New Collages at Art Sale Soiree

I love creating events with an appointed date. This gives me perimeters by which to create new work. For my trip to Boulder and the Soiree event at Lynn's I wanted to travel light and bring non framed works on paper.

© Kathleen O'Brien, "Dear Swallow", watercolor,
drawing, botanicals, stamp collaged, 11x8"

All I will divulge now is about this series of 8 collages that have a vintage Romanian bird stamp. There is a drawing of postcard with a message, of my universal language, to that bird.

More later...

Erin Go Bragh

Top of the Morning, and Happy St. Patrick's Day. May the wind always be at your back. Just pretend the 4 leaf clovers are shamrocks...

©2003 Kathleen O'Brien, Best of Luck, MM Collage, 22x30"

27 February

Yesterday, I meant to post one of my favorite postcards from the Each Day in the Year of the Fire Dog. For one reason it is the birthday of one of my heroes, Rudolf Steiner, 1861, founder of Waldorf Schools  bio-dynamic farming, anthroposophy and so much more. All these spectral stamps to me represent the Rainbow Warriors, aka peacekeepers...

©2006 Kathleen O'Brien, Each Day in the Year of the Fire Dog, #30 front

©2006 Kathleen O'Brien, Each Day in the Year of the Fire Dog, #30 back

Halcyon Days

Every year I strive to clear the decks so I may fully benefit from the Halcyon Days of peace and tranquility. It is a 2 week period with the Solstice at the midpoint. When I stop my running around and experience peace within and with others, I arrive at the true meaning of the Holiday Season.

©O'Brien, Each Day in the Year of the Fire Dog #320, front and back

The secret is, be brave to experience the deepening darkness so we can perceive the great return of the light.

12.12.12

Today's date is the last one of the century that has all three numbers the same. It is one of my favorite celebratory days of the season, for Our Lady of Guadalupe. The miraculous appearance of roses in December is such a hopeful image.

©O'Brien, Each Day in the Year of the Fire Dog # 318 front and back

Good Tidings

Starting on December 6, St Nicholas Day, there are so many reasons to celebrate this special season. For one thing, today is the birthday of Thomas Merton, who lived nearby at Abbey of Gethsemani. This prayer of his has been a helpful reflection.

©O'Brien, Each Day in the Year of the Fire Dog, #316, front and back

It is also Emily Dickenson's Birthday. This year the Geminid Meteor showers are on the 13th.

25 years ago today

...a group of us were meditating in a circle under an Aspen tree. It was sunrise of the Harmonic Convergence. The high altitude of our location near the Continental Divide, the freshness of the pristine morning energized our focus - world wide peace. We could feel the connections to the thousands of people around the world meditating in sync. A Hummingbird entered the circle giving a close visit to each person as if we were flowers. I know because I was squinting, not wanting to frighten the bird away.

© Kathleen O'Brien Each Day in the Year of the Fire Dog # 200

Harmonic Convergence took place over a 2 day period. It was a grand time of celebration and sharing and caring. I had the honor of being in Jose Arguelles's study group Earth Ascending for several years before through the local branch of Planet Art Network.

© Kathleen O'Brien Each Day in the Year of the Fire Dog # 201

These are the only 2 of the postcards that go side to side. I took a drawing I did on that day in 1987, tore it in half and cropped the sides.

Better Late Than Never

O'Brien Each Day in the Year of the Fire Dog 168

July 15 is the birthday of a great painter, Rembrandt. It is also the anniversary of the first Buddhist Temple in the US, 1904, in Los Angeles. Meanwhile on that day in 1978 approximately 2000 Native Americans and their supporters participated in the "Longest Walk" from San Francisco. They entered Washington DC after a 5 month cross country walk to protest bills in Congress that limited Native Rights. About 20 people walked the entire way.

1st Mothers Day

On May 12, 1914 the first Mothers Day was celebrated. Abraham Lincoln's sentiment about his mother is one that I share;

 “All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother. I remember her prayers, and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.” 

To mothers everywhere, tomorrow, thank you.

O'Brien, Each Day in the Year of the Fire Dog #104

It is interesting that in China, on the 12th, the birth of the Goddess of Midwifery is celebrated, and it is also the International Nurses Day, birthday of Florence Nightingale.

Kentucky Derby 138 and more

This years post time for the Run for the Roses is 6:24 p.m. ET. the Rose Blanket refereed to in the name of the race is lovingly made of 564 red roses by our grocery store, Kroger. It takes them all the night before the race. In 2006 when this postcard project was created the first Saturday in May was the 6th and Barbaro won.

Each Day in the Year of the Fire Doy # 98

AND May 5 is a favored day for celebrating Boy's Day in Japan carp flags are flown, in ancient Roman times it was the feast of Roses - Rosalia, and of course, Cinco de Mayo.

