Why Draw Circles?

This week must be full of realizations.  So my mountains have changed this week.  I do love the mountains, the perfect escape from reality, from electronics, from me.

I draw these little circle drawings to escape from my reality.  I can "build" these small in size pictures with rules that I create with a math thought here and there.  Fibonacci Numbers to divide the plane, because I need some structure, then random circles that float around.  I can draw my lines in ink to hold everything in place.  They (the lines) allow me to respond to the randomness of the circles with decisiveness and a plan thought of in advance.

My escape in art is to build my own world that looks and feels like no other.  It is safe and I understand the rules because they are mine.

Infinite Mountain

I used to think that life was a series of mountains.  In my mind the mountains were all the same altitude.  They represented the ups and downs of life and my psychological state.  This morning my thinking has changed.  My mountain range is different.

I think that my mountain range is now infinite in altitude and really may only contain one mountain.  That thought is a little fuzzy, I can let that be imprecise.  This morning I realized that I will never reach the top.  This is a little stressful, it makes me feel that goals I am working toward my be unattainable.  I do take comfort in the fact that the virtual terrain of my mountain has altered.  It is no longer straight up and down.  My mountain is now a series of plateaus between steep parts, nicely graded paths that are gentle in their height gain mixed with steeper, rockier sections.  Every once in a while the path even heads back down, losing altitude.  The path itself is a mix of groomed walkways, clear of rocks making for smooth traveling.  Sometimes it is craggy and technical and in the worst case non-existent.

Such is life, sometimes smooth and straight forward other moments are fraught with tension and worry about the outcome.  You know, I don't mind that my mountain range has changed and is infinite.  The views are breath taking.

There are some pictures in my head that go along with these words, later maybe.

Choices

This past weekend brought a wonderful getaway form the everyday grind of life.  A few days lost in Arkansas.  So, maybe not lost.  I knew exactly where we were located, Devils Den State Park outside of Fayetteville, AR.  Sleeping in a tent.  No cell phone signal beginning about 6:30 pm Friday evening.  A total disconnect from many things pressing day to day.  I did connect with friends and family, connected with nature and my mountain bike and in turn myself.  I realized how much I missed this simple kind of get away that we took so much more of ten years ago.  This realization brought about reflections on my time choices.  Right now, I am reassessing choices having to do with how I use my time.  (I think I need to do this with my food choices also!) 

Are the things I give myself to adding value to my life?  I do know after the weekend, I miss my family.  I miss feeling like a mom.  I miss putting care into my home.  Definitely feel a need to reassess.

The Seed

As a child I played with the seeds on my grandfather's farm.  Collecting them, stacking them, probably throwing some at my siblings.  This memory was forgotten until a year ago when I came across a pod of these seeds on a trail ride.  My childhood memory returned along with the sense of play and wonder only a child naturally has.

A seed.  A seed represents potential.  Potential for the future plant it is capable of becoming.  Under the right conditions it can achieve its goal of maturing and passing information on to future plants.  I have this potential, you have this potential.

I want to create an atmosphere in my classroom that allows students to envision and work towards their own potential.