Suddenly from branch...

Most folks, though not all, respond to the spring season with an uptick of energy.  The buds and leaves bursting forth from the bare branches are fascinating to me.   In spring, nature provides a reassurance that even though branches appear to be dead, they have life hidden just inside.   It's such a surprise every year that it's something like nature playing a hat trick!

Perhaps my being drawn to the contrast between winter and spring is a bulwark against anxiety about death.  At some point in time death is final for all living things.  I find myself thinking about how we humans are slowly destroying the subtlety and complexity of nature. I try to have hope that we're capable of a huge turnaround, that we all can find a way to lead more sustainable lives.











But right now,  seeing this fullness emerging in the plants around me is enthralling with it's promise of new life.   I find I want to rush to try to join the green shoots somehow, and express this ebullience in art, even though another part of me observes that time is passing.

Roadies in March

The clouds were amazing a few days ago.  Check out how animated they were!

I was struck by the contrast of the dark underside of the clouds with the brilliant light shining in the tops of them.

They were such a presence in the landscape.  I loved this composition of the fly-away clouds overhead and the flat of the road with it's horizontal lines below. 

Contrast in texture

Last month, at Narita Airport in Japan, I walked outside to see this striking texture contrast in a simple airport planting.

Rough stone "planks" against round smooth stones.

Flat horizontal "bars" against coarse vertical plants.

Ghost Houses in one remote tribal Cambodian village

Just a few weeks ago I was thrilled to be traveling in Cambodia with the chance to view this "ghost village."   It is up the Tonle San River that flows through northeastern Ratanakiri Province and we rode up the river for an hour by boat to reach this Kachok tribal village.  Our guide was a member of one of the other seven tribes in this remote area and I felt privileged and awed to see the creations of family and village members in reverence for their deceased. 

 The ghost village sits in a wooded area near the dwelling for the villagers and contains about twenty ghost houses in various stages of composure and decomposure. 

 Essentially, family members and others close to the deceased carve statues to represent them as they might wish to be equipped, with sunglasses or cellphones (these days) and perhaps a gun. 

The statues stand around the grave enclosure and a roof overhead may be decorated, more or less intricately depending on how "important" or "rich" the person was. 

 

 

Inside the enclosure are the deceased's possesssions--a rice pot and kettle perhaps, and a banana tree may be planted to provide sustenance.  Rice and other food offerings may be brought throughout the first year to appease any anger the spirit may feel for not being alive or to beseech the dead for favor to gain help, for example with a child's illness or a crop failure.

 After one year the family and community gather together to slay an ox and feast to send the spirit off in good form.  Then they can in the words of our guide "forget them" and move on!

Over time the ghost houses deteriorate in the weather and return to nature.

I continue to think about this rich ritual as it would provide creative outlet and social support while in grief.  It seemed to me akin to excellent art therapy process allowing for mixed and possibly unnameable feelings to be expressed and contained.  We could stand to learn something from the Kachok!

Plant thriving in poor conditions

This night blooming cereus was given to me as a small cutting several years ago.  It lived in one of my psychotherapy offices until I moved it home last year.

I'm surprised by the strong shoots springing up from the long, rangey fronds.  And I love the contrast of the smooth waxy leaves against the gritty soil and broken pot.  The plant is now so tall that I have had to balance it in it's saucer with a couple of rocks to prevent it from falling over.  Of course re-potting would be another option... but somehow I keep putting this off in part because I just enjoy the crazy extreme of the tall and wide plant in the tiny broken pot.

Massive tree roots on ancient temple

I've been travelling in Cambodia the past three weeks and having a great time. We have visited many temples in the Siem Reap area including the famous Angkor Wat. I find I'm drawn to the natural forms of tree roots and the contrast they make with cut stone.  This is from Beng Mealea, one of these many ancient temple sites.

a Painting Start

Rosedon Kalanchoe Tree 2 - it's a start.