Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Misty Morning

 It's a July morning on the way to work. I had to stop to get this
shot. Something about early morning mist that I think is amazing.
It's a little past tween time and the sun is not up yet.
I wanted to watch longer than I had time to.
I hope you like it.

I caught this MaMa the other day opening the door. She looked my 
way and said "Oh it's you" and kept eating.
  

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Pictish Stag Drawing


 I am sitting here at my drawing table
finishing up this stag charcoal drawing that
I have been working on. As I look out the widow
I see a four point buck nibbling on some
plants down by the pond.
Such strange and beautiful creatures. In a way
they are like big dogs roaming free wherever
they want to go. (In the garden too!)

I imagine the ancients viewed them in various
ways as a source of food and clothing as well
as being a sacred animal and a gift from the gods.

The stag is also linked to the arts in poetry and music
and sculpture no doubt due to its graceful form and
mysterious ways. I have read somewhere that the early
Celts worship the stag along with a variety of other animals
and thought of them as spiritual beings and brothers to
themselves. They often apologized to the animal that they
hunted and slain for giving up their life so that they may live.

I think back on a movie that was out in the nineties called
“The Last of the Mohicans” where a indian character named Chingashgook
and his white son Hawkeye slay a elk in the opening scene. Chingachgook
leaning over the slain elk tells him. “We’re sorry to kill you, Brother.
Forgive us. I do honor to your courage and speed, and strength.”
A great example of one spirit recognizing another even if it be in
animal form.

I have added some photos on Pictish stone carvings where there are 
numerous examples of deer and stag engravings carved in stone thousands 
of years ago. I am amazed at some of the detail in a few of them. As a 
artist I appreciate the fine work.

I hope to include more art work in the future. My older brother Steve is
also a very talented artist whose craft is working in wood. I will post some
of his work in the future. My younger brother is the musician. If I can get
anything out of him I will include it as a sound bit on here.




These are charcoal renderings on gray charcoal paper






This may be a rabbit. What do you think?



Last but not least. If any of you have seen the James
Bond movie "SKYFALL" you might have noticed
towards the end of the movie when he goes back to
the home where is was raised in Scotland. There is this
magnificent sculpture of a stag as you pull into the long
road leading to his house. I thought I would include it
because I liked it so much. Cool eh!







Friday, July 19, 2013

Boudica


 The many faces of Boudica Celtic Warrior Queen








Boudica saw her family slaughtered by
Roman shoulders. Do not piss off a 
Celtic woman or it may come back to
haunt you. Boudica took her revenge 
by uniting Celtic tribes to fight the Romans,
she killed thousands and sacked what was
early London before the Romans out 
smarted her in battle and destroyed her
army.
See more on her amazing story









Saturday, July 6, 2013

Who you truly are!

Every once in awhile a wave of who I truly am washes over me. A
simple statement but a profound felt experience of the
mystery at the heart of our humanity. A contemplative moment
such as this revels the truth, usually hidden from us, of what is
always the case: everyone and everything is a sacrament of the Divine.
From: "The God Instinct" Tom Stellla
.