New Promises

I have not posted new paintings for a while - I have had an incredible time of refreshing with a bit of a change in scenery in the past month. It has been quite a journey thus far and I must say, it has been an amazing time of rediscovering dreams and exploring new territories.

It may be wintery in these regions for a good many weeks, but deep down I sense the dawning of a new promise. A new song is waiting to be written; a new song waiting to be sung. It is always beautiful when our senses are deeply awakened by the dawning of a new day- when the first ray of sunlight is displayed across the stark horizon. A new day is here. We start on a clean slate and start over.

I have of recent become hugely aware of how much potential lies in each person ; what limited time we are given to realise that, tap into it and to bring it to fruition. May we reach out and live up to what we have been created to do.

Squircle

This particular piece is not on canvas (do excuse the lack of clearity on this piece) - but on a huge, long piece of canvas type material which needs to be framed up and I have issues going close enough to show the visual effects due to the size of it.

I am not exactly sure if anyone can relate to this, but have you ever felt like you just don't quite fit the mould?

I remember as a child, one of my favorite toys was a particular hollow shaped octagon-like plastic with different shaped holes on the different sides.There was a star shaped block, a square block, a circle, a rectangle, and the list continues which dictated the hole in which each shape was to go into.

Looking back, I have never really felt like I was a certain shape. In fact, if I were a shape, I would be a squircle - a cross between a square and a circle. And if that block truly existed, it would not have fitted into the circle or the square hole side of the octagon.

I have come to discover that we, in actual fact are not meant to fit the mould. Like unique thumbprints, we are each uniquely different;called to be who we have been wonderfully made to be. There is only one of us in this universe - there is no other person quite like the individuals that we each are. If we decide against living up to be who we are made to be, no one can replicate and relive our lives for us. More often than not, we seem to fancy the notion of coying what others are like. I deem that a waste, for variety is the spice of life. May we dare to be authentic; to be unafraid to be the distinctively different flavours that we each are.

Dreams

This was one of those customised art pieces that I made to match the colours of my room at one point in time. Again, I was playing with mixed media and was pleasantly suprised at the effects of it. May we never stop experimenting and discovering new things that truly delight us.

Dreams are powerful things to have. Dreams are boundary-less. Dreams are infinitely uncontainable. May we be individuals who dare to risk and to dream. May we hold our dreams tight enough to bring it to fruition but loose enough to give it back to the Dream Giver when required to let go.

Who should know the mystery of
What the heart desires?
The unexplainable way
One is wired?

How many dreams
Can a heart contain?
Until it bursts
Or goes down the drain?

What is the measure of dreams far-fetched?
Who defines what is?

When is it acceptable
To refuse the status quo
To go against the constant flow?

How is it possible that dreams are deemed inconceivable?
Or thoughts considered intolerable?

Day by day by day
My heart sings
A different song
It beats
To a different rythm
Of one unheard

My soul aches
For the day
When passions are unleashed
To rain on parched hearts
And barren dreams

Then maybe
One day
Who should discover
Dreams know no end

Letting Go

There are times in life when we need to simply let go. I remember clearly the time when I was on a flying fox; after what seemed like 60 seconds of eternity; with me swinging past unending rows of ancient trees at the height of two storeyed buildings and when I finally came to a halt, I thought the worse was over.

Little did I know that there was an important lesson I was about to learn - the lesson of letting go. I was faced with having to let go of the hangar-like gripper to be taken off my safety harness. It took me 20 seconds of contemplation (besides the fact that my arms were aching from supporting my entire body weight the whole time) and some elements of trust that the rope will be strong enough to hold me. It seemed like forever but when I finally did, only was I able to safely set my feet back on solid ground.

Sometimes life requires us to let go. Of things familiar; sometimes of things our hearts hold dear. When that time comes, we are required to lay it all down and trust that we will walk into our destinies.

I let go
I let it roam free
I let go
I throw out the key

Run far dear heart
Run fast
Run the race
If you need to stay a world apart

Move on
To new places ahead
Move on
Many dreams await

I let go
I let it roam free
I let go
Because you first loved me

Spaced Out Checkers

I go through phases in my art with different themes, colour schemes and styles. Right now, I can feel myself being in a 'checkered phase' for a bit. When I think chess, I think strategy. Not that I am a chess player myself but I am slightly fascinated at the fact that there is so much foresight and forward thinking skills required - a good thing to possess I suppose. In saying that, I love spontaneity as well and I cannot imagine life without it!

And on a slight tangent, I often wonder with the many lives I have and still come across, I cannot help but to wonder what each of their remarkable stories must be like. We each have a story to tell. There is so much to learn from people who have gone before us and there is so much to accomplish yet.

Carpe Diem

This is one of my personal favorites which no longer remains in my possesion today. I am starkly reminded to seize the day - to live in the now and to live it up ; to make the most of circumstances.

Regardless of how dark it may seem for a little while, a new day will dawn with new promises in store. Spring will always arrive no matter what a long, barrenly dark, or cold winter it has been.

My reasons to live life to the full : life is but a breath, it is short; plus we get to live it only once. There is every reason to choose life and to live and love fully.

Alabaster Jars

One of the things I love is the significance of alabaster jars. It speaks to me of brokeness and humilty. Of coming just as I am; broken, imperfect, chipped and marked but yet be fully accepted. And to be seen in the eyes of what I could potentially become, not just the current state of what I am blows me away. In short - work in progress would suffice to descibe me.

But what I love is how regardless of all the above, a simple object can be a vessel made for noble purposes and so much more. There is more than meets the eye. In ancient times, these were used to hold extravagant perfume. Such seemingly ordinary ornaments but used for innate exquisiteness. Like how vases are formed ; they are moulded and shaped from the miry clay and put into the furnace to retain their shape and to be made whole.

We may be marked, scarred and broken, but out of these trials form true character - the unfading beauty of an indomitable spirit.