg is pinched. Some of you know what that means.

Two weeks ago muscles in my right hip/leg were in spasm. My movements limited considerably. Several days later the area was so inflamed I couldn’t tell what was going on. The miraculous maze of muscles and tendons and nerves that typically function beautifully as I move through space, alive, engaged in my world was seriously malfunctioning! I subsequently spent two full days in a complete stupor, pain medication, muscle relaxants, ice, heat, rest. This was followed by: five days of limited mobility, a mild haze of prescription drugs and sudden electric bursts that let me know my movements were inappropriate for my current condition. This experience has now settled into “sciatica” a pinching of the nerve by inflammation of tissue or joint in the hip or back area. My range of motion limited to small steps, I am also unable to sit at a 90 ish degree angle and move my right leg from side to side, a motion required to move the foot from the gas to the brake and back again. I have been unable to drive.

At first blush this appears to be an unfortunate circumstance. I am suffering, in a sense, the pain, the lack of mobility, the inability to meet all of my scheduled appointments. I entertain the idea of wishing things were different. Alas, they are not. If I persist in this wish that things be different I will just suffer more. In the Buddhist philosophy this is called the suffering of suffering. We suffer from the ripening of a particular circumstance in our lives, for example an inflamed whatever pressing on the sciatic nerve sending sudden electric shocks down your leg, we are disappointed, we want it to be different, we may even project all kinds of tragic possibilities, a bit of poor me. We think it shouldn’t be this way. We suffer more.

I invite a different perspective. I mine for the gifts; they are there, they are always there. I have lived long enough to know that things are not always as they appear and as an ordinary mortal, I cannot possibly understand the full impact of anything in a given moment. This may turn out to be the biggest blessing of my life, who can really say? I am doing different things from what I planned or expected, I am spending time with different people, they are touching my life and I theirs. I am engaging my life differently. I am taking smaller steps. I could complain, suffer a bit more, I choose to be alive in discovery.

One thing I have discovered is what amazing friends I have. Over the course of the past two weeks you have checked in on me, brought me food and medicine, taken me shopping, taken me to the doctor, arranged for massage, for fresh air, even built a bookcase for me. You have kindly and generously made sure my needs were met on many levels, each of you patient with me as I yelped and grimaced my way through very basic movements. I am experiencing the beauty of loving kindness and compassion displayed all around me. I have said many times that my goal in life is to learn to love well. I am learning what that looks like from you.

As for the leg, it improves everyday. All the support I need to heal is available to me. I am loved and I am open to the gift that is life. Thank you for being a part of mine.

From Origin to Purpose ...

2011-02-27T17:49:00.000-07:00

From origin to purpose this little packet tells a tale. A spontaneous trip with debaucherous intentions, a private jet to the tip of Baja, friendships formed, friendships deepened. A tale of family, of goodness, of generosity, of love alive, beating loudly: mothers, daughters, wives, husbands, children and grandchildren, of leadership and responsibility, of the perfect display of the alpha male.

Lessons in humility and surrender, perspectives broadened, deepened, a tale of the ease found in potentially awkward situations. Sun and sand, long conversations into the night, I will not forget the amazing joy to be found in a box of Jelly Bellies. Thank you my friends, each of you a treasure.

Fun, laughter and serious intestinal distress, it was a great time. I would do it all again in a heartbeat.

Dancing and Blue Jeans

2011-02-13T15:40:00.000-07:00

"When I Think of You ... "
Pointillist Painting by
Sherab Khandro

I will admit, that even before the obvious, the two things I missed the most during my 15 years as a Buddhist nun were dancing and blue jeans. I love to dance and there is nothing more fundamentally fabulous than a great pair of jeans. Today I reflect on dancing as a doorway to Divine Love.

As long as I can remember, hours alone, at home, lights dim, candles, sliding into contemporary rhythms, I would sail away. Out, dancing in the clubs. Sunday afternoon tea dance my favorite, jeans and a white tank, boots with a heel, I love to dance in a heel. The music, the lights, I could sweat for hours on that dance floor. I am glad to be dancing again. It is my chill. Senses alive, body and spirit communing through music. And when there are others there, the collective energy generated is a palpable force of joy and celebration, a place we can meet in our common humanity.

It is ballroom dancing that has captured my imagination these days. It is a dance of partnership, a new dance for a new time in my life. I am learning to lead. The role of the lead represents a chivalrous ideal appealing profoundly to my Sapphic nature*. The lead provides a frame for the lady. If well done, she will turn and bend, with grace and ease. She will appear to float around the floor. It is the lead that shines the light. It is the lady that shines. A powerful gift offered to another, beautiful, like poetry. I dream of dancing, dancing her around the floor, offering her a moment to bask in the beauty and the wonder that is her alive in the world.

Beyond these moments of magic, I look to my everyday, where do I make way for others to shine? Where am I generous in a way that offers so much yet takes so little? Not just my “peeps,” the one’s I am close to or that I like. Or of course those folks we need to know or hope to know. What about each person that finds themselves in my orbit? What if there was something that I could offer that would let them shine? Let them see themselves more powerfully, to feel into their strengths? What if I looked with “the eyes of God?” Looking past the layers of reaction or fear, mine and theirs, acknowledging their beauty, their worth. Then, quietly, gently reflecting back what I see.

I look to the great masters as my role models. Committed in the fullness of their hearts to living in compassion, what would they do? Time after time they hold the space for others to flower. They offer us the opportunity to see the beauty that is our own face reflected back to us through them. Can I do that? I know it can be done. And I know it can change a life forever.

Has there been a moment when someone has seen your truth, has seen in you the things you wished were true but feared might not be? I have received this gift many times. It has changed my life more than once, ordinary people loving in extraordinary ways. I had that experience recently and it was truly empowering. My fears relaxed. Nothing had changed really, just that I had been accepted in my self-perceived imperfection, someone reflecting to me my strengths as they see them, having room for me exactly as I am. A gift given, a gift received, beautiful.

What if, in each moment, we were to look for our common humanity in those we meet? What if we looked past their style, their presentation, past the awkwardness, the devices we use at times to protect ourselves. What if we look with our Wisdom eye, through their eyes, into the heart? What if we were to take a firm step in the direction of seeing the light in everyone? No matter how hard we have to look. We all just want to be happy, many of us just have a strange way of going about it!

What if we got really radical and just refused to judge, to criticize, or to condemn at all? A very dear friend of mine has begun a movement. He invites people to take a vow that they will remove the very acts of criticism and judgment from their behavioral vocabulary, from their speech, from their thoughts. You will hear more about this. He is brilliant. His work is brilliant. It is catching on like wildfire.

I caught on to my inner critic and her destructive antics this past year, a brilliant coming together of insight and awareness. She is part of my lineage, an old deep habit that has been shared through the generations. She had been hard at work for most of my 50 years, building momentum, strengthening her voice, criticizing, complaining and condemning. The habit insidious, hiding in plain sight, she wrecked havoc. I believe our criticism and our judgment wrecks havoc all over our lives, all over our world. I believe it is a divisive force that accentuates our differences and gives us a false sense of self-importance. I am committed to something different.

I invite you to look and see where this might be showing up in your life, in your thinking, in your conversation. Then, just stop. Stop criticizing, complaining and condemning. Shine your light, illuminate others and all our lives will be that much brighter. There is something powerful, something loving to giving someone back to themselves uplifted.

Then we dance, maybe together, maybe each to our own rhythm, all a beautiful expression of spirit alive in the world. I continue to learn to dance, the dance of the body, of the mind, of the heart, the dance of life. Come, dance with me.

For more information about empowering your life and the lives of others,

Click on this link and join the Movement: "Know Complaints"

"When I Think of You ..."
Pointillist Paintings by
Sherab "Shey" Khandro

Fine Art Limited Edition Prints

Hand embellished and signed by the artist

are available at:

Sherab Khandro Sacred & Contemporary Art

The story of this piece ...

When I Think of You...

*Sappho, poetess of the Isle of Lesbos (600 BC)

8 hours at Goldenstein Gallery

2011-02-07T21:58:00.000-07:00

Layered in magnificence today. I don the fashion recommendations of my friend the Countess, Goddess of Chic in my personal opinion. Assembled with the eye of Shey, the elements splendid, worthy of praise and the care that gives longevity to fine things. Slacks and jacket, coat and scarf, accessories not overstated, I feel like the queen of my life, the captain of my ship. Sails full of wind, I will take this vessel across the high seas. Off on an adventure, extraordinarily prepared to take in every breath deeply, to experience fully the expanse of life, the depth of the moment. Yes. A good day indeed.

How is your adventure unfolding? Tell me your story …

"Laughter Heals"
Limited Edition Fine Art Print
Sherab Khandro

Visit us online or in person:

http://www.goldensteinart.com/artistlist.php

Mother Tara: Angel of Peace, An Image of White Tara.

2011-02-01T19:11:00.000-07:00

Legend has it that White Tara was born from a single tear of Chenrezig, the Buddha of Compassion. She was born of a broken heart and a compassionate wish. As Chenrezig surveyed the suffering of all beings, great sorrow arose in his heart, a tear fell from his right eye and Mother Tara was born. She stood before him and vowed to help all beings until not even the word suffering could be heard. She is easily recognized by the Wisdom eye in the center of her forehead, open, seeing with penetrating clarity. She has eyes in the palms of her hands and the soles of her feet as a symbol of her all knowing, all seeing wisdom.

