engaged stillness

In last Sunday’s blog I mentioned an outing to a glass studio with my gal pals. It was indeed a delicious afternoon sandwich starting with my perfect weather (warm sunny 68 degrees no humidity slight breeze) ending with a sit down to a table filled with lots of yummy chit chat and in the middle a priceless mixture of women daring to try something different. I had to chuckle as we all committed to just going with it, no expectations all the while determined to not only design the most unique piece possible but to get it to come out as close to perfect as we could possibly get! What a day we had. Back home that evening I grabbed a cupcake from our bounty and sank into the couch to ruminate about my birthday weekend. I was blissfully satiated.

On Saturday, I had had an eight CD day of making collages. An inkling of Erykah, a hint of Nora, sprinklings of Etta James, Shirley Horn, a big splash of my girl Nina and a heavy duty dosage of Anita Baker’s greatest hits had urged on the production of three Goddesses…it was birthday magic. Cupcake in tow, I got up from my perch to look at the girls again. There are moments when I am so humbled by the gifts inhabiting my body that I have to take hold for this wave of something I cannot describe. It’s hard to believe what is before me, that I have formulated another unique being from pieces of paper because when I am at the table, I fall into a trancelike state I’ve deemed “engaged stillness.” So much transpires as the goddesses come together telling me who they are, what they want to look like, what needs to go where, how they feel. My eyes scan the papers in front of me darting from this page to that color to…ah that shape, a bosom. Hands constantly cut, piece...oh no, those hips need to be more curvaceous, take up that thigh, search for another body part. Stop, look, listen breathe in the fragrance I dab on as part of my ritual. Glue paper to paper with sticky fingers, sing “sweet love.” Some of the placements are deliberate most find their way to each other organically. I am totally absorbed in this all consuming activeness never really moving all that much as I am guided along to completion. And when I disengage, still in my very small workspace, someone stunning has revealed herself.

An outsider artist whose spirit is directing her to explore other media, I am taking classes of interest, art or no, and have learned to not be wedded to a perfect outcome (ok, sometimes I want it to be good). This glass blowing gathering was not my first time up to the glory hole. I had been there back in August (http://www.dcglassworks.com/) which is what gave me the idea to invite my friends but, I must confess -- blowing glass does not come naturally to me. I listen to the directions; they drain right out of me as soon as that blast of 2000 degree heat slaps me in the face. MERCY! If it wasn’t for Don, I would not have completed this bowl last Sunday because I was DONE when he opened both doors of the oven and instructed me to spin the glass as fast as I could. But I’ll be back. In the meantime, I’m headed out to learn how to a make scratch molds…

keep your peepers open! ®