After my son was born in 2008, I began to explore digital photo montages in and of themselves, fitting the creative process around my baby’s needs. I didn’t plan this, but what emerged over the years was the expression of the cycle of life and I felt moved to write short poetry to every image. Not very surprisingly I then came up with the idea that I could dance the poems to an exhibit of these images. Exhibiting was hence so much more interesting! The first opportunity offered came from the lovely Chapel Walk Gallery in Sheffield, where I was able to exhibit and perform the relevant poetry in a spontaneous and joyful collaboration with the incredibly talented musician Aidan Pinsent.

Finally  “The Cycle of Life” turned into a live performance and collaboration with the singer and musician Lindsay Treen. It was performed at the Stroud Site Festival and the Isbourne Foundation in Cheltenham in 2015. Below you can join me on this journey in visuals and poetry:

The Cycle of Life

or

the light shines ceaselessly

newborn

from the subtle realms of light

washed ashore

into the temporary arms

of human experience

the light shines ceaselessly

all one

all one form

all one force of life

no separation

zero

none

such beauty

the fullness of the circle speaks your name

touch the heart to eternity

ball

in the mystery of being

there is the moon to touch

and feel

and breathe

it is not far away

deep

in the softness of the heart

I meet you there

with great delight

if

there was such things as an I in time

I would call this the perfect moment

no walls

are real

who is there?

skipping a rope in infinite beauty is your name

to my beloved

it is not in the two

of I and other where we truly meet

the love that is

has only one heart-broken form of infinite beauty

I meet you there

alone

thank you

with you my love

I can melt into the earth

 with you my love

I can melt into the trees

with you my love

 I can melt into the skies

with the love that is you and me

I can be gone from here

whilst smiling love into your eyes

Love

when there is love

there is love alone

no thing at all

when there is love

there is love all one

as is

as all

dissolve

the death by light

kisses the forehead gently

gently

washes away the whoever

who has never been

self portrait

an image of the mystery of light

self portrait

the paradox of transformation

in no space timeless oneness of all there is

can you draw my face?

come and go

with clear eyes

just the seeing

of

how the world of things

are changing

forever changing

the rising and falling worlds are the body

of the only one who is

to my beloved father

the window of your face

blew wide open

to meet eternity

father

beloved

we are only light

and the light shines ceaselessly…

For almost two years before creating these images below I have been so very occupied with the explorations and considerations of bringing ‘Embodiment as the One Heart’ to those beings who are moved to engage in that exploration, that being an artist myself ended up being more in the background of my creative life. A lot of images have been backing up in my visual seeing for a while… so quite suddenly, quite a few of them with their complimentary poems began to tumble out rather quickly.

 The Artist of Flaking Paint

there is in fact nowhere to go

a snail’s touch

beyond space

time

the teaching of infinity

is everywhere

life just shining as life itself

any and all forms of self image

are as unreal as any reflection on the surface of a pond

yet beliefs in separation can be held so tight

they appear like bullet proof glass

nevertheless

nevertheless

nevertheless

relaxing into infinity is always

effortlessly

instantaneous

breathing in the tears of Love

breathing out the tears of Love

embracing everything

beyond and

in and

as

every

thing

just seeing

that’s all

that

is

all

I am the hand

I am the petal

I am the leaf

I am the artist of the

beauty

of

flaking

paint

and I am

not

an

I

at all

After creating this second series of images and poetry I began to add words to drawings and paintings to create designs for T-shirts, which you can find in the art store. Now we can dance wearing the images!