I had a lot of fun making these circles. it gave me some practice with mixing and bleeding and blending colors PLUS a little doodle work when they were dry….i have a feeling there will be plenty more of these filling up my art journal.

there is just something so peaceful about the circle the continuity the curve and flow. a perfect container, i find, for my art. spirals, circle the never ending the flow. it has been used as a protection symbol, a symbol of life, wholeness, the goddess, the sun, cycles, sacred space. there are many associations with the circle. in my practices i like working with the imagery of the circle/spiral and often find it in my art. a spot to concentrate my feelings, expressions and passions in my moment of need/flow/connection. a circle shrinking and growing just as our breathing, the cyclic exchange with our environment, our place.

lately i have also been breaking some preconceived notions i have been having about life and art and having this human experience. funny how your life gives you a box of crap to carry….never really thinking to go through that box until way later in life. looking through the box of my preconceived notions one has to do with perfectionism, success and the opinions of others. does this sound familiar? i mean seriously. BUT lately i have been watching, learning, meditating and i am realizing those things in my box are no longer serving me. i can look back on my life and see places/scenarios that would have put those ideas/filters in my box. we all have something in our past that has given us tools that no longer serve us in the present. understanding what’s in there, how it got there, WOW! that’s a step into the flow of healing, the tumultuous ride of release. damn it’s hard. as i follow that spiral of my journey i have come to realize that you never really get rid of those things (filters/strategies/preconceived notions). they will always be a part of me, if nothing more now than part of my story. what a feeling it is to be able to look back and be able to actively tell the story rather than responding with all the feels (this feels very reactive to me, not intentionally responding).

funny thing i noticed is that i mention that i have a box of preconceived notions (box=square), when i pull them out to learn more i place them in a circle. food for thought.