tree story

 

ink study 1

perched on the edge of the bank, this tree is dying – beautifully.

ink study 2

this morning, her branch-strokes held the opening light of the day.

sunrise 2

over time, i’ve been watching – in the mist, holding the moon, eagle’s perch, crow gatherings..

mist strokes

moon reach

eagle's watch

in the last storm, another branch was taken – it’s deadwood shattered in the surging baywaters, crushed against the granite cliffs below. 

sun watch

watching her slow dissolve – surrendering into the beauty of this place, rejoining the essence of the earth, sky and saltwater.

twilight

beautiful dying.

thinking hands

hand study 1

today, exploring one hand with another -  and the line of energy stretching from one hand, to my eyes, to my mind, to my drawing hand.

hand study 2

thinking about that connection – mind and body – and how the way we live and work is a continual disconnection of being. being human, spirit in body, eyes in hands.

hand study 3

“the hand is the window on to the mind” – immanuel kant.

the hand does not just execute the mind’s will – the hand teaches.

hand study 4

the eye, the hand, and the mind – a mystical triad, magical connection – a resonant interplay of power, in the creative manifestation of life.

hand study 5

 hands tell the stories of our lives.

hand study 6

“a hand lying on the shoulder or thigh of another body no longer belongs completely to the one it came from” – rainer maria rilke.

 

hand study 7

new york – city of energy

new york city lights

working in the city this week – after being away for months, was striking. the convergence of people, cultures, flowing in a great choreography – full of light and energy.  a city thriving in the present tense.

guggenheim spirals

here, the sound of many languages echo along the sidewalk, the world in every step -  and a layered history in every block - architecture of centuries past, of the moment, and of the future.

fifth avenue at 57th

 there is the constant show of human activity, creativity, inpiration, and discovery – if you are watching ..

bergdorf goodman window

and a pulsing world of the underground, running through the arteries of the city – a subterranean theatre of performing arts, fashion, and fleeting conversations..

subway

the pounding noise and amalgam of scents, steam, fog, showers, icy wind, sirens, music — mix in a forceful charge to the senses. such an inspiring, unforgettable and amazing place.

queensboro bridge

how many have tied their souls to this city?

st. thomas church - fifth avenue

windows and mirrors

world of infinite mirrors

do you remember the first time you turned one mirror facing another, and discovered the infinite world of reflected mirrors stretching out to eternity? that discovery was magical to me – as if a portal had opened – as if time stretched out forever, the universe expanded into an infinite series of parallel worlds.

marrakech courtyard

mirrors create transformational experiences – completely shifting your view, or perception of scale, light, distance and time — reflections of oneself and the world are captured and discovered in these other-worlds.

anish kapoor - sky mirror installation, rockefeller plaza, new york

while mirrors capture, reflect, and transform — windows open, frame, and transport – light from inside to out, outside in.

national archeological museum of siena

 there is a magical and transformational quality to both – windows and mirrors, reflections and portals.

duomo di firenza - from giotto's tower

 windows allow a shifted perspective, an altered world view – and a way to frame, to contemplate, to reflect..

the window at 35,000 feet

i’ve developed a great love of looking at the world from these elevated windows, moving over the forests, oceans, rivers, deserts, cities, farms, mountains.. so much beauty to see on this planet, so many worlds to explore.

haa valley monastery, bhutan

 i’ve also developed a great love of the smallest openings of light-spill, the most intimate framed views, the warmth of a sunbeam or moonglow, striking paths of light inside.

humayun's tomb, delhi, india

and i’ve developed a love of the interplay of textures, patterns and light – and the everchanging movement and cycles captured this way, from day to night, season to season.

sinan's bath, istanbul

 windows and mirrors make magic, in architecture. i’m thinking about how we can create more.

the power of mountains

mount rainier, washington state

mountains are a powerful and deep source of life force.  my earliest memories are on the shore of spirit lake, at the base of mount saint helens. from 7 years, we explored the north cascades every summer for weeks, learning the lessons of the mountains – lessons on change, perseverance, pain, exaltation, strength, weakness, limits, transformation, beauty, cycles of devastation and renewal, and the grand power of nature.

mount adams summit 1975

at 14, there was climbing mount adams and mount hood, and later, saint helens – after the eruption, too. now, i live within view of mount rainier, and am always captivated by her powerful grace when the cloud veils open.

may 21 2009 mount saint helens crater

those volcanoes have been my teachers, along with the peaks of enchantment lakes, the boulder flatirons, mount rainier, mount merapi, mount batur, the himalayas, and my recent discovery of the black tusk of the squamish nation. you can find this view (and some awesome skiing) from the top of whistler mountain, home of this winter’s olympics.

black tusk, whistler b.c. canada

i’ve often wondered if my connection to mountains was the beginning of my attraction to architecture.  or was it trees?  in the mountains, i’ve felt magical power, tested my limits, been infinitely small, and on top of the world with a view to infinity.

