Dying Scarves

 

As I was biking the other afternoon, the yellow leaves of the changing trees were brazing with color.  And the branches were letting loose of their leaves, getting ready for the long rest and dormant time of winter.  As I biked through those leaves, the familiar crunching sound filled my ears.  The fragrance of drying leaves brought back memories of jumping in  leaf piles with laughter and abandon.  All of that color changing and shifting around us stirred me to want to bring some of that color into my world of creation.

Today, silk/rayon scarves and shawls of white become the rich colors of midnight blue with cerulean and cobalt blue.  I use fiber reactive Procion Dyes to create this luscious palette of colors.  Each shawl has two to four dye colors to create the interesting depth and variation in each shawl.  The multi-color of dye reacts to the silk and rayon fiber combination to add another element to the complexity in the color of each shawl.  There becomes as almost iridescent quality to the shawls.

                                                                                                                                      Luscious to wear.

Orcas Island, Washington

October 18, 2011

Orcas Island, Washington

The ferry to Orcas Island was a calm and smooth ride.  The sun was setting and the light was soft.  When I arrived, the light was gone and the next day brought the wonder and beauty of the island to my senses.  We stayed at Heartwood House to begin a retreat with Vicky B. White.  A short walk to the village brought us into the beach area.  I climbed around the drift wood and rocks exploring the beach.  I have a great love of beaches.  And to be on another during the first light of day, sends my spirit soaring.  The moisture created a beautiful shine on all of the vegetation: medrone trees, evergreens, holly, asters, and more.

                                                                                                                                            My friend, Cornelia

Growing is Forever

Growing is Forever from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.
A film by Jesse Rosten - twitter.com/JesseRosten
Words by Kallie Markle - twitter.com/lightningvsbug
Music - "Window" The Album Leaf 

Dancing on the Mississippi

Moving for the joy of movement is principle #1 in the Nia White Belt practice.  I have loved to move and dance all of my life—only recently has this passionate part of me awoken.  I remember grooving in the grocery store line with my Mom, and she said to me quietly, “Stop that.”  Acts of pure joy were not well embraced in my family. 

But I couldn’t forget about that love, a deep love inside me.  When I first danced Nia, I was struck by the joy of movement, sensations in my body that the little girl Mary Lee knew long ago.  It had so much depth.  This music was so much fun.  I felt so good when I did it.  And some of the key phrases lit me up: through movement we find health.  Nia is a dynamic practice that helps me live more fully who I am.

 

Photographs by Lori Eschweiler