ATTAINING BALANCE THROUGH MEDITATION

Meditation doesn’t have to involve sitting cross-legged on the floor trying to clear your mind. The pleasure of losing oneself in something beautiful or meaningful such as art or music answer this need abundantly.

Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir, “Eat, Pray, Love” tells about her four month visit to Italy where she grew several sizes larger, while exploring the joys of spaghetti in all its meltingly delicious forms. The next four months were spent in India learning to meditate while sitting in a dark cave clearing her mind. I prefer to look at something beautiful or thought-provoking.

“Meditation” Bronze by kayti sweetland rasmussen

This quiet bronze is very peaceful to me. It invites stroking, and it encourages me to close my eyes and breathe deeply, much as one would while in the practice of yoga.

Oil Painting by Brad Young”

This large oil painting hangs in my friend’s home and I would go to her home just to stand and study the painting. It is by her son, Brad Young, and I don’t know the title, or even if it has a title, but it is thought-provoking. I’m sure everyone sees a different image from mine, and I too, can see something different each time I see it. When I photographed it, I was able to turn the image into various directions, and found that it was intriguing, however it was viewed.

This is what art should be; a visual feast to enjoy forever. Something to give balance to our lives.

THE NOSE KNOWS

Consider the nose; of course we all have one, but do you ever REALLY look at the other remarkable noses?  Billions of noses and not one alike.  Remarkable when you think about  it.

As an artist, I am invariably aware of that protuberance when I look at those around me, whether to admire or to wonder how I could improve its appearance.

Many years ago, while working in my sculpture studio a young friend of my daughter suggested that I sculpt a nose for her that might improve what she thought lacked a certain panache.  I studied her carefully and kissed her on her nose and told her she was beautiful.

My mother was the possessor of a lovely Roman nose which caused her to be self-conscious the whole of her life.  She was a beautiful woman and not just because she was my mother.  Today people think nothing of trotting into the plastic surgeon store to choose any type of nose they desire.  No problem, but in some cases, they all look alike.  The real problem arises when repeated surgery is done.  (Think Michael Jackson).  They don’t realize that the nose they came with fits their face and gives them individuality.  Young girls in particular, stress over such things while growing into their own adult appearance.

In my sculpture and in painting as well, I am drawn to people who have distinctive noses.  Why waste time on a “perfect” nose?  Think of Michelangelo’s David.  Without that magnificent proboscis he might never have smelled Goliath’s garlic breath as he came to attack, but using his nose as well as his brain, he was able to whip out his slingshot and do the giant in.  Once on a trip to Florence, Italy, while browsing through a bookstore, I purchased a replica of David’s nose, which makes a majestic paperweight.

Certain races have similar nose construction.  The Asian races have smaller breathing apparatus, while others are frequently quite prominent.  The Scandinavian nose, such as my wonderful husband, and the Italian nose, such as my handsome son-in-law, are distinctive.  Remember, you are what you breathe.

The next time someone complains about his or her nose, just kiss their nose and tell them they’re beautiful.