September Windows

by ruralpearl | Sep 12, 2012 | Inspiration

St. Louis, MO

Columbia, MO

Running With Nature

by ruralpearl | Sep 7, 2012 | Inspiration

Deer in Rocky Mountain National Park, 2009

Running has become a bigger part of my life than I would have ever imagined. It no longer feels like exercise, but rather one big long meditation, especially since I’ve now changed my route (and doubled my distance) to the river levy trail where I’m surrounded mostly by nature. I’ve logged 23 miles out there this week.. not that it’s about the distance, but it feels good to know that I can go that far, and even farther if I’d allow myself the time.

This morning’s run was extra special.. and the experience could never really be put into words without sounding like a total fruit basket (not that I don’t already), but when I got out there a sudden breeze came up, which I always find meaning in, mumbled a few words in the direction of the sky about the kind of energy & experience that I was looking for this morning, and went about my way. About two miles down the road, two deer emerged from the corn field to the north about 20 yards ahead and stood on the trail, looking toward me. I slowed down and stared back until they ran off into the woods. Then a buck came from the same spot and stood on the trail momentarily looking my direction, then galloped (do deer gallop?) a bit in my direction before taking off into the woods. I smiled happily at it all.. About a quarter mile further, I looked up to see the silhouette of a red-tailed hawk circling in front of the sun. I decided to stop and watch for a minute. It ended up right above me and we watched each other for a minute before it disappeared behind the trees.

It gets better.. my stopping point is this great big tree that I like to stop and relish in it’s shade. When I lived in Brooklyn, there was a huge tree in Prospect Park that I’d go sit by often. They’re kind of like big, comforting grandfathers. Anyway, I stopped at the tree, and above it was another red-tailed hawk. So, I watched it flying around and talked to it a bit (in my head, it could hear me), did a nice big stretch toward then sun, and embraced another rush of breeze. Then I looked to my right, and about 10 yards away on the trail stood a doe and her fawn staring at me. I crouched down quietly and we studied each other for about a minute before they took off into the woods. I laughed again and made my amazement very vocal (there were no human souls in sight, thankfully), and went on my way back.. Then I saw some gigantic toadstools and passed a very furry caterpillar racing down the trail. I dunno, but these are the kinds of things that make my day. And these same things that will eventually make their way into my artwork. Til next time..

The Moon

by ruralpearl | Sep 5, 2012 | Inspiration

Since I have no new paper cuttings as of late to show since I’ve been busy getting other things made, here’s some original art which I was gifted this evening. A youth’s rendition of the moon:

Splendid Sun

by ruralpearl | Sep 5, 2012 | Inspiration

iPhone Hipstamatic photo taken somewhere, sometime in 2009.. no recollection really. Probably on an early morning drive to an art fair.

I woke up early this morning (err, 4am early) to do some work but was diverted by a comfy couch and hot tea and pleasant thoughts. (oops). Post sunrise: spent another 1.5 hours running on the river levy, with the sun to my face, eastward, and the moon to my face, westward, thanking both, in my unconventional way, that I get the time to do this.. (even though I’ve got lots of things that need doing). I wished I had my camera out there – the sun was covered behind a large gray cloud with shining silver lining – its beams stretching out past the cloud in all directions..

Excerpt from Give me the Splendid, Silent Sun by Walt Whitman

GIVE me the splendid silent sun, with all his beams full-dazzling;
Give me juicy autumnal fruit, ripe and red from the orchard;
Give me a field where the unmow’d grass grows;
Give me an arbor, give me the trellis’d grape;
Give me fresh corn and wheat—give me serene-moving animals, teaching content;
Give me nights perfectly quiet, as on high plateaus west of the Mississippi, and I looking up at the stars;
Give me odorous at sunrise a garden of beautiful flowers, where I can walk undisturb’d;
Give me for marriage a sweet-breath’d woman, of whom I should never tire;
Give me a perfect child—give me, away, aside from the noise of the world, a rural, domestic life;
Give me to warble spontaneous songs, reliev’d, recluse by myself, for my own ears only;
Give me solitude—give me Nature—give me again, O Nature, your primal sanities!