That Which Flows Out Into The World...



Here's my newest piece, it's called: I just

I’ve been kinda busy lately, sending friend requests to strangers and wandering why I’m doing so. But I know why– these are all real people living their real lives out there and we all share this love and appreciation for art. So while I thought this would be a good way to expose my work to people world wide I was actually surprised at what I GOT TO SEE. So many talented artists out there, for a lack of a better word, wow!  You guys are just awesome !

wanted to say

It surprises me even more to hear myself say this because I’m not a “social person”. I got my  friends and I'm happy with them, don’t usually like to meet new people. who needs all that hassle, right? Wrong! Not only is it fun but it’s also truly inspiring. It’s seeing artists and their work all the time, from all over, it’s energizing, makes me feel like I’m in some kind of ever – expending gallery, one exhibit after another, one show roon after the other, why didn’t I think of this before?!

"NICE TO MEET YOU!"

 

SO TO ALL MY NEW ARTIST FRIENDS, THIS PIECE IS FOR YOU: NICE TO MEET YOU!

In other news – I may have found a new pottery studio to work in, don’t know for sure yet, we’ll see, please keep your fingers crossed for me, I really need to get back to that.

...AND... I'm working on my new etsy shop and that's exciting. I will of course make a big deal of it when it's ready and send out invits like crazy!

…AND...

yesterday I bought this:

      it was made by Itai Ron Giboa

Don’t you just love it?

 here's a link to some more of his work:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/itai_ron-gilboa

enjoy  :-)

this made my day

Have you seen this? I thought the music should be… ah… different, but who cares, this girl is amazing!

Not to mention how I would kill LOVE  to have a studio like that…

if it ain't broken - DON'T BREAK IT

Has another day gone missing? I believe so. I have so many things on my ‘to do list’, and I promised myself today is the day to get them done, so naturally my husband woke up with a fever after not having slept the entire night. There I was, my plans for the day aside. The car was being serviced at the shop, there is no going anywhere. My hubby was feeling really bad and needed my help with this and that, and than finally fell asleep for an hour or two. Now could I get to work? Nope. I needed some things from the bedroom, if  I walked in it would have woke him up, if I did anything else it would have made too much noise and than wake him up, and besides, I have to start getting lunch ready and do a bunch of other time consuming things around the house, and KEEP QUIET !

Where am I going with this? As I was washing the dishes (rrrrrr…. ) one of my FAVORITE dishes fell to the floor and broke. Actually two dishes fell but only one broke – the one I made, the one I care about. I made that dish in L.A when I was learning pottery, so not only was this dish really pretty, it was also a piece of personal history and therefore sentimental.

Oh, no, this is too sad !

it kinda looked like this before it broke, no pre-accident photos I'm afraid

Ajahn Chah. respect.

Now is the time for a Dharma story: once upon a time, in a far-away land, there lived a man, a Buddhist monk, who was considered by many to be a great teacher and more than that – to be enlightened. He had a large number of followers form all around the world, and a number of monasteries established in his tradition. His name was Ajahn Chah. The way I heard it (my sincere apologies if I’m getting the story wrong) goes like this: Monks in his tradition don’t hold many assets, among his very few possessions was a glass, a beautiful drinking glass which he cherished and wouldn’t let others use. When his disciples confronted him about his attachment to this object he dismissed it by saying that to him this glass is already broken.

 He said:

“Can you prevent something that's breakable from breaking? If it doesn't break now it will break later on. If you don't break it, someone else will. If someone else doesn't break it, one of the chickens will! The Buddha says to accept this. He penetrated the truth of these things, seeing that this glass is already broken. Whenever you use this glass you should reflect that it's already broken. Do you understand this? The Buddha's understanding was like this. He saw the broken glass within the unbroken one. Whenever its time is up it will break. Develop this kind of understanding. Use the glass, look after it, until when, one day, it slips out of your hand... "Smash!" ... no problem. Why is there no problem? Because you saw its brokenness before it broke!”

(from what I heard, he still kept the glass to himself, though, he was after all, no body's fool )

So should I stop mourning over a broken piece of clay, even one with a really-really nice glaze? Is that what you’re trying to tell me, Ajahn ?  yes, impermanence. Nothing stays still, better make peace with that one. pretty obvious when we think about it, still, I didn't expect my work to break !

on that note, as I was sitting in a cute little cafe to write this, impermanence appeared before me:

waiting for their owner to finish his coffee

still waiting...

