Complicated Days

How are you coping, pandemic co-travellers?

I hope you are staying well and that your physical needs are being met. How are you taking care of your heart and spirit in this complicated time?

I thought I’d like to offer what I can, in my own way. I won’t promise any of it will be any kind of magic bullet or anything; some of my own days feel like an anvil pressing me down into the earth. But, what if we met for a virtual walk, or I read you a poem or painted something for you? If you think that some of that might help, please know that you can land here and find something gentle, some joy or a bit of kindness.

I will try for daily postings, follow along and share if you like.
xo’s

Today I’m sharing one of my poems with video taken along the Maitland Trail deep in the winter last year.  

Related Images:

A Moon to Lift this Fox

A Chromatic Life, featuring my and Anna Clarey’s recent work continues at Westland Gallery until October 13. During the exhibition, I’m sharing images and related pieces of prose around some of my works.

If you are not able to make it out in person, you can view A Chromatic Life online here.

A Moon to Lift this Fox

Setting out early one morning for a hike from our rental cottage on the Bruce Peninsula this summer, I cut through the trees lining the back of the property. As I passed through a tall sweeping gathering of conifers next to the road, I happened upon the still and silent body of a small fox. She was in the lowest branches of the tallest tree; tidily curled inwards on herself, gazing unseeingly upwards. My heart split open, imagining how she must have intersected with some car passing through the night. I thought of her creeping off the road and up into the safety of these cradling boughs to hide. The weighty vision of finding her there remained with me for weeks after, until I felt compelled to make a painting to honour her.

It was comforting to illustrate this little fox finding her way into the swaying skirts of kindly trees that held her gently off the ground through her earthly release.

“Until loved well enough by moon and the night; you were released into the poetry of your dreaming.”

A moon to lift this Fox, Acrylic on canvas, 72×36”

A Chromatic Life
Anna Clarey & Erica Dornbusch

September 18th – October 13th
Artist Talk: Wednesday, Oct. 3rd at 7 pm

Westland Gallery
156 Wortley Road
London, ON

Related Images: