It is one of the mildest winters on record here where my feet are planted. My cells long for the cold - a proper cold, the fluffy white stuff falling and heavy on the ground, crisp intakes of breath, foggy exhales. The moon was full yesterday, and she is bright, so bright still tonight. I can see the shadows she is casting on the fence outside my studio window, and I can’t help but smile. I always feel so connected to Lunar.
A few minutes ago, as I sat here pondering what to write to you today, I heard a few disconcerting noises in the dining room. My Seraphina has digestive issues - scar tissue gathers her small intestine together, just one of the many remains of abuse she suffered as a young kitty, before she found me. I went to go to her, sure I was going to be spending the next few minutes cleaning up the remnants of her recent dinner, but paused at the doorway. She wasn’t sick. She was playing by herself. Unaware I was spying on her, she pounced at the ribbons I have hanging from the dining chairs for her amusement, stalking one, pouncing on another, throwing herself to the ground to tackle and bat at a third. Then she saw me looking - bobbed her head to me, trilled her very Seraphina love song, and raced to me. Not embarrassed she had been caught in the act, delighted that I was now a part of the game. I took several moments to pause, to love on her and stroke her thick white hair, to play with the ribbons a little until she let me know in that very feline way that she had had her fill, and would be retiring to the lounge now, please and thank you.
Moonbeams, kitty play, another cup of tea, my fingers now knitting words onto a virtual page.
Presence.
I have been drilling down into what truly makes me happy. What I feel aligned with. How I want to show up in the world. You know, the vagaries of existence, no big deal *wink*. I am finding some truly delicious clarity. The biggest, of course, is the one I feel least prepared to embody - slowing down, leaning into spaciousness and ease for myself as a human being, but also as an artist and business owner. Trusting myself and the process. Surrendering where I have no control. Moving through this one wild life with intention and alignment. I am trialling a structure that I hope will help me do all of this, something new to me. It feels a little like an ill-fitting garment at the moment, but I think as I lean into ease, the seams might ease with me (over my abundance, as the glorious India Flint says, which in this context should be taken to mean the physical and the metaphysical. Side note, India is one of my greatest inspirations, and has been for many years - if you aren’t already reading her floribundineum, you most definitely should. You can thank me later).
It is so easy to get caught up in the small things that don’t matter at all, or over that which we have absolutely no command. While I have long known philosophically that is the case, since my birthday, and the passing of my Pa a few days later, I feel the urgency of time even more, and am ever more aware of how quickly it passes, in a single day, let alone weeks and years. On the weekend my nephew and I stared at the moon and we talked about all things celestial bodies - yet surely it was only last week that he was a tiny grinning babe in my arms, and I rocked him to sleep. Now I get to hold his baby brother in that way. I sold my first painting five years ago this month after 25 years of not really painting at all, and now creating is my full time joy and love. I don’t want to miss any more of it. I don’t want to miss a thing, as Aerosmith (loudly) proclaimed.
So I have let some “shoulds” go in order to ensure the truly important things are tended with care. I am no longer prepared to waste time on spinning my wheels and trying to do what others are doing in order to “succeed”. I have such a big vision, multifaceted and deliciously wonderful, and I am taking small, intentional movements towards realising it. Oh, dear ones, there are some very exciting things coming - including a beautifully wild project I hope you may want to participate in too.
What a terribly vague and wistful missive!
A grounded moment - I will be opening up commissions soon (next week, even!). I have done private commissions for many years, but not ever opened them up to my community. My decision to do so came about as I finished a wolf piece for someone dear to me (see above, coloured pencil on cradled wooden panel above), and then started a smaller piece of my Sweet Sage to honour her and have her beside me here in the studio.
The wild, and the wild-hearted.
I admit, there were tears kissing my cheeks as I rendered her eyes, and then smiles as I started to lay in her incredibly intricate colouring. Those tiny fawn and rust hairs scattered and swirling, the racing stripe under her chin, the almost white spot no larger than a pen nib just beside her left nostril. All the things I knew about her face intimately through eleven and a half years of love.
(Here is Sage slowly appearing on the panel. This process feels like magic, truly)
And so while my first love artistically is wild beings, I also want to honour our little wild-at-heart companions too. Diving deep into commissions will also help with supporting the manifestation of the upcoming (for now secret) project. This project (that I am incredibly vague about, forgive me, when it is ready to be shared you will be the first to know) needs gentle nurturing in its embryonic development, and I am determined to foster the ideal coalescing environment. I can feel its impact brewing. And I so want to scream all about it to the stars.
For now, dear ones, I think I shall retire to the lounge with Seraphina. Perhaps another peak at Lunar before I do so.
May you move with presence, spaciousness and ease through your day today, and always.
The Original Artwork Sale ends tomorrow!
There are still some beautiful {Beheld Beloved} pieces at half price, and some goodies in the Secret Shop at a discount too. Each purchase of original artwork comes with a surprise signed and numbered limited edition mini-print. I love wrapping up your bundles and imagining them flying off over land and sea to their homes. I so hope I will be sending one off to you soon.
I can't wait to see what you manifest and your words inspire me to keep going too!
Love the wolf picture, so much wildness there! 🙏💫