Nominate Blog Awards Ireland 2015

  

Martinrainbowmaker.blogspot.ie 
is a two person co-operative project based in West Cork and Kerry respectively.

The blog is updated with new posts each month continuously since January 2012.

The material consists of an informal presentation of my artwork and painting in progress, photography, writing, and music.  With the help of my friend in Kerry and his computer skills, and aesthetic appreciation of layout and colour especially, which is a main feature of the blog.  The text is colour coded in harmony with the content.

The purpose is to share the process of artistic creation as it happens, and to make it accessible to anyone who may need guidance or encouragement.  To inspire and to share intimately the nature of inspiration, and the importance of imaginative vision as being a natural aspect of daily life.

The style and subject matter of the written articles come from the same source as the artwork, therefore not separate.  All-inclusive wholeness being the nature of a creatively focussed life, expressed personally and playfully, coming from a whole lifetime in art.

Since there are no separate subjects and all is interconnected, inspiration to create can come from any area of life, depending on the current mode of focus, the seasons, or whatever i happen to be thinking about.  The blogposts follow the changes in the cycle of seasons, like a nature journal.

The intent is something other than art as crafted commercial objects.  Educational in that i wish to stimulate and encourage people to evolve imaginatively, true to their own vision of a more harmonious world.

So the work as a whole encompasses insights of spiritual experience, in its broadest, non-denominational sense.  Specifically to nurture a sense of wonder, a refined sensitivity to the beauty of nature and beyond the limitations of popular sentiment.

Also in that sense therapeutic, to celebrate the actual poetic experience of nature in all its smallest details, and deconstruct the consensus notion that anything is commonplace or ordinary.

Basically to affirm creativity as being a benevolent and healing force.  As well as an essential faculty for continuity of re-enchantment, reawakening the magic of innocent experience we may remember from childhood.

A simple sense of wonder and curiosity as an antidote to all forms of indoctrination to the contrary.  To counter the influence of a world in turbulent transition, filled with fearful stories presented as news.

Giving back to society all that has served and guided me well, in service to others.  By always nurturing and doing what i love most and learning to discern what exactly it consists of.  Nurturing and evolving it, not letting what comes naturally go to waste.  Thereby maturing to a vision of positive affirmation which wishes to share itself.  While learning and refining in the process of doing so.

Also learning about language, and how to communicate in ways that will be received on many levels.  It is about communication.  Consequently i am more comfortable writing in a spontaneously invented poetic prose.  Though meticulously edited and revised, it brings colour and vivid images back into language.  It has been said that i write like a painter, which is true, evoking images and feeling.

Typically, i never know what i may create next, hopefully something new, but if it brings enchantment, then i'm happy to have a channel by which to contribute to the larger re-enchantment.  There's a labour of love in the archives.

Martin Law.  West Cork. July 2015. ~
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SHOT IN THE BARK

On Monday, June 1, 2015, Martin Law <martin.rainbowmaker@gmail.com> wrote:

I took thirty shots of bark for a background, or is it a barkground? The bark of trees is as diverse as the bark of dogs, but much easier on the ears.

I find myself with a surplus of (not to be wasted) very visually interesting images of varieties of local bark. For seven days and nights since then (which felt like three weeks), wondering in earnest what could be said by way of relevance in presenting them that would be more than just superfluous words.

“What do you say about bark? Speak now!” The question takes on the force of a Zen koan, (a spiritual test question unanswerable on its own terms) where rational contrivance is not acceptable as an authentic answer. It has to be demonstrated, and without even a hair’s breadth of hesitation.

Well, we all know what a dog would say when asked about bark. Never failing to hit the mark, spontaneously instantaneous, authentic, unequivocal, succinct, with nothing one could add. You ask about bark, i show you. “Bark!”

In the same spirit, the images speak for themselves. They are the answer. I show you. Yet, humans are a little different, dualistically speaking. We intellectualize, compulsively.

We talk about, which is to say, around, and dive straight into a tangle of related concepts, constructs, ideas, opinions, other than the immediate unmediated reality in question. You ask about bark? I give you bark.

Furthermore i give you what is not bark, or Zen for that matter. Being nothing but a string of images and clashing symbols, the sort that make a lot of noise but mostly in your head, while thinking it’s called thinking.

I suppose relatively few people ever think about bark anyway. Except those who love and respect the life of trees.

Their intrinsic beauty as much as their multi-faceted usefulness, which is one and the same.

Other than just chopping, burning, clearing, and constructing, with more regard for quantity than quality and nature. When even the cork of the wine bottle you just popped comes from bark.

People who call themselves civilized have an outstanding talent for deforestation which they call progress. Depending on which way you’re heading when you can’t see the wood for the trees.

The way generally being, that which the wood is in the way of. When questioned about 

 ‘where is your habit at’,

 the excuse is,  

“i’m trying to cut them down.”

By stark contrast, take a shame faced look, or a leaf out of the book, (book, a word originating from the Germanic term for beech, and birch.) A look at the wisdom of the peoples we are pleased to call un-civilized.

A good example being the Indians of Turtle Island, (WE-dah pah-T’KAH-sha-nah), which we were told to call america.

The eek-CHAY-we-CHOSH-tah don’t like to be called native americans, understandably. Being,’ The People’ (with the added language equivalent of which people.) For example: Arapahoe (Mahpiyato), the Blue Sky People. Or Chippewa, (HaHAtonwon), the People from the Waterfalls.

First nations people anyway, originally 555 distinct yet interrelated nations. That is, until the second, third, and fourth etc. people barged in, ironically talking of 666. Easy to comprehend not wishing to be called ‘native americans’, and with a shrug, temporarily settling for Indians, and who in their right heart would dare or deign to blame them?

So, continuing to bark up the right tree: The Indians in California used pitch of the

PINYON PINE for, skin problems, digestive problems, colds, flu, tuberculosis, venereal disease, sore muscles, rheumatism, fevers, parasites, sunburn, bark as ingredient in emergency foods, tea, burns, earache, dyes, glue (for arrows etc.), waterproofing, nuts for cakes, puddings, butter, beetle-proofing, looms, saddle parts, cradles, tools, toys.

JUNIPER, for: Kidney problems, heart troubles, haemorrhages, stomach-aches, head-aches, menstrual and other cramps, colds, fevers, smallpox, flu, pneumonia, venereal, diabetes, cholera, tuberculosis, chickenpox, worms, swellings, burns, sore throats, hives, sores, horse-ticks, torch for tinder, smoke bath to calm children, protection from witches or bears.

ASPEN, to prevent premature birth, bark as sweet treat for children, purification, whistles, stings, abscesses, urinary problems, canoes, cups, cords, deodorant, antiperspirant.

FIR and PINE, to heal cuts, boils, bones, throats, colds, kidneys, fevers, and for gum, sugar, bows, poles, beds, floors, fish-hooks, flavouring, nets, sealing water jugs, antiseptic, anti-bleeding. In fact, food, shelter, clothing, tools, medicine, the list is endless, and that’s only four trees.

So i’ll stop yapping, but if you think my bark is worse than my bite, i can assure you, with my dental situation, the reverse

is true. ‘WOOF-WOOF’! <

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~ Martin Rainbowmaker ~