contemplative

Against the weight of a storm-dark sky, tender stems lean forward—some bending, some breaking, some still reaching. They hold their fire at the tips, waiting to bloom, waiting to burn, waiting to belong to light. Perhaps this is all of us: stretching through shadows, searching for the thin, golden line that divides earth from eternity.

Color Pencil over Gesture. It was a contemplative day in the art classroom. Students were drawing self portraits and I had time to join them. Our discussion was on 'Reflection'. The image we see of ourselves in the mirror is not what people see when they look at us. They see the reverse. The mole on my cheek is on the other side of my face, if you were to look at me in person. This leads to discussions of perception and reality. It can be fun and humbling. We cannot live only by sight. We must have a faith of some sort. This reminds me of the Michael Feldman Public Radio Program called: "Whad'Ya Know?" It opens with the audience shouting: "Whad'd Ya Know?" and Michael replying: "Not Much! You?". We do not know much, I think, as much as we like to pretend that we think we do.

A rabbit wondering about what he sees around him.

Love of my life caught in a contemplative moment in a Midtown NYC coffee shop. Ballpoint Pen on Archival 9” x 12” paper, Adobe Photoshop.

A bear sits hugging a log with a thoughtful expression. Below, the caption humorously ponders the desire to 'lowbernate' instead of hibernate.

I like imagining static objects having human feelings and expressions. This little plumb one is telling me its emotion of the moment, perhaps contemplative sadness? Waiting for its time to shine?