Yukon: One of the last great wildernesses

Yukon: One of the last great wildernesses

“There’s gold, and it’s haunting and haunting;
It’s luring me on as of old;
Yet it isn’t the gold that I’m wanting
So much as just finding the gold.
It’s the great, big, broad land ’way up yonder,
It’s the forests where silence has lease;
It’s the beauty that thrills me with wonder,
It’s the stillness that fills me with peace.”

~ Robert W. Service, The Spell of the Yukon and Other Verses

With the holidays over, the Art Fusion Galleries Gala Reception and mini vacation in Miami now behind me, and mostly caught up from the time away, it’s time now to finally get my Canada Legacy painting series underway.

I’ve decided to begin with the parts of Canada that I know the least about… the North.

This week I’ve been virtually exploring the Yukon Territory, and oh my… my oh my… the breathtaking beauty has captured my heart in ways I definitely did not expect. How I wish that I could be there in person, with my feet on the ground, taking everything in from wilderness and wildness to culture.

A land where once the whooly mammoth, mastadon’s, camel’s, scimitar cats, roamed the plains with bears, Yukon horses and other animals.

A land where the first people migrated from Asia near the end of the ice age, some 15,000 years ago, by crossing the Bering Land Bridge, a mass of land that connected the continents and later submerged in water.

“Ancestors of Yukon’s First Nations likely arrived early in the Holocene in a subsequent migration out of Northeast Asia. They are part of what is known as the Dene or Athapaskan language speakers of Alaska and Yukon. Throughout the ensuing 10,000 years these early Yukoners colonized the entire territory and developed lifestyles and cultures dependent on an evolving resource base. Bison, caribou, salmon and moose were all critical food sources at different points in time and all contributed to the diverse and vibrant cultures of Yukon First Nations today.” ~ Yukon Beringia Interpretative Centre

Yes, I’ve been researching Yukon’s history, learning about its landmarks, special moments such as the gold rush, arts and culture, First Nation’s peoples and the government and its status of treaties with these nations. This project… and this territory has become fascinating to me.

Watching videos, listening to music… all these things are informing me.

This project began with an intention to contribute energy into the world, but as I move more and more into it, I am reminded that one of the things that was a part of me from when I was a little girl, was to go into the stillness, the silence and to intuit, sense, feel, breathe and to know the energy of something.

The sun, the moon, the stars, the land; the rivers and creeks I walked and listened to, the lakes and oceans I would swim in or watch the ripples and tides, the trees and leaves that whisper in their steadfast presence… everything would connect and fill me somehow.

And, even though I am connecting virtually across Canada’s nation, and beyond in the future, I can tap into the grids of the world, of Mother Nature… and listen, feel, sense and intuit… then paint and write the impressions that come.

So, now it seems to me that it is not I that is and will contributing the energy, but simply being an interpreter… bringing forth the beauty, power, wisdom, love and grace of the LAND-SEA-SKY.

Mmmmm… much to experience and this excites me.

It’s time to choose the panel, connect with it, prime it and prepare… for the appearance of the Yukon piece. Wish me luck!

Kiernan

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

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

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…

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…

“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.