opening, Monotype of the Day, Day 773

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Day 41 of year 3

I've been going through all the photos of my older prints for days organizing for my book and the imagery is rubbing off. I feel like I'm covering old ground and it's not so interesting. This is what is coming out however and I will honor it and not resist and I do like this print. But I need to make it more exciting and experimenting with different techniques is just the thing. It brings back a sense of adventure, a critical component of my practice. If I knew what was going to happen each day in my studio, I wouldn't be able to continue. The immediacy of this medium allows the inner world to spill out like wine, it enables the mystery to bleed though. I cherish the surprise, the challenge, the intimacy of these messages to me the artist from The Artist, creative source. Everyday there are new things to learn and new ways to grow. I am grateful.

through the keyhole, Monotype of the Day #700

Day 330 of Year 2 (Actually Day 335)

Day 700! This feels like an accomplishment and I want to take moment to acknowledge that. It's hard for many people, myself included, to take in accomplishments. We tend to focus on what we've done wrong rather than what we've done right. Taking a more balanced view is profoundly healing. This monotype of the day project has helped me tremendously with being more balanced. Putting something out everyday to be judged slowly washes away my attachment to my own judgements about my work. And, even more, the work has been transformative in ways I do not fully understand. I only know that I am not the same person who started this project 700 days ago and for that I am deeply grateful.

This work is paired with “Termites : An Assay” by Jane Hirshfield

from After Poems https://amzn.to/3hkPNet

at home, Monotype of the Day #651

Day 281 of Year 2 (Actually Day 286)

I'm really tired today and I barely got this print out, but it feels good to have it done. Life is so different right now, I'm sure you feel this too. Many regular maintenance activities that keep me going, like acupuncture and bodywork, are out and I feel the difference. I also miss my large art studio which is being used for my son's online dance classes. So I am working on embracing and accepting what is actually happening rather than fighting it. Many things are occurring in my house that we all thought could never work, like choreography in the living room, and yet they are. It makes it very clear how deeply the rigidity of our minds has limited us. I am grateful for this lesson. It is one of things I plan to hold onto when we resume life outside of the house once again. My love to all those who are sick or suffering.

The Thirsty Fish
By Kabir, Trans. Robert Bly

I laugh when I hear that the fish in the water is thirsty.

You don’t grasp the fact that what is most alive of all is inside your own house;
and so you walk from one holy city to the next with a confused look!

Kabir will tell you the truth: go wherever you like, to Calcutta or Tibet;
if you can’t find where your soul is hidden,
for you the world will never be real!

From the Winged Energy of Delight: Poems from Europe, Asia, and the Americas Robert Bly https://amzn.to/2VyRaNK

messaging, Monotype of the Day #627

Day 257 of Year 2 (Actually Day 262)

I thought I'd show a few pictures for scale and process. Tomorrow I'll take a picture with ink on the plate before printing. Right now, the urge to simplify is strong so I find myself using just one color. I'm also back to meditating twice a day and it's like spring cleaning my brain! :) My show in February already seems like a millions years ago but really I'm just getting my grove back. With everything going on in the world, I'm grateful for any grove at all. I'm in the studio each day because I love it, but also because I need the healing and generative energy of the creative act. The centering moment of clarity that comes with making art balances and me. And studio teaches that though it's not easy, it's okay not to know what's coming. We are here now and this present moment is sacred and has the power to transform. My love and prayers to all those sick or suffering.

overflowing, Monotype of the Day #554

Day 184 of Year 2 (Actually Day 189)

it was tough to make this image. I'm a little scattered from my opening last night. There are three overwhelming feelings I have right now: 1) Gratitude for all the people who came out to my opening; 2) Gratitude for all the help I've received putting the show together. I couldn't have down it without such amazing support; & 3) A strong urge to get going on my new projects! The studio is empty and I'm raring to go! Until tomorrow... xo

the fountain with fish, Monotype of the Day #527

Day 157 of Year 2 (Actually Day 162)

So I did this print earlier, but I wasn't able to post until now. A little, but temporary, step backward in my determination to post earlier in the day. I'm busy with visiting family & holiday & show prep. It's that time of year and I'm sure you're busy too. I am so grateful for my monotype of the day project which makes certain I still have my sacred studio time even with the general chaotic nature of the season. I hope you find your own sacred space to ground you in the face of the beautiful ups and challenging downs that this time of year often brings. xoxo

prayer, Monotype of the Day #518

Day 152 of Year 2 (Actually Day 153)

Making art is an act of prayer. The clearer this becomes to me the more, I begin to suspect that every moment of our lives is a prayer too. The seed of the sacred is there waiting to be watered. I learned this and so much more working in the studio. The process of making art changes, trains, and transforms an artist. The product, a work of art, is a bonus gift. Working is everything. It is a prayer of gratitude to the world.