Her sacred, abundant energy has been alive in my life in many profound ways. She appears as a guide in my daily meditations. Songs are sung about the Warrior Goddess Queen that initiated my journey into awakening praising her as an emanation of White Tara. I have had the inconceivable blessing of receiving many White Tara teachings and empowerments from great masters of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition in the recent decades. Sedona’s first stupa, a 6’ White Tara long life stupa dedicated to the Venerable Gyaltrul Rinpoche sits among the red rocks. I had the honor of playing an integral role in its creation including sculpting the relief of White Tara resting at its heart. Tattooed on my right shoulder, an image of White Tara, she is an ever-present reminder of the Divine Sacred alive in my life. A painting of White Tara my first commission as a pointillist painter. I did not plan it this way; I see in hindsight that she seems to walk with me in each moment. She is welcome. I am grateful.

She was with me again this weekend when I made my first small footprint on the Phoenix art scene. The fifth largest city in our country, I was delighted to be invited to show there. The venue was small and off the beaten path and it was perfect: the SPACE.

Skillfully promoted and perfectly presented the opening event was well attended. All the artists made sales. The music was divine, Adam Smith shined. Towards the end of the evening space opened for others to spontaneously share their talents, the moment was perfect for a jam session. Thank you to Jim and Adam for all you did to make the evening possible, for your professionalism and your generous hospitality ;) It was a success.

The day of the show I posted a picture on facebook of a limited edition fine art print of Mother Tara, 6’ tall, standing next to me. We were headed for the show. I was excited. White Tara expanded, in your face, was coming with me to Phoenix! She would shine her radiant blessings on all she encountered, those seen and unseen. My protector, my inspiration, the radiant presence of this Goddess of Love, of Peace, longevity and abundance, I loaded her in the back of my steadfast Chevy pick up and we headed South to step on to a new stage; we were welcomed so beautifully by friends old and new. She was hung in a space of honor, she received accolades from the crowd, she was invited to live in the entryway of a fine home of a dear man in Scottsdale. She was delivered today. May he too experience her extraordinary blessings.

The original painting measured less than three feet high but has many stories to tell. The image was originally commissioned here in Sedona by a talented acupuncturist currently practicing in Maryland. It was then gifted to a Russian countess and her husband who live in America and are big supporters of the Tibetan Buddhist community. They in turn donated the painting to a local Buddhist center of which we were all a part. It then came to be in my care to be sold again to raise funds to support the centers activities. When I last saw it, it was resting in the collection of Nicholas Cage, one of the many stories worth telling.

White Tara has been there when doors have opened for me. They are opening on many levels. She may be the one opening them; in her humility she just smiles. A fully awakened Goddess extraordinaire, I prostrate with the fullness of my being to the depth and breadth of her compassionate regard. May my own heart open so fully and my commitments run as deep.

This image is available as a Limited edition Fine Art Print

Hand Embellished with Tibetan blessing symbols,

Numbered (ed/108) and Signed by the artist

Visit Goldenstein Gallery for more information or email me directly

I Expect to Meet You There ...

2011-01-09T17:54:00.002-07:00

I expect to meet you there one day

Under the layers of distraction

Under the chorus of ordinary things

Deeper, sensitive places

Places shadow protects

Places tender, knowing

Revealed

At times elusive

Incredibly familiar

No separation

Dare we go there?

Yes, of course

The cost?

The cost not to, more

You will know your strength in your vulnerability

A wise message from a Wise Woman

Powerful

Alive

An ocean

Deep

Expansive

Awareness growing deeper with each breath

Resting there, as one, moments recorded in time

With each visit the remembering grows

A beingness present

Connecting

Seeing each other with God’s eyes

Eyes of clarity and wisdom

Seeing all beings for the truth of their magnificence

Our magnificence

In this place, sensitive, we know depth

We know spiritual

In these moments we know Peace

Open, authentic, awareness alive

Filling all space beyond the bounds of physical form

A profound longing of the heart answered

Beyond ego

beyond the bounds of the ordinary world of form

Space

Space to rest

Space to know

Space to love

I expect to meet you there

When I do, I will ask you to dance

An Artist, A Muse ... A Moment in Time

2011-01-01T21:17:00.002-07:00

"The Courage of the Bloom*"
Acrylic on Canvas 11" x 14"
Sherab Khandro

The Courage of the Bloom

Ah, the courage of the bloom to respond fully to the call

The call of nature beckoning it to reveal it’s magnificence, it’s allure

Tender but firm the petals unfold

Exposed, vulnerable, radiant

It’s full expression manifest

The world nourished

Ah, the courage to own it’s elegant beauty

Standing alone, completely open

Offering all that it has without fear

Ah, the Glory!

The Calla Lily, symbol of resurrection

An invitation for a new beginning

Rising to new life

Remind me precious bloom of the beauty within my own being

Remind me of the power of sharing what is my natural state

Remind me that without fear there is only Love

I am that

I am Love

(Possibly a metaphor for the heart ... )

Dedicated 9/26/2010

Here is to another 20+ ...

2010-12-23T20:32:00.000-07:00

New life comes with each new day ...

20 years ago today I stopped drinking alcohol … a very unexpected, life-changing sobriety followed. I am open to sharing my whole story if you like. For today, on this landmark anniversary, I would like to share what I have come to know for sure:

I could not have done it alone.

I am loved.

Divine Spirit is alive in my life.

Even when I feel helpless and alone, I am neither.

I walk my path one moment at a time. It is not easy.

I stand taller because I begin and end each day on my knees.

I live in gratitude for each person that has loved me and held me, listened to me and believed in me.

Patience and forgiveness are more precious than gold.

I raise a clear, clean glass of water in recognition of the unlimited potential in each moment. I drink deeply of the nectar of life as a gift not to be taken for granted. I am blessed to be here.

If You Are a Woman in My Life, Please Read This … Only 500 words.

2010-12-11T17:02:00.002-07:00

Many beautiful people have conspired to mid-wife the birth of this Goddess. You have shown up in many forms. Thank you.

There are pivotal moments throughout our lives. It is not uncommon for such a moment to occur around our 29th year. For me, this moment required a profoundly wise Warrior Goddess Queen to appear and pull me from my dullness by humming the tunes I could not resist. I began to sing along. We danced and danced until all I could see was her. Then when I was safely held, she passed me to the hands of her nuns. It was time for me to grow up.

My family provided well for me during the time my body got bigger. I always had good food and clothes and medical care, most all the suburban comforts a kid could want, enough to keep me busy and out of trouble at least for a while. I am thinking now of the years post 30 when life takes on a distinctly different quality. At this time there was a call, a demand, a demand to wake up. Wake up to the potential for this life. Wake up to the conditions of the world around me and the true sources of power within it. Wake up to the ancient commitments I had made for this time and space. The call could not be denied, the clarity to respond yet to be realized.

Throughout my 30’s and into my 40’s, under the direction of this magnificent singing, dancing Warrior Goddess Queen, the nuns raised me and trained me and taught me. I studied and worked very hard, I drank deeply of what was offered. Then it was time to go.

I am 50 now. In the 5 years since I have stepped out of “the Nunnery” as one of my dear friends likes to call my time as a Buddhist nun, there have been many changes. I am beginning to see more clearly, I am beginning to see that I walk every day among Warrior Goddesses in a myriad of forms. You are the women in my life, the powerful, sensitive, compassionate, steadfast, at times goofy, off the mark, even wrong. Everything about you teaches, everything about you offers something beautiful to me. From my mothers, to my sisters, my girlfriends, my girlfriends, my “not” girlfriends, business partners, community partners, major and minor roles, you all matter. I stand stronger in my life from your gifts.

Some of you know who you are but I don’t believe most of you know the role you have played in the magnificence of this birth. The women in my life empower my goddess self, you have mothered her, coaxed her, demanded of her, held her, denied her, modeled for her, sang her praise, loved her and broken her heart. She raises her glass to each of you.

Thank you ladies! The best is yet to come. This is my story and I am sticking to it. What story are you telling about your life?

Can You ... Will You?

2010-11-29T18:05:00.000-07:00

"Autumnal Tiphtych" by Lynn Rae Lowe

Always choose Love. Choose “to” Love, an active verb, an action, a choice.

There is a story here, actually several different stories. For now I am not going to tell any of them. I am just going to get right to the question:

Some one has hurt you or someone you care about, they have offended you or they have exhibited behavior that you strongly object to, can you choose to Love them, really love them?

Do you have room to recognize the behavior as bad, inappropriate, even dangerous and still hold a place of compassionate regard? Hold a space that this person is suffering, that their suffering has walked them into this behavior. Can you consider that they act out of their own pain, their own fear. What was it Jesus said as he hung from the cross? “They know not what they do,” even if they seem to. Can you, will you, hold a space for them to find what they need to heal, to shift, to find their own compassionate heart?

Some believe this would mean you are justifying what appears to be bad behavior, I believe they have given you a gift.

Can you look honestly at your own reaction? Are you justifying your own anger and judgment as you condemn another? Are you acting out of your own pain, your own fear? Could it be that they are offering a powerful reflection of your own lack of compassion? Can any of us really say we are a pure display of compassion in every moment?

Whenever some one shows up in your life exhibiting behavior that is clearly “not Love,” I would like to suggest that an opportunity has presented itself, perhaps several opportunities. I invite you to check in with yourself and see where you may be exhibiting “not Love” in your reactions, to them and while you are at it, in other places in your life.

Talk to me …

Too Spiritual for Prada?

