Entries Tagged as: cats
Lynx Dreams
May 23rd, 2008, Comments (16)
Since reading Steering by Starlight, I've been paying a little bit more attention to my dreams. Martha Beck describes an interesting way of interpreting dreams in the book that changed the way I looked at the things that show up in my dreams. Beck suggests looking at every symbol, place, and person in your dream, ask them what they're there to do, what they represent, and then answer as that person, symbol, etc...So, for example, if you dreamt about an alligator, then you'd ask the alligator what it was there for and what it's there to teach you. And then you might answer something like, "I'm an alligator, I live in the swamps. I'm here to help you come out of hiding, to be in the sun." Or something like that. I don't think I'm all that good at determining what symbols mean, what they represent in my life, but seeing each symbol as something that is trying to help or guide me in some way, has shifted the way I look at all those crazy night visions that I have every night.
So anyways, last night, I dreamt about a lynx. It was a very vivid dream. I didn't write it down in the morning like Beck recommends, but I kept thinking about it during the day. I remembered that in the dream the hubster and I had bought a baby lynx, but it was growing big fast and had huge claws and one big sharp tooth. It looked a bit like my orange cat, Tabbers, but much bigger. I was worried that the lynx was going to hurt us or our cats and felt that we had to bring him back to the shelter. I felt so guilty and sad about wanting to return him, but I also felt it was necessary. During the day today, I remembered that I'd called the big cat something that started with an "L". In the evening, I remembered that I called it a lynx, but I wasn't 100% sure that was an actual animal name, never mind whether or not it was a big cat.
So, after watching a disappointing Celtics game, I googled "lynx" and saw the cat from my dreams. Very weird. But the thing that totally blew my mind was reading that the goddess Freya (who I've painted and experienced much synchronicity around) was said to have ridden on a lynx. Now, I'd read that Freya was sometimes depicted with cats, but I'd never read about the cat being a lynx. Goose bumps!
Further reading showed that the lynx is supposed to help with psychic abilities and divination and are believed to be the keeper and knower of secrets. The lynx is associated with inspiration, revelation, and mysticism. Actually, the more I read, the stranger it got. Actually, this was kind of cool, there was a group created in the early 17th century called the l'Accademia dei Lincei (Academy of Lynxes) that was dedicated to scientific investigation and the search for truth through observation. They chose the Lynx as part of their Academy's name because the lynx was known to have penetrating vision. The 6th member of this group was none other than Galileo. I found this particularly interesting considering my post this week about how I consider myself a scientific and spiritual person, which is somewhat similar to the associations the lynx has with skeptical, scientific viewpoint and also mysticism.
So, what does my dream mean? Not sure. After answering the questions as the lynx, I believe the dream has something to do with taking risks. But I may do some more writing and see what else comes up.
(Images from National Geographic and answers.com)
p.s. Like the new look? I may tweak it a little bit, but for now, I'm liking it. I'd like to change up the banner a little more frequently. I used to change my blog banner with each season change, so perhaps I'll go back to that.
Beep! Beep! Back Up!
May 5th, 2008, Comments (8)
This is a quick reminder to back up your files! My hard drive recently crashed. Boo! But fortunately I had everything important backed up. Yay! Thank goodness! I didn't have it done in a time capsule sort of way, so I've been uploading all sorts of stuff onto my clean slate of a laptop over the last two days. Not so much fun. But I did enjoy looking through old pictures as they got copied into my iphoto library. I need to re-install photoshop and dreamweaver, so no new photos today (instead, here's an old pic of y adorable snuggle cats, Emma and Sadie.) Hopefully, that'll be done soon.
I'm also so glad that I got Apple Care, as I've had to use my warranty twice this year. Along with my brand new hard drive came an updated system, which I wasn't expecting. There are some nifty new features on 10.5, although the hubster says that some of his software doesn't work with it, so far it's been good for me.
Tonight, dinner is on the grill...marinated chicken and fresh vedgies. Yum. And my icky migraine is just starting to move on. Another hooray!
Here's some inspiration to share:
- Over at Creative Construction there's a new weekly creativity contest. Each week a new prompt will be given and it can be interpreted however you like! And especially exciting for a bookworm like me, there's a weekly prize of a ten dollar Amazon gift card! Sweet! The first prompt is "View from the window" and entries are due tomorrow by midnight. I know that's coming up quick, so if you don't get something in this week, definitely try it out next go around!
- A new Creative Every Day Challenge member, Noel of Henna Rose, has some pictures of her gorgeous henna work. I so want to have this done! There was supposed to be a henna person at my bachelorette party, but she had to cancel. So one of these days, I'm going to have to go get it done. I think some lovely summer day might be nice.
- The talented Tammy Vitale won first place for her torso, "Cybele" at the Calvert Artists' Guild's May 08 Awards Show at AnnMarie Garden.
- I think everyone has heard of Twitter by now. Well, I decided to try it out and it is kind of fun! (Does this make me a twit?...Don't answer that. heh.) If you want to follow me, my name there is leahart. Now that I've tested it out a bit, I think I'll be adding my twitters to the blog. I'm working on an updated blog design, so I may wait til that's done. Speaking of a new design, if anything is confusing or weird or missing here on the blog, give me your feedback, so I can incorporate it into the updated version.
