Stepping Stones

Tolerence(3)

Soft pastel on A2 cartridge. The image created for the week 13th March to 18th March whilst considering the words - Liberal spirit, Democratic spirit, Resilience, Toughness, Humanity, Sympathy.

Because of life beyond the screen this image has sat waiting to be posted so through the magic of typepad I am dating it for Sunday though it is now Wednesday. This matters not a jot as long as the work continues as far as I am concerned and that does continue but I am using this as a reference for myself too so will be inserting the backlog of other images over the coming week hoping to be in physical space here where posting will coincide with Sunday Tuesday and Thursday come May:0) I am thinking to post all the weekly contemplation pieces for March and most of April by the 30th so that come first Sunday in May there is less of a gap between work completed and work posted here.

Tolerence(2)

The image created for the week 7th March to 12th March on A2 cartridge paper using soft pastel.

The words of this week that I considered as I created the piece of work were - Long suffereing, Stoicism, Forbearance, Kindliness, Unprejudiced, Unbigoted.

Cathy commented on the first weekly image I posted to say it felt as if a safe place was coming into being on the evidence of work being posted or words to that effect. Maybe the work and the posting of it is more of a safe place already in being  just the small matter of me walking through perceived fire and raging torrent to  stand in its midst. I loved the  'wrested from high energy  forces that flirt on the frontiers of chaos' image Cathy conjured up  now that would be something to try and put down on paper:0)  Probably just too involved in the wresting but one day may be.

Till then I find minutes have become hours as I reach for colour and shape to express the reality that I find when I spend time quietly considering words and their message for me and the understanding they offer for the next step as I make it.

The posted representations of my work tend, I feel, to somewhat lift the colour, brighten and take away the depth and layers in the work, my poor photography but I'm working on it. They are vibrant, full of life but are probably not as garish or bright as they may appear on screen but what do I know I'm just the mark maker:0)

Aid

Each day one of the things I try to do is to consider one word, to discover its meaning for myself on that day. I have a different word for each day of the year which tie in with the monthly focus words. Year in year out the words stay the same but my reading and understanding of them does not. In the morning my consideration is aided by pen and paper as I try to just put down the first thoughts that come to the surface as I am contemplating the word. In the evening I sit once more and consider the word and my day and doodle shape and colour that reflect word and day.

This year I was given a small box containing a selection of magnetic words which are intended for a fridge but felt they needed to be used in another way. I found a sheet of metal and layed out all the words and began to play a little finally I discovered that trying to make phrases or even meaning was heightened by the small selection of words and began to try and express the daily word in a few words as well as a few paragraphs.

This has now metamorphised into an aim to complete a postcard every day. The postcards are 8"X5". I use felt tips, crayons, paint and collage in a mix or as one medium, whatever I find suggested as I consider the word and what my hands/eyes can manage.I have kept the magnetic word format because it helps me focus.

Each week I put the seven postcards into a handmade envelope. 

I think the 52 filled envelopes I will end up with at the end of the year will be put in to the mail, left on benches I sit on, given in offertory boxes or such like but that is yet to become clear.  For the moment it is just another way of listening.

From now until the end of the year - mine which ends 31st of October, I hope to put a postcard here once a week. Given the fluid nature of life beyond the screen here setting days for posts is always something that is done with sense that it's just a pointer not demarkation line that cannot be crossed hence the Tuesday post is actually being posted on Wednesday as yesterday was a 4&9 day which meant a drive to a large shop where I could buy the file cards I transform in to my postcards. I would really like to use heavier card but I use what I can find that my budget can stretch to.

The postcard below was made using felt tip pens

Tolerence(1)

This is the image I created for the week of the 28th February to March 6. It is A2 in size and I've used soft pastels.
The word for the month of March is Tolerence and during this week the words I considered were harmony, acceptance, humanity, patience, sympathy, endurance, clemency. Out of my consideration came words and small doodles which when brought together in my mind as I looked at the blank piece of A2 cartridge paper became the image above.

Endeavouring to make known to myself what has been discovered, what may have changed or be in transition towards transformation is one of the reasons I do this, another is basically I can do no other if I am to feel in any way that I am honouring the path I tread and the Earth I engage with as carefully as I may.

Out of thought and images created comes understanding and that is all I could ever wish for.