Covid-19 Series

14 May 2020

Surprisingly, sleep comes easy at night during Spain’s Stay-at-Home Order, this in contrast to many friends who share that they’re having trouble sleeping. What’s keeping me asleep are vivid dreams that continue to redefine what I once thought of as lucid dreaming. Not only are they keeping me asleep, but painting them, especially this diptych, fills my waking hours, hours passing before I realise I’ve not eaten or taken a break.

I look forward to sharing the name and the deep meaning that’s embedded in this piece. For now it remains work in progress. 💚

09 May 2020

It seems impossible how fast time is slipping by as the quarantine in Spain is wisely extended yet again. My thoughts are with all those I love and care for at a time when self-love and care is the best thing we can do for one another. Some moments it feels as if this painting is evolving as quickly as our world…

05 May 2020

The green and gold diptych below is one of five new works in progress. The dream and the naming shall remain nameless until complete, because sharing either now spoil the surprise and give the meaning and the connection to the butterfly.

Stay tuned as I’ll continue to share updates.

Last night I had a dream where I was walking with a grandmother who was clearly a member of a First Nation. Where? I have no idea save that the road was red. Stopping beneath a tree to talk, she extended her hand to me, her look clearly posing an unasked question.

‘Yes.’

At that moment she opened her hand and the most glorious butterfly emerged.

While the dream is lucid still, the only thing I remember fully is agreeing and waking the instant she said, “Follow her.”

Wide awake, unhappy to be in my bedroom not out walking in nature and asleep under a tree, I got up and went to the dining room where I unwrapped one of the four new canvases that arrived yesterday. Half asleep I laid in a green gesso background and then began to sketch. Quickly tossing the pencil away and picked up my favourite brushe and started.

“FOLLOW HER” as you see her appeared in a single go, less than two hours. I promise to take better pictures soon but for now I’ll now let her dry for a few days and after the final details are in I’ll post an update.

For many years I’ve spent a good deal of August in Scotland with dearest family-of-the-heart and colleagues, John and Chris Amson. Knowing my favourite road —a small highway that cuts through a cathedral of ancient trees, John makes sure we travel this way at least once per visit.

In a dream several days ago, I was walking in the dark to finally emerged from the cleft of a rock we. To my left was a path that zig-zagged towards what seemed to be moving stained glass. The trunks of the trees to my left were tall and still, the branches moving to the right, while the ‘trees’ on the left moved as if they were dancing.

ILLUMINATIONS is a work in progress.

DAY 49

RipTide

No, Arc Angles is not a typo.

While most people love angels, and revere archangels, my art is all about angles and the arcs they spin in space. The Mereon Knot is the Pattern of connection in geo-spherical system, the arcs forming everything, including the long sought Bridge that links science and spirit.

RIPTIDE is named for the awareness I woke up with on the morning of Day 42: “Turn. Swim perpendicular to the wind and waves to find the Flow you can ride. You are safe.”

It’s a memory that remains vidid and clear. A work in progress, RIPTIDE echoes the sense of presence and reflects the Music my being dances to. I’m still processing this dream and will share when my thoughts are coherent.

Today I decided to post my personal Covid-19 lockdown journal, sharing what I’m experiencing during this time of isolation.

While it began with a series of splatters that felt like emotional splinters, it’s been interesting to feel and see it evolve. It began without any particular intent, simply a place to make notes, bookmarking memories, names, element and feelings.

Hearing that our stay-at-home-order is likely to remain in place through Mid-May, I can only imagine what this will look and feel like more than a month from now.

I’ll post updates when changes feel significant.

Longing

It’s Day 33 of isolation and I’m in full monastic mode, home alone on the 8th floor where it sometimes feels like I’m ricocheting between doing nothing and everything.

Every morning I wake up and I realise how much I have to be grateful for. My health is at the top of my list followed by family, friends, the gift of living on purpose, Music, plenty of healthy food, wine and water, and vegetables and herbs sprouting on my terrace. I’m in awe at the power of the Internet, grateful for my Mac and IPhone, and online shops that still ship paint and canvas!

‘Longing’ is a work in progress, a celebration of clear blue skies that are filled with fluffy white and golden clouds, the likes of which I don’t remember seeing for years and years. It echoes my longing for the sea that’s only two blocks away. I wish I could add the astonishing fact that late at night it’s so quiet I can just hear the waves.

Cosmic Forest

While my home is filled with plants, Cosmic Forest grew out of a dream where I was walking deeper and deeper into a dark forest. I love painting green, playing with what it seems are infinite shades, and yet I struggle with getting what I’m feeling onto the canvas.

So… isolation…The hours pass, alternating between slow going and quickly sliding past faster than my brain can grasp.

How grows it for you?

On the 29th Amazon delivered two new canvases, and to my dismay one was broken. Thankfully, I had the bits and pieces necessary to repair it and so the journey began. Waking up the next morning a sweet smell pulled me out of a dream. Sitting upright, the smell was not in my room, so I got up and carried the memory of laying beside someone in a grassy field of flowers, holding hands and looking up at an amazing blue sky that was gently weeping tiny glistening raindrops.

That morning the news painted the world a shade of gray, but knowing that the rainbow is what bridges black and white it was a best and wonderful use of time to put colour on canvas. Looking at the canvases, they wanted to be vertical rather than horizontal as well as a diptych. Laying on the table side by side, the first layers of paint went down, but then it was clear —not to be confused with why— they needed to be on my easel and painted on at a time. While connected what’s is obvious to me is they are not meant to hang as one as I fees a temporal difference. They so however share one name, Fragrance.

Both remain a work in progress….

ONE DROP is my attempt to capture a full portion of Love’s healing elixir.