There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more.
~George Gordon, Lord Byron, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage
too often I forget that right outside my door is the medicine to soothe my overwhelm, infuse my spirit with a feeling of absolute freedom and connect me to my muse.
it really isn't even that I forget...i just get caught up in a cycle of DOINGNESS until I STOP and reevaluate and remember the need for BEINGNESS...
This morning I took a long, lovely walk on the beach, alone.
My purpose was not to exercise but just to wander,
to feel the sand beneath my feet and WONDER.
I noticed the marks made by the little pippies (clams)
and the way the clouds filled the sky in ripples.
and how the water split the sand in tiny rivulets
I noticed the tiny pink shells along the tide line and the curled edge of the seaweed speaking to me in salty chartreuse. I smiled at everyone that passed me by and they smiled back and I felt GOOD.
It reminded me of the day I took myself on artists date,
all by myself,
all day long,
at first feeling lost and a little overwhelmed by the BIGNESS of nature, and then, over time, settling into my own smallness within the beauty and wildness of the landscape,
taking notes,
noticing colours,
hearing sounds and dreaming the landscape with my hand and pen
I played with the rocks
collected shells
and bought them home along with my memories
to inspire new art
and new beginnings
How do you find inspiration in Nature?
I'd so love to hear your stories....
until next time!
lots of love
Tracy♥♥♥
Comments
I really enjoyed your post today, it took me away to a lovely peaceful place of quiet contemplation and inspiration even though I was here at my desk. This little artists venture of yours and the inspiration and collection you bought home reminded me of my uni days when we'd go off on a site visit at the start of a new studio project to do a site survey so we could then design our built form. We'd take photos, sketch the surrounds including texture, colour, forms, listen to the sounds, draw and document landmarks or built forms, collect natural found pieces and elements in the landscape and it would all come together uniquely from each different student because we'd each feel, see or contemplate the site in our own unique way and this would then inform all of our buildings and we'd respond to that site uniquely. I love that. The way each of us can say pick up a gum leaf and see different colours and markings, and when we go to sketch it we'll all draw our own interpretation of the form, colour and texture of the leaf.
My art is very much directly inspired by my natural surrounds. I love nothing more than to absorb my natural environment; be it the beach, local bush reserve, or to take off into the bush on a much loved camping trip. I love just being still in the landscape, sitting and daydreaming, absorbing all of the sounds and the movement in the air, watching the light in the landscape, the way it falls and filters and observing it's changes through the days, I especially love the changing colours and the feeling of the earth beneath my feet and allowing myself to resonate with the place I'm in. Thanks Tracy a lovely post xxx
Blessings,
Sheri
Nature is so soothing and amazing and healing.
Wishing you a wonderful day,
Mary
Can't wait for October!
The piece that speaks loudly to me is the ink drawing of the landscape as you dream and hear sounds. :)
xx