Friday, October 26, 2007

Fantastical Worlds

I just received a gallery show email announcement from my office partner Carrie Knowles about the show that is going up in the rooms around me. I have the pleasure of sharing space with an artist/writer/gallerist, and I found this description of the art show inspiring in itself. Of course, you're also invited to come should you be in the Raleigh area.

"Coming the First Friday of November
At The Free Range Studio and Gallery
Australian Artist: Diana Maloney

Fantastical Journeys


Come take a journey through the slightly ironic dream life of Diana Maloney who creates an alternative universe through her paintings, drawings, and etchings where naked mariachi bands serenade you, faeries confound you with their presence and their magic, and the role of women in society gets a fresh take.


Diana is a dynamic emerging artistic presence in Australia and her work has begun to garner a great deal of attention as it challenges our senses and explores her own sense of confinement and freedom in the world.


Her work focuses on surreal dreamlike imagery laced with wit and whimsy that shifts between worlds of the real and the unreal. Her subject matter draws on an imperfect, out-of-proportion, half-remembered playground of her childhood. She uses the female form to express symbolic, literal, allegorical and spiritual associations.


As she says of her work: “I create a fantastic and ambiguous world in my work with reference to the role of women in society.”


From her miniature paintings to her large-scale works on paper and canvas, Diana is an important new feminine voice in art.


Opening reception on November 2, 2007 from 6pm-10pm. Fantastical Journeys will be at the Free Range Studio through the end of December.The Free Range Studio and Gallery is at 410 Morson Street in downtown Raleigh. Morson is a one block street between Bloodworth and East and runs parallel to New Bern and Hargett.The Free Range Studio and Gallery is open on First Fridays and by appointment: 821-3478."

Courage in Shadowy Places

In honor of the Halloween season, here's the second spooky story from shaman and author Kelley Harrell about one of her psychic experiences.


Whether you're a believer or not, I think you'll agree that what she did in this moment required enormous courage.


(I'll be at the beach Monday and therefore silent on the blog front. Back on Tuesday.)

Festival of Thinkers

My elder stepson Chuck has just arrived in Abu Dhabi to teach English. This is a place I've known little about--and my research has unveiled for me a dazzling city. The investment in some startling architecture is the strongest first impression. After that, I came to a second surprise. Last week, Abu Dhabi hosted a Festival of Thinkers.

I'd never heard of such a thing--and I really like the idea. Those in attendance included at least one Nobel laureate, a well-known Indian artist who is now in his nineties, the first woman from east or central Africa to receive a doctorate, and an American magazine editorial director sometimes known as "the queen of the tabloids.

I don't know what global problems were solved during the few days of the event, but I'll bet some new ideas hatched and some minds were expanded.

In addition to the homesite, there's a visually stunning photo-report on Abu Dhabi and its thinking festival on New York Social Diary.

The Charisma Tape

Last night in my mailbox was the tape from somewhere in the UK by the Confidence Club on "Physical Presence."

This is the one I reported ordering to help me develop some Bill Clinton-level charisma. So of course I broke into it first thing.

It's a hypnotic induction, therefore I listened in headphones, lying on the floor with my eyes covered. Total attention, insofar as I can manage that.

The assignment is to listen two or three times a week for a month. Here's my response on my initial run: First, it's an excellent relaxation induction. I zoned out pretty quickly. Became altogether still.

After the tone-setting came the material to establish what I think of as a powerful calm. The image that I remember--and I know there's some material I don't recall--was of a majestic tree on a hill that has seen a lot of human problems come and go. The listener practices being the tree, deeply rooted and weathering everything. Good image, I think.

Also--just now when I went to the website to get the link, it reminded me of a piece that had drifted from my consciousness: the part about posture and bearing. I don't remember exactly what was said, but that can be a good sign.

My take at this point: this has a lot of potential. Maybe to help me stop fiddling with this and that while I talk.

I'm going to be interested in what my husband Bob thinks of it. He's a clinical psychologist and last night was busy prepping for a seminar he's giving today on, as it happens, self-hypnosis.