2010-11-21T00:20:00.003-07:00

Another thought provoking encounter at Goldenstein Gallery. This time it is with a nicely put together woman from San Francisco. I was touring her through the art in the gallery and she said to me that there are people in Sedona that are just “too spiritual.” Interesting statement, I wait for her to continue. She says, “Like you, you are not too spiritual, isn’t that your Prada bag behind the desk?” As it was just Chet and I working, I confessed that indeed it was my Prada bag but I wondered what my bag had said about my spirituality and I was of course inspired to ponder the meaning of “too spiritual.”

Anyone who knows me knows I am apt to wax philosophical and that I enjoy a bit of spiritual reflection. Yet even in the midst of pondering divine revelations, I also enjoy accessorizing. I love to play with clothes and with clothes, accessories. The whole experience inspired by color, line and texture. I cannot help it. I am an artist. I must express myself. I have a great deal of fun with it too. I will also confess that along with the marvelous fashion gems and designer pieces in my wardrobe, there may be a few knock off’s, practical choices for practical times. I wonder what that says about me.

It was interesting that she used the phrase, “too spiritual,” because lately I have been feeling like a bit of a freak, a cast out, an oddball. Dare I say zealot? I pray a lot. I practice turning everything I do into prayer. I talk about prayer; I write about it, I think about it, I do it. I don’t insist that you pray, you do what ever you like. But left to my own, I study and pray and contemplate and meditate then I journal about it all. I am almost always ready to explore a mystical or philosophical topic if you are. Whether I am hanging with friends, dancing, listening to music or having a good laugh, I find everything is an opportunity to practice the qualities I wish to develop for the benefit of the whole. My spirituality is vibrantly alive in my life.

This time last year I was planning an end of the year retreat for the last ten days of 2009. It had been a challenging year in the ways a year can be challenging when the economy goes to hell; along with the regular ups and downs of life and learning, heartbreak, laughter, loss, disappointment, joy, all that goes with the cycle of life. I was in need of some time to center and reflect, prepare for the opportunities yet to ripen. I decided it would be a retreat to let go of the old, clear out energy that no longer served and to invite new relationship into my life. There was prayer, meditation and two amazing ceremonies, one with water, one with fire. It culminated with a New Year’s celebration, I felt distinctly alive. I danced all night. Little did I know there had been enough energy stirred up to turn my world upside down and inside out. I wanted to be prepared for the most profound opportunities to ripen in my life? Ready or not, my ego was up for a profound awakening.

Tumultuous and incredibly revealing, 2010 was also rich and transformative. Certain that I will not have to face more than I can handle, ever, I prepare to flow into 2011 by stirring up the energy again. This year’s retreat will be somewhat different. It began early Oct and will conclude March 1. It might be more accurately called a semi-retreat as I am working out in the world and taking on only a few social engagements. My focus is on grounding spiritually and pouring forth creatively. Structured this way, it is an opportunity to feel my focus alive within and practice carrying it with me out of a formal retreat setting into day to day living; a practice I would ultimately like to be as natural as breathing.

The last few years have felt like something fresh and new and deeper is taking shape, a culmination of experience and perspective that is opening my heart and opening my mind. I am turning 50 in a few days. I am in the process of creating a new body of work. I have a show at Goldenstein in the spring and later that summer in New Mexico. A growing number of speaking engagements are scheduled for the coming year. As I call forth the creativity within and prepare to step forth to meet opportunity with my fullness of being, I am called back to basics: Prayer, study, meditation, centering in my relationship with Divinity, with my purpose in this life.

Immersed in thoughts of awakening spiritually, of deepening in my understanding of the nature of our existence, I seek to develop the habits of mind that will contribute to the overall raising of the consciousness of our planet. I am hanging out with the writings and lectures of Marianne Williamson, Ram Das, Rumi, Carolyn Myss, Charlotte Kasl and Eckhart Tolle among others, I paint, I write, I open myself as a channel for Divine Love to flow freely into the world.

At one moment, as I prepare my lunch, I think of all of those without food, those that struggle to feed their families; I pray that they have the nourishment they need. I think of my choice to nourish my body, to care for the vehicle I have been provided this time around. I think of the many choices I make. I think of the preciousness of this life, about all the beings that it took to provide this food for me, everything that has come together to create this moment: the farmers, the truck drivers, the food stores, the people that buy my art so I can pay for the food, the bank that manages my debit card transactions. The connections are endless. We are connected to so very many other beings. I acknowledge their light; I offer prayers for each of them that they will know ultimate happiness and freedom from suffering. My prayers are offered to all beings.

As I contemplate the nourishment of the body, I think about the nourishment of the mind. I load a cassette I borrowed from the library, “The Sacred Self Workshop” by Marianne Williamson. Her style is direct and accessible. I like it. Reflecting on her words helps to shine a light into places I have yet to explore. I crazy gobble this stuff up. As I eat, as I listen, I envision all beings receiving what they need. I see our minds relax, our bodies grow strong, our spirits lift and open. I rest in gratitude for the abundance in our lives.

Too spiritual? I don’t know. Feels about right to me. As for Prada, that feels right too. I wonder what she really meant. Or what she would have thought seeing me and my Prada bag climb into my well worn ’94 Chevy half ton pick up. Makes me smile.

Little Blue Bits of Happiness

2010-11-15T17:14:00.001-07:00

Ever make a mold? I have been making molds since 1991; rubber molds, fiberglass, plaster, wooden forms fine finished with bondo, one part, two part, three part, single cavity, multi cavity, from tiny to monumental. There are lots of types of molds and lots of ways to make them and lots of stuff to stick in them to then make other interesting, useful things. Good chance most of you probably wouldn’t have much of a need for mold making skills. I, on the other hand, have found the pursuit of knowledge in this area has taken me on some memorable adventures leaving fun tales to tell. “The Rubber Flubber” is the one I am most fond of but that will be for another time.

Let’s talk about the mold I just made last week. I get excited when I make a mold. Something new and potentially delicious is about to take form. Or maybe I should say delightful, as typically I do not eat what I produce from my molds. This mold is small, a single cavity yet it will hold the potential for a new butterfly pendant design, maybe even several new designs. All is yet to reveal itself. I love that about the creative process, one cannot predict just how things will unfold. Creativity becomes a process of discovery and leaves one open to wonder, a freshly enlivened perspective, to surprise.

Come with me.

Beginning as a sketch drafted on the patio of the Red Rooster in Olde Town Cottonwood, I came home and dug a bit of wax from my tool chest. I looked for something flat, not too thick. I carved a symmetrical set of butterfly wings with a smooth body holding the center. The result, a rough draft of a new pendant carved from wax. It rests on a sculpting block with some of the tools of my trade waiting for further transformation

A clay wall is built around the wax carving, referred to as the "model," to contain the liquid rubber.

Pouring the rubber

The mold is made from silicon, a two part mix ratio 10:1. Measured carefully and mixed thoroughly, the sticky blue liquid is poured from up above in a thin steady stream to minimize the chance of trapping air bubbles that would distort the final mold. You want the rubber to flow into every detail of the model. Mold making rubber picks up amazing detail, perfections and imperfections. There are sculptures that I have made molds of and cast and my finger prints from the original clay can be seen in the final sculpture.

I also discovered a usefulness for the large glossy postcards that regularly appear in my postal box. They make a great protective surface for my worktable. Any drips or spills can go right on there and will wipe off easily.

After the rubber is poured, I focus on another task while it sets, it will take several hours.

This picture is not easy to make out, it is a pot of wax melting on the stove. A kitchen set up is essential to a workable art space, stove, sink, frig and of course, a coffee pot.

Looking small and insignificant the little blue mold sits on the counter, it is filled with liquid wax. At this point, I think we know better than to misjudge the potential of this tiny little mold.

Each cast takes just a brief time, pour the wax and let it harden. The rubber requires no special preparation, the molten wax is poured to level or in this case, I needed it to just before overflowing to make the piece a bit thicker. It hardens in 10-15 minutes and is ready to be removed.

I cast half a dozen pieces, then choose the best one

I trim the edges and give the back a smooth finish. Once the first one is ready for embellishment,

a thin, raised spiral pattern is applied to the wing.

The word “Life” is carved in the back. I love words.

When I think it is finished, the tiny wax sculpture is checked and double checked from every angle. The surfaces are smoothed. Once I have signed off and called the work complete for the moment, I carefully package the artwork and prepare to deliver her to the silver casting studio where a different kind of mold will be made and a fancier casting process employed. The result will ultimately be a fine sterling silver pendant. The process will take a couple of weeks, I can hardly wait to see how it turns out.

I will have professional photos of the finished piece and of course there will be a story, a layer or two of symbolism and a bit about the inspiration. That too we will save for another time. But think for a moment, what a world we live in, a simple little, blue rubber mold that can lead to wonder and surprise. Can it really be that simple? Moments of wonder and joy are all around us if we have the eyes to see.

The Countess and Her Doors

2010-11-06T23:22:00.001-07:00

There are some wildly creative people that are a part of my world; intelligent, kind and sensitive too. As I step into conversation with you I find I want to introduce you to some of them. I am not sure how these people would feel about that or when it is appropriate to use their names. I will have to look into that. As the story I would like to tell today centers around one of my more colorful friends and I am not sure yet what is best, I will refer to her by her title, “the Countess of Gerfalco.” She is indeed an Italian countess, very well traveled and absolutely charming. Over the last decade or so we have become very good friends, the kind of friends that can talk about every little thing, authentically, honestly and even without make up.