enchantment lakes, prussik peak, north cascades

the one on the edge, pre-teen, early 70’s.  being on the edge of a sheer vertical drop, i’ve felt the rush of wind and power – the exhilaration and expanse of the view spread below.

summit little annapurna, enchantment lakes

at enchantment lakes, the first time – my eyes overflowing with so much beauty – overwhelmed. this must be the most stunning place on earth. back then, you could just go there – now you need a permit, and there is only capacity for about 1/3 of those who apply. or try tuck and robin lakes for similar character and a shorter trip.

mount merapi, java indonesia

more recently, in exploring other continents and cultures, mount merapi (java, indonesia) was calm enough to climb just one month before it’s violent eruption. we met with the vulcanologist-shaman at the base of the mountain that day, and were advised to respect the mountain’s rumblings – to stop just short of the peak and stay clear of the regular lava outpourings. there was a misted veil sliding up the mountain as we made our way up the steep and slippery trail through the jungle, and then on the rockslides of the upper mountain face. here, there is great reverence for the power of the mountain – and in exploring the earlier aspects of spiritual culture in this region, the mountains are the origin of the gods.

full moon ritual, bali, indonesia

this full moon ceremony of five rituals are set along a series of mountain temples in eastern bali – a monthly pilgrimage for the villagers, only accessed by a steep ascent up through the mountain jungle. in java, borobudur (the 8th century buddhist monument and unesco world heritage site)  rises out of the valley floor in the form of the nearby volcanos.

borobudur, java indonesia

 

borobudur and merapi, java indonesia

in the himalayan cultures, the mountains are also the origin of the gods. in study of pre-buddhist bon religions, the many god figures originate from the mountains. in exploring bhutan, those whose lives are fully dedicated to a spiritual quest live at higher elevations – in monasteries, nunneries and meditation huts perched or hanging from the mountains.

 

taktsang monastery, bhutan

 

cliffside stupa, bhutan

in study of the history of architecture, the earliest structures were symbolic of mountains and the power they possess. those early structures were burial mounds, and then more elaborate. they also represented the axis mundi –  the center of the world, where the earth meets the sky, the most sacred place, universally, in all cultures, for all of us.

mount everest, himalayas

 

 

beginner’s mind

“in the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few” – shunryo suzuki

seeing

being open to learning from others, seeking teachers, guides, masters – all have had a profound effect on my life. there are many things i’d like to learn. with so much focus and time wrapped into the work, it is easy to believe in being the expert, and to feel the pressure to be that – discarding the idea that we always, eternally, have something to learn from every person and every experience. remembering to say “i don’t know”. teachers can be powerful bridges to new territory, new discovery, new worlds, continual learning.

aurora bridge

In the tradition of zen buddhism, wisdom is passed through a lineage of one-to-one direct transference of thought from teacher to student. The focus is on direct experience rather than creeds and scriptures.

teacher

teachers have always been guides in my life – beginning with my father, a teacher of music.  there were piano teachers, school teachers, athletic coaches – all guides, in finding what was in me that was also in others before me. 

learning from seurat

i remember watching those episodes of kung fu – just to hear the kernel of wisdom, the one that only the teacher could crystallize in a few profound words – the distillation of great practice and efforts, trials and lessons. 

“master, these things which we are taught. i cannot do them.”

“you find these exercises too difficult?”

“no master.  too cruel.”

“and to be killed. what is that?”

“i must learn these exercises, to defend myself.”

“learn first how to live. learn second how not to kill. learn third how to live with death. learn fourth how to die.”

life drawing

or the story of the peaceful warrior – a story of a struggling gymnast guided by a teacher, who initially appears to him on the roof of a gas station.

seattle gasworks

“you haven’t yet opened your heart fully, to life, to each moment. the peaceful warrior’s way is not about invulnerability, but absolute vulnerability…to the world, to life, and to the presence you felt. all along i’ve shown you by example that a warrior’s life is not about imagined perfection or victory – it’s about love. love is a warrior’s sword; wherever it cuts, it gives life, not death.”

learning from titian

i’ve spent thousands of hours of practice, study, and connecting with teachers and coaches, and in watching the practice of masters i’ve often wished for further study and practice in drawing. 

anita's garden

so i’ve gone back, to creating a program of study, and enlisted teachers and masters, to guide me. and i’m watching and studying those masters around me, who have been more than willing to help. there are many, though i have found anita lehman, in her patient encouragement and thoughtful instruction to be an essential guide.  in study of the recent exhibit of andrew wyeth paintings at the seattle art museum, she shared with me an observation her painting instructor made of wyeth’s work – “every stroke matters.” this immediately transported me to the squash court and the lessons of shabana khan, champion player and masterful teacher, whose continued revelations on the court elevate athletic potentials (for now i’m keeping my day job).

tibetan temple

a great source of powerful inspiration has been my deep connection and observation of  tim girvin, as creative force, role model, mentor, spiritual traveller, and partner. He has provided endless study references, masterful expression of creative energy in calligraphic illustration, intellectual exploration, and tireless pursuit of wonder.

