what are you doing for others?

"Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?"
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)

kisses on canvas

- mixed media on canvas -

pinto mis besos

con aroma de puesta de sol

pinto mis besos

en movimientos lánguidos

pinto mis besos

con baile de alientos

besos resbalosos

mojados de sueños silenciosos

...mis besos

painting my kisses

the scent of sunset skies

painting my kisses

in languid movements

painting my kisses

with dancing breaths

slippery kisses

soaked in silent dreams

...my kisses

exquisite misery

This little sketch is a mixed media from 2011; I found it this morning within the pages of one of my books.

"My love has made me selfish. I cannot exist without you. I am forgetful of everything but seeing you again - my life seems to stop there - I see no further. You have absorbed me. I have a sensation at the present moment as though I was disolving - I should be exquisitely miserable without the hope of soon seeing you...I have no limit now to my love...Love is my religion. I could die for that, I could die for you."

- John Keats

exquisite misery...an interesting concept 

high priestess

"Inside the temple are lovely priestesses, chosen for their elegance and grace, who spend their lives serving the goddess, singing and dancing to her glory..." 

- Mary  Olson Kelly

women, have you accessed your inner priestess today? have you honored your inner goddess?

image: detail from a mixed media circa 2007 featuring beloved Tia Melba

my beloved sister

Once upon a time, a beautiful and brilliant little girl with wise wide eyes and an ancient soul captured my heart...my sister, my goddaughter and my beloved friend, happy birthday...

falling in love again

I fall in love a lot.

I fall in love with ideas, colors, textures, scents, sounds, tastes...

I fall in love with a smile or glance from a complete stranger whom I may never  see again.

My mad love affair with trees, feathers, skies and rocks continues...

I fall in love with fleeting, fragile moments.

I fall in love with words.

I fall in love, over and over again...

the shadow of joy

- my shadow is long and lean -

"We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think.  When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves." - Buddha

There are infinite ways to purify one's mind.

I sit in silence, focusing on my breath...

I paint with absolute abandon...

I practice yoga...

I focus on the sacredness of the present moment...

I dance the wild dance of a woman taken over by ecstasy...

wisdom from a rubber snake?

who knew a rubber snake, shoes and books could weigh so much...and I have strong arms and shoulders....

"It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it." - Lena Horne

I am finding the humor and playfulness moment by moment...

un beso

"...Sin llevarle más nada que un beso friolento, travieso, amargo y dulzón." 

- Agustín Lara

What a kiss that must be...

I love kissing. 

No two kisses are ever truly alike...

a significant moment

"A moment of stopping, turning inside, checking yourself out, noticing how you feel, and observing your thoughts without buying into them is a profoundly significant moment. It will give you the power to act from a resourceful, skillful place." - S.Kempton

moments of freedom

My first piece of the year, a little watercolor and pencil abstract on paper from a series where I continue exploring fluidity and surrender through color and movement.

So tell me, what do you see?

What do you feel?

I won't ask what you think because my artwork invites moments of freedom from analytical, mental clutter and chatter. Let the thoughts rest for an instant...let them go...

siempre de azul

...y me convertí en sirena para lograr llegar a las profundidades de tu alma...

...y me pinte de mares y cielos, siempre de azul...siempre de azul...

...and I became a mermaid in order to reach the depths of your soul...

...and I painted myself with oceans and skies, always blue...always blue...

sacred silent communication

"Your body is away from me, but there is a window open from my heart to yours." - my beloved RUMI

your dreams fly through the window of my soul...I know your heart...

a true friend remembers

"A friendship can weather most things and survive in thin soil; but it needs a little mulch of letters and phone calls and small, silly presents every so often - just to save it from drying out completely."

- Pam Brown

can true friendship dry out, whither and die?

a new year with a new moon

let us greet 2014 with curiosity and playfulness...

let us sit in sacred silences in between our songs and dances of celebration and liberation...

a new year with a new moon...blessings

mad lover of the dance: 2013

What a mad love affair I've had with this year! 2013 swept me off my feet into various dances, each of which led to profound lessons about life, love, forgiveness and healing. 

