dispelling my shadow memorial day

digital

creative and functioning sidewalk art

a series of photos of sidewalk art created for functional purposes (sidewalk craft?), i followed the path with intent to see where it would take me on my journey... the bamboo sidewalk art! wait, not done yet... more sidewalk art created as care for the infrastructure of this journey to be acknowledged and thanked by me on my way back to the studio with my sketches...

caution flag!/accept more open awareness...

-bamboo in my own work!-

the creativity of it appearing as I begin to focus more on the bamboos and reeds in my area for my functional/structural and my creative expression with these materials helps to assure me of this new path... 

practice uniting our hearts with our minds we begin to unite with Love and Peace within and without

Cypress Bolus Cones                    2011                     ©Greg Patch

 Went to Moores Creek Battlefield on the Capricorn Full Moon to activate Love, Peace and Co-Creativity into the land as a way to release violent revolution from the land's memories. The ancient Cypress in the swamp there have been doing the work for melennia in releasing these Earth energies. My speaking with them and photographing them gave human acknowledgement that the time is now. In the background is the replica of the bridge where dozens of Loyalists to the King of England were shot down by Patriots waiting behind "earthworks" in the cold, dark night of the swamp on February 27, 1776 at the beginning of the American Revolution. Taxes and injustice by the ruling Colonial government of England were basic reasons behind the Revolution.

Ripples of Co-Creativity              2011              ©Greg Patch

Through our practice of Love, Peace and Co-Creativity ripples span out infinitely on the calm healing waters of swamp. By uniting our hearts with our minds we begin to unite with Love and Peace within and without.

Cinco de Mayo...

...is a war holiday celebrating Mexican and French killing each other... thank fully, and war and its holidays may*/o become obsolete high/o...


*speak unquestionably

Love Peace Growth

quote day

read first thing this morning from FB friend Stephen Futral; 



a quote from Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche 


"Enlightenment is ego's ultimate disappointment."



thanks Stephen, "I" needed it, my day perspective just shifted 180˚... love it when that happens!

18 Great Paintings, Illustrations, Drawings, Sculptures & Digital Photography

18 Great Paintings, Illustrations, Drawings, Sculptures & Digital Photography


Happy New Year to everyone.
Mine got started off nicely with "Infinity 3" being included in James Day' "18 Great Paintings, Illustrations, Drawings, Sculptures & Digital Photography" at http://www.artofday.com/wordpress/?p=3196
Thank you James.

Infinity 3

Beeswax, natural pigment

  on Lotka paper

14" x 19"

2009

        

enJoy the Solstice!

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/pomegranate.html

Plate XLIX: POMEGRANATE, Punica granatum

Pomegranate Botanical: Punica granatum (LINN.) Family: N.O. Lythraceae History Description Constituents Medicinal Action and Uses Dosages Adulterations ---Synonyms---Grenadier. Cortex granati. Ecorce de Granade. Granatwurzelrinde. Melogranato. Malicorio. Scorzo del Melogranati. Cortezade Granada. ---Parts Used---The root, bark, the fruits, the rind of the fruit, the flowers. ---Habitat---Western Asia. Now grows widely in Mediterranean countries, China and Japan. ---History---The Latin name of the tree was Malus punica, or Punicum Malum, the Lybian or Carthaginian apple; while the name of granatum was bestowed on account of its many seeds. Having no close relations, the tree has been placed by various authorities in different orders, some giving it an order of its own, Granateae.---Description---It is a small tree, not more than 15 feet high, with pale, brownish bark. The buds and young shoots are red, the leaves opposite, lanceolate, entire, thick, glossy and almost evergreen. The flowers are large and solitary, the crimson petals alternating with the lobes of the calyx. The fruit is the size of an orange, having a thick, reddish-yellow rind, an acid pulp, and large quantities of seeds. The dried root bark is found in quills 3 to 4 inches long. It is yellowish-grey and wrinkled outside, the inner bark being smooth and yellow. It has a short fracture, little odour and a slightly astringent taste. The rind of the fruit is in curved, brittle fragments, rough and yellowish-brown outside, paler and pitted within. It is called Malicorium. The fruit is used for dessert, and in the East the juice is included in cooling drinks. The flowers yield a red dye, and with leaves and seeds were used by the Ancients as astringent medicines and to remove worms. The Pomegranate is mentioned in the Papyrus Ebers. It is still used by the Jews in some ceremonials, and as a design has been used in architecture and needlework from the earliest times. It formed part of the decoration of the pillars of King Solomon's Temple, and was embroidered on the hem of the High-Priest's ephod. There are three kinds of Pomegranates: one very sour, the juice of which is used instead of verjuice, or unripe grape juice; the other two moderately sweet or very sweet. These are (in Syria) eaten as dessert after being cut open, seeded, strewn with sugar and sprinkled with rosewater. A wine is extracted from the fruits, and the seeds are used in syrups and conserves. The bark is used in tanning and dyeing giving the yellow hue to Morocco leather. The barks of three wild Pomegranates are said to be used in Java: the red-flowered merah, the white-flowered poetih, and the black-flowered hitam. [Top] ---Constituents---The chief constituent of the bark (about 22 per cent) is called punicotannic acid. It also contains gallic acid, mannite, and four alkaloids, Pelletierine, Methyl-Pelletierine, Pseudo-Pelletierine, and IsoPelletierine. The liquid pelletierine boils at 125 degrees C., and is soluble in water, alcohol, ether and chloroform. The drug probably deteriorates with age. The rind contains tannic acid, sugar and gum. Pelletierine Tannate is a mixture of the tannates of the alkaloids obtained from the bark of the root and stem, and represents the taenicidal properties. ---Medicinal Action and Uses---The seeds are demulcent. The fruit is a mild astringent and refrigerant in some fevers, and especially in biliousness, and the bark is used to remove tapeworm. In India the rind is used in diarrhoea and chronic dysentery, often combined with opium. It is used as an injection in leucorrhoea, as a gargle in sore throat in its early stages, and in powder for intermittent fevers. The flowers have similar properties. As a taenicide a decoction of the bark may be made by boiling down to a pint 2 OZ. of bark that has been macerated in spirits of water for twenty-four hours, and given in wineglassful doses. It often causes nausea and vomiting, and possibly purging. It should be preceded by strict dieting and followed by an enema or castor oil if required.It may be necessary to repeat the dose for several days. A hypodermic injection of the alkaloids may produce vertigo, muscular weakness and sometimes double vision. The root-bark was recommended as a vermifuge by Celsus, Dioscorides and Pliny. It may be used fresh or dried. ---Dosages---Of rind and flowers in powder, 20 to 30 grains. Of pelletierine tannate, 3 to 5 grains. Of rind, 1 to 2 drachms. Fluid extract, root-bark, 1/4 to 2 drachms. Decoction, B.P., 1/2 to 2 OZ. Of decoction of 4 OZ. of bark to 20 of water, 1/2 a fluid ounce. ---Adulterations---The bitter but non-astringent barks of Barberry and Box (Boxux sempervirens). Their infusion does not produce the deep blue precipitate with a persalt of iron. Pinana is a dwarf variety naturalized in the West Indies.