We met years ago when my art ran from fine art to murals to faux wall finishes. I was a Tibetan Buddhist nun willing to take on just about any artistic project; she was this intensely creative, intelligent, worldly countess. We hit it off famously. We worked on many, many projects together. I consulted on her ideas and would ultimately execute them but it was her ideas that made it so fun. The dome ceiling of her office is a mystical skyscape with moons and starbursts in purples and blues. Gold leafed and hand painted Tibetan scroll designs on the wall around a small altar. The countess and I have collaborated on many of her doors. Our first project was a door on the outside of her home that she wanted to visually disappear. We decided to match the pattern and color and texture of the brick and carry it across the door. It was fantastic. The door virtually disappears!

As the Countess and I have become friends and my focus has turned more fully to my fine art projects, she is the only client for whom I still pull out my tools. Her projects are compelling. Every detail of her home is a piece of art. Every color and every texture is considered from every angle, down to the finest details. I would call her sense of style and design impeccable. It certainly speaks to me. There are beautiful little moments all throughout her home, moments that delight and comfort and soothe.

So when she said that she was remodeling and she had this fabulous idea for her doors and that I was the ONLY person who could possibly pull this off, I was hooked. Now, I am not so silly as to think that I am the only one that could pull this off but I am definitely the one who gets to try. She explained what she wanted; not at all sure how to make it happen, I set off to do my research. What I was sure of, if she could imagine it, somewhere in the world was a way to make it happen.

One afternoon this week, I had brought the Countess sample boards with the colors and a variation of special effects designed to create a bit of flash. Not sure if I had nailed it, I was a bit apprehensive. Shy may be a better word, when you are talking creative ideas there is not a clear linear definition, the language of creativity is abstract. We had shared the idea in words but now, with the sample boards, we would have a visual context. She loved it. I am not going into the details of how the little bits are coming together for these doors, I will say they are coming together and both the countess and I are excited. I actually began this tale to share with you a moment I found myself literally marinating in joy.

While I was there, I had agreed to revisit another project I had done years ago, her front door. The original project was pretty straightforward; a solid wood door with raised panels surrounded by a smooth wood frame set against very textured peach color bricks. She wanted this simple entryway to have more pizzazz. Of course she did. She chose a solid color finish that was a pearlescent sapphire blue violet. I wish I had the skill to describe in words the crazy rich depth of this color. The color has dimension and flashes from blue to purple with the changing light, picking up reflections of the colors around it, simply marvelous. The door needed a bit of touch up. I was there prepared to bring the finish back to its magical brilliance.

As I set up on the back deck, it was late afternoon, the sun brilliant against Sedona’s red rocks. The temperatures have been moderate. Sweat pants and a light sweater, I was very comfortable. After careful prep of the surfaces I began to paint. I used a brush for the raised areas and a fine foam roller for the larger flat surfaces; brush strokes are unacceptable for this pearlescent finish. I challenged myself to create the very smoothest finish to capitalized on the best possible play of light across the surface.

In this simple moment I became intensely aware of my joy. I was relaxed, comfortable, at play. I was in the familiar company of a great friend, in this beautiful land that draws four to five million tourists a year, the weather divine. I am on the deck of a mature, creatively inspired garden, with the company of several cats always curious about what I am up to when I am there. I see the sun setting against this incredible landscape. I am drinking water from a fresh spring in the canyon, the music of Annie Lenox dances through the air as I am dipping my brush into a glowing pot of liquid pearls in my very favorite color, blue violet. I became exquisitely aware of the beauty around me. I invited it in, I let it touch me. I thought to share this moment with you.

In gratitude, may all beings find joy.

The Divine Miss M

2010-10-31T22:51:00.000-07:00

I sold my Harley. Wow, was that a sexy machine. “The Divine Miss M” was her name, I love what we shared together but it was time to find her a new home. Not a hardcore motorcycle rider, I enjoyed seven or so years of riding locally, to places around the Northern Arizona. Out towards Strawberry, through Flag, over Mingus to Prescott and of course jaunts to Jerome and the Spirit Room; winding country roads and highways, sunshine and snow, wind and freezing weather. Loved the leather and the boots, the roar, the whipping wind, the open feeling of moving through space, a sense of freedom. I never really rode the outer edges of the great potential of motorcycle experience but I was fully present for the moments I did have. A girl forms a bond with her bike, saying goodbye was like breaking up when you know it’s what’s best for both of you.

When the decision had been made that I really didn’t have the time to ride right now and leaving the Divine Miss M alone in the garage for too long was not cool, I decided to sell her. That was last Spring, the letting go process began then. At the final hour, what made the ending so sweet was the woman who bought it. She is a dynamic, grounded, spiritually thoughtful woman living right here in Sedona. She has owned Harley’s before and had wanted another for years. The smile on her face when we were finalizing the paperwork was priceless and that same evening as I drove through the first circle at the Y, there she was on the bike with a blonde on the back. The sight made my heart sing. Miss M was in good hands. I was content.

This may beg the question of how this former Buddhist nun ended up riding a Harley anyway? This is one of my favorite stories of the practice of surrender.

It was 2006, shortly after I put my robes down and became a layperson again. I wanted a new motorcycle. I had begun to learn to ride on a borrowed Honda 250 a few years prior while I was still a nun. It was winter but I rode everyday to sharpen my skills, bundled up tight, robes flapping in the wind. After about six months a friend from Long Beach gave me a 1978 KZ1000, the precursor to what is now called a crotch rocket. It was bigger, more powerful and about 25 years old. It actually didn’t run when I got it so I had the opportunity to learn a great deal about the mechanics of a bike as a friend of mine and I worked it over part by part to get it running. All good and fine, important to know your equipment and how it works but very quickly I grew tired of the breakdowns and the repairs. I was a beginner and wanted to focus on developing safe riding skills. I had had enough lessons in motorcycle mechanics. I set my mind on getting a new bike.

After several visits to the Kawasaki dealer in Cottonwood, I picked out a Kawasaki 900; an affordable, mid size bike that was a deep red and fit me nicely. Now to make it happen; I tried a number of different avenues, cash flow was the challenge. When I get an idea about something I am not easily daunted yet each one was a dead end. I even had a friend promise a loan and then at the last minute it fell through. I was crushed!

Crushed? An alarm goes off in my mind.

My mind had grown tight. I was focused on making this thing happen one way or another. I wanted a new bike. I want, I want, I want. I need, I need, I need. I am wired for alarms to go off in my head when I hear this mantra. I asked myself if this is the mind quality I am committed to cultivating? This tight, graspy, I know what is best, I know what is suppose to happen kind of experience. Actually no. Where was the quiet, expansive mind through which all I need manifests? Where was the posture of knowing that all I need will find me in it’s time? Apparently squeezed out by my ego’s need to assert itself seemingly on my behalf.

Quick, it is time for some spiritual first aid. I am reminded of surrender. Time to let go of the idea of even having a motorcycle. If it would support me in my commitments then I would have it in due time, if not well then why would I even want one? Surrender might sound a little whimpy to some, lack pro-activity. This has not been my experience at all. Surrender is an invitation to engage in a partnership with the omnipotent creative force of Love, could I just please relax. I somewhat reluctantly turned the whole idea over to Divine source.

This is a story of how my idea of how things should, could or would be rarely holds a candle to what is possible in partnership with the whole of universal good. From a posture of surrender what presents itself is by far greater than what I could ever imagine.

Less than 2 weeks after letting go of this motorcycle idea I was presented with the opportunity to trade my artwork for a brand new Harley Davidson Softail Heritage, a gleaming, powerful example of motorcycle magnificence. I would have a roarin’ hot, motorcycle that would hold it’s value over the years and my artwork would be in a beautiful showcase home of a collector here in Sedona. Please note this happened effortlessly. The story gets even better because I had the opportunity to sit in front of the painting we traded and tell this collector the story of the piece. The image is the Medicine Buddha. This man is Catholic, deepening spiritually and open minded. He has created great wealth in his life yet he has suffered in the hidden ways that are so prevalent in our culture. He was drawn to this image of the healing Buddha. He was moved by it’s story. It now hangs in his private space radiating healing blessings in his life. He helped my dream happen and I may be contributing to his.

This story was a profound teaching to me. One I remind myself of each time I am sure I know what I need and how I am going to get it. Surrender is my friend, partnership with the Divine a powerful possibility in any of our lives. It seems time and again, the desires of my heart are met more fully than I have the capacity to imagine.

What is that expression? “Let go and let God.” I would love to hear about how this has worked in your life.

Prayer without Ceasing

2010-10-25T12:06:00.005-07:00

I talk a lot about prayer. I aspire to the idea of prayer without ceasing, every single thought, action or motion effortlessly offered with awareness, with consciousness. My life is my training ground, each movement of my mind, of my body an opportunity to practice. Over time we will talk about the many ways this practice can come alive in our lives. At this time I want to talk about one of the ways it comes alive in mine, my dots.

I have spent many years cultivating the awareness that each and every thing that arises in my life is a blessing and an answer to a prayer. Each and everything my friends, so of course that includes all the things that initially appear objectionable. This is another something we will explore over time. I look for ways to remind myself of this truth. One way is to look each day at the little blessings that arise, the opportunities to touch another’s life authentically, ways that my own life is enhanced, often unexpectedly. I begin with recognizing the simplest pleasures, a warm cup of coffee, a soft cotton tee, the caress of a cool breeze through an open window. Cultivating gratitude, I move out into my day.

