“He put his hand in the air and waved at Preston across the dark expanse. It was a crazy kind of wave – done with the whole arm, his hand swinging at the end of it, full of childish exuberance. And as he watched, Preston raised his own arm and waved back.”
Last December. We had 19 more days left in the year. Short walk to the beach I watched a leaf circling in breeze drawing an endless geometric pattern.
“Leaves generate Energy that way.” Suddenly I was not alone. And everything, surrounded, came alive with wings of its own.
The leaf, the movement, the way I felt that day. Stayed with me the whole year. On my mind. In my heart.
Images above best represent my 2022, photographed mostly this year, a few in recent years, except for one, forth from top back in 2005.
The hand-written letters in the pic are typed out just beneath, from Kem Nunn “Tapping The Source” (1984, p.77, No Exit Press).
Just how, a snapshot of my then apartment from 17yrs ago, and an unforgettable paragraph from a book a friend shoved in my hand saying, “you read this.” in as early as 1984, like pieces of the puzzle finding their places in the picture of my life, years later.
Sixth and eighth, of a piece Spider Lily Red – Flare 2, in process, as of September 2022. Flare 1 is completed.
I took a grande break from posting Journals for a year to focus on other things. (Except for these ones: link to UPDATES page)
“Do you notice how people hurt each other nowadays?”
how
the river knows
It was meant for me.
Monkey wrenches flying across a rocky slope substitute made of stained concrete while all I’m saying is:
let’s get out of the zoo.
“Who say everything’s been said.”
Text at the top in “”:
Ray Bradbury “Fahrenheit 451”
Haiku in decorative italic: Series “messing with other people’s poems”. Deconstructed this time, Nick Drake “River Man”.
Text at the bottom in “”:
Nick Drake “Things behind the sun”
Drawing / painting are by me, the cup, the spoon, the rug, hat, vase and the gadget are store-bought, all the magnificent rest (including my toes) by The Ultimate Artist.
Yes my toes are magnificent, so are yours. Own it.
The second from top photo taken with a vintage iPhone 3GS, no edits.
The rest of the pictures are minimally edited to match the look of the above-mentioned.
The artwork in photos are all part of a two-piece series called “Spider Lily Red – Flare” I have been working on since autumn of 2012.
Took time to develop the style, as I aimed at doing something I haven’t seen anyone do before, that is authentically my own. 9 years on I no longer know what I am doing, I hear that is actually a very good sign that you/r art is getting somewhere.
Pictures (counted from top):
The Beauties of the world – Spider Lily Petals, my muse (1,5,7), and a Spiral Shell (3).
Artwork named “Spider Lily Red – Flare 2”, part, process, acid dye on silk (2,4,6). (Flare 1 is done.)
Background / layered chicken scratches are a journal entry glued on a cardboard, done about 20yrs ago during my lengthy, and severe I might add, creative block. Thought “Garbage!!” but I kept it for there may be a practical use for the cardboard, not the things on it.
“It is in the struggle between good and evil that life has its meaning.”
Visuals:
Collaborative works with The Artist, who did the photographed pieces, all ocean-worn, collected in recent weeks.
Magnificent time working with You, always.
Quote:
“….and in the hope that goodness can succeed.”
Scott Peck, People of the Lie (p.266-7).
Or Perhaps:
Life is like a waterslide, you jump in with a bang, tossed around with gusto and then spat out, into the splashes catching the summer sun, bursting into laughter like blue sky saying,
“it was really fun, let’s do that again!!”
Lastly:
This post is dedicated to my two special friends, one entered, the other exited in July,
to their unforgettable bang/gusto/laughter now imprinted in my heart where I create, I try to, from.
Photo #3 from top:
Workin’ hard, buried in seashells – the piece in progress is named “Spider lily Red – Flare 2”. (Flare 1 is completed / what I am painting is this drawing.)
Sea gives and gives.
In the world filled with those who think free means worthless.
Top 2: taken 18Jun2019, posted on vsco 19Jun19.
The 3rd f. top: taken and posted on vsco on 27Mar2018.
You are welcome to comment, by the way. Would be lovely.
Marketers spamming won’t be published though.
History
Published: February 20, 2021.
Edited: February 16, 2023 Added the 3rd photo and revised the top 2 with “hazy candy” edit.
In case you wondered, what I mean by hazy candy-tone, is the tone of the sunsets of the season, spring to early summer, as vaporized sea mist giving the smoky hue while the rest of the colors somehow seem to come alive.
1 – With my first digital camera given to me at work, in my apartment with a view of Mt. Fuji – the sun would set behind the Mt.Famous, with its rays fanning like a postcard divine shot, Kawasaki, Japan, November 5, 2005, just 10 days before moving out, away from what had grown too familiar.
What you see here is my kind of oceanic decor, to keep me connected with what was becoming increasingly important to me.
Originally posted on VSCO on November 23, 2017.
2 – Lunch break, Shinbashi, Tokyo, October 2005.
This image is uploaded the first time online here. Reason being, my trousers / legs look foreshortened in the most unflattering way. Took some time to get over myself in that regard.
I think it’s an interesting picture, a snapshot taken during a lunch hour expedition. I was at my last to date office job. It was also two years before the iPhone launch, if you recall, then we only had cell phones with texting and some limited browsing capabilities. Right behind me there is a public phone with a phone book hang beneath it.
Shinbashi was (as I don’t know how it’s been since the “new normal”) a bustling business district, commuter trains / subways jam-packed in the mornings, station attendants had to push people in so the door could close. Great place for lunch though; competition among eateries were quite high.
The colors of my (kind of office) attire are my favorite autumn tone then, and not “symbolism” if you are into speculating that sort of things. Now that I got on the subject like caressing a landmine…my line of thinking is that, Unwavering Positive Intent (UPI hereinafter) is stronger than any symbolism thingy. Just thought I’d share that with those of you inquisitive types.
UPI arguably, in any and all instances, is hard to pull. As you may have noticed, oft-present great gap between that and the reality could crush your spirit at any moment. For that extra resiliency/buoyancy I think it’d be helpful if one’s inner conflicts – e.g. dissatisfactions, disillusionments and other discordant ideas and emotions – are reasonably resolved – reasonably, for, as a living human I don’t think it is possible, or is even desirable to resolve them entirely.
So that Inspiration can have an easier time flowing through you like a Loyal Guide who knows you the most, and always in your corner rooting for you.
Personally, I UPI proudly imperfectly. I do my best for the day, then go consult with The Sea, now just a short stroll away.
The “T Shirt” (circa 2000) is an earlier version of my “painted” series – red silk chiffon is double layered with different parts of letter “T” painted. I chose T because the letter looked like a cross, altho it is not. It’s a play, it is being creatively flirty.
What I noticed for the first time ever as I write this on May 18, 2023 is the T behind me right above my head, with its axis perfectly aligned with the lowercase t on an inner layer inlay of my shirt. One of them coincidences, yet again.
The shoulder purse is the earlier version of “Flag Bags”, possibly another theoretical landmine.
Why do I do what I do, *standing in my truth alone out in the cold? There must have been way more secure and certain paths I could have chosen.
Time to time I’d ask myself knowing all too well why, and quite simply so: because Creativity beckoned.
Published on February 12, 2021.
Made private on December 30, 2022 at 20:35.
Re-published with the additional photo 2, revised text and title, and even new URL – bad practice, sorry for any inconveniences – on May 23, 2023 at 18:36.
*Note on 26May23: Just thought to add; not coming from a needy-martyr place. Hard to convey in online writing, but the flavor is teasingly lighthearted.
More on this in near future.
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