1 restart

One of a kind illustration created by
Judith Parsons Art 2016

I got a call from the past. 

She walks through the archway made of the purest bright morning light. She walks up to me and pulls me into her arms of purest light. She presses herself into me and I feel the warmth of renewed faith in this woman who has lost her rudder.

She strokes my back and gives me back to myself. She opens her hands and and a small sail boat sculpture sits smiling at me. She whispers for me to go. Her lips grace my ear, the warmth of her wisdom tells me to make the best ship I can make. Make it in all that you are. Make it in every medium.

I look up from her palms and the oceans of her depth spill over the edge of infinity. She whispers “tears prepare for transformation…” the words become sails and then transform into wings and fly in swirls around the ship in her palms.

Her hands disappear and my hands are left holding the ship of me.

She glides through the golden evening sunset colors.

After writing the above I went to plan in illustrator and photoshop. I wasn’t sure how this NEW beginning was going to play out. I just knew some changes had to take place. The steps, the stairs the transformation. I would write and write and write and rediscover the words and in the discovering of the words again…THEN…then I might look to the right and see the sand of time revealing the me beneath the sands…the boat, the vessel and or wings to take me higher.

The past called and asked me to reconsider starting a school for special needs students. She wants me to write out the thoughts about art, and breaking it down into bitable pieces for people who might not chew as fast or as furious as their peers.

The special needs student CAN learn and yes, it might take 3 years of training in photoshop or illustrator before they can create and “own” the program, however, it can be done. Working with special needs children requires the purest empathy and passion. I would love to start a special art school for special children. Perhaps we can start this incredible movement in Ireland.

Ireland is a magical land…waiting for miracles to happen.

As Anita Boyle is known to say: "And then you shall.”

Start over

Original art by Judith Parsons Art 2016
Do not use without permission.

There is a lovely poem by Mary Oliver, The Journey. Anita brought the poem up as we discussed our quest. The truth of all of this life is simple.

We should get back to the oldest lesson of all: 

If you have nothing good to say, then say nothing at all.

We tend to complain to the people we love about people that have crossed us or have harmed us. 

Those negative words are dark, like burnt papers.

They are ash that builds up over time. 

Then a fierce wind blows and the ashes are stirred up and then the air is dirty and foggy and blurry. 

Nothing can be seen. 

In fact, you must close your eyes to avoid the ash getting into your eyes.

The only thing that can clear the air is time.

When the ash has settled and the air is clear we find ourselves the color of ghost. Perhaps THAT is the lesson.

In order to start over, there needs to be a death of sorts. A closing of a door, a changing that is deeper than any change we have made thus far.

We stand, the white ash like baby powder slides down toward our feet.

We are born anew in the baby powder ash of negativity.

The Journey begins again.

Pure Love

Art created especially for this blog by
Judith Parsons Art 2016

The guardian of me

She

Is there when I need her.

The perfect love.

She comes to me.

Wrapping her glorious arms of
warm light around me.

All I have to do is ask for her.

She is always there.

Purest Love.

I love you.

Hold on!!!

Today was an incredible day! 

My daughter won 2 incredible awards for her art. She created a new genre of art. She took the flat stagnate image of the canvas and she made it dance.

This blog is for her.

Margaret has always loved words, she is one of those rare people that can draw and comprehend the world in a visual way and translate it with both illustration and writing. She is an exceptional young lady.

Words are magical. They really are. Here, in this Facebook and blog realm we are judged by our words. They create a frame work, they create a scaffolding for us as we build who we are for one another. SHE understands the casting of spells.

Spelling. yep…when we are young we learn to string the words together. She creates spells. 

(smiling sigh) Today a friend posted a video and her magical mesmerizing voice ask the question…”Will you wait?”

Life is too short to wait.

Don’t do it. 

Don’t say: “some day”…say NOW!!!

Take a chance, leap into the love of another and hang on for Dear Life. Hold them tight to your chest, wrap your arms around them like you mean it. Squeeze them against you and stroke their back, count to 30. Breathe them in.

LOVE with all of your might. 

Margaret, you did it!! You went on your magical quest to find yourself! You danced down your path, you laughed and skipped and you became your art! You learned to take those poetic drawings and  magical words and created paintings that dance.

You found love. It found you. (grinning) You are unfurling your wings and soaring!! 

Wooohooooooo!!!

Soar baby girl soar!!

Mastering

Original art created specifically for this blog.
By Judith Parsons Art 2016
(Do not use with out permission)

There are 3 main threads running through my life. I am a teacher of swimming, I am a college student securing my masters in sculpture and I am preparing to go the next floor up in my spiritual quest.

A magical find happened.

This morning I found a book that united the head strong oxen and suggested the taming of the beast. 

It was an incredible “ah-ha” moment for me and I created this warrior beast as a meditation.

I concentrated on simplifying the line. I knew I would mirror it and play with it in illustrator. And I let it come to the surface with its opacity layers transparent enough to let the layers show.

There is no truer statement:for everything there is an equal reciprocation.

If you act like a mad bull, ranting and raving. The energy of that rant will reflect into the universe and seep into your surface. 

Everything truly is reciprocated.

The two way street might not immediately reflect into your life, but eventually that two way street will turn around and meet you, face-to-face.