girvin home

slowly, i’m re-learning, from the beginning – and with this added guidance, i’m learning more, and finding a deeper connection to this fascination, this love – and breathing life into it, and into me.

the scent of summer’s end

fall opening light

i wished to capture the smell of today in a bottle. inhaling,

i was transported back in time to my earliest childhood.

i became  that child, in breathing that scent. 

the slight cool crispness, freshly harvested earth, grasses gone to seed,

after the rain of the night, heated by the sun at just that angle -

and all the other magical notes, the alchemy of the fragrance that is only this moment.

and that moment of being that echoed forward to today.

awakening

being here

morning mist - nanjing

in the eucalyptus breeze, heat rising

summer palace - beijing

warming sunstream, inhaling sweet pine

morning lotus bloom - summer palace - beijing

distractions dissolve in opening sunlight

summer palace temple buddha - beijing

awakening here now

energy and matter

offering to the fire

this conversation began over my son’s first greek dinner. we’d been talking about a trip – the idea of circling the meditteranean, from greece, turkey, syria, lebanon, israel, egypt, libya, tunisia, algeria, and finally back to morocco..  it’s a journey i’ve imagined for a long time, and been looking for the time that this journey would take – months, at least, if not more. 

ben youssef medersa marrakech morocco

having touched the beginning and end of this route, in turkey and morocco, i’ve been dreaming of the rest.  my experiences there were so rich – the layered architecture of incredible beauty and detail, the culture of craft, food, music, and vibrant energy of the people, the landscape that feels so ancient – and so different from my native green forests.

harem window istanbul

back to greek food – and the connection to turkish food, and the cultural mixing of the two.  our discussion then wandered to a a brief outline of the history of greece and turkey, and the mixing of the cultures, then in more recent political terms to the secular leadership of modern turkey - and the impact of secular leadership of nations. having just watched religulous by bill maher. my son recalled a scene where one of maher’s subjects suggests that rain was proof of his faith.

lantau island buddha in deluge

this was the turning point in our conversation – where we ended up with only energy and matter. here is the thread of logic that took us there.  our tendancy to attach meaning to when it rains relates to how our brains work as survival mechanisms – we are not wired for perception of reality. most of what we percieve is filtered and processed to aid us in our quest for survival, reality is not critical for survival.

our perceptive abilities to even sense most of what we know exists is minimal, and our ability to filter and fill in realities to make sense of what we don’t comprehend is vast. from john medina’s  developmental molecular biology brain research to the physicist patricia burchat’s explorations of the 96% of the universe that we cannot see or measure, we have been presented with enough science to consider this possibility – that everything we percieve is processed through the limitations of both our limited sensory capabilities and further distorted by our brain’s survival construct.

man mo temple offering hong kong

then, is all meaning simply a survival construct? is why we are here also a survival construct? is good and evil a survival construct? is time and space a survival construct? if all there is, is energy and matter – in all of it’s beautiful and random manifestations – us, our planet, our universe – and our gift as human beings  is to sense and feel and revel in the wonderful chaos and coincidence of it all – how fortunate we are.

morning meditation - home

as my son says – the smallest amount of energy that we exert ripples throughout the entire universe, changing everything with one small act.

spirit in place

hassan II mosque, casablanca, morocco

reading william lethaby’s “architecture, nature and magic”, along with essays on architecture by ananda coomaraswamy, the act of architecture as a human reflection and vision of the universe is clear, powerful and ancient. experiencing places that capture this reflection has been a life-long attraction, a quest to understand the alchemy of materials, the orchestration of proportion, the creation of beauty, of deep and richly memorable places. i’ve gone looking for them – and found them everywhere.

istanbul

how do places capture human spirit? what universal human character lines weave and wrap around the globe, connecting istanbul, tokyo, paro, delhi, jakarta, bangkok, marrakech, kyoto, paris, hong kong, new york, singapore, yogyakarta, seattle, sao paolo…

incense offering - man mo temple, hong kong

incense coils - man mo temple, hong kong

rene guenon’s “symbolism of the cross” dissertation on the universality of this symbol across cultures and religions contemplates both the commonality and the individuality – global and local – nature of human existence.

siena

marrakech

architecture begins with the need for protection from the elements, made with the materials at hand – stone, clay, wood.  architecture evolves through ideas and experiment, discoveries in geometry and structural laws, reflecting ritual and the order of nature.

sacre coeur, paris

kiyomizu temple, kyoto, japan

the layering of detail reflects the time and craft of the individual spirit.  amazing beauty is wrought into the art, craft and culture reflected in great buildings. layered on structure as protective symbols – based upon natural elements such as plants, water, guardian animals – these layers deepen the human connection to a place.

temple of heaven, beijing, china

prayer wheel, changangkha lhakhang temple, thimphu, bhutan

borobudur, java, indonesia

the quest continues – looking for inspiration, light, spirit, beauty – in every place, every culture, every people.