I am grateful for all of the blessings, including some that may still be in disguise...

I release 2013 with love as I open my mind, body and soul to the New Year...

still kissing me in dreams, in thoughts

"Nothing can shatter this love. For even if you took another into your arms, the truth is, my sweetheart, you would still be kissing me." - HAFIZ

with each breath

balance...how do you achieve balance ?

"The concept of balance defines our Universe. The cosmos, our planet, the seasons, water, fire, and earth are all in perfect balance." - Dr. Wayne Dyer

messages from the universe

Are we awake to the subtle signs and messages the Universe continuously sends us? I stopped believing in coincidence decades ago...

into the peace

"Out of the strain of the Doing,

Into the peace of the Done."

- Julia Louise Woodruff 

can we be at peace without doing?

do you ever feel this way?

- 2009 photograph -

standing at the doorway -

wanting to step in -

trembling out of fear or delight or both...

Merry Christmas

the REAL santa
"It came without ribbons!

It came without tags!

It came without packages, boxes or bags!...

...Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.

Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!" - Dr. Seuss

divine sacredness dances within

- a corner of my home with one of my latest mixed media on canvas paintings -

how do you taste sacredness?

when do you sense the divine?

"Oh soul, you worry too much.
You have seen your own strength.
You have seen your own beauty.
You have seen your golden wings.
Of anything less, why do you worry?
You are in truth
the soul, of the soul, of the soul." - RUMI

divine sacredness dances within each of us

my wish list

a feather
-
a stone
-
a crystal
-
a kiss
-
a poem
-
a photograph
-
a drawing
-
a whisper
-
a smile
-
a prayer
-
a seashell
-
a moment
-
a breath
-
a memory

"Remember this December,

That love weighs more than gold!"

- Josephine Dodge Daskam Bacon

A piece of paper with LOVE scribbled on it is more valuable than any other gift, even gold.

A relaxed and peaceful state of being is more appreciated than a tired, stressed out state.

Take a nap instead of wrapping those last gifts...

Sip a cup of tea and contemplate the true meaning of the season...

remembering His Holiness Sri Swami Satchidananda

Sri Gurudev playing with me, circa 1973-1974

His Holiness Sri Swami Satchidananda was born on December 22nd in 1914.  I celebrate beloved Gurudev, today and always...OM Shanti, Shanti, Shanti...

Mother Night births The Sun - Winter Solstice

"Circle round, and I'll tell you a story about when the sun was born again...

It was the middle of winter, and the sun had grown very old.  All year long the sun had worked very hard, rising and setting day after day.  All year long the sun had fed everybody on earth, shining and shining, giving energy to the trees and the flowers and the grasses so they could grow and feed the animals and birds and insects and people...

Night felt sorry for the sun.

"Come to my arms and rest, child." she said. "After all, I am your mother.  You were born out of darkness, billions of years ago, and you will return to me when all things end.  Let me cradle you now, as I shelter every galaxy and star in the universe."

So Night wrapped her great arms around the sun, and the night was very long indeed...

Every time a child said thank you, the sun began to feel a little warmer, a little brighter.  Wrapped safely in the arms of Night, the sun grew younger and younger...For in the long night the sun had rested well and grown young from the songs and the thanks of the children, young as a brand-new baby, born out of Night once more.

"The sun has returned!  The sun is reborn!" the people cried.  And they danced and sang to celebrate the birth of a new day..." - STARHAWK

staying centered

- a dear resident from the nursing home in Granada wears one of my solid sterling silver sculptures -

"I have the ability to stay poised and centered regardless of what goes before me.

The heavy is the root of the light.

The still is the master of unrest.

Realizing this, the successful person is poised and centered in the midst of all activities; although surrounded by opulence, he is not swayed.  

