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Deep Blonde Thoughts

~ Emitting thoughts, tongue-in-cheek observations on life and lifestyles

Deep Blonde Thoughts

Tag Archives: Art

Artful winter survival

07 Wednesday Feb 2018

Posted by shewrite63 in Art, community, Health, pets, philosophy, photography, reading, therapy, writing

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Art, cats, creativity, depression, health, reading, SADD, seasons, therapy, winter

Canadian winters…  You adapt to the season or you escape to warmer climates.

For those of us who are not beach lovers or sun worshipers, we choose to stay and make the best of it. Sometime after January 31st, we start complaining.

bus shelter surrounded by snow

Public Transportation experience

We pop our Vitamin C, D and Omega-3 and absorb the glow from the DayLight lamp while we curse the inconveniences of the season. We get in gentle exercise, cautious walks outdoors, small social gatherings then retreat indoors for quiet activities.

As someone who appreciates the quiet and calm of my humble abode, I make efforts to refresh my living space and head space by performing winter housecleaning and preparation for the Lunar New Year. It’s a valid excuse to add ceremony to housework, to make it fun and hopeful.

Of course, when you share living space with cats, you adjust the placement of items to maintain harmony in your home.

cats hiding in play structure

Cats avoiding the cleaning staff

One way I refresh my head space is learning new things, doodling, listening to uplifting music and reading. When you’re a bus mouse, you can get in some good reading time – if you can find a good seat for the long workday commutes.

Photo of I Ching Handbook

I Ching Handbook

So as we navigate through and negotiate with Winter, we can remind ourselves that it will soon lead to Spring.

There is hope.

Photo of life cycles banner

Thanks for reading along! How do you survive Winter in your neck of the worldly woods?

T

 

Time and again

03 Sunday Sep 2017

Posted by shewrite63 in Art, community, Health, photography, therapy, writing

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Art, Canada, Canada150, Gatineau, MosaiCanada150, nature, park, plants, quebec, sculptures, tourists

Saturday brought the perfect long weekend weather to get out to a popular exhibit.

Everyone and his uncle thought so too!

I mustered up the courage to match my curiosity. I really wanted to see the MosaiCanada150 exhibit in Quebec. The last time I pushed myself to attend a crowded cultural event was in July.

Prospector plant sculpture MosaiCanada150

The Prospector

With water bottle, granola bars and sun hat ready yesterday, I set out on public transit to cross the river to la belle province – specifically to Gatineau, Quebec.

The Jacques Cartier Park lineup to get in and past security was very long. I didn’t realize until after I took what looked like a clear passage on a side road that I was cutting into the line. I apologized to the people beside me, using my confusion as an excuse.

It was an impressive exhibit.

There were dozens of sculptures artistically made with plants, depicting different stages in Canada’s history. The exhibit took us back in time to the First Nations, the voyageurs and early settlers.

Due to the crowds of people in the way and my short stature, I could not find the time or patience to stop and take photos of all the displays. I adored them with my eyes and stored the images, my reaction and appreciation for them in my short-term memory bank.

Mother Earth plant sculpture

Crowds of humans adoring Mother Earth

 

The main attraction, pièce de résistance was Mother Earth. As I took shaded shelter under the trees before merging into that long queue, I overheard a security guard saying to people resting on the grass,  “Move faster. Move faster!”

I can understand that they wanted to keep bodies moving and make room for the hundreds of others waiting at the entrance. It just seemed ironic that we were being rushed and not allowed the time to stop, to reflect and appreciate the magnificence of the scene.

It was ironic to see Mother Earth set with a backdrop of high-rise buildings. Perhaps it was complimentary in that we can learn to balance our desire for progress and modern expansion with a respect for nature and the ancient traditions.

Perhaps.

Mother Earth plant sculpture

Mother Earth in the city

Did I achieve my objectives?

Yes.

  • I pushed myself to venture into a crowded public place. Alone.
  • I took pictures with my smart phone but I also took time just to admire the art, to observe other people and eavesdrop on their conversations, their reactions to the exhibit.
  • Since I went alone, I was on my own schedule and was able to set my own pace (except when getting swept into the flow past some displays and jammed still at others).

Today it’s raining. I shall stay in my humble home to putter with houseplants, to reflect and write, to cook a batch of meaty pasta sauce.

I changed the C cell batteries in my Zen Alarm clock. Once again it makes a loud and proud chime in the key of E rather than a dull thud. It had been almost three years since I coveted and acquired it.

When I look back at my observations, writing and personal growth since then, it seems that things haven’t improved in our outer world.  It’s like we’re stuck in some ambitious, testosterone-fueled cycle. I know I have been working on myself. What about the rest of the world, for Pete’s sake?!

I changed, edited the quote on that poster from:

“We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.” — Dalai Lama

To:

“We can only obtain peace in the outer world once we make peace with ourselves.” 

I felt the quote could use a positive injection – for so many reasons.

Thanks for dropping by.

T

Bridges

08 Monday Feb 2016

Posted by shewrite63 in Art, Health, philosophy, photography, Travel, writing

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Art, bridges, future, interior decorating, Monet, national gallery of canada, nostalgia, painting, past, present, relationships, winter blues

There has been a bridge theme occupying my mind for many months. 

A few weeks ago, we Canadians were surprised to hear of structural damage to a bridge in Northern Ontario that joined the east to the west. People were concerned that our vast, beautiful country seemed split in half if only for a couple of days.

This weekend, one of the artistic young adults and I visited Monet, A Bridge to Modernity an exhibit at the National Gallery.  It was beautiful and inspirational. I was glad to have splurged the extra $6 for the audio tour. I also spent a little more money to bring some of the exhibit back to le petit apartment.

Monet art work and book

A little Monet display in our home

The prints and poster were an appropriate addition to the bare walls in the new dining corner setup.  They dissolve the winter blues, fitting the recommended Feng Shui arrangement and colour pallet to welcome the Lunar New Year, the Year of the Monkey.

The felines are still getting used to some of the recent changes.

Tabby cat inspecting a Feng Shui water fountain

Geneva Tabby Cat inspects the new water fountain

The Monet experience makes me want to try my hand at water colour painting again and in the impressionist style “en plain air“. Maybe when the weather is more agreeable, yes? Perhaps during the summer, along a river bank.  

Ah, river banks.  

I grew up near a river that fed into the refreshing Georgian Bay. There were many different bridges that crossed the Seguin River. One was the Canadian Pacific Rail (CPR) bridge that rose above our neighbourhood, spanning the river to the richer side of town. It also marked the division of our side bordering on the Townies from that of the Harbour Bums.

CP rail bridge over the Seguin River, Parry Sound

CP rail bridge over the Seguin River, Parry Sound 2015

During a journey to the home town last summer, I got to revisit the bridge’s domain and witness much rebuilding activity along the rails.

repair truck on railway bridge

Reparation activities along the CPR trestle

These experiences reinforced the theme of building, capturing the beauty of and repairing bridges in the corporeal world.

We can also explore bridges between the past and the present. It can be exciting and emotionally draining when you have reached back to the murky past, bravely transit the present and reach into the fogginess of the future.

Some bridges are worth the risk and energy to cross.

Some bridges (relationships, experiences, etc.) are not worth the toll on one’s health, psyche and sense of self-worth.

When you encounter those that seem cracked and unsupportive, you can choose a different route or tread lightly and keep a safety net handy.

Thanks for dropping by. May all of your bridges be sturdy, lead you to auspicious experiences and destinations. May they join and not divide.

bridge one dictionary definition

T

 

 

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