Bears Mother Tree - a Safe Haven in an Everchanging World

The Earth is continually changing. As we humans spread out more and more we continue to ravage this precious land, and more times than not don't give back to her. Each living thing does its best to acclimate to those changes. Each animal finds their homes becoming smaller and smaller. They are having to learn how to live among us, and in doing so they lose pieces of their own animal spirit.

"Bears Mother Tree" was created to represent the sacred home to the Bear, a place where they could come and "be". This place is where the Bear can always come home and be safe...to remember who they are...to keep their spirit authentic...to not become "watered" down by the humans...to just be the Bear.

The symbolism in the painting brings the "Mother Tree" to life. The tree is painted in pale turquoise representing the richness of the Earth.The grey bark is for the wisdom she has gained in the changes of time. Two bears are visiting, one resting on her branch, while the younger one is climbing to find haven. Small tan leaves are opening at her branch tips, for birth and growth. Four medicine wheels are hanging in the branches, each with a Tree of Life inside. The tree of life is painted in white for the purity of our existence. Each medicine wheel has four feathers hanging from them for the balance of the Four Directions. Bear prints are painted amongst the limbs, symbolism for the bears walk of life. 

Living here in the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains, I have a great respect for the Bear. For the past year or so I continue to hear more and more stories on the news about the bear population coming closer and closer into our towns. During the interviews people are complaining about these visitations, upset with such petty things as bird feeders being knocked down, or their trash cans being pilfered. The Bear's home is becoming smaller and smaller, and their food sources more scarce.

This was the inspiration for my painting "Bears Mother Tree". In my heart, my hope is that they could have such a place, a sacred place, untouched, where they can always walk with Bear Heart.

Luna's Moonflowers - Ode to the Night

As the twilight approaches and the veil is getting thin, the anticipation heightens... for soon our dance will begin.

This is the magic time, embraced by a blanket of stars. It is another world, a different world, a world filled with possibilities. While others are sleeping soundly, we allow our Mystic Spirit to connect with Luna who glows so stoically in the sky.

She urges us to trust in our "knowing", and to feel confident in doing so. These sweet hours allow for uninterrupted thinking. They are the bridge between our conscious and sub-conscious. 

 As the moonflower only blooms at night, so does a certain part of our Spirit. Finding the balance between both worlds allows us to step confidently in our Self.

This is a Contemporary Folk Art Painting by Jeanne Fry. Done in acrylics on canvas, the woman offers a bouquet of Moonflowers to Luna, in thanks for the respite and knowledge she provides. 

This original painting is sold.

Finding the Heartbeat in Art

This has been a hard year in weather for us. We have had what seems like continuous battering rains and flooding most of our Spring and Summer. In the process we have lost our gardens and many opportunities to go to art shows. But, what I miss the most is my ability to spend as much time out in nature as I normally would. 

I am a mountain girl. Spending time in the woods and near our lakes and waterfalls comforts my heart like nothing else. This is where I find my balance and my inspiration. 

Without my frequent excursions into nature, I have found myself taking my easel to my porch in order to find my peace.

Last weekend we were invited to a Drum Retreat, with John being asked to provide Native Flute music and Udu drum to the morning meditation. It was a beautiful way to begin our morning, with the sun floating in through the stained glass window.

While originally thinking that we would only stay through the meditation, we found that we stayed most of the day. We sat in on some of the drum workshops and performances and had lunch with our friend Glen (a djembe maker) and his wife Nicole. http://www.dogstardrums.com/

We had the wonderful opportunity to see Alisa Caldwell teach West African dance, who left us feeling re-energized.

 http://www.tedxgreenville.com/conference/tedx_2013/alisa/

Coming home in the afternoon for a brief respite, I contemplated whether to return to the retreat for the evening drum circle. My body was beyond exhausted and in pain, but the urge to paint near the lakeside while the others drummed won out on the decision. 

I was curious if being among so many people in such an active event would be too much of a distraction for me to paint. Only one way to find out I thought, as I scurried through the house to gather my paints, easel, and something....something...to paint on. I found a large sheet of wood and we were off to the drum circle.

I found a little spot on the edge of the circle to set up the easel. There as lots of chatter amongst the drummers while I set up my palette. Soon they were drumming, and even sooner I was painting. I no longer heard their voices nor noticed them moving around. I was at once in tune with the heartbeat of the drum and found my brush moving rhythmically moving to the sound.

I painted what I heard. I painted what I felt. I painted the music.

It took two days for my body to recover from what I have made it endure that day, but the benefit that my spirit received was well worth the expenditure.

"Music melts all the separate parts of our bodies together"  Anais Nin

http://www.consciousartstudios.com/

Star Spirit and her Blanket of Dreams

The body's need for rest, for a peaceful and restorative sleep, has become more and more prevalent to me the past several months. I know this not only for myself, but for others around me. Be it from stress, worry, health issues, or habit...the lack of the body's healing sleep creeps in and takes hold creating a negative spiral effect in how we walk through our days. When we lose our natural rhythm with the Earth and Sky elements it changes our mood, perspective, health, and communication skills. And when these are altered, so are our Dreams.

Star Spirit and her Blanket of Dreams by Jeanne Fry

This was the inspiration for one of my new paintings, "Star Spirit and her Blanket of Dreams".

"When the sun goes down and the skies begin to dim, the Star Spirit arrives from her little spot in the Universe to perform her most important job. Her fellow star beings and constellations gather around her to emit their twinkling glow as she gently and lovingly unwraps her blanket....the Blanket of Dreams. As she covers the sky with the blanket and smooths it out with her careful fingertips...it brings a sense of comfort to all beings as they are laying their heads down for the night to rest. The blanket brings sweet dreams of love, healing, and aspirations, nurturing our hopes for tomorrow."

Star Spirit and her Blanket of Dreams Folk Art Painting

This painting has been SOLD

Let your Spirit Blossom

As the wind changed direction one day, and the breeze lofted softly, an overwhelming sense came over me...almost in a whisper. I suppose it was a reminder of sorts, an urging, an attempt to lift me up. It was a reassurance, a reassurance to be me. At all costs and in spite of that little self critic that resides deep within, the whisper reminded me to turn my back on the judgements of others and those little fears that live in my gut. "After all this time, isn't it time to live your life for yourself? is what floated in the breeze that day.

 

Let your Spirit Blossom, a contemporary folk art painting by Jeanne Fry

Some days I need to remind myself over and over, and other days it comes naturally, but either way...the wind nurtured my spirit to blossom that day and comes back on occasion to visit the garden in my spirit.

(This painting is no longer available)