I spend several of my days each week working in the gallery that represents me in Sedona. Goldenstein Gallery, a marvelous place with a great staff, an amazingly talented stable of artists and some of the most interesting visitors. As a fine artist by trade, brimming with ideas for sculptures, paintings, jewelry and a myriad of books I would like to publish, I confess that I grumble a bit about working outside my studio. But as life enhancing as the art is in the gallery to those who come to see it, my experiences in the gallery each week enhance my life in ways that can not be measured. There are countless opportunities to harvest blessings from my experiences and nourish my spiritual perspective.

I met a woman in the gallery this Sunday who teaches 3^rd and 4^th graders. She said she teaches them a lot of art. She is young and vital, I am sure an inspiring teacher. An artist herself, she was enjoying the gallery. When she came in she began singing along to the music that was playing, Dido, Essentials, currently my favorite playlist. I love the rhythms and something about the vocal tracks captivate me. Come to find out it was her favorite as well. Sharing an appreciation for something beautiful always lifts my heart. Our experience together had just begun.

As she continued to wander through the gallery I heard her say to her friend, “come look at this, I love this work.” I wondered to myself if maybe she liked my art, we shared a passion for the same playlist, it was possible. Indeed, she headed right for my work. I was delighted.

As a note, I delight in the interest of any visitor in the work of any of the nearly 40 artists represented at Goldenstein. The sale of one artist’s work keeps the roof over the rest of us. If someone comes in to see the work of one artist it is always possible they may fall in love with the work of another. The gallery is a great collaboration. It keeps the arts alive and nourishes the artists that need to create and the collectors and other visitors that need to appreciate. I enjoy talking about art and the techniques and stories of my fellow artists. Naturally, I am further delighted when they are interested in mine. Meeting the artist seems to delight them as well, ah, a win/win. Delightful.

She and I begin to talk about pointillism. She stipples. Stippling is like pointillism but in a single color. It is a pen and ink technique where the dots, typically seen in black ink, are laid closely together to create the dark areas and farther apart the create gray tones. Areas are left white as highlight. Some very subtle effects can be created with this sensitive technique, it also requires a great deal of focus. She loves what she does and was fascinated by my use of color.

We talked about kids and art and ways to teach them about color. We talked technique and color theory, primary triads and complimentary pairs. We toured the gallery looking at my different paintings. There are some new, small originals in the gallery, small studies of butterflies, each one a jewel*. I am creating this series to further explore the dynamics of color and the dimensions of pointillism. This is also the beginning phase of the creation of a new body of work for my show this spring, seeing what appears as the creative process unfolds is always an exciting part of my journey.

When I talk about my art, I can dive in from the art theory side or I can dive in from the spiritual, symbolic meaning side, eventually weaving a tapestry of the two. This artist/teacher and I had covered the art theory side, I decided to step in from what felt to me like left field, with the spiritual side of why I enjoy pointillism. Of course I talked about the jeweled offerings and the prayers for all beings but I specifically talked about the prayers inspired when I am painting the butterflies.

I told her what I would have liked to tell those sweet, young, open minds that she has the good fortune to influence while they are in her care. When I paint the butterflies my prayers are that we each allow our hearts to have wings, that we take flight and let our full colors shine. I offer prayers that we each fall in love with ourselves, that we find what is precious and beautiful within our own beings and find a way to offer that in service to the world. I pray that we support each other in this journey of wonder and discovery. Never quite sure how my ideas might land, I saw her mind begin to turn. I continued, rather than try to fit into a box or a prescribed role, rather than fill our lives with shoulds and suppose to’s, allow ourselves to be the wildly glorious, creative beings we were meant to be. Find your light and let it shine**. Everybody has one.

She asked if I had written this part down. I told her I would do it tonight. I think she left inspired. I know I was. She talked about showing my work to the kids in her class. She said they would write to me. I asked her to send a picture of them. My prayers are going to reach these children. The choice to paint with dots, the choice to be present in the gallery, the choice to share the stories of my art and my inspiration, these seeds are blown into the wind. They are blown into the consciousness of our planet. They are headed for these furtile little minds. May every thought, every action, every motion be offered as a blessing to all beings. May I be prayer in each moment, prayer without ceasing. The potential is boundless.

* The painting featured in the picture above is one of the new studies. An original acrylic painting on canvas, 6”x6”, entitled ‘Brio’ which means Spirit.

** "Let it Shine" Karen Drucker

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Possibility for Peace

2010-10-17T20:43:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we find our kindred spirits in the most unexpected places. My tailor, Mr. Bali, comes to work each day in a shirt and tie, a proper, older gentleman. He is from Turkey and has practiced all his life in a shamanistic tradition, a shaman himself. On occasion we have engaged in deep philosophical conversation, something I find absolutely irresistible!

I swing in one morning to pick up a suit I was having fitted and he asks me what I think of the state of affairs in our world today? Realizing this was not a “how you doin’?” kinda question. I paused for a moment.

I told him that I have a feeling of great confidence. I feel there is movement, a rising of our collective consciousness. I said that I feel there is a shift taking place. People are beginning to see for themselves the limitations of force and aggression, of the destructive nature of self-concern and greed. That the ego centered me, me, me is not bringing the peace and the happiness that we all strive for.

I actually feel a dynamic confidence, an active confidence. I feel that way because of people like you. I believe that we engage in conversations like this because you, like me, know that a rising of consciousness is what is needed to empower the change that will bring peace to our world and to our very own hearts.

We realize that right here, right now together we are promoting a conversation that will contribute to positive change. We know that this begins with us, with the choices we make, the conversations we engage in. I believe this is a gathering of kindred spirits.

Of course I will say many times that I have come to believe that it is the smallest thoughts and actions that have the potential to empower our lives, to heal, to bring about lasting change; the kind of change that results in peace and happiness in our lives and the world around us.

I believe we have the opportunity, quite possibly the responsibility to make the choice to Love; to practice the transformative power of compassion that arises out of awareness, of living consciously. The power is in the choices we make in this moment.

We are the warriors of today. We carry with us the tools that can cut through hatred, eradicate jealousy and pride: Mindfulness, Honesty, Awareness, Presence. Wisdom and Compassion naturally arise from these practices. We are the hope of the future. We are the possibility for peace.

I am sharing with you things that you already know. Yet I am sharing with you things we all need to remember. I know some of you out there. I know some of you have been out on the front line for a long time and your commitment runs deep and I thank you.

Free to Fly

2010-10-10T16:26:00.010-07:00

I love this sculpture, a spiral, the energy of ascending, taking flight, a sense of freedom and movement. I wanted to sculpt that feeling. It was what I was feeling. Having recently left my spiritual community, taking a significant new tact in my life, again at a new beginning. I felt free to fly.

I felt as though I was emerging from the chrysalis of my robes. Butterflies captured my imagination. Ordained as a Buddhist nun in the Tibetan tradition for 15 years, I had begun to heal many old wounds and I had received an education like I had never imagined. It was an amazing and wonderfully transformative experience. Like the caterpillar, I had had a very limited perspective of the world. As this spiritual journey unfolds, I feel like I have been given wings, now seeing from a very different viewpoint.

Traditional Tibetan Buddhist practices: prayer, study, contemplation, empowerment ceremonies, and meditation combined with traditional and non-traditional Western practices: 12-steps, inner child work, radical self honesty, specially designed retreats and personal instruction, resulted in a breakdown of all that I knew myself to be. Through the generosity and kindness of my beloved teachers, who nurtured the seeds of loving kindness and compassion that lay within me, a more mature, spiritual understanding of myself and the world in which I live began to take shape. I felt poised for flight.

I express myself through my art. I often refer to my art as my voice. I speak to others yet I also speak to myself. As I connect with what I am feeling, as I reflect on what I am inspired to create, whether drawing, painting or sculpting, I learn something about where I am in my life, what I value. The creative process continues to be a spiritual practice, an invitation to explore my inner landscape. Time after time I realize I am speaking to experiences we have in common, experiences we share as human beings. We are really so much more alike than we are different.

I would now sculpt butterflies, representing transformation, joy, flight and freedom. But what would be the foundation, the support from which they would then be taking flight? Would it be the ground, the Earth, her solid reality? Would it be a book, a scroll, a leaf, a sphere, a cube, an amorphous shape? Possibilities were alive in my mind when I came across the story of the Loretto Chapel and it’s miraculous staircase.

I am sure many of you have heard this oft told tale of a small group of nuns and the chapel with the spiral staircase in Santa Fe, New Mexico. One version of the story tells of the nuns moving across the country and settling into a lovely little chapel when they realized that there was no way to access the choir loft. It was 22’ above the main floor and there was no staircase. After calling in contractors to remedy this situation they were told that there was not room for a traditional staircase and that they would have to use a ladder. This was unacceptable to the nuns so they sat down and did what nuns do best, they prayed. They prayed to St. Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters. On the ninth day of prayer, a carpenter arrived with his donkey and his tools, looking for work. He told them he could build a spiral staircase and that it would fit quite nicely in the space. The nuns were delighted and made room in the small chapel for the carpenter to sleep.

He began work right away, after several months the elegant staircase was complete. His workmanship was beautiful. Before they could pay him or even thank him, he disappeared. The nuns were perplexed. They inquired with the local lumberyard but they had never seen this carpenter nor sold him any materials. The nuns ran an ad in the local paper asking if anyone had seen him. Their efforts were to no avail, no one had seen him. The truth dawning in their minds almost simultaneously, they smiled. The carpenter, arriving as they prayed, vanishing upon the projects completion, his appearance had been an answer to their prayers.