Why should the lord of the country flit about like a fool?  If you let yourself be blown to and fro, you lose touch with your root.  To be restless is to lose one's self-mastery. " - Dr. Wayne Dyer

I have the ability to stay poised and centered regardless of what goes before me...that is my mantra for the next few days...

As I sense others' anxiety and nervous energy, I concentrate on my breath...

in my element

- mixed media from a series -

I dreamed with blue waters and blue skies.  Enormous waves crashed into each other and flooded the plaza.  I was delighted.  I noticed others running away, afraid of the tsunami waters.  I felt excited and powerful, like a mermaid coming home, completely in my element...

from my dreams last night

Paris in December

dreaming of Paris...

what place in the world speaks to your soul?

there are many places I wish to travel to...

many women in me

- mixed media on paper -

"I take pleasure in my transformations.

I look quiet and consistent,

but few know how many women there are in me."

- Anais Nin

the little girl full of wonder

the adolescent ready to rebel

the shy young woman waiting patiently

the lover free of any inhibition

the silent and committed wife

the nurturing mother giver of life

the storyteller

the dancing warrior of light

the high priestess

the healer

the shaman

the goddess

the channel

the alchemist

the crone

the artist

from my journals

projections

- 2012 mixed media from series -

"Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves."

- Carl Jung (1875-1961)

constantly working with projections

constantly working on my self

welcoming the lessons

welcoming the teachers

welcoming the mirrors

always with gratitude and humility

secrets of the soul

- 2013 mixed media on paper -

"There is nothing else in that little temple except deep silence, revealing to the living the secrets of the goddess and speaking wordlessly of past generations and the evolution of religions.  Such a sight carries the poet to a world far away from the one in which he dwells and convinces the philosopher that men were born religious; they felt a need for that which they could not see and drew symbols, the meaning of which divulged their hidden secrets and their desires in life and death.

...We met secretly in the old temple, remembering the old days, discussing our present, fearing our future, and gradually bringing out the hidden secrets in the depths of our hearts and complaining to each other of our misery and suffering, trying to console ourselves with imaginary hopes and sorrowful dreams.  Every now and then we would become calm and wipe our tears and start smiling, forgetting everything except Love; we embraced each other until our hearts melted..." - Kahlil Gibran

secrets...

secrets of love, secrets of the soul...

suppressing any desires for attention

- mixed media detail from one of my journals -

Should you want to contain something,
you must deliberately let it expand.
Should you want to weaken something,
you must deliberately let it grow strong.
Should you want to eliminate something,
you must deliberately allow it to flourish.
Should you want to take something away,
you must deliberately grant it access.

The lesson here is called
the wisdom of obscurity.

The gentle outlasts the strong.

The obscure outlasts the obvious.

Fish cannot leave deep waters, and a country's weapons should not be displayed.

I seek out obscurity by suppressing any desires for attention or recognition.

- Living the Wisdom of the Tao by Dr. Wayne Dyer

from my early morning yoga and meditation this morning

poetry of kisses

- 2013 watercolor from 1000 Kisses Deep series -

"Every place where His mouth touched my body a poem came out.  And there is not one speck of me He did not kiss..." - HAFIZ

y que ponte los zapatos de tacón y taconea

- 2007 mixed media -

"Es por culpa de una hembra
que me estoy volviendo loco.
No puedo vivir sin ella,
pero con ella tampoco.

Y si de este mal de amores
yo me fuera pa' la tumba,
a mi no me mandeis flores,
que como dice esta rumba:

Quise cortar la flor
mas tierna del rosal,
pensando que de amor
no me podria pinchar,
y mientras me pinchaba
me enseñó una cosa
que una rosa es una rosa es una rosa...

Y cuando abri la mano
y la deje caer
rompieron a sangrar
las llagas en mi piel
y con sus petalos
me las curo mimosa
que una rosa es una rosa es una rosa...

Pero cuanto mas me cura,
al ratito mas me escuece,
porque amar es el empiece
de la palabra amargura.

