Nip in the air

What more did I think I wanted?

Here is what has always been.

Here is what will always be.

Even in me, 

the Maker of all this returns in rest, 

even to the slightest of His works,

a yellow leaf slowly falling,

and is pleased.

Wendell Berry

acrylic, wedding present

Lake Michigan at sunset,

manipulated from a photograph

in the interest of hospitality

"I did not invent those pairs of differential equations.  I found them in the world, where God had hidden them." -19th century mathematician Bernhard Riemann

"When I stumble across metaphors in the course of writing, it feels much more like discovery than creating; the words and images seem to be choosing me, and not the other way around.  And when I manipulate them in the interest of hospitality, in order to make a comprehensible work of art, I have to give up any notion of control." -Kathleen Norris

The odds

"The odds of our anthropic universe [one in which a life form can be developed and maintained] arising amidst the total phase-space volume of possible universes for a creation event is so exceedingly, exceedingly, exceedingly remote that its notation in regular exponential form is one part in 10^10000…"

with this many zeros:

New Proofs for the Existence of God: Contributions of Contemporary Physics and Philosophy, 

by Robert J. Spitzer

And given the enormous odds against our existence, consider the likelihood that within this universe such a thing might ever come to be:

Happy fall.  Your life is precious!

Tranquility and occupation

acrylic, 16''x20''

"It is neither wealth nor splendor, 

but tranquility and occupation which give you happiness." 

-T. Jefferson

Dedicated to the UIC MSOT Class of 2014, 

as we dig our roots into soils near and far

during our first fieldwork this summer.

Depth and breadth come with 

tending, nourishment, light, and time.

We entrust ourselves to this growth!   

Vic and Ali's Wedding

 Quaker Wedding Certificate 

watercolor and ink, 16"x20"

Victoria and Ali were married in a beautiful ceremony in Minnesota.  They chose an image of sunrise for their wedding certificate, and a merging of bands as fit the occasion.  The left side contains portions of the vows they had written for each other and not heard until the wedding day.  Guests signed the right side after the ceremony, identifying themselves as witnesses of the union.

May you take care of each other and love each other, passionately and always!

nice sweata

Appliqueing felt onto thrift store sweaters has been a fun way to channel my desire to purchase new clothes and reuse materials!  All you need is a simple inspiration and pattern, and some embroidery floss.

The original inspiration was a girl in my high school art class, whose sweaters included an apple tree and a wooden duck toy on a string.

Do you know what state produces the most blueberries?














Do you recognize what children's story this tree is from?










"Every child is an artist.  The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up." - Pablo Picasso

Breath of fresh air

This project recalls a thought that occupies my mind too often: with every branch representing a choice, I wonder whether the precise life path I’ve chosen is the right one, or if instead I missed my train and should have been headed elsewhere.  Are the right opportunities still ahead of me?

My concerns reveal selfishness and a lack of trust, and they prevent me from appreciating the myriad of opportunities that exist here and now.

With some watered-down acrylic paint in one end of the straw, I blew through the other end.  Sometimes the leftover paint would settle or run back down its rivulet.   

Studying occupational therapy, I wonder how I would continue to do art if I were to lose use of my arms—straw in mouth?

T

The Hebrew word for moving air, or breath, is "ruach."  Ruach is also the word for "spirit."  

Is it possible that there’s a Holy Breath who notices when we settle, moving us onward?

Who is less concerned  with the precise path we’re taking than the general direction we’re moving?

 

"Ruach" also means "life."