Poem by J Khat O'Brien

On Nov 5 I posted to Twitter & FB "In the wombs of our mothers 
are the seeds of our children" - unknown 
I did a google search and could not find an author.


On Nov 6th I received from my very special friend and teacher
J Khat O'Brien... she had called and had left a message
of celebrating the thinning of the veils. Traditionally this was the 
time to celebrate our ancestors, ie.; Hallow's Eve, Las Dias de Muerte, 
All Soul's Day, Remembrance Day, et al.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


J Khat O'Brien "called you and I think I left a message on the phone? 
not sure but I called on Oct 31st ...
had just done an ancestor's ceremony ...
and wanted to share the time/energy/sacred space

these words came to me ..."

--------------------------------------------------

I come from the womb of a woman,
a mother, my mother - and a daughter ...
and as she carried me within her womb,
inside of her, before my birth,
she also held within her
all of the seeds that she might bear in this life
potential of Life
whispers of Life - past, present and future

as it had been with her mother before her

and, myself, not yet born
into the world of both great joy and sorrow
I carried within me all the seeds that I might bear,
as she had also carried me

the child of the child of the child
the daughter of the daughter, of the mother,
of the Mother

a-ho! a-hey!
I call out to you, my Ancestors
o Wise Souls,
you watch over and guide us
holding our heritage
a journey of souls
through space and time -
through the Light

and now we light the lights!
burn bright, candles!
light the way!
and place the incense just so -
alight, smoldering on,
the trails of sacred smoke
wafting up and around the
sacred space -
making the place
for our Ancestors to come

we leave a tall glass of spring water for you,
for you have traveled far,
and you have hunger and thirst

soon, we'll prepare you a meal
a feast for our Ancestors

our souls are fed by love
our souls are fed by trust
our souls are fed by beauty

place the bowl of nut meats
place the bowl of sugar treats
the Ancestors are coming!

----------
an ancestors song
j khat o'brien
written 31st october mmx

Shrimpers

              Shrimpers                                                              ©Greg Patch


Seasonally, in the cooling waters of Fall, family owned ventures of Shrimpers cruise the coast here off Topsail Island, NC. The squeeze they feel from the current general economic status along with pressures from large corporate businesses, farm raised shrimp and environmental toxins has severely diminished their numbers from less than a decade ago.

Shalom on this Rosh Hashanah

On this Jewish New Year day may we honor all peoples in focus on our paths of renewal toward peace. May we all practice peace on each day of the year, not just on the wholly days. Each day is whole and an opportunity for each to align with The Wholeness in balance. Without differentiating symbolic representation there is peace. No pics for today!

New background...

...have begun with Red as with primary color, 1st Chakra, one of seven colors I am primarily using, one of the seven colors of rainbows and fire engines. In 52 days will change background to Orange... 52 further days Yellow... etc and will see where will go from there after the year has completed...

today's one of those days...

when my ideals are juxtaposed...

Basketball Double Helix

March Madness, the athleticism is fantastic, the hype can go away... several times over the years I've had a fascination with drawing a basketaball game. I've done baseball, football, maybe soccer games, but they've never brought the intensity of fascination and a satisfaction from its completion that the basketball drawings had. Whichever team has the ball, their color follows the path of the ball throughout the entire game. May have been Michegan, or Michegan St. against Ohio State or Illinois. For me these were some of the first manifestations through my work of the infinity sign. Each game developed to the  ∞  pattern. This one from a series was done in 2007.

harmony with what is

Focussing on acting in harmony with what is. The Papel de Amate, Atomi paper, that I'm working with now has incredible innate beauty and character. As a painter to honor that intrinsic quality through my marking with color, allowing form and design to emerge as I work and subtly shift to a new aesthetic that expresses this relationship between myself and where the paper comes from in a respectful and loving way. Allowing the contrast of light and dark to be, and for me discovering the paintings place of balance there.

Am often reminded of how similar my painting art and healing art are. Each seeking to find that balance of aesthetic and/or healing. Tweeking with herbs, diet and lifestyle, or color, line and form to reach equilibrium with the sacred and the individual or artwork...