the observer, Monotype of the Day #510

Day 144 of Year 2 (Actually Day 145)

I spent most of the day in the ER. Don't worry, I'm fine. One of the downsides of having a chronic illness is your doctors become overly cautious. After a battery of tests and a waterless day of fasting they sent me home with absolutely nothing new wrong. I arrived at my door at 12:30am. After taking a drink I headed right for the studio. I observed a lot of callousness in the ER today. It's a place filled with people wanting to help. They've devoted their lives to it and I honor them. Yet still, people are people and they get busy, they get upset, they have their judgements. It's a microcosm of the world at large. The trick to being in the ER is to not take it all personally. It's bloody freezing, your fingers are turning blue and no one remembers to bring you a blanket when you've asked. The best tactic is to watch what's happening and see yourself from above as a tiny cog or even an ant in the ER machine. If you attach to your upsets it only brings more suffering. I admit I struggled a bit with this today, more than usual, but in the end I accepted my position and left without carrying any emotional baggage. Every experience is an opportunity for spiritual training. I'm grateful for another day of learning. I'm grateful that I was still able to make my print. xo

bower, Monotype of the Day #503

Day 137 of Year 2 (Actually Day 138)

It was another prop your eyes open with toothpicks night. I barely made it to the print studio but as always, I found myself revived by the process. It's a busy week for Americans prepping for Thanksgiving. Wishing those that celebrate a beautiful day with much to be grateful for. I am grateful for so many things but especially my family and friends, my studio, and .you. Thank you for all the kind words, reactions, and support throughout my Monotype of the Day project. It means so much! Happy Thanksgiving! xoxo #gratitude

cocoon, Monotype of the Day #493

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Day 127 of Year 2 (Actually Day 127)

Deep change happens beyond the comprehension of the mind. This is why it helps to surrender and trust. When the mind cannot understand something is afoot. The studio is a microcosm, trusting in the process here helps me trust out there in the world. The Artist trains me (an artist) everyday in my studio. This builds spiritual muscles that inform and change the way I lead my life. The result is my small "a" in artist keeps shrinking. The more it shrinks the happier and more empowered I feel. It's a beautiful sacred process and I am grateful to have a chance to pursue this work in the studio and in my spirit.

From burweed
By Kobayashi Issa, Trans. Stryk and Ikemoto

From burweed,
such a butterfly
was born?

From Zen Poetry: Let the Spring Breeze Enter https://amzn.to/2XpvtyM 

the rescue, Monotype of the Day #482

Day 118 of Year 2 (Actually Day 119)

I am rescued everyday by my work. Especially on a day like today when most of my time was spent sleeping, making my print brought meaning. Hopefully I will be fully recovered soon because there is so much to do for my show in January. I also need more time in the print studio to develop my ideas. Once again my mantra must be patience. It's easier to accept that than it used to be. Small movements forward do add up. Trust, faith, hope- I never understood the dearness of those words until recently. They are not just concepts, they are salve to the heart and grease to cogs that keep me working everyday. I am grateful for their gifts.

the blessing, Monotype of the Day #461

Day 95 of Year 2 (Actually Day 96)

There is a magical air about the studio these days. I made some real progress today finishing up some old projects that have been hanging around. I am so grateful for the help of my studio assistant. I'm also grateful for a person who recently showed up out of the blue with some much needed expertise. He is helping me make a piece I've been dancing around for ages. It's taken so many years to understand that the less I try to force projects to happen, the more things move. Each time I stop myself from pressing against an obstacle with a gentle, "patience Sybil, patience. It's okay not to see the way", something new and exciting opens up.

To Know the Dark
by Wendell Berry

To go in the dark with a light is to know the light.
To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight,
and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings,
and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings.

From The Selected Poems of Wendell Berry https://amzn.to/33MW1wf

the boat is empty, Monotype of the Day #455

Day 89 of Year 2 (Actually Day 90)

While uploading images to my new website (www.sybilarchibaldart.com), I came across an older print titled "so many fish long for bait “. The title, a line from a poem by Wang Wei, suggests wanting and wanting was is not good for us.
This image, strikes me as the opposite of that. The spacious emptiness of the boat and fish, calm in the face of stormy weather, is something I aspire to. How much room can be made to allow for life to flow through. More than any other image I've made recently, this one gives me hope. The fact that this image could come through shows how much these monotypes have changed and healed me. I feel very grateful and renewed in energy for my work. xo

The Mirror, Monotype of the Day #431

Day 65 of Year 2 (Actually Day 65)

What goes on behind the creative process? Even the artist doesn't know. Hopefully a whisper of that sacred space comes through, something that can't be articulated, only sensed and felt. I can't describe the gratitude I feel for being called to this pursuit, for being allowed to even touch a small part of this mystery. This mystery of creation and change surrounds and carries us through life even when we are unaware of it. Each day in the studio, small and unrelenting, change.