Una mentira y un credo
por cada espina del tallo
que injertandose en los dedos
una rosa es un rosario..."
- J.M. Cano

amanecí muy Española...olé...
y que ponte los zapatos de tacón y taconea...

I woke up with this song in my mind...
Spanish dreams perhaps...

goodbye my lover goodbye my friend

- 2007 sketch from my journals -

"Did I disappoint you or let you down?
Should I be feeling guilty or let the judges frown?
'Cause I saw the end before we'd begun,
Yes I saw you were blinded and I knew I had won.
So I took what's mine by eternal right.
Took your soul out into the night.
It may be over but it won't stop there,
I am here for you if you'd only care.
You touched my heart you touched my soul.
You changed my life and all my goals.
And love is blind and that I knew when,
My heart was blinded by you.
I've kissed your lips and held your hand.
Shared your dreams and shared your bed.
I know you well, I know your smell.
I've been addicted to you.
Goodbye my lover.
Goodbye my friend.
You have been the one.
You have been the one for me.
I am a dreamer and when I wake,
You can't break my spirit - it's my dreams you take.
And as you move on, remember me,
Remember us and all we used to be
I've seen you cry, I've seen you smile.
I've watched you sleeping for a while.
I'd be the father of your child.
I'd spend a lifetime with you.
I know your fears and you know mine.
We've had our doubts but now we're fine,
And I love you, I swear that's true.
I cannot live without you.
Goodbye my lover.
Goodbye my friend.
You have been the one.
You have been the one for me.
And I still hold your hand in mine.
In mine when I'm asleep.
And I will bare my soul in time,
When I'm kneeling at your feet.
Goodbye my lover.
Goodbye my friend.
You have been the one.
You have been the one for me.
I'm so hollow, baby, I'm so hollow.
I'm so, I'm so, I'm so hollow..."

- Sacha Skarbek, sung by James Blunt 

seven ceviche dancers in the snow

- 2007 mixed media study -

Seven ventured out in the midst of ice and snow.

They laughed and ate ceviche,

waiting for the dancers to appear from behind red velvet curtains.


a true story from my 2007 journals

you would still be kissing me

- 2013 mixed media on canvas -

"Nothing can shatter this love.

For even if you took another

into your arms,

the truth is,

my sweetheart,

you would

still be kissing me." 

- my beloved HAFIZ (who else?)

my lips next to your cheek

- 2013 watercolor from the series titled "A Thousand Kisses Deep" -

"I saw you last night at the gathering,

but could not take you openly in my arms,

so I put my lips next to your cheek,

pretending to talk privately." - RUMI

¿Quién causa tanta alegría?

2007 mixed media featuring the interior of León's cathedral
Who causes so much happiness?

This is the cry of millions of Nicaraguans during the December 7th “La Griteria” (The Shouting) celebration of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. An elaborate altar is set up with fresh flowers, lights, candles and more. Celebrants gather to sing prayerful hymns to Mother Mary. After the singing, massive amounts of food are distributed. Everything from oranges with colorful little flags, candies made of condensed milk and coconut, tamales wrapped in dark green plantain leaves and a sweet pink drink made of corn. The tradition began somewhere between the 18th–19th century in the majestic colonial city of León, Nicaragua.

I have always seen “La Purisima” (The Purest) as a fascinating pagan-like ritual, one of my favorite parts of growing up Catholic. As a child, I believed we were honoring all the mothers, all the women and not just a statue of a pretty fair-skinned lady dressed in blue draping gowns. Even more so today, I like to believe the songs, the prayers and food honor and celebrate the goddess in every woman...

originally published in 2007

goddess mother everywhere
more than ever
we need you

soul searching

- 2013 mixed media on paper -

"Essence is emptiness.

Everything else, accidental.

Emptiness brings peace to your loving.

Everything else, disease.

In this world of trickery

emptiness is what your soul wants." - RUMI

what the soul wants...

what does my soul want?

what does your soul want?