Harumph!
May 1st, 2008, Comments (6)
This is Scragli (Scrag-lee with the accent on the lee), who the hubster and I named on our trip to Greece a few years ago. This picture cracked us up so much, that he's forever honored in a black and white pic on our living room wall. Scragli was an incredibly picky cat who had no interest in the cat food that we brought to the kitties living around the hubster's family's home. He would only eat people food that the hubster's uncle would serve to him (can't say that I blame him there.) He had the funniest meow. You can probably imagine what it sounded like just from looking at him...much like a cranky old man would sound like if he was a cat.
I was definitely feeling a bit like Scragli this morning. I felt dizzy again last night (nowhere near as sick as before, but still yucky) and then my laptop died on me. I have to take it in again (the second time in the last couple months) to get fixed and I'm afraid this time I'll have to start over. Fortunately, I've backed up most of my files except for the most recent stuff in the last week. But geez louise, how annoying!
The hubster started something with our cat Sasha who loves to complain. She has the whiniest meow you'll ever hear. He started telling her that when she meowed he was going to roll her over. So when she howled in complaint, he would softly push her onto her back and rub her belly. It was pretty funny. Earlier in the week, the hubster was feeling very cranky over some meetings he had to go to and I suggested that he needed to get rolled over. Hehe. Well, this morning, I could have used some rolling over.
The crankiness is passing and I'm working on a pretty painting that I'm enjoying thoroughly. Lots of layers, transfers and glossy glazes. I completely let this one come from my intuition which can be scary to do on a larger canvas (it's 18"x18"), but it's coming along nicely so far. I'll share some pics soon along with some doodles from my sketchbook.
And now I'm off to pick up my art from the coffeehouse show and then take my computer to the doctor. Things are looking up. Sadie just brought me her Space Ghost toy in her mouth and the sun is out. Looking forward to a sunny drive. I've got paint and glue on my hands. Life is good.
Circling Birds
April 27th, 2008, Comments (12)
This weekend was a whirlwind tour to NYC to see the hubster's family for Greek Easter. It's an important holiday for them (the hubster's dad was born and raised in Greece), so we made the trip out and participated in the fun traditions (tsougrisma : egg cracking game) and ate some traditional Greek food (lamb roasted over a charcoal fire, Easter bread that has dyed red hard-boiled eggs on top, and Easter biscuits.) We had a great time, but it was a quick visit and now we're back home.
I meant to post this before I left, but ran out of time. I'm working on a couple more drawings with white ink on black paper with the little circles. A couple people have mentioned how the bigger circles that make up the leaves look a bit like bicycle wheels, which I thought was kind of cool as I seem to have some circle/cycle/bicycle themes going on in much of my art lately. Funny how symbols will pop up like that without you even realizing it. This one has two birds and I'm calling it "Two Branches."
Speaking of birds, when we got home, we found a bird wing and a bunch of feathers on our living room rug. Our porch door was open a crack so the cats could enjoy the fresh air. Either a bird was brought in from the porch or it flew into our apartment, which would be a huge mistake for any bird and a wildly good time for the four cats who rarely get to hunt something that's actually living. The hubster was totally grossed out, but I grew up with my cats bringing me mouse guts and such, so I wasn't too disturbed. The only thing we're wondering about is where the rest of the bird is. Hopefully it was eaten and isn't tucked away for us to find later. That could get stinky.
With these black and white drawings, it take some time to make up the trunk with all the tiny circles, but it's also a meditative kind of process. It's relaxing, soothing, and gives the mind space to roam. Good ideas often come in this space. All repetitive things can become like that, things like weeding, sewing, knitting, cutting vedgies for a soup, etc... Have you ever had that experience?
Circles and Cycles
April 24th, 2008, Comments (21)
Last night while unwinding on the couch, I felt like doodling, so I grabbed what was closest...a pencil and an old pink folder. I started to draw teeny circles which became a tree trunk and that made me want to draw it in ink. I went into my studio to see what I could draw this with and ended up grabbing a white gel pen and black paper. It was relaxing to draw all these little circles that made up the bark and the larger ones that made up the leaves. The black and white contrast makes me happy too. Earlier in the day, I did a bit of framing, some laundry, marinated some chicken and put it in the freezer and made dinner. All in all, a productive day.
I've got some major allergies goin on. I'm all clogged up which is making me feel super old. I've been saying "eh?" and/or "what?" whenever someone talks to me. Speak a little louder sonny, boy! But other than that, I'm in good spirits. Lil bro and I are walking the neighbor's dog a couple of times today while they're out and later we'll be going out to have a little painterly fun. The cats have taken a special liking to my little brother. It's so cute watching him cuddle up with them.
It feels so much like summer this week! Last night with the fan on in the bedroom, I couldn't help thinking about childhood summers. I fell asleep thinking about nights with the house fan on, red popsicle mouths, salt-crusted hair, water-logged ears, crickets and bare feet on pavement. Mmm.