To add a further bit of mystery to the story, to this day, designers and architects have marveled at the construction of this staircase. There is no central post customary in this type of construction. This staircase is built with no visible means of support.

When I heard this story, I knew I had found the foundation from which these butterflies would fly. This staircase is a symbol of prayer and faith, profound, fundamental resources in my life. Prayer as an open line of communication to the Divine, faith in our divinity, in our authenticity, in the deepest knowing of our hearts, faith in the power of loving kindness and compassion to guide us to true happiness and an end to suffering for all beings.

As we come to know the truth of our own nature we are free, free to take flight, spread our wings, let our colors shine.

As of today, there are 5 pieces left in this edition. Please visit my website for more information and a full size picture: Free to Fly Limited Edition Bronze Sculpture

This work is dedicated to the amazing teachers that have shaped my life. I live in unending gratitude for the blessings I have received. I have created a jeweled palace within my heart, a magnificent throne for each of these precious beings.

“And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.”
-Marianne Williamson

Please, let yours shine brightly!

Some Choices Can Make Themselves

2010-09-30T12:27:00.009-07:00

Over the last several years I have lost about 60 lbs, almost a third of my body weight. I feel better. All told I think I look better too. Back in my late twenties when I had trained for years as a triathelete and then maintained my fitness with diet, cardio exercise and weightlifting, one might say I was at my prime. Twenty years later as I approach my 50^th birthday, I actually feel more fully alive than ever.

It was the spring of 2007; I had left my monastic lifestyle about a year and a half earlier. A lot of change had been taking place over that time but I was beginning to settle into a new routine. I didn’t feel well though, I was sluggish, achy, just generally not feeling vibrant. It was time to reclaim my health.

My future was full of promise but I felt like I was dragging my body along. I had taken control of my mind in an effort to create more peace and happiness in my life. It was time to reclaim my body, the vehicle that will actually help me to walk the path and bring my wish for a better world alive and into form.

Holistic medicine holds a great fascination to me. If supported properly, the body, has amazing strength and resilience, a natural capacity for healing. I see a Naturopathic MD; I like my Naturopath to also be a practicing MD. Getting the best of both worlds, naturally supporting the body, investing myself in preventative care while having available the technology to handle a crisis should one present itself. These two practices compliment each other and I am grateful to have access to both in this country.

So I visit my doctor and tell her I wish to reclaim my health. We do panels of tests, talk about my symptoms, what I eat, my activities, exercise, meditation, stressors in my life. One of the things that impress me most about the holistic approach is how seemingly disparate symptoms can all be related to the same underlying cause. Typically in the allopathic approach each symptom is treated individually. Holistically you treat the symptoms but most importantly you treat the underlying causes physically, emotionally and spiritually. Fascinating. Holistically we found relationship between achy joints, lethargy, fuzzy thinking, itchy feet, a runny nose and fluctuating moods!

Of course stress was an element. Who doesn’t have stress in their lives? I revisited the idea of how I manage my stress. What do I know works for me? Meditation, movies, exercise, when these things are a regular part of my lifestyle, the impact of stress is lessened. Time to get back to the basics of stress management.

Of course exercise was an element. We are in physical form; our body is our vehicle for practice. Consistent exercise in some form seems to benefit us. These days I walk two miles up and down hills several times a week, stretch and strengthen. I could use a bit of fine-tuning here and there but generally feel pretty good when I engage in regular, moderate exercise.

Of course diet was an element. We have to eat. We are each different and have to experiment to understand what works best for us as individuals. I don’t believe there is standard eating plan that will work for every one. Maybe some fundamentals that we could all benefit from but there is not a one size fits all. I have whittled my diet down to basics. Meat, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, I have eliminated sugar, white flour and processed foods. This works for me. My energy is more consistent and my body seems to have found a natural weight that I am comfortable with. I identify foods that just don’t work for my body: nightshades and wheat for example, I choose not to eat them on a regular basis. Bottom line is that I see how foods make me feel, I see how my body responds and choose to eat them or not based on the results I want.

I have had friends ask why I deny myself so many foods. Truthfully I do enjoy some of them on occasion just not as a rule. I am not so much denying the foods as I am choosing to feel my best. What I have actually denied myself is the suffering that comes with choices that don’t work well for my body. Seems like a reasonable trade off.

This outer practice of awareness and taking action for a greater benefit is a fundamental skill of the spiritual warrior. To train the mind, to learn to Love, to practice patience and kindness we have to make choices. To heal the hearts and minds that suffer we must address the underlying causes. Cultivating mindfulness: awareness and choice. I love that. Caring for my body becomes spiritual practice. It is discipline but discipline informed by our inner motivations not external demands and expectations. Like any skill, consistent practice is required for mastery.

The immediate gratification of an ice cream sundae when dairy leaves you bloated and the sugar sends you on an emotional roller coaster ride may not be worth it. Just like the pleasure we feel we get from hanging onto our hatred or our pride ultimately may not be worth it. In the moment it may feel good but ultimately we are just reinforcing suffering in our lives. The habits of mindfulness that we develop as spiritual warriors support our spiritual practice and our overall health.

What results do you want? What produces those results? The choices almost make themselves.

Keep an eye out Fall 2011 for my meditation journal: “Mindfulness Practice: Alive in Your Body, Alive in Your Life”

Art as Prayer

2010-09-23T10:11:00.005-07:00

So let’s talk some art. I paint with little tiny dots. Pointillism.

Formally defined, pointillism is a method of painting using small, distinct dots of pure color that are mixed in the eye of viewer rather than before they are applied to the canvas. Introduced by George Seurat and Paul Signac in the 1880s, post-impressionism, the style is referred to as neo-impressionism. Pointillism is focused on the use of pure color and the specific style of brushwork used to apply the paint. Interestingly, this style of painting was born of a debate about color and the impact colors have on one another. It is a fascinating exploration as you lay colors next to each other and see how one color enlivens another or creates a subdued response. For example complimentary pairs of color like green and red, they never look more vibrant than when they are together. That is why Christmas looks so alive, so captivating. Yet, as with all complimentary pairs of color, if red and green are mixed together before they are applied to the canvas you get brown.

Pointillism is magic. My palette consists of colors that I mix myself. Twelve colors calibrated perfectly with the color wheel, a row of colors a shade darker and three rows each a shade lighter. 12 colors from the color wheel, 5 shades each, 60-2 oz bottles of paint in all, arranged in a mahogany chest. A space along it’s length where I keep tools of the trade: pencils, compasses, a groovy assortment of measuring tools, palette knives, rags and bits of paper. I call it my treasure chest. I love that box of colors. If there were a fire, I’d grab my dog under one arm and my paint box under the other.

In my world, these bottles of paint are bottles of liquid jewels waiting to be offered; each dot, each stroke of the brush, a jeweled offering, a prayer to end suffering. Painting becomes a spiritual practice, pointillism the outer method. As I paint, each dot is visualized as a jeweled universe, stars, moons and planets of red rubies, green emeralds, blue sapphires on and on. Vast, countless offerings visualized and offered requesting blessings to come to the world to end suffering. This becomes my inner practice. Turning the mind each day to the needs of beings and taking an action dedicated to their well-being.

My art becomes prayer. The dots are like seeds of intention that are planted in the universal consciousness. I believe the seeds we plant each moment thru our thoughts and our actions are powerful, transformative. I believe they take root and become the fruit of our experiences in the future. Buddhists refer to this as karma. If I plant seeds of love and compassion, love and compassion will be the fruit. Tomato seeds result in tomatoes as my teachers have said.

Considered by many to be the most vibrant painting style, vivid, dynamic, pointillism continues to fascinate me as an artist. As a spiritual warrior committed to bringing change through moment by moment awareness of the choices I make, it is this, the dots as seeds of intention planted into universal consciousness for the benefit of all beings that captures my imagination most fully and compels me to pursue pointillism.

Why a Nun?

2010-09-17T09:15:00.007-07:00

The question I am asked most often is, “why a nun?” The simple answer is I was in pain. I had been in pain for a long time. My ordination was an amazing blessing; I truly believe it saved my life.

I served as a Buddhist nun in the Tibetan tradition for 15 years. It was a radical choice for a woman in America to make. I shaved my head, said a tearful good bye to my closet full of clothes, solemnly took the first of three levels of vows and donned the simple burgundy robes of a renunciate. It was 1990.

Coming out of the 80’s. Prior to taking my vows, I had big hair and sculptured nails, I worked among the neon and chrome of a Bally’s health club in the wealthy community of Bethesda, MD. I drove a silver sports car with the vanity tag, 4evrfit. I marvel at the ignorance of my youth. I worked, partied and took luxury vacations.

Yet at 29, I had a big hole at the center of my being. Having tumbled through the first decades of my life from one obsession to another I had yet to find any depth of purpose or true passion in my life. Now I am by no means recommending that anyone who feels there is something missing in their lives should wear robes and be a Buddhist. There are many paths to take. This path was great for me but may not be for everyone.

I remember very clearly the moment I decided to become a nun. I had just had my 30^th birthday. I had been studying at the temple less than a year. Had my hair and my nails and everybody there in a fitness program.