Each Day in the Year of the Fire Doy #97 front

Each Day in the Year of the Fire Doy #97 back

Celebrate this and every day!

30 April - May Eve

Celebrate as the ancient Celts did, bringing in the light half of the year on sundown May Eve, the beginning of Beltain. It is a grand time for merrymaking, weddings, dancing around the May pole, welcoming the Fairy folk back.

Each Day in the Year of the Fire Dog, #92

So for the next few days, gather flowers to leave on your friend's porch, share Mead around a bonfire, feel the expanse of the summer ahead. Live a little.

I M Pei

Today is the birthday of my favorite architect, I M Pei. Whenever I return to Washington I love to go to the National Gallery of Art just to experience the space. While Ilived in Boulder I would  often be inspired by this view (sketched on one of the postcards) at the west portico at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. 

Each day in the Year of the Fire Dog, #88

Pei drew inspiration for this building from the Mesa Verde cliff dwellings of the Ancient Pueblo Peoples, where I discovered petroglyphs for the first time. He said, he wanted it to look "as if it were carved out of the mountain". Learn more about this beautiful building at National Center for Atmospheric Research.

1014 AD

On this day in 1014 AD Ard Ri, High King, Brian Boru of Ireland died in the battle of Clontarf. He unified the clans of Ireland.

Each Day in the Year of the Fire Dog, #85

The descendants of Brian were known as the Ui Briain (O'Brien) clan, hence the surnames Ó Briain, O'Brien, O'Brian etc. "O" was originally Ó which in turn came from Ua, which means "grandson", or "descendant" (of a named person). The prefix is often anglicised to O', using an apostrophe instead of the Irish síneadh fada: "´". The O'Briens subsequently ranked as one of the chief dynastic families of the country.

My grandfather used to tell my sister and I "now don't forget girls, you are princesses." So true!

To learn more about the O'Briens check obrienclan.com

April 19-26 Earth Week

All week we can be especially aware of our unique stance on our Earth and how we can be in integrity with this relationship.

O'Brien, Each Day in the Year of the Fire Dog #81

When you plant seeds on April 22, also plant the seeds of your intentions to be responsible to the Earth.

O'Brien, Each Day in the Year of the Fire Dog #81 reverse

Arts Council of Mercer County Gallery and Studio

O'Brien, Each Day in the Year of the Fire Dog, #73

This is my first  day to work at our new gallery - Wednesday afternoons. The Grand opening was last Friday and many people came to feast their eyes on our local talent. Stop in when you can. The address is 

120 Main Street, Harrodsburg 

Open 10-4, Tuesday - Saturday 

O'Brien, Each Day in the Year of the Fire Dog, #73 reverse side

Joyous Easter

We love this day - it is so glorious. This is another movable feast, in '06 it was on the 14th. Easter is the Sunday following the paschal full moon, which is the full moon that falls on or after the vernal (spring) equinox.

O'Brien, Each Day in the Year of the Fire Dog, #78 

Spring time for a new blog

My desire is to become more articulate about the ideas I want to share with you. Since the beginning of the year I have been studying so I can play with the big kids" (i.e., younger people who are more technical than me). Allow me to be honest and admit that I aspire to be more confident about my writing. In my art my "writing" is the free form script everyone always asks me about. The script is AKA the viewer's story. The script comes out in a loose and fun way, so I get out of having to account for meaning. But know this; my meaning is happiness to you!

Since one main focus in my lifestyle and art is the 4 seasons and 4 directions I will from time to time add an image of one of the 365 postcards from 2006 project, Each Day in the Year of the Fire Dog. The messages illuminate cross-cultural celebrations, holidays and Holy Days. When we learn about all the amazing similarities humans have and how we all like to get down in a jubilant style every so often, sharing good times together (at least we have each other) we can lighten up and celebrate in spirit with each other. This idea also sets me up for blog topics, ones that could inspire you!

Just for fun I wanted to start with the day I met my first grandchild. It touched me when I looked it up that it was Michelangelo's (a guiding spirit for me) birthday as well. Hey, also Einstein's. I KNEW that baby is smart!

O'Brien, Each Day in the Year of the Fire Dog, #45

The Spring Equinox was March 20 this year, same as it was in "06. In the olden days it was called Ostara and that's where the word Easter came from. We love to celebrate the balance of lightness and darkness. My husband likes to prove this by balancing an egg on end. Try it on the Autumn Equinox and let me know if it works. So far, he's the only one I've seen do it, and for a 24 hour period at that!

O'Brien, Each Day in the Year of the Fire Dog, #51

East is the direction we face in the Spring, my Medicine teachers taught me, and the color is yellow. It's like opening the golden door to birth and rebirth.