We are in the last act of hibernation season in my part of the world. As an artist living in the Pacific Northwest the bruised blue/grey skies of winter seep into my internal landscape. Rich green moss, red branches of arbutus and the green forest serve as exclamations of brightness against the sky. On my morning walk a hawk perches on a wintry branch by the path, an owl calls from a thick stand of fir. Magic is afoot.
It seems so much is being said in the public spaces these days that I feel I have nothing to add, that the only kind and sane contribution is silence. There is a quiet, restorative stillness born on the rain and the mist that settles in. Darkness comes early and is welcome.
This morning I am sitting on a cushion on my front step, bare feet on the cool earth, sipping my morning coffee, the grey green landscape quietly nourishing me. I am learning how good the morning light is for my body, how I can feel the energy of the earth come up my feet. Deep in my bones I sense that this silence and stillness is what we all need. It offers a gateway, maybe a getaway of discovery; or simply an off ramp from the twisted highways of a troubled world. I am always surprised by how much I can feel and hear and see when the world grows quiet.
As I sit in the company of the Japanese maple by my front door it seems like the perfect moment to interrupt that silence in case it might be helpful to you. It is only fair and generous to make some offering when you yourself have received something special.
Like a fisher I cast a strong line into the noisy world that clamours for our attention. It is my hope that this line woven with a thousand moments of stillness and silence lands like a lifeline, something that reels you into your own quiet discoveries.
And lastly I want to promise that in this stillness there are many magical things. Like how I discovered the secret of where twinkle lights come from; how as I drank in the sky and held my warm coffee cup, I noticed tiny droplets of rain on the maple transform into points of shining light, no plug in required.
And if it is of interest both the recent works shown here and others have finally been added to my website: caroleslieart.com
