Mindfulness of the Body

 

Wright recently posted an article on mindfulness of the body with Buddhist practice which was a nice reminder of why I love yoga so much.  It tunes me in to balancing my life in the present, living as much in my front body and with mind on the future as my back body with memories in the past. It reminds me that I hold my tensions in on my own and how to consciously let them go.  You too?

Resting between my grandma Hazel's curtains in my bedroom window are my daily yoga reminders.  I made these yoga cards after realizing it would be a lot easier to paint them than to get Loosey to do all the sun salutation moves in photos (a true effort of mine;).  They were going to be Xmas gifts for everyone last year, but I ran out of energy and ran out of the will to repeat myself after making 3 ... ha... sorry.  I enjoyed making the yogis look like Chinese characters, somewhat, with fluid paint motions.  I used colored masking tape to make it look like ribbon holds them together into a sun salutation. Thanks mom and Alexandra for the pretty paper!

What is more inspiring than ma' dog !?

Lucia de Guadelupe
wondrous and crowned with glowing sun ray warmth
regal, wise and discerning
my desert babe swaddled by nopales e estrellas
love endorsed by roses sweet
with la luna as her partner deity
and Tutuli cheerful cherub

Loosey is my muse, as she is in so many of my photos as well! Because she is a goddess, you know. Tutuli is the little cherub. heehee 

I have been drawing and painting again lately.  Hurray!  I am so happy to be giving myself time, space and energy for art and relaxing in my life.  It is so wonderful to crack out the craft supplies after lugging them around and collecting more, move after move for so long- always dreaming about my craft space.  It is starting to be realized!!  It may have been a year and half since I have drawn - amazingly enough, but I am not too surprised because time flies as usual and I continue to dabble here and there with other musings happily.  But it feels great to break out the water color!  I think I have forgotten what techniques I used to love to use in order to get gradients and layers, but it is coming back to me. I think it is all about the timing and drying.  Well this pic didn't quite do all that, but it does celebrate Lu through color.  I started it with a line drawing of the sort that you don't pick up your pen much.  I enjoy that style, where I draw outlines of shadows instead of shading. I do love to paint dogs.  Along with yards and nature, it the thing I think I have painted or drawn the most so far.  If anyone wants a pup painted let me know!