A few years ago I attended a printmaking class at the Portland Art Museum that centered around the exhibition, ‘Mysterious Spirits, Strange Beasts, Earthy Delights-Early Chinese Art.’

Entranced by images of a wind horse, I sketched it over and over. I was drawn to the mystery and power of this image; its strength, power, and soul.

Two years later I met with talented Portland jewelry artist, Beth Hemmila and owner of Hint.  She creates beautiful tactile pieces with powerful universal images.  I bought a wind horse necklace from her (shown above), so very much like the one I‘d drawn a few years back.  No wonder the image spoke with force.

These words are associated with the wind horse:

power, movement, vitality, strength.  inner strength, soul, peace, wealth, harmony

Right now as we face challenges, fears, and the unknown, I know many people who are choosing to turn to powerful images, connecting friends, and creative spaces that offer powerful wisdom.

I believe that we are experiencing a shift where power and wealth will be found in mysterious places.

Beth Hemmila reminds me of that each time I touch my talisman- the wind horse.

You can find Beth’s work at www.hint.etsy.com and hintjewelry.blogspot.com.

Another positive seeking and creative loving guest blogger has joined PPnG and I’m thrilled.

Exploring the juxtaposition of graphic design and collage, Red Aphrodite’s designer and owner, Laura Bolster, has created her dream job in Portland, Oregon.

Red Aphrodite - a unique greeting card company (and Laura’s passion) is inspired by photos and vintage images of spirited women, Laura’s grandmother’s antique lace, and her grandfather’s sheet music.

Laura’s first foray into collage began ten years ago when she came upon a box filled with colorful photos of her many travels in Latin America.  Her ever creative mind began its churning, asking, what to do with all these lively images?  As she put her handy scissors to use, she found new life for what otherwise would have sat alone at the back of the closet.

She enjoys the process of collage and mixed media because of the spontaneity and reinvention of past images; taking an image, reusing and reshaping it fascinates her.

Committed to bringing beauty to the world through rich, eclectic, and distinctive designs, she is constantly exploring new themes and design elements.

Welcome Laura. We look forward to your posts!

More info on Laura here: www.redaphrodite.com.

This photograph was made while intentionally photographing on the street in an area of Nashville, TN that a lot of tourists visit.

I was using a small camera set up to make the exposure very quickly, with almost no delay after pressing the shutter. I was practicing working very intuitively, often raising the camera and making an exposure without checking the composition of the picture. This is a style of photography practiced by many “street shooters” and the likes of Garry Winogrand.

For me, street photography is a sideline, but an enjoyable one especially when several elements come together as they did in this photograph.

I like the whirl of action, the near eye-contact that the male veteran has with the camera, the stories suggested by the face of the woman with the sunglasses (actually every face in the picture suggests stories to me), and the suspended shock of curly hair drawn to the center of the frame, and the downcast eyes of the woman in the short pants.

All together, they suggest (to me) that this picture has a center.

P.M.




I made this photograph while walking down the street in my neighborhood, in the window of a store that sells all kinds of wild and crazy posters, lamps, and other knick knacks.

I was interested by the layers in this picture, how the more ethereal layer of the poster with its images of the women underlies the reflection of the physical world of the street.

It makes me think of Ezekiel’s wheels from ancient Hebrew writings, where two circles (representing two worlds) rotate on a single axis. This is how I see the intersection of the physical and non-physical realities of my life.

What do you think?

I’ll share another photograph here next week.

P.M.

PhilipMorgan.net.

Currently, I am on a job search. Many hours have been spent searching through job descriptions, creating cost/benefit and pro/con lists, and contemplating what I truly want out of a forty hour work week.

However, when trying to get in touch with what I want, I find that sometimes it’s as simple as my memories…

I recall a time when I was about 7 years old. At that age, I didn’t care much for showers. Who wanted to waste all that time?

This particular afternoon, we were at my aunt’s friend’s house and it started raining. It was one of those blissful, hard summer rains; the kind where the air smells crisp and clean, the water cascades down the gutters, and tin roofs become musical instruments.

Many people were there- friends of my aunt’s friends, and a boy I used to play with during those days. Well, being young, the boy and I decided to dance in the rain. It was more fun back then, too, because who washed our clothes when they got muddy? Certainly not us!

The adults decided to capitalize on the moment…they brought out a bar of soap. Our free flowing, dance of twirling was punctuated by Ivory Bar scrubbing, cleaning off a day’s worth of frog hunting and play. The nearby stream got stronger as we washed, and I still can picture our dance and the feeling of freedom. I cannot remember what I wore, but I distinctly remember how it felt.

When I was, oh say, 17, I rediscovered twirling…with renewed vigor. There was no goal, just spinning in circles with the pure reason of dizziness. At 21, we added starry skies and a bit of adult beverage, along with a mountain that made for an interesting obstacle. At 22, though, it stopped. No more twirling…why? I don’t know. Perhaps I felt grown up, perhaps I was too focused on achieving and doing things and my spirit wasn’t free enough to do such frivolous activities. You can’t put twirling on a resume, anyway…where would it even fit?

Let’s fast forward to summer of 2008. 23 going on 24, I was finished with college courses for good. Something in me clicked, and I twirled again. Perhaps in the rain, perhaps in a waterfall, I don’t remember my first re-acquaintance with the activity. However, I do remember the feeling…the grass beneath my feet, skirt flowing around me, the sky swirling round my head. I’ve done it a few times since, most memorably in a wooden swing. I’ve perfected my rope twirl…the lower you hang on, the faster you spin. It’s fantastically fun. My twirling today is more sporadic, but it’s just as joy-filled as it used to be.

Looking back, I realize that this is what I am looking for while looking for work- I want to maintain a twirling state of soul. I realize that work can be hard, but I don’t want it to be so draining that I don’t want to twirl.

This is my benchmark for success; if I can achieve all my dreams and still feel free enough to twirl, I will feel successful.

What is your benchmark for success? When will you feel you’ve reached the top of your game?

In twirling and self sustainability,

AB