RC

We are always discovering

2011-07-29T18:38:00.005-06:00

" Is it possible that there exist human emanations which are still unknown to us? Do you remember how electric currents and 'unseen waves' were laughed at? The knowledge about man is still in its infancy."

-- Albert Einstein

Makes me think of this great On Being piece about Einstein and the Mind of God.

(please click on the picture to enlarge both the image and the relevance of this quote!)

Opening to the Root

2011-07-29T12:59:00.034-06:00

A few weeks ago, I finished my first weekend of the Anusara Immersion that my amazing yoga teachers Deirdre Smith-Gilmer and Joe Taft are offering to the Asheville yoga community. Needless to say, the teachings continue to inspire me.

As students, we were asked to write about our Open to Grace moments each day. Open to Grace is the first principle of Anusara yoga. Before any thing: action, asana, movement-- Open to Grace. What does that even mean, "Open to Grace"? I think there is no one definition to this principle, instead there are many. Most definitions seem to state that aligning with the Divine presence brings you to your true nature--bliss and joy and well being. Because the concept of opening to grace can be defined in so many ways, by so many viewpoints, it can be found by just shifting the lens at which you view life.

So, here I take a look for the spirit--find it in life, even where you least expect. I believe, quite profoundly yet simply, that opening yourself to such a task will only continue to bring more and more awareness to that grace in your being and experiences. And I notice that when I get stuck and can't seem to feel the inner spirit, God, or alignment during my day, I realize: I am getting in the way of experiencing my joy. Therefore, I am the greatest tool for getting myself to that place of JOY.

Last winter, Jason and I were re-potting plants together. We were also charged with the task to save some plants that had decided to no longer thrive. One was an old orchid, that when alive reminded me of a dinosaur with it's prehistoric presence. The orchid had been sitting outside on my veranda during numerous cold, snow drenched nights. I had stopped giving the orchid any attention. But, we were inspired to give it some love, anyway. Jason and I prayed over it, trimmed it's roots, and waited to see if it would change at all. Would it even come back to life?

The theme of this Opening to Grace moment would be really different if the orchid had lived. But no, the story does not take that path. I mean, nature has it's course for a big reason. The story, for me, is that we had loved even in death. Even in that which I wanted to forget, there was beauty worth remembering. The orchid represented the environment of winter; silent and still, monochrome and hibernated. It's contours, it's roots, it's color, it's ability to exist at one time as a flower--all of this was shri in it's majestic form.

Besides taking my mother's advice in this current summertime heat to 'think cool thoughts', I remember this story today because I found the picture of the orchid (at the top of this blog post) this morning. I am a very visual person, so it struck me to see the picture of this beauty. But I also think of this story because it is so relevant in the smallest and largest mountains of emotions in our life.

Find a moment to think of something or someone that you have given up on, or given to death. Can you bring it or they into a space of beauty, a place where the mystery brings you more well being? Then a true test of grace is: can you let that memory/person/idea go back to where it evolved to in your experience? And through that letting go, can you practice non-attachment to allow for more beauty to exist in your life?

And, here we continue, to open to the inner divine light and presence. GRACE.

गरचे

he used to profess

2009-08-09T22:09:00.003-06:00

The title for my solo art show, he used to profess, comes from a fascination with the history of print Advertising. The archives of old magazine advertisements in comparison to today’s advertisements demonstrates the demise of our language in the body of the Ads. Old advertisements used language in a way that we do not see in our mainstream media.

I really believe the comparison of old and new advertisements is a historiographical exploration of the way we communicate.

Do we even speak to one another anymore? I continue to question how language is used to convey or manipulate an idea.

The title for this show, I hope, conveys my desire for communicating my inner workings through a visual platform.

Thank you for being here.

layers and layers of them

2009-06-08T09:26:00.003-06:00

texture really excites me. to feel, to create, to see, and to experience in conversation.

and the erode and decay of buildings helps me to remember that mother nature wins.

this photo is shot from the hip.

Hi, My name is Rose

2009-01-29T08:54:00.002-07:00

Greetings from the high elevation.

Lots of new pieces(well, maybe just two) are emerging out of the musical home mine as of late. Hope you enjoy this little sketch, it is something done really quickly to try out an idea that was swimming in my head for at least a year. And believe me, ideas swim around in this head of mine for multiple years before manifested at times.

Enjoy, keep in touch, and remember to soar and fly through this life of ours.

2008-11-20T06:15:00.003-07:00

Back from sabbatical(2 months off, what bliss) away from updates and art and life. Working now with my numbers and patterns in the day job. Continuing on a series of drawings with faces and horses inspired from national geographic magazine semantic, into those wee hours of the night before the dawn breaks.