"damn, I love  your sexy ear !"

and then they were gone...

 thought I'd share....

saving mosquitoes and moving on

"moving"

It’s late now and I might be dehydrated. Summer has hit Israel. It feels official  – it's too hot ! what am I doing with myself  to pleasantly pass the time?
Catching mosquitoes, of course! I’ve spent a few months living in a Buddhist monastery and since then I lost the will to kill any living thing, Yes, even mosquitoes.  Never mind the How’s or Why’s of such a one-sided declaration, the story is – they know it and I think they’re taking advantage of it. Since there is no killing – there must be catching! I catch the flying devils using an empty glass and a post card, SNAP!  And then release them out side, away from my house.

Stupid?

maybe, but no bad karma for me or them, and it would appear I can now add “excellent hunting abilities” to my long (?) list of skills. But what else am I doing with myself, aside from saving the world, one mosquito at a time? I feel no sense of direction, a feeling that is much too familiar. It’s waiting for something to happen, but what? If  I knew what I wanted I would at least try to reach for it. I don’t know what I want though I thought I did. Things have changed (mostly internal affairs), what is it I want now? What would make me happy? Funny how that question always comes with the notion that happiness is elsewhere and I need to move, or travel, or something!!!

freedom and happiness on the move...
(the holy land)

Having said that, in this case I really do need to moves to a bigger place, maybe finally settle. Won’t bore you with the details but we have been living on the move A LOT. Back and forth, back and forth between Israel and California, and never truly here nor there. This kind of life style dose have some advantages to it, sure, but when is it enough? and where?

  This path is in Israel and it leads to the "lonely tree", my favorite place in the world

 Southern California




"Ojai"  CA

This painting is recent and it's one of my favorites. It called
"a field after the rain"
in California, of course
 

 What's that got to do with anything? not sure. Hey, maybe I should start painting some furniture? to get the feel of "HOME" ...

Survive, where it's easy and comfortble

     

This painting is called: “Come on, let’s go home, I think ‘Survivor’ is on”

Acrylic on canvas 100*80 cm

You know that feeling you get when you know “YOU DON’T GET IT”? how about that feeling you get when you know “you don’t get it” but it doesn’t matter all that much? Kind of like coming to terms with the boundaries of our comfort zone, even when that space is , well, not as large as we had once hoped it would be, when we still believed in fulfilling our full potential. Oh, in those days…before the couch was shape like our ***es. those days when “not getting it” or “missing out” wasn’t an option, and when it happened it was so embracing, some times to the point of self denial! Well, those days are gone ! (or can be) once one embraces his/her mediocrity or old age, what ever comes first.

so No, I don’t get it. I can be looking straight it, the miracle of life, the wonders of the universe, the magic of creation, friendship, love, you name it, it takes my breath away, really, it’s beautiful, perfect it’s … it’s… hey, what time is it? I’m getting kind of hungry… I think I need a sweater, my back is killing me, what did you say was for dinner? YES ! that feeling!

What is there not to get, you ask?

Well, it can be anything from an intellectual complexity to just being aware of the awesome, incredible world around us. We like to think we see it, but do we really? We like to believe we're open to challenges, that we can solve the riddle, that of life or even just that in the Sunday paper. Honestly, does it really matter? How about when your favorite T.V. show is about to start ? Happenes all the time, doesn't it?

well, let's go home, my back is killing me !

take your umbrella and start blogging

Consider this: it’s a cold and dark winter night. You’re in a beautiful mountain forest breathing-in deep inhales of crisp air, and breathing-out much too fast. There is a narrow and winding trail that leads from where you are to where you’ll be spending the night, it’s a few kilometers long and it goes through the forest, up and down on mountain slops and over running creeks and little rivers.  There is also the road and you do have a car. Every night you take the easy and safe way home and think about the time you’ll finally face the fear and laziness and for once, just once – take the path which is less logical but exciting, challenging, dark and.. oh, there’s also a wild mountain lion in that area.

 So what will it be?

To be honest – that cougar triggered the whole idea of venturing off, alone into the night. I was OBSSESED with that wild animal. I felt I just HAD to see it, that facing it would mean facing all my fears. Even just making the attempt to get some “face time” would mean I did my part. I don’t know how I got such a silly idea into my head, (go figure artists) but there I was, equipped with three flash lights ( and a set of spare batteries), a whistle (don’t know, I thought it made sense at the time) and an umbrella (to be used as a walking-stick/ magical way to make myself appear bigger in case I really do meet the monstrous kitty). And of course, a brave heart and a camera.

To summarize and conclude the adventure:

1. I run into two types of wild animals: a deer family which was quite terrified to see me, and one small, very, very cute, mountain mouse.
2. Hiking in the wilderness, alone, in complete darkness is O.K. but not something to do every Tuesday night.
3. Hey, if you want to do something – go for it, take your umbrella and start blogging!

hiking in the dark.
"OMG, WHAT WAS THAT NOISE?!?!"