Teaching swimming has always grounded and healed me. In a way that gardening and digging in the dirt ground many, the water connects me to the source. When I am swimming I am grinning from ear to ear. The water is where I am whole.

Whole…holy.

The connect.

Returning to college has been the hardest and bravest thing I have ever ever done. I am 55 years old. Personally, this week made me feel my age. I started asking why something did not happen. And I felt it was because of my age.  Then I had a hard talking to myself  and reined in my attitude and told myself I had to work ten times harder to create the work, so what happened would never happen again.

Becoming a master in something means REALLY knowing the task at hand, being able to do it with your eyes shut. Knowing it so well, you confidently stride into the room and OWN your ability.

Whole…holy…

I have waited a few years to let myself open to the idea of learning the Masters level of Reiki. It is not something I take lightly. It is interesting that it is falling into this time frame, as I prepare for my last 6 months of graduate studies.  Then finding today’s book, which I will hold close to my chest. It makes me tear up, with how clear the message is.

Thomas, thank you for giving the book to Anita. I look forward to hugging you. It is the FINAL puzzle piece to my thesis. I was searching for something that tied me all together. A cocoon that would weave around me and help me complete my graduate quest.

We all ALL more connected than we will ever know.

I love you all. 

Reiki principals: 

1.) Just for today, do not worry.

2.) Just for today, do not anger.

3.) Earn your living honestly.

4.) Honor your parents, teachers and elders.

5.) Show gratitude to every living thing.

Wreck havoc with you...

Art created especially for this blog by
Judith Parsons Art 2016 San Francisco

We have all heard the saying that started from Elizabeth Gilbert: “Own your shit.” It is an in your face statement and is meant to awaken one, who always has an excuse for something not working out.

For me, all those “not working out” issues come down to refining my art. Making an illustration sharper and clearer or making the clay surface smoother. With metal it is about learning to test the weld before wasting material. It is the same for cutting leather and acrylic upon a digital laser cutter. Test, test and retest before making the final cuts.

After much spending of money upon material. I have learned to work smaller. Make prototypes.

I have been sketching up a storm since finishing a huge sculpture. A professor and respected artist friend were trying to help me rebuild with a simpler — less complicated design. She said:”Think of it like a wedding cake, building the tiers.” 

“Use the proportions and shapes to make another one.” When she said that, I admit I inhaled sharply and thought I might faint. The thought of doing another one, all over again — however, simplified immediately made my stomach feel like a stone. Oh Dear Lord, another one of these monsters?

It has taken three full days for the idea to settle, for the energy of this piece to soften and not feel like a brick in my belly. I suppose this is what Elizabeth Gilbert was referring to. I know, to really become a master in this field of sculpting art, I must rebuild and redesign the “stalk of corn” or the “wedding cake”…  I sigh and am shaking my head. 

I will rebuild it. I will design it to the the ninth degree— I am owning it.

The graphic I created thinking of the simple 3 letters..O-W-N….it happened because of a typo…I wrote W-O-N…then realized my fingers had messed up the spelling. Happy accident as Margaret would say.

(sighing) The “o”….it is all about moving that wonderful letter “o”…
Which also happens to be the symbol for the sun, which is Grandfather sun to the Native Americans. And in sacred geometry, it is heaven. I can ramble on forever and connect the “o”…or the dots…
(laughing)
I will dig my heels in and ask the letters to stop, “Whoa there “o”…”(now I am being silly)

I appreciate people who ramble with thoughts, who just let the spirit move them.

Go ahead—give the reins to the letters..let them wreck havoc with you…Let the muse run wild!
Wooohoooooooo!!
(smiling) Thats right…smile…shine and sing…
You are soon cute when you smile!

Miss you.

Photograph by Maggie Lester! Thank you Maggie for soaring, smiling and shining!

This has been an intense semester. I have not had the time to blog and apologize to my readers. I am in the last week of this semester and have time to ramble on about nothing. Thank you for reading.

I received news that was not what I wanted to hear, and it has knocked the wind from my sails. So it will take a wee bit of time for the energy to build back up. Every sailor knows the doldrums. Waiting for the tides to change and the wind to pick up. One must be patient.

I was cleaning up files, backing up hard drives and came across one photograph that made my day. Maggie, my niece took this selfie with my dad. It was the last photo of him, and he was laughing. What an incredible spirit you are Maggie!! God knows I adore your enthusiasm for life!! (hugging you tight) Thank you for this image.

My dad influenced my art. His shuttle is the foundation shape of my archway. The arch is both the doorway and the ship. There is no time to be stagnate, there is walking across thresholds and sailing down the art quest river. And every now and again the wind dies down, and we remember to laugh and smile. We remember to rest and reflect and remember the good times and let the dark negative times go.

I have many irons in the fire. But, for now, I rest. and let the energy rebuild. We ebb and flow, the tides of our soul soothe us.

I miss the hell out of my dad. I would call him and talk about art, talk about how to build the structure, how to create the foundation and the talking would find the solution. (Blinking back tears) I miss having someone to talk about my art with, who knew my glass blowing art and ceramic art. I miss people who "know" me.

I will be connecting. 

We smile and laugh and continue on.