Snow Day

Posted on March 5, 2019 by areilly88

New snowfall through starless night
Laden trees with cotton tufts
Now, luminous tendrils
Against the dawn sky

“Snow Day!” cheers rang through the house
As kids, alert in their still warm pajamas
Danced with anticipated snow forts
And other forbidden weekday play

All whilst their parents, bent over for boot lacing
Felt their backs groan, remembering
The last storm, which wasn’t the last
Not nearly the last, after all

If they noticed anything
Beyond their full shovels
The rhythmic, industrious scraping
It wasn’t apparent to anyone

Until the laughter of their children
Rattled the glass panes
And impelled them notice
Breath-stained windows, mindful nudges

Look up and see!
The vast sky of carefree days
Your perception
Malleable as wet snow

Witness the very moment
When fading midnight embers
That blue-lit, sparkling tree line
Those inky nighttime remnants

Become the new day
© Amanda Reilly Sayer

Clair de Lune

Posted on March 2, 2019 by areilly88

I’m still discovering the fun surprises blogging has to offer, including this speculative fiction style writing prompt posted by D. Wallace Peach.

Here’s my response to the photo prompt above:

You can’t risk it! They said,
Anything could happen out there
Exposed in that dangerous blue light
The illumined darkness

Stay here, safe in Shadow!

But she wasn’t the sort
To use fear as her talisman
To mistake shelter for freedom

She was ready for more

Thus crouched in the hidden doorway
She cautiously looked both ways
Watched as the moon eclipsed the sun
Then stretched herself to fullness

As her small body expanded
She strode, near danced
Into the silvery center
That infinite space of the unknown

And found herself reflected there
© Amanda Reilly Sayer

Meditation (safe harbor)

Posted on February 28, 2019 by areilly88

I thought it would be different
Peace and stillness, perhaps
Buoyant rest on polished velvet

Instead, the quiet tideline beckons
Foretelling the pendulum of crescent surf
Of storms and variegated skies

Pause, notice

The sound of stillness in motion
Vibrating stars on a summer night
Waves against the rocky shore

Then the whispered reminder:
You are the boat and the water
Sanctum and sea
©️ Amanda Reilly Sayer

Painting the days as they come

Posted on February 26, 2019 by areilly88

You know those days. When everything feels a bit off?

Yesterday was that kind of day for me. It started with a dental appointment. We lost power due to tree-bending, frigid winds. There were no candles to be found, at least ones not scented with the makings of nausea. You get the idea!

To be clear, it wasn’t a terrible day. I’m grateful for teeth, access to dentistry, and a home that usually has electricity. The day was just a bit askew. Much like a “fresh breeze” scented candle which, in fact, smells like nothing found in nature!

It’s not the sort of day that usually inspires me to paint. But with the power out, my options for escape were limited. Plus, I wondered if it would be possible to paint myself into an improved mood state.

Verdict: not really. At least, not this time! Instead, I painted this very unusual painting, which probably represents the day more than changed the course of it.

Truth in advertising: the painting looks best from a distance. But then again, so do those kind of days.

Watercolor Expressions: Variation on a theme

Posted on February 24, 2019 by areilly88

Mostly I don’t plan paintings beforehand. There are exceptions, but painting for me is primarily about expression.

The unintended similarities between paintings shouldn’t surprise me. They might simply be variations on a theme.

Still, the repetition in the absence of intention strikes me, makes me wonder what is being painted when there is no consciously identified subject.

I’ve called this a seascape, because that’s what the image most closely approximates. I’m also curious about what else it might be.

Watercolor Expressions: Freedom from expectations

Posted on February 23, 2019 by areilly88

Some of my favorite paintings have been made from the passenger seat of long car rides. The time with nothing else to do and the light that streams into the car from every direction surely inspire me. But the absence of expectations and the willingness to improvise are the secret ingredients that make these paintings different, I think.

Folks in my life have wondered how I can paint in the car: Don’t you get carsick? How can you work with all the motion? How do you not spill the water or ruin the painting when you hit a bump?

Yes, I get carsick when I am not in the front seat. And I can only paint (or read) while highway driving. The paintings I make in the car are small, so the water is pretty well-contained in a cup holder. My travel paints sit on one leg; the paper pad rests on the other.

And the bumps? Well, they definitely happen! But, especially with abstract painting, the unexpected brush marks can usually be incorporated into the landscape.

And what a great metaphor! For when we keep our expectations loose – as ideas about form in a piece of abstract art – the surprises may add interest. The unintended marks might even inspire a major change in composition, impetus to create something better than we could have imagined.

The uncontrolled elements, and my unplanned response to them, may indeed be what makes my car paintings special. Maybe I like them best because they evoke the sense of freedom and flow I experienced while making them.

What frees you up to find creative flow?

Haiku #16

Posted on February 22, 2019 by areilly88

Flower in darkness
Hold the light while you embrace
All the shades of gray
©️ Amanda Reilly Sayer

Watercolor Expressions: Going with playful energy

Posted on February 20, 2019 by areilly88

Mexico Energy, 6×8 watercolor (hotpress)

Not uncommonly, my perception of a painting changes depending on my proximity to it, not just the viewing distance, but with the passage of time. Sometimes I love a painting more the longer I look at it, sometimes less. Enduring appreciation of a painting might be one definition of merit, I suppose.

And then there is this painting, which I love best in the first moments of looking at it, when the palpable energy shouts to be heard over my notice of the imperfections. This isn’t my favorite painting for a lot of reasons and may not be yours either. But it evokes an approximation of how I felt when I made it.

Mexico is such a colorful country, a place where the warmth of the people matches the strength of the sun. There is evident hustle and work, but also an abundance of playfulness. And not just when the tequila is flowing.

Yes, there a dark places – crime, drugs, and corruption. But I’d venture to guess our impressions of those cultural elements are largely overblown.

I remember watching this painting evolve while hearing the sounds of the ocean. And, as is true with many paintings, a creative backstory is hidden in the final image. This one could be a tale of alternating ground and sky, of keeping perceptions fluid, of going with the playful energy.

Many thanks, Mexico.

Make art where you find it

Posted on February 16, 2019 by areilly88

When I think about my creative process, I can be admittedly fussy. The light isn’t quite right. Inspiration is lacking. Words aren’t flowing. The excuses are easy to find.

It’s not that quality doesn’t matter. But I wonder how often the insistence on the right conditions to approximate beauty is really an excuse to avoid the vulnerability of imperfection.

There is something to be said for spontaneity, for making art simply to engage in a creative act, to express something in resonance with our best energy, our loving heart.

Destructive energy can be easily found, but collectively we can choose to shift the tide. One way to do that is to practice and celebrate simple creative acts. Whether it be a sand sculpture, a poem, or photograph, let’s make art where we find it!