A few more miscellaneous images

 I have been writing the rough draft of this paper all day. I realize that so much of what I am writing, I mostly already know. My intuition about meditation was right, it is certainly something that I needed. It has given me a much better sense of myself, a little bubble around me. But not to protect me, but to make me a better person, who is more able to be compassionate, patient and understanding to myself and others.

As far as art-making, like Elizabeth Gilbert said, "...once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it. You must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it.” ~ Elizabeth Gilbert. Recognizing what about it makes you happy and keeping it up is the most important thing. It is so easy to get lost in other's judgments or opinions.

The top and bottom pieces here are a pieces I added to the aboriginal group designed for Keri. I did them over the last weekend we had school. I especially like the birds.

The middle piece I did yesterday and today. It is a watercolor quilt. I did it because I realized how meditative the use of pattern is, the repeating of shape and how the grouping makes a beautifully strong piece.

The repeating shapes or motifs in art is a metaphor for repeating a mantra or awareness practice. By sticking with it, doing it over and over, it will stick, and will change the world.