The Trillium – Springing Us into Awareness

by

TRILLIUM_2_emWe are now thoroughly into the wonderful, renewing energies of spring!  The beautiful crocus, tulips, daffodils and trillium are each blooming their little heads off – a display that with a little attention can effortlessly spring us into an empowering awareness.  No matter where you live, there are many indications of spring amidst us. In the woodlands, the trillium is now blooming quietly – perfectly in its nature of threes.  The trillium blooms with a three slender sepals, three petals, a three part ovary surrounded by six (3+3) stamen, and its leaves spread in whirls of three. Three is a divine number of creative power – and is symbolic for many in various forms: beginning – middle – end; father – mother – child; morning – noon – night; the three blessed jewels; Father – Son  – Holy Spirit. This marvelous, simple woodland plant blooms quietly – echoing how we often bloom ourselves.  One of my bronze, limited edition vessels is titled Trillium and inspired by this beloved plant.

Ants enable the trillium to sow its seeds, eating away the oil rich appendage and abandoning the seeds to sprout. Ants – tenacious, patient, community-builders – help the trillium flourish. Perhaps we might embrace and follow the wisdom of nature. Many trilliums are either protected or endangered.  The quiet work of the ants, sowing the seeds supports their extended life. Do we appreciate the “ants” in our lives – the vast synchronicities (experiences, people and gifts) often working through invisible channels for our highest good? Trillium, with a little attention, can bring us not only the pleasure of its simple beauty but also an empowering reminder that there are indeed many people and/or events working, this very moment, on our behalf completely invisible to us. And…it may also remind us of the infinite gift of being an ant in life through quietly, invisibly giving.

May this new spring season bring to you those quiet, reflective moments that quietly, while richly empower you.  Perhaps it is the season for you to bloom in all your unique perfection – trusting your support to the invisible world and gracing the world with your beauty.

 

Artists for Conservation Festival Oct 13 – 21 Grouse Mountain | North Vancouver

by

Artists for Conservation Festival  Oct 13 – 21

Grouse Mountain | North Vancouver

The Artists for Conservation (AFC) Festival opens on October 13 thorough October 21st on Grouse Mountain Resort, North Vancouver, B.C.  AFC will bring the world’s top conservation-themed exhibit of original nature and wildlife art, film, live painting demos, adult and youth workshops to this unique event. The festival will include renowned artists such as Robert Bateman, Guy Combes, David Kitler, Andrew Denman, Mark Hobson, Pollyanna Pickering and many others. My work (Nature’s Bounty and Celestial Joy) has been juried into both the live and the virtual exhibit. This international exhibit features extraordinary and highly talented artists all of whom are are highly committed to continuously working in partnership with many conservation efforts around the globe.

11.11.11

by

Using our current day Gregorian calendar, the sequence of 11.11.11 occurring this month marks a once in a one-hundred year time when the month, day, and year reads 11.11.11. Sequential identical numbers have a recorded historical significance among many scholars. It is thought they hold highly energetic power and we are encouraged to be awake to experiencing their power in our individual lives.  Digital clocks of our day make this an even easier – more frequent – experience.  I invite each of you to simply notice a sequence of identical numbers in your lives and particularly to give attention to the upcoming experience of 11.11.11. When we are awake to this event, we might take a few minutes to direct our inner attention to the deepest roots of our lives – to what we most hope to manifest in and through our lives. The entire universe may resonate with your intention and you may well experience a deep and rich amplification of your intent.  There is indeed power in unity and the entire world will be experiencing the magical qualities of this day together. What if we each held a great Light in our hearts for healing of our world – blessing of it and of each of us – growing us vastly toward leading more balanced, harmonious lives? The results may be astounding.  It is possible. This perfect balance is beautifully demonstrated to us through nature every day (another voice of incessant inspiration).

My bronze Trillium vessel illuminates this perfection.  I the trillium’s most apparent growing habit of “threes” – 3 leaved foliage, 3 sepals, 3 petals, 3 part ovary, etc. You can read all the details about this plant and the vessel here: http://www.allemanstudios.com/trillium.html. Trillium has 9 blooms (3×3) and stands 6 inches (3+3) tall, with 3 ants etched in its base (the invisible helpers) – all in an edition size of 111.

In its lovely pattern of growing, it inspires me to embrace the essence of the perfection each of us truly is.  I invite you to read    much more about it on the website and allow this lovely woodland plant to inspire you while bringing a worthy element of profound beauty to your life as well.  Open yourself to the magical, wonderful qualities of your natural beauty, planted within the natural beauty of our world, and allow the mysterious essence of the 11.11.11 to impact your life.

Lancaster County, PA

by

I recently returned from a trip to my childhood milieu in Lancaster County, PA. As always, I was both refreshed and inspired by the grand trees and flora of this rich and potent land. The mature wisteria, which has draped the long porch of the farmhouse where I grew up, was vibrantly green and lush creating a warm umbrella of greens dressing the front door. I always have loved entering the house beneath its shading welcome. I am reminded, each time I walk beneath it, of childhood years of waiting for it to bloom – the true sign that the school year was about to close and the bees to become fiercely awake and productive.

Living in the desert, I’m always on a search while in PA for specimens to take back to the quiet desert for inspiration and reminders. My uncle graciously delivered a bundle of blooming purple (red) clover from his field for me. I collected specimens of white blooming clover and one lonely, blooming dandelion. The dandelions always are a welcome presence for me reminding me to “never stop growing”. They are not plentiful in bloom this time of year, but they continue to grow relentlessly. I love the springtime when they dot the landscape with brilliant yellows in yards, meadows – everywhere! And who has not enjoyed the delight of making a dandelion link bracelet as a child?

My current inclination toward the clover and dandelions likely stems from my weeping heart for the current plight of the honeybee. My grandfather always raised bees on our farm, and we took them for granted for decades. My younger brother has begun carrying on the tradition as he learns the art of beekeeping. He has three new hives on the farm and is learning – as he loses bees. I believe the alarming status of the honeybee to be a profound ‘wake-up call” kind of message to all of us – to give grave attention to what we are collectively doing to our bees and vital insect world – to Mother Earth at large. The bee is said to be symbolic as a messenger between heaven and earth, and I believe they are indeed. Perhaps the honeybee is calling to us for dramatic changes in the way we care for Mother Earth. The rapidly declining honeybee population, combined with colony collapse disorder, warrants unprecedented attention from all of us. The use of pesticides – growing ever more prevalent and in alarmingly stronger doses gives reason to capture our attention profoundly. Without the honeybee, many of the foods (over 30%) we enjoy on a daily basis will indeed disappear.

And so, I will begin my research, as always, surrounding the honeybees’ favorite plants to visit and its habits. Time will tell what treasures will unfold, if any, at the clay table from my work – and what vessel might next appear as a warm and intimate appeal to our hearts.

To learn more about the plight of the honeybee, I recommend reading A Spring Without Bees, by Michael Schacker. http://planbeecentral.wordpress.com/; http://www.globalregen.net/GRNetwork/

Each of us can plant a bee friendly garden, and use environmentally friendly pest control to do our part in insuring the survival and health of the honeybee kingdom – and our future food supply. May we do so – now – with joyful, grateful hearts.