Good Laughs With Cats
April 18th, 2008, Comments (7)
So Jaime just posted this on her blog and it made me laugh so hard that I just had to share it. Even though I'm not an engineer, I was scaring my cats from laughing so loudly. This is a daily occurrence I'm afraid, especially when watching shows like 30 Rock or the Stephen Colbert Show.
I've got a big orange cat on my arm as I type, but he's purring away and oh so cute, so I'll let it slide.
Abundance and Envelope Houses
April 15th, 2008, Comments (11)
Drinking in some abundance today...feeling grateful for warm spring air, cats in ridiculous sleeping positions, clown fish dancing in their anemones, the hubster cleaning off the porch, so we can make use of it again, a lovely art lesson with a family on Saturday, enjoying my creations from Artfest, a clean fridge, freshly washed pillow cases, new markers and the smooth way they move across paper, a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie, bills paid, poetry on an envelope, laughter, wrapping my arm around the hubster late at night, finding a cat toy under the covers, quiet understanding, an invitation, a thunder and lightning storm, a couple good Red Sox games, socks with whales on them, silly text messages, Numi tea.
A big congratulations to Marilyn whose poetry is being published in Patti Digh's book, Life is a Verb: 37 Days to Wake Up, Be Mindful, and Live Intentionally which is available for pre-order from Amazon now!! All the artists who submitted work to Patti's project are also having their work published in the book! So cool! I submitted some work and I'm not sure which piece was chosen. However, you can see some of the art that was created around the essays that Patti wrote, here. I'm so thrilled to be a part of this project. Thank you, Patti!
From reading Marilyn and Patti's blogs, I know that it is National Poetry month, so I was thinking about poetry today and a line came to my head about envelopes being shaped like houses. I was looking for something to write it down on, when I realized, "Duh, I should write it on an envelope!" I had a stash of my neighbor's unused wedding invitation envelopes that I'd been saving for use in art and I pulled one out and wrote out a poem in white ink. Inspire Me Thursday's theme this week just happens to be "envelopes." I've used little envelopes before in art and I love them, but it was fun to use an envelope in this way. I've got some more envelope ideas floating around in my head, so perhaps I'll do something with those too. And here's the poem I wrote on the envelope above:
envelopes
shaped like houses
holding letters
and tucked away secrets.
hidden corners
and longing
make the floor boards creek.
to seal this letter,
this chapter,
this page
of your life
you must bring
the whole roof down.
destroy the illusion.
lick.
stamp.
send.
you let go here.
somehow,
magically,
your message arrives.
your messy wishes,
whispered words.
and just when
you've forgotten
or made yourself forget,
you receive a reply
in the license plate in front of you,
in the billboard on your commute home,
in the page you open to,
in the envelope
shaped like a house
with the roof torn down.
Cat Naps and Creative Fun
February 27th, 2008, Comments (6)
Yes, another picture of Tabbers sleeping upside down. This time on a sweater. It's just so cute though, I had to share. 
Tabs, or as I've been calling him lately, Mr. Whiskers, thinks his main job in life is see how many places and ridiculous positions he can sleep in in a twenty four hour period. Yesterday, I saw him taking power naps in bed, on the couch, on top of a bag, on a sweater, on the bathroom rug, on top of the kitty tree, on top of the kitty castle, in a plastic tub, in two different boxes, in my lap, and in several doorways. He's a busy guy!
I'm feeling loads better today and got a lot done this morning. Last night, I made some new to and from labels for shipping out art and today I printed them out and put them to work on some prints getting shipped out. Above is the to label. I blocked out my address, so that's why there's a blue stripe in the middle. And below, a couple of my larger prints waiting to be packed up. Those two are Lighthouse and Dark Tree.
I'm really enjoying A New Earth. It ties in to a lot of things I've read and oddly enough, there are some similar messages in The Now Habit
Presence
February 19th, 2008, Comments (24)
Still feeling a bit under the weather, but here's something fun! Last year, I was asked if a piece of my art could be in a magazine called Presence. The magazine is for spiritual directors and the piece of art, Betwixt and Between, has a spiritual theme to it. I just got a bunch of copies of the magazine in the mail and it looks fantastic! I set it up to take a picture and of course, Tabbers got very curious. One of my goals this year was to have some of my art in magazines, so now I've got one and I'm looking for others to submit to. I get all nervous about submitting artwork places and in the case of this magazine, I was approached without submitting anything. I want to get over this fear and just start submitting without fear.
Today I submitted art to another magazine and heard back from a store that is interested in taking on some of my art on consignment. Putting yourself out there won't always bring the response you want, but you can't get any response without putting yourself out there.
How do you handle fear of failure or rejection? Where are you taking risks? How are you putting yourself out there?
Boohoo, I’ve got the flu.
February 13th, 2008, Comments (12)
Had a fever all day and I'm feeling pretty miserable. But not to worry. I'm sure I'll be on the mend soon. I may be a little quiet this week though. I finished carving out the stamp last night with a few small touches this morning and I'm looking forward to giving it a try.
That's all I got for now. I'm off to get some love from the kitty coalition.
Be well. And happy creating!