We were listening to a teaching by Yangthang Tulku, a well-respected Tibetan spiritual master. As I was listening I was rolling a large paper scroll that would be inserted in a prayer wheel we were assembling to be placed in the gardens at the temple. Actually there were 5 gardens with 3 prayers wheels each. As each paper sheet was added to the scroll, I would roll hard against it with my forearms, rolling it tighter and tighter in an effort to fit as many prayers as possible on each scroll. My forearms were bruised and tender.

I remember listening to this respected master talk over the course of days about the needs of countless beings, about hunger and poverty, sickness, the loss of our loved one’s but also of the suffering brought on by our hatred, our greed, our jealousy and pride. I could see those things in the world around me. I could see those things in myself. He spoke about the need for each of us to practice compassion, to pray, to love each other as our own brothers and sisters. That we could start today, right now; that each moment we could choose to plant the seeds of Love and what a powerful difference that would make.

I feel I should explain, this man who sat for days humbly teaching about loving all beings in each moment, no matter what, this man had been recently imprisoned by the Chinese and tortured for 27 years. After he was released, he traveled the world to teach about love and compassion.

Now if we get snubbed by someone or flipped off by another driver we are ready to cop a major attitude. If a neighbor acts in a way we are not comfortable with we may just write them off. If someone’s lifestyle isn’t what we would choose, we are judge and jury and telling anyone who will listen. For this man, there was no bitterness, no hatred. True to his understanding, true to his knowledge that the only choice that really matters is to love.

This blew me away. He opened my hard, little pea sized, self-absorbed heart so wide. I wanted what he had. No matter what happened around him, he remained calm, centered, loving and kind. I found myself wanting, in the face of any hardship, with understanding and with patience, to always be willing and able to choose Love.

We know what it feels like to come from a place of love. It feels good. Even though it’s not always easy. We know what it feels like to harbor hatred, anger and resentment. Not so good. Maybe feels kind of good in the moment when we feel all righteous and justified. We do love to be right. But ultimately we know what is real.

As I sat there listening, rolling prayers for peace and compassion around this scroll, feeling the tender bruises with each turn, I asked myself “how can I help bring more understanding and compassion into the world?” There has been enough suffering, what can I do? I knew I couldn’t work hard enough in the conventional ways. I couldn’t make enough money to take away the sufferings of the world. I decided in that moment, with someone before me who clearly knew how, that I would offer this life and every moment in it. I would offer this life and every future life to learn patience and understanding, to unravel the riddle of our suffering. I would to learn to choose Love in each moment. When I do something I am typically all in. So true to form I decided to focus my life and my study as a nun. One week later I was ordained and my whole world turned inside out.

Until Loving is the Only Thing We Know How to Do ...

2010-09-12T21:34:00.005-07:00

As I get this blog rolling I have committed to 2-3 posts per week for now. I intend to talk about a variety of things and am inviting you to join in and make this a conversation. Of the subjects I am interested in, and feel qualified to talk about, art and spirituality are my favorites. It is likely that I will stick to these. I will also share with you something of my story. I have heard it is a rather interesting one and I do feel qualified to talk about that; the story of comfortable middle class kid turn addict turn competitive athlete turn fitness trainer turn Buddhist nun. The story of a woman giving birth to her heart and discovering an artist, a philosopher, an activist, a spiritual warrior, a woman I am finding, that I can love, respect and even celebrate being.

We will talk about art. We will talk about my art, my inspiration. I will tell the stories of what the pieces I have created have come to mean to me, what they have meant to others. I will talk about technique and about my training as an artist; beginning as a sculptor, 12 years ago deciding to try my hand at painting, now I paint and I sculpt. From my work on sacred Buddhist monuments to crafting small pieces of jewelry, it has been a colorful journey. We will talk a lot about color. We will look into pointillism as a contemporary technique of the neo-impressionists and into the ancient Buddhist text prescribing in detail the techniques for bringing forth an image of the Buddha.

We will talk about spirituality, meditation, fundamental Buddhist thought. We will talk about being spiritual warriors alive in a time of a changing world and the opportunity, possibly the responsibility, we each have to bring our best selves forward. I will tell stories of my experiences as a nun in the Tibetan tradition. I will share with you many of the tools I gathered on the path, some of the insights that have dramatically shaped my world, bringing healing and great joy. I will talk of a heart broken and a heart healed, of a heart open, committed to pouring forth. I will talk of my commitment for this life and for future lives, about my hopes for our world.

You may come to believe me a dreamer. I will tell you that I believe with all my heart in the possibility of living in Love with one another. I believe that it is possible that we can each come to know the divinity within ourselves and to see it clearly in each other. No matter how different we appear, we are of the same nature. We all want to be happy. We want to be free of our pain and our fear. We want to be loved. And of course how is this to happen? It begins with each of us making the choice for ourselves to choose love in each moment. When a moment passes and we have not chosen love, we turn our minds to it in the next moment. Patiently, slowly, slowly, until loving is the only thing we know how to do.

For Now I Practice ...

2010-09-09T13:17:00.003-07:00

A lifelong philosopher and committed dreamer, I reflect on my passions – my commitment to Love. I am inviting conversation, contemplation, I will not tell you how to feel or to live. What you should or shouldn’t do is completely up to you. I will do my best not to ‘should’ on you.

Regularly I ask myself, “What fundamental outcome are you committed to?” I follow that with, “Are you prepared to pay attention, to live consciously, to abandon what has not served, take up what speaks to the future you are committed to creating? Are you prepared to do this in each and every moment?”

I am committed to Love, if I want love and respect in the world it is very simple: Love and respect others. I love that sentence, Love and respect others. Just period. No “if they do this, if they do that.” If you show up the way I want, need and expect you to then I will love you with all my heart … if not well, go away. This is so not okay. How will we possibly have world peace if there is not acceptance and understanding in the world of our immediate creation? World peace becomes like a story with a Holy Grail. Something that is held by many as a fairy tale, sought after by a few but never experienced as truth by the whole.

I am going to capitalize World Peace. I like to capitalize words I value and words that hold the energy of higher ideals. I know about the ‘shoulds and suppose tos’ in spelling and grammar and such, I am just not sure they always apply in the creative process. Although my sister may disagree because she is committed to preserving the English language as she knows it. Hmmm there is another reflection we must explore, wanting to keep things as they are. You would also love to meet my sister; she is fabulous. I digress.

Back to Love and Respect and ultimately World Peace. So I want love and respect in my life, so love and respect others period. Do not stop at the “yes but you did me wrong.” There is pride all woven in that attitude. I have to ask myself, am I more committed to my pride than to love? So that pride trumps the choice we have in each moment to choose Love? Hmmm. Whatever I need to do, I need to find a way to love and respect those around me.

If I am tempted to choose pride, I need to recognize my fear, what motivates me, what cripples me as a warrior committed to Love considering not choosing it in that moment. What cuts me off? I need to offer the very existence of these things as way of deepening my understanding of those in the world around me. Understanding that others are acting out of their fear, their motivations, their wounds. We are really not that different from each other. Then get off it. Get onto what creates the outcome we are committed to. Committed to World Peace? Well then, what about the one who did you wrong? Are you generating peace or holding on to your pride and self-righteousness?

People will do what they will do. How many of us have really been taught how to Love? If I keep expecting everyone to know how to Love perfectly I am going to be perpetually disappointed. I have spent the last two decades very intentionally studying about the active power of practicing Love, the how, the why, the when and still I have a great deal to learn. It probably comes more naturally to others and of course we all have varying ideas about how it should look, and there is that word again, ‘should.’ Not sure what place that word has in my vocabulary. The opportunity to practice choosing Love presents itself in every moment if my eyes are open but I am saying that we are not all real good at it yet. Jesus was really good at it. Buddha was really good at it. When I am that good at it I will know I have accomplished something.

For now I practice. People do what they do; I listen very carefully, often trying to hear many layers down. I consider the truth of what they say and do and feel from their perspective. I think about how I am feeling or reacting (and you can bet that sometimes I have reacted before I can hear another word they say! Slow down Shey.) I share with them how I feel if they are open to that. I reflect on what I can come to understand about them, about myself. I am usually prepared to agree to disagree, I have found this incredibly useful. I ask myself, can I accept any loss and still Love? Can I allow myself to grieve a loss and embrace compassion? What of the mother that forgives her son’s killer? How to understand that? What of making peace with death, the end of this life or the death of a moment, an idea, a dream? Can I, will I, choose Love in each moment? It truly is our natural state.

Building My Enlightenment

2010-09-06T22:33:00.004-07:00

Many profound opportunities presented themselves during my ordination as a Buddhist nun. One such opportunity was to serve as the spiritual arts director for the birth of the Amitabha Enlightenment Stupa. It was 2004 and I lived where I live now - in paradise. I am of course referring to living in the beautiful red rock country of Sedona, AZ. Ground was broken for this project in West Sedona, just under Chimney Rock. As the arts director, I was responsible for the design and creation of the sculptural elements of this sacred monument. This included the sculpture of the Buddha that sits in the gau (the portal or opening at the heart of this Buddhist monument).

The placement of the stupa and many of the design choices in a project of this nature are primarily informed by the Tibetan texts and the specific instructions of the spiritual master overseeing the event. Although the artist must adhere to specifics of the tradition, there is room for creative expression in many of the artistic elements such as the lotus petals, the embellishment of the face of the gau and the umbrella that crowns the spire as well as in many of the finer details. The structure itself has prescribed proportions that represent a sacred mandala. There are ceremonies and prayers of offering, intention and dedication that are performed at each step.

