More Minis

It is that time of year again - time for the Bolinas Museum Miniatures Exhibition. I spent the day framing some diminuitive prints made exclusively this size for this show - Sanctuary #8, Sanctuary #6, and Sanctuary #4 (pictured in this order here). It felt so good to be working with my tools in hand - rulers, cutting knife, framing tape, and more. As someone who has always loved small things, I really enjoy this exhibition. All work must be 6 x 6 x 6 inches or smaller, and 50% of all sales go to the support the Museum. The show opens next week with a reception on Saturday, November 22 from 3-5pm at 48 Wharf Road in Bolinas, CA, and it will be up through December.

While cutting and framing today, I kept myself inspired by listening to the Creative Mom Podcast. I just discovered it this week by doing a search in iTunes for "artist mom" - seeking resources on how to balance art and motherhood. You don't need to be a mom to appreciate Amy's insights about the creative process. Today I listened to the 9/14/08 episode called "Slippage" - which was a great reminder to be gentle with oneself and give oneself a break. Nice words for me to hug close as I worked today.

Lost

I have been feeling rather lost lately – my mind scattered by the unpredictable rhythms of new motherhood and the attempt to pursue (perhaps too much of) what I did before I had a baby. Today I found myself a quiet moment under our apple tree, on a blanket with my daughter who takes endless delight in staring at light filtering through tree branches. A poem I memorized years ago floated back into my mind and gave me comfort.

LOST
Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you
Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here.
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
Must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you.
If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here.
No trees are the same to Raven.
No two branches are the same to Wren.
If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,
You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows
Where you are. You must let it find you.

-David Wagoner
(published in David Whyte’s The House of Belonging)

Five Things that Inspired Me Today

I have been thinking a lot about what inspires me lately and making sure I fill each day with a hit of inspiration. This word is also on my mind because I am going to be on a panel on this very topic on the evening of November 14 for the SPE West Conference in San Francisco. Today, I share a short list of things that have inspired me in the last 24 hours.

• My five month old daughter waking me by singing little coos in the morning. She makes her own form of music at this age that is spontaneous and uninhibited.
  
• The linear beauty of the fields at Green Gulch during my morning walk with Trinity. The alternating shades of green vegetables and bright flowers growing side by side in rows looks like someone painted the field with plants.
  
• Andrea’s interview with SARK on her Superhero Journal blog. I just love it that SARK responded with images and colorful handwriting, rather than simple black and white text. Her answer about how to move through creative blocks was so playful, it lightened my heart.
• Listening to Britt Bravo’s podcast with Cami Walker of the 29 Day Giving Project. This made me feel hopeful in a way that I have not felt recently because of the current financial craziness. She reminded me of the power of gratitude and generosity to heal and transform our world.
• And Keri Smith’s sweet story of generosity. Within 24 hours, she raised enough money from her blog readers around the world to finance the purchase of 120 copies of her book, Wreck This Journal, for students who couldn't afford it. Then she held a drawing and gave out six free books to those who donated money - letting her adorable son pick the prizes.

Image Info: This is a detail of a photo by Alec Soth that is on the promotionsal materials for the SPE West Conference. Alec will be the conference's keynote speaker on Saturday, November 15. For more info on the conference, please click here.

Preparing for Open Studios

I had a helper in the studio yesterday - Anna kept me company as I hung and labeled artwork, cooing her enthusiasm. My next Open Studio is just a week away - see details below. This one is part of the city-wide event sponsored by Artspan. I love the idea that just as I was at work in my studio yesterday, so are countless artists throughout San Francisco - all of us polishing our work spaces for this big event. It would be wonderful to have you stop by and say hello if you are in the area.

OPEN STUDIO
Saturday and Sunday, October 11-12
11am-6pm (or by appointment)
3069 Washington Street (at Baker), 415-939-5842

Gardening at the Dragon's Gate

“I am a mad gardener. I mutter and rant, and at night, I shake dry seeds out of my unruly mane of hair. The garden is in my bones, in my gut, and in my hands that pearl sweat at the first hint from the overturned soil of March that it is time to sow Cherokee beans again in the open ground. And although I am a civil person, I am at my best when left completely alone at nightfall to spread that last wheelbarrow of aged horse manure around the base of the budded-out black currant plants from England.” -Wendy Johnson

I have the great good fortune to call this darling and wise woman my neighbor and friend. Wendy just recently published a new book, both poetic and practical - Gardening at the Dragon's Gate: At Work in the Wild and Cultivated World. A Buddhist meditation teacher and organic gardening mentor, Wendy weaves together stories and advice about cultivating the earth with spiritual insights gleaned from her many years at Green Gulch Zen Center. The writing is as rich as good, well-composted soil. I have been savoring it, reading pages before bedtime to inspire garden dreams.

Last month, I invited Wendy over to my studio to be interviewed for the latest Arts and Healing Podcast. We spoke about the healing power of gardening, the benefits of community gardening, creating memorial gardens, tips on gardening with children, environmentalism, and more. I invite you listen to this podcast either by downloading the podcast via iTunes, or clicking here to listen to the podcast directly on your computer (use the audio player on the right hand side).

The Arts & Healing Podcast is part of the Arts and Healing Network and is produced by my good friend and blogger/podcaster Britt Bravo - you might also enjoy her blog, Have Fun Do Good.