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| Spanish Lavender has deep purple blossoms. |
“Oh, look at that color!” I shouted. “Do you want to stop?”
asked my companion, the driver. “Yes! If you don't mind.” She pulled the car into a parking lot
and I got out to take pictures of the dynamic scene landscape
designers had created.
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| This landscape designer is a colorist. |
It was the purple Spanish Lavender blooms up against gold grass that had caught my eye. However when I got out to look more closely, I was captivated by the multiple shades of green, especially the soft gray-green. The light gray of the pebbles sets off this color feast.
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I love these tiny Hansa Yellow flowers up against Periwinkle
Blue, again set off by the gray rocks. |
At my very first art show, a viewer announced that I am a colorist and after all these years it is still true. The Russian artist Kandinsky talked and wrote about the vibrations set up by each color. Whether it is the calm of blue, the restoration of green, or the passion of red, I love it all. I think sometimes that I became an artist because it gives me the opportunity to play with color.
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Can you believe the audacity of this pink and coral rose,
blooming away in mid-April? Its dark purple and green leaves contrast
nicely with the brown bark mulch below. |
The diagonals in all of these photos suggest that I was looking for and open to change.
Gateway to the Unconscious
I discovered the power of nature years ago when I lived in Victoria, British Columbia. Not only were the views of the ocean compelling, I soon found that nurturing potted plants on my balcony was caring for my spirit. There is something about having your hands in the mud and your head in the open air that opens our hearts to the primordial.
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| One of several Japanese style gates at Shore Acres in Charleston. |
On a recent trip to the southern coast of Oregon I once again found myself being renewed by close proximity to nature. It was as though a gate had opened into the peace and harmony that one can only find outside of society.
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| The harbor in Coos Bay. |
Water sights felt especially rejuvenating. For me the sight of ships always sets up a longing to travel, to leave the constant shore and seek the unknown horizon. Maybe that's because my very first global trip began with taking a boat from New York to The Hague.
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| The beach in Bandon. |
Both walking above the beach on the Pacific Ocean and resting beside a Japanese style pond took me to a quiet and contemplative inner space.
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| Japanese pond at Shore Acres. |
Water is a universal symbol for life, maybe because we evolved in it. Carl Jung associated the collective unconscious with water and insisted upon living near it.
Big Sky
I am a sucker for big sky.
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Did you know there is a bird sanctuary in Bandon and
that Puffins come to it? |
There is something so freeing about watching the clouds, the changing color of the sky, and birds wheeling overhead.
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For birds, part of the lure of this area are rock formations
made by shifting tectonic plates |
How can one be tight assed when confronted with a vast panorama overhead? Whenever a thought or a doubt entered my mind, I said, “Let it go. Let it go.”
Touching Immortality
Pine trees play an important role in Japanese and Chinese gardens. They symbolize longevity and even immortality.
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| Mexican Pine tree at Shore Acres. |
We saw several amazing trees, especially pine trees, but the most awesome was a Mexican Pine. It has long thin needles that are a soft sage green color except for the tips. The tips are burnt sienna.
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The sight of Mexican Pine needles agains the sky
reminds me of a Japanese kimono. |
When seen from a distance, the Mexican Pine appears ghostly. Up close it
feels fragile, almost ‘heavenly.’
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Wonderful color, tall and short trees are reflected
in the calm water of this pond at Shore Acres. |
Perhaps it is because I am teaching a nature mandala class
that I found myself being spiritually nourished by being in the presence of so much natural beauty. Or maybe it made me a bit more aware of what is a normal experience of
nature’s rejuvenating power. What is your experience of the restorative powers of nature?
