Fun in the sun, art show and now gearing up for the Yukon

Fun in the sun, art show and now gearing up for the Yukon

by | Artful Living, Contemporary Art

That’s my handsome guy Paul and the love of my life, in the photo. I’m standing on the tips of my toes to get in the shot. Yup he’s tall and I’m kinda short.

We made a mini vacation out of the Art Fusion Galleries Exhibition trip. Enough time to enjoy some sun, some beach, some biking, a good amount of walking, and a tour in the Everglades scouting for alligators and wildlife.

Enough time and activities to make me realize that I really need to get more physically active. So, when I got home I got myself an activity tracker – an UP3 Jawbone and boy do I love it! It’s handy dandy motivating and I’m absolutely amazed that today I have logged in 8,470 steps so far, and most of those were in this morning’s walk as I’ve been on the computer this afternoon trying to get caught up in things, so that I can get back to my research on the Yukon Territories for my Canada Legacy Series Project. Whew sorry – that was kind of a long sentence!

It seems all my inspiring captivating thoughts for today were scooped up in my walk. So, I’ll simply share a few photos…

Announcing Beautiful World’s Canada Legacy Project

Announcing Beautiful World’s Canada Legacy Project

by | Artful Living, Beautiful World Project, Contemporary Art

Last year as I dived deep into asking myself what type of an artist I really wanted to be and what legacy I wanted to leave behind, this idea for a BEAUTIFUL WORLD PROJECT whispered in my heart. A project devoted to lighting up the world through art by celebrating a full expression of the truth and beauty of humanity and the planet that gives us life and sustains us.

It took several months to find the courage to commit to this mission because I knew I would have to completely let go of expectations of how it would be received and follow the call of my heart and what intrigues it, no matter what.

I dipped my toes in with my Toronto passion project. Now, I’m ready to go bigger with the next phase. Way bigger. Celebrating all of Canada in a body of work that will displayed in an exhibition in the Fall. I’m dedicating my entire year to this project, which wonderfully coincides with Canada150 !!

Honestly, this idea came to me BEFORE I knew that 2017 was a special year for Canada!

I’m excited to really get going upon my return from Miami next week!

Becoming truly alive…

Becoming truly alive…

by | Artful Living, Contemporary Art

I had recently completed my first passion project painting—something that became so much more than I imagined it could be. It was a very intense experience over several weeks, but it was also incredibly rewarding—liberating in fact. Creating a life changing epiphany, revealing that only by living in full appreciation of each and every day do we experience true happiness. A happiness not dependent on some future desired outcome.

Becoming Truly Alive—is an ecstatic expression of living joyfully, celebrating the freedom that comes when you free yourself of worries and live in the moment. Wake up! Make right now the most wonderful moment of your life!

“This is now. Now is.

Do not postpone till then.

Spend the spark of iron on stone.

Sit at the head of the table.

Dip your spoon in the bowl.

 

Seat yourself next to your joy,

and have your awakened soul pour wine.

 

Branches in the spring wind,

easy dance of jasmine and cypress.

 

Cloth for green robes

has been cut from pure absence.

 

You are the tailor,

settled among his shop goods, quietly sewing.”

~ Rumi

Becoming Truly Alive by Kiernan Antares

Becoming Truly Alive 30×30 in by Kiernan Antares

 

Stop waiting for Friday…

Stop waiting for Friday…

by | Artful Living

“We must wake up to the marvelous reality of life.

We must begin to live fully and truly, every moment of our daily lives.”

~ Thich Nhat Hanh, You Are Here

 

I think this is something we all hope to experience, to be and do – living fully every day.

I’m getting there more and more and more…

But, I think it’s required me to let go of more and more and more… anguish, guilt, frustration, anger, disappointments, holding on to things so trivial that end up taking up way too much space.

The more I practice forgiveness and choose love instead, the more I find an inner happiness building solid grounding.

There’s more to it though. Since following my vision, which I’ve turned into a passion project, and completed the first phase; the Toronto Painting Revealed life is opening and expanding.

And, two things are happening:

  1. My confidence in following my impulses and ideas are growing and these are creating some really cool opportunities and experiences, which has in turn…
  2. Allowed me to realize that good things happen and bad things happen, it is the natural order of things, but when we’re living the joy of following our heart’s desires and serving something that is greater than us, that is true fulfillment. It comes from inside, feeling good about what we’re doing without expectations, and is not dependent on what is happening around us.

Letting go of the fruits of our efforts leads to trusting more, being more, and living more fully.

Check Out the Toronto Painting
Have you become a slave to finding happiness?

Have you become a slave to finding happiness?

by | Artful Living

“When you have an idea that is making you suffer, you should let go of it, even (or perhaps especially) if it is an idea about your own happiness…

Perhaps you [too] are the prisoner of your own notion of happiness. There are thousands of paths that lead to happiness, but you have accepted only one. You have not considered other paths because you think that yours is the only one that leads to happiness. You have followed this path with all your might, and so the other paths, the thousands of others, have remained closed to you.

We should be free to experience the happiness that just comes to us without our having to seek it. If you are a free person, happiness can come over you just like that! Look at the moon. It travels in the sky completely free, and this freedom produces beauty and happiness. I am convinced that happiness is not possible unless it is based on freedom. If you are a free woman, if you are a free man, you will enjoy happiness. But if you are a slave, even if only the slave of an idea, happiness will be very difficult for you to achieve. That is why you should cultivate freedom, including freedom from your own concepts and ideas.”

- Thich Nhat Hanh, You Are Here

World-renowned Zen monk, poet, and peace activist

Perhaps you are the prisoner of your own notion of happiness… ? ? ?

Whoa! Really. Interesting. Intriguing.

When I read this, it hit home. We seek happiness. We strive for happiness. We change ourselves for happiness. We work to find happiness.

In our tunnel vision, for the definition of happiness that we have set for ourselves… is it possible it is already there?

Inside? All around?

In the breath, in the moment, in a walk, in a stretch, in a nap, in cooking, in organizing, in being, and in acceptance.

In the embrace instead of denial or disowning.

Is it possible that in our defining what happiness is, we miss out?

I know that when I’m in the midst of striving to find happiness, it becomes not only elusive, but I become cranky and unappreciative… wait a minute. This seems wrong, doesn’t it?

But, when I let go and simply enjoy every NOW moment, not defining things, letting go of attachment to what I think or want things to look like, I am happy. I am more relaxed and at peace.

Hmmm… it makes me smile and it makes me want to be with it and contemplate it.

Photo is today’s work-in-progress