Seeing and Making Art

A weekend ago was all about art.

 

 I spent most of the Friday glazing my pottery after its first firing. Judy Tait, owner of Albert County Clay Company, thought my fern bowl looks very good. Though it’s really “our” bowl, as I could not have achieved it without her help.

 

My medallions and other pieces were also a pleasure to work on. Now I wait a couple of weeks until Judy has a glaze firing.

 Saturday, September 29, was the art studio tour in Moncton. After visiting the markets, and buying a special elephant/Ganesha pendant from my favourite jeweller, Terry Belliveau, we explored several studios but the incessant rain cut short what could have been another pleasant day of discovery. Some galleries and exhibits are open daily or the current exhibitions continue so perhaps we’ll visit another weekend.

 

On the Sunday the Owens Gallery on Mount Allison campus had its annual Open House. A great opportunity to ‘go behind’ gallery walls; to see the archives of paintings not always exhibited and to talk to restoration staff about the various methods used to detect damages and make repairs.

We spent time at the creative table making art-inspired buttons.

Gifts of and for a new session

Every time I come to my yoga nat for another class, another session, I receive many gifts. Each student new or long time brings me an individual ‘gift’. No gift wrapping is necessary when it’s a student new to the practice, making joyful discoveries,  finding the benefits to body and mind or the returning student’s happiness at being back in a place of relaxation and restoring of sprit.

 A wonderful re-occurring gift for me was once again being in Chester, Nova Scotia, rapidly becoming one of my favourite places, for my fourth workshop with senior Iyengar teacher Fr. Joe Pereira, on another visit from India. Three days spent with this energetic 70-year-old receiving his wisdom, both yogic and spiritual, is beyond any price. So much to take into my own life and practice, so much to bring back to give to my students.

Thoughts of growth, coming to fruition and fruitfulness were in my mind, appropriately echoed by this peach tree outside the window where we practiced.

Three days spent with this energetic 70-year-old, receiving his wisdom, both yogic and spiritual, is beyond any price. So much to take into my own life and practice, so much to bring back to give to my students.

Also a special gift was the evening sail offered by fellow students, Margie and Glen. Some of us continued or yoga practice on the deck.

 

Fr. Joe took a turn at the wheel.

A few weeks later I was back in Chester. Dr. Satyanarayana Das on his way home to Vrindavan after teaching at Rutgers university and Kripalu, came to talk about the Bhagavad Gita, Hindu philosophy and Ayurveda.  A compelling and intensely thoughtful two days.

 These intangible gifts are very precious.

 So are gifts I can hold in my hand.  There was Wendy’s singing bowl, passed into my care by her partner this summer.

My other gift, from a student found while she was on holiday in P.E.I, was a stone Ganesha, the beloved Hindu elephant-faced deity, one of the most popular gods in Hindu mythology. Known as the ‘remover of obstacles’ he is endowed with a gentle and affectionate nature; he is also a god of wisdom .

Ganesha has settled down in our Yoga Space and Wendy’s bowl sounds the beginning of each class and guides us into relaxation and meditation.