The construction of a stupa is a spiritual event that involves many people, a qualified spiritual master and a great deal of devotion. It has been my honor and my privilege to work with some amazing and talented people, big of heart and long on loving commitment. It has been a profound blessing to be involved in the creation/construction of many stupas here in the United States.

“When you build a stupa, you are building your own Enlightenment”

-Venerable Gyaltrul Rinpoche

Contemplating Impermanence

2008-05-04T12:36:00.000-07:00

Diversity Reigns! In my life and the programs at Goldenstein Gallery. The first weekend in April featured Tibetan Monks from the Gaden Shartse Monastery. Touring the United States to raise money for a hospital in Southern India, they were here to offer the blessing of the Medicine Buddha Sand Mandala to Sedona, the surrounding area and all it's residents. A personally empowering experience for me with my profound connection to the Buddhist tradition, the ordained and the sacred arts, I found it extremely nourishing.

The opportunity to contemplate impermanence is life changing. After long days are spent carefully creating the mandala with fine grains of colored sand and many prayers, it is swepted away, carried to the creek and spilled forth to bless the water, the land and all the inhabitants of the area. A practice not easily understood by the Western mind. Many wonder, "can't we keep it?" The monks told stories of people asking to buy it, to pay not to have it destroyed. The practice of the sand mandala gives us the opportunity to contemplate the cycle of life; all that comes into form eventually dissolves, returning to the formless. It is a practice of letting go, seeing and accepting the world as it is.

The Wild!

2008-03-19T11:28:00.000-07:00

I promised a brief story about the "Other Flutter" and I will get to that but first I wanted to share about another great event at the Goldenstein Gallery! I show there. I work there. The place is a hot spot in Sedona and especially on the First Friday of each month. The First Friday of each month is the Art Walk here in Sedona. The association of galleries hires the trolley to take visitors to the different galleries around Sedona, they are all lovely and I encourage you to visit each and every one of them.

Goldenstein Gallery is a 'must stop' stop on the tour. We have an eclectic and contemporary collection of fine art by local and regional artists in all media. There is a local winery that pours at the opening and live music by very talented local musicians. Sedona is a rich and lively cultural experience. Take home some art to remember your experience!

Our staff is great! Storytellers all of them. Full of fun and festive, our March show is called "The Wild." All the ladies on staff showed up in leopard print! We had a wild time! Experience the art of Sedona first hand at Goldenstein Gallery!

Flutter and Dance...

2008-03-08T16:27:00.000-07:00

I am always touched when someone makes room in their personal space for my work, when they invite the energy present in the piece into their experience. When the work is collected as a commemoration of something special or even profound, I am further moved. Recently I had back-to-back experiences of a piece collected in commemoration, each with the same sculpture. "Flutter Dance" is it's title. Three small bronze butterflies in a dance, a flutter I would call it, each beautifully patinaed at the foundry in contrasting but complimentary colors.

Six inches high, four inches wide, four inches deep, the butterflies dance in a spiral from the surface of a red rock, a little piece of Sedona. This sculpture will be cast in an edition of 35, the one pictured here is #1/35 and will soon be winding it's way to Idaho! The couple that came into the gallery to collect this piece was so charming. This was their first visit to Sedona and they wanted a memento, a commemoration of their trip here.

The red rocks of Sedona have a lure. The landscape of Sedona is magnificent, a place like no other and the art work here is beautiful (if I do say so myself). Recently voted the number two art destination for small cities in America, second only to Santa Fe, the art here reflects beautifully the magic of our precious city and is a perfect something to take back home with you to remind and enjoy.

The couple looked carefully at the work in the gallery and found their attention captured by the little dance of butterflies. They left the gallery and the husband returned a few moments later. He asked about the piece and if the artist was local. I replied that, the artist is so local, she is standing right next to you!" To that he was delighted. I explained the process for creating the work and introduced him to several other pieces I have done. Soon his wife joined us and they decided this was the one they wanted to take home with them to Idaho. Now I was delighted!

I love meeting the people who are touched by my work and love to know that it is out there fulfilling my wish for it....nourishing and inspiring the hearts and minds of others.

In the next post I will share with you the story of Flutter Dance #2. Till then, spread your wings and let your colors shine!

Finally!

2008-03-02T12:35:00.000-07:00

I am finally getting started! Delighted to be here and happy to be sharing something of my joy, as we embark on this new adventure. I am an artist and would like to begin by introducing you to my art. A living energetic presence, each piece is created with the intention to nourish and inspire. It is through my work as an artist that I reach out to connect with you and with the world around me so let us begin...

First, I will introduce, "When I Think of You..." This painting was inspired by a dear friend of mine. Ever know any one or maybe you are someone, who has amazing qualities but just can't see them in themselves? Someone that lights up a room with their smile, always has a kind word for another, gives sincerely from their heart, someone who is generous and loving to everyone but themselves. Someone who sees clearly the natural beauty in others but cannot see it in themselves.

Actually there are too many of us like that. This painting is an image of a butterfly with it's wings fully spread, taking flight, colors shining. The background is a warm, earthy brown with words in golden ink intended to acknowledge and remind us of our natural, inherent beauty. When my dear friend is feeling down on herself I often suggest she take a moment to sit with her painting, contemplate the words and the image and remember.

Just remember. Connect to the deeper part of yourself, the wisdom self that knows the truth of who we are. The truth of our nature as an endless, divine source of love in the world. Love for others and love for ourselves.

The original painting is acrylic on board 12" x 16" and hangs in a special place in her special space inviting her to take flight, spread her wings and let her full colors shine!

There is power in 40

2007-11-15T18:47:00.000-07:00

Life seems to have it's power moments and turning 40 is definitely among them. Moving through my forties has been an increasingly potent experience making me wonder if life doesn't actually become richer and fuller and more dynamic as each year passes. I am approaching 47, it is just a matter of days, sweeeet.

I refer to the emergence of the Goddess. She is within each of us. For me there were years of unconscious living that occupied the first several decades of my life. A slight dawning began at 30 but it took time to awaken, time to nurture my promise; To cultivate the practice of higher thinking, to calibrate my internal compass on issues of integrity and personal values, to find my true joy. In my forties, I began to heed the call of the life I have the potential to create.

At this point in time, one of my personal heroes is Marianne Williamson, spiritual teacher, mystic, writer, philosopher, she inspires me. In her book, A Woman's Worth, she talks of the princess and the queen.
"What is a princess, and what is a queen? A princess is a girl who knows that she will get there, who is on her way perhaps but is not yet there. She has power but she does not yet wield it responsibly. She is indulgent and frivolous. She cries but not yet noble tears. She stomps her feet and does not know how to contain her pain or use it creatively.

A queen is wise. She has earned her serenity, not having had it bestowed upon her but having passed her tests. She has suffered and grown more beautiful because of it. She has proved she can hold her kingdom together. She has become it's vision. She cares deeply about something bigger than herself. She rules with authentic power. Our kingdom is our life, our life is our kingdom."

I am admittedly a work in progress. This very fact gives me joy in the moment for where I have come from and for where I may yet go. In my forties I feel empowered as a woman, as a goddess. I am finally learning to Love. I am learning patience and the source of my true passions. I am learning to listen. I can hear the call from deep within me reminding me of the glory within each of us. I am reminded to stand tall, to embrace each moment of my life, to respect the hopes and dreams, needs and desires of those I share the world with, to live consciously in service of self and other. I still miss the mark at times but I am awake to what is possible in a world where the Goddess within is allowed to flourish.

I will nurture her into the ripeness of her age. I will contribute to the world a legacy born of Love, something I never knew was possible before reaching my forties.

I'm Blogging!

2007-11-10T15:44:00.000-07:00

I have a Blog! I have a Blog! Thank you to Eb, designer extraordinaire for the lovely format and graphic stylings! Pictures and postings, oh I can't wait!

If any of my new blogging friends read this, please share with me how you got started and what you did first. Oh boy, oh boy!

Thanks, SK/Shey

temp

2007-11-10T10:24:00.000-07:00

We each have a voice. As an artist I communicate through my paintings and my sculptures, through my writing and my speaking. I appreciate not only the opportunity, but feel a responsibility to use this voice. I wish to "turn up the volume," reaching out in all directions, creating images, with paint, clay, words and actions that are born solely for the purpose of nourishing and inspiring the hearts and minds of others; images that serve as doorways to the contemplation of the profound and virtuous qualities of loving kindness, compassion, equanimity and joy. Qualities needed to uplift ourselves and our world. It is my hearts wish that the blessings carried by these images will result in action that will then result in change, change for the better, for each of us as individuals, as a nation, as a world.

I cannot imagine a more worthy goal than a world where loving kindness and compassion, equanimity and joy are the foundation from which we all live.
May it be so."

A Voice

2007-11-10T09:25:00.001-07:00

"We each have a voice. As an artist I communicate through my paintings and my sculptures, through my writing and my speaking. I appreciate not only the opportunity, but feel a responsibility to use this voice. I wish to "turn up the volume," reaching out in all directions, creating images, with paint, clay, words and actions that are born solely for the purpose of nourishing and inspiring the hearts and minds of others; images that serve as doorways to the contemplation of the profound and virtuous qualities of loving kindness, compassion, equanimity and joy. Qualities needed to uplift ourselves and our world. It is my hearts wish that the blessings carried by these images will result in action that will then result in change, change for the better, for each of us as individuals, as a nation, as a world.

I cannot imagine a more worthy goal than a world where loving kindness and compassion, equanimity and joy are the foundation from which we all live.
May it be so."