I was so humbled to be highlighted by The Post Family, again with MMP (long love standing there), and got to model some t-shirts for the band Sirius.B.

More to come, lots to share. Hope you are doing wonderful and enjoying this reflective and regenerative time.

life in the quiet

2008-10-02T13:47:00.003-06:00

i have been enjoying each moment of my respite and somewhat-off-the-grid life.

things i've been doing: artwork, reading evolutionary psychology, reading pretentious art theory, unpacking, re-packing, writing, photographing in black and white film, swimming, moseying, trail running, and reading way too much new york times.

i updated my site with a few new pieces, entitled solve this indeed appears a puzzle. read the description here.

blessings abound, life is good and precious.

city life and the compromise and the gain

2008-08-27T15:21:00.003-06:00

i was reading through the new york times online and found this intriguing article about city life and 20 something 'transplants'. granted this article is about new york city, but it struck a deep chord inside. i personally don't think living in a city is the be all that ends all. but it is up to each individual to figure his opinion on the matter. and that unique lesson is a beautiful thing.

it is a photograph that saved the world

2008-08-24T19:43:00.007-06:00

flicks

love

2008-08-18T21:54:00.005-06:00

its a sensation that just sings through the soul. and makes one want to fly deep into the oblivion.

transitions and the world is in turmoil

2008-08-12T17:07:00.003-06:00

i have been home the past fews days, with a lot of extra time on my hands. i can't stop reading the news and realize that life is just what we have, in the moment. the world seems to be in a state of turmoil and a nasty flux at that. what can we do, so to ask? keep going, keep positive, and love one another.

i am so blessed to realize i am part of that, and i am at peace within. peace begins with you and me, right?

updates

2008-07-22T15:07:00.005-06:00

after dipping into the sand and gardening at my grandfather's, i got back to chicago in full swing of stepping up my art practice.
so my website has had a beautiful reconfiguring thanks to indexhibit's bad ass layout and to inspiration from mas menos. please check out the link below to take a look, and enjoy.

rc studio

latest and greatest

2008-07-03T07:12:00.004-06:00

here are a few pieces of a puzzle that is my work in progress. going on a retreat soon, hope to come back fresh and full and even more vibrant!

Rest in Peace SOLVE

2008-06-23T18:34:00.006-06:00

our friend Brendan was taken away from us within the recent days.

It is really gorgeous to see his work out and about still.
Check the video we (middle mind project) did about him about 4 months ago.
Also, take a look at this site for a beautiful tribute. check out the art memorial on grand and milwaukee. here is a spot to view some words.

blessings.

interconnect/the note

2008-06-05T12:23:00.003-06:00

i have to post this immediately because i am such a fan of how this project looks under the lens of my friend daniel abide. daniel wrote to me and said his latest work(in photography) has been focused on the cinemographic elements. and by far i agree. thanks for such an awesome contribution!

you are unlimited

2008-05-29T21:49:00.003-06:00

this is what i believe. june is approaching, another fold in the paper sheet that is our life.

below is an image of my new piece, and i am need deep in the process of connecting the images between the pages.

mi vida

2008-05-22T09:38:00.006-06:00

art/love/weddings/friends/brilliant sunsets/food/family/museums and...work work work. here are some photos of my recent life in the spring time chicago and beyond.

also, stayed tuned for images of the 30 or so screen prints+drawings that i did a few weeks ago.

joyful blessings!

to mush, too much

2008-05-12T20:17:00.002-06:00

old school

2008-05-06T19:53:00.006-06:00

about a year ago, i took a few weeks of a retreat(the joy of being self-employed) to my parents home, and completed these books and created a factory of silk screening out doors.
now, i am working on silk screening--again after a year, new methods, lots of experiment. i have always been interested in the stain, the after-mark, the scar. it tells the history in such an eloquent, intimate, and blind way.

success and plentitude

2008-04-21T10:59:00.005-06:00

version fest is well under way; the opening night at cps was wonderful. here are some images of my work in the co-prop space. thanks laura for the photo capturing!

a version of the news

2008-04-16T11:34:00.002-06:00

i am really excited and grateful to be showing my work as a part of the group show for version>dark matter.

the opening is april 18 at 3219 South Morgan St. starts 7pm.

i would love to see you there.

this is where you were when i wore and won

2008-04-05T19:12:00.003-07:00

studio pictures

2008-03-31T17:59:00.004-07:00

a beautiful evening. and that piece is finished now, hurray!

sweep

2008-03-23T20:29:00.001-07:00

new piece. is it spring time yet where you are?

unite

2008-03-21T09:15:00.003-07:00

composed for a friend, inspired by multiple thoughts.