The Searchers

I read this quote today on Leah’s blog Creative Everyday, and loved it so much I wanted to share it with you.

Bodega Bay
I

“Some people do not have to search,
they find their niche early in life and rest there, seemingly contented and resigned.
They do not seem to ask much of life,
sometimes they do not seem to take it seriously.
At times I envy them,
but usually I do not understand them.
seldom do they understand me.

I am one of the searchers.
There are, I believe, millions of us.
We are not unhappy, but neither are we really content. We continue to explore life,
hoping to uncover its ultimate secret.
We continue to explore ourselves,
hoping to understand.

We like to walk along the beach,
we are drawn by the ocean,
taken by its power, its unceasing motion, its mystery and unspeakable beauty.
We like forests and mountains, deserts and hidden rivers, and the lonely cities as well.

Our sadness is as much a part of our lives as is our laughter.
To share our sadness with the one we love is perhaps as great a joy as we can know -unless it is to share our laughter.

We searchers are ambitious only for life itself,
for everything beautiful it can provide.
Most of all we want to love and be loved.
We want to live in a relationship that will not impede
our wandering, nor prevent our search, nor lock us in prison walls.

We do not want to prove ourselves to another or compete for love.
We are wanderers, dreamers and lovers,
lonely souls who dare ask of life everything good and
beautiful.”

From “There Are Men Too Gentle To Live Among Wolves” by James Kavanaugh

Great Weekend

The Totoro Project Auction at Pixar Studios on Saturday evening was a huge success and we had such a great time! The art work was incredible and they sold everything. Congratulations to everyone!

The next day we decided to go out to Bodega Bay for lunch.  We took some pictures and even did some sightseeing. It was so relaxing!

Bodega Bay – Photo by Rose Arizmendi (C) 2008

Bodega Bay – Photo by Rose Arizmendi (C) 2008

The Antique Store - Photo by Rose Arizmendi

Bodega Bay – Photo by Rose Arizmendi (C) 2008

“The three great elemental sounds in nature are the sound of rain, the sound of wind in a primeval wood, and the sound of outer ocean on a beach.” – Henry Beston

Collage

What a beautiful morning! The sun is out … the air is crisp, and from my studio window I watch people hurrying along the sidewalk,  listening to the sound of  fallen leaves crunching beneath their feet.

With coffee cup in hand I begin prepping canvases by laying down a coat of gesso.

While the canvases dry I make some preliminary sketches then choose the ones I want to use and transfer these to watercolor paper. I cut out the selected images and apply a light coat of gesso to the back of the watercolor paper and leave it to dry.

When the canvases have dried completely I apply either Golden ( soft or hard) molding paste with a large painting knife and put these aside to dry. This gives the canvas the look of aged plaster.

At this stage I may choose to apply the individual watercolor collage components using the molding paste or wait and use gel medium to glue them down after the molding paste has dried. The above picture shows the images applied with molding paste.

Now I am ready to apply acrylic paint to the background. First I lay in a light wash of color and let it dry before I begin adding additional layers of color, making sure  not to completely cover the first layer because I want each layer to show through.

While each background layer is drying I usually begin painting the collage elements using watercolor, acrylic, and inks.

Below is a photo of the under painting and it is at this point I can make any necessary adjustments to Kuan Yin’s face and begin adding stamping, text and more collage elements. In this painting/collage I have added the I Ching hexagram Tai which means harmony, great powers, and the flow of good things.

I Ching – Collage/Mixed Media – 8 X 10 inches on canvas

September

Goodbye August, Hello September. … I spent most of the day preparing four small canvases for a collage project, later I went outside to take a break and noticed all the fallen leaves on our lawn.

My husband was trimming some ivy which was overtaking our sycamore trees and he commented on all the dead leaves blowing down our street.

I love autumn! I love listening to the wind, watching the leaves turn into vibrant shades of rust and gold,  smelling the dry leaves and cuddling up with a good book on cool evenings.

What autumn feels like to me…

“The breezes taste
Of apple peel.
The air is full
Of smells to feel-
Ripe fruit, old footballs,
Burning brush,
New books, erasers,
Chalk, and such.
The bee, his hive,
Well-honeyed hum,
And Mother cuts
Chrysanthemums.
Like plates washed clean
With suds, the days
Are polished with
A morning haze.”
-   John Updike, September

Have a good night!

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