flower clouds

"the window" odilon redon

dreams represent for me a point of insight.

they articulate the deep clusters of knowing

that escape my literal experiencing and interpretation.

because of that,

i value those mornings when i wake up

and remember them!

they face me . . .

alive

with their kaleidoscopic symbolic

catch-me-if-you-can

ephemeral presence.

and sometimes stare me down,

and sometimes walk away.

for those dreams that survive the passage

into this strange world,

i spend time

unpacking their symbolism

as storied treasures from a place beyond my self.

~

through a similar embracing of the dream world,

odilon redon

came closer to articulating the deep mapping of purely creative expression

and its connection to the spiritual

than many of his contemporaries.

redon believed that there is “a divine germ in a little matter.”

how to share this understanding?

"like music", he declared,

"my drawings transport us to the ambiguous world of the indeterminate."

oh my!

redon invoked the ambiguity of the indeterminate

through the use

of symbolic referents

drawn from his dreams,

thereby fulfilling his desire to

"place the visible at the service of the invisible".

however, the viewer was cautioned,

"my drawings inspire, and are not to be defined".

"barque mystique" odilon redon

on a skiff i meet an honoured guest,

slowly, slowly it comes across the lake.

facing at the railing, we drink a cup of wine,

on all sides lotus flowers are in bloom.

wang wei

"flower clouds" odilon redon

an amazing and insightful article about redon's symbolist thinking is provided here.

something like the sound of a far off voice

i took these pictures in the late spring of this year at a conservation area

where i had taken my class for a day in the woods.

many of the children i teach have little or no contact with woodland

so they are initially overwhelmed

and then run wild down the trails.

you can hear them laughing and yelling from quite far away.

if the opportunity presents itself,

i take pictures of the little details of the place

so that they can look later and enjoy the magic of recognition,

or wonder that they missed it!

deep in the mountain wilderness

where nobody ever comes

only once in a great while

something like the sound of a far off voice,

the low rays of the sun

slip through the dark forest,

and gleam again on the shadowy moss.

wang wei

water over rock

i'm still overwhelmed by yesterday.

truly deeply overwhelmed by the incredible, powerful, emotional, spiritual,

hilarious, sad empowering, reminding, affirming writing and images

that i spent much of my day immersed in.

i had no idea.

no idea at all that that is what would happen.

thankyou to each of you

from my heart

for your generosity of spirit.

i know that visitors were absolutely blown away.

i was!!!

so for today, as a natural transition from the noise and fireworks,

(oh and a big thanks to whomever sent

the lovely canapes and champers),

i'm offering a little bit of a peaceful place.

yes, it involves rocks and water.

they appeared in my post yesterday.

but

here they are

in a

kinder,

gentler,

beautiful in a different way

kind of form.

the sound of water falling over rocks

and deep colour among pines.

gently green floating water-plants.

bright the mirrored reeds and rushes.

i am a lover of true quietness.

watching the flow of clear water

i dream of sitting on the uncarved rock . . .

wang wei

a stream over rocks john singer sargent

love and peacefulness to all of you!!!!