Hallowe'en: The ending and the beginning

Over the past year year, much of my art has focused on exploring our relationship with the natural world. As a result, I have discovered both fascinating things about the earth and frightening things how we treat it. We have come to a time where we face the very real possibility of global catastrophe because of our collective disregard for the earth and the cycles of nature. Many of us (including myself) are starting adjust our lifestyles by reducing waste and conserving energy and I believe it is a step in the right direction. However, in addition to these efforts, I have decided to go a bit deeper. I chose this Halloween to begin relating and connecting to the earth by following the seasonal and lunar cycles. I believe by tuning into the cycle of the earth, I will find myself becoming more psychologically aware of the needs of the earth as well as more harmonized with the energy of seasons. I suspect that by having been separated from these natural rhythms and cycles, I have also become disconnected from the earth, from others and myself as well.

The reason I chose Halloween to begin this new way of being in the world is that traditionally it is the time when the world (the Northern Hemisphere) enters the dark of the year. This is not regarding the sun’s cycle, which is followed by the solstices and the equinoxes, but rather the seasonal cycle. Halloween marks the time when autumn turns into winter. The leaves have fallen from the trees, most of the harvest has been gathered, any blackberries left on the brambles are no longer good to eat, and frosts get heavier and colder. In the Celtic world-view this time marks the end of the old year and the beginning of the new. The ancient Celtic and the Hindu systems (and I believe many others as well) understand that the dark precedes the light, so a time of darkness must begin a natural cycle. Consider that many of the popular holidays and festivals are celebrated on the eve (Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, All Soul’s Eve, etc.).

I am going to experience the energy of the season, by using this time to celebrate the end of the yearly cycle and the beginning of the next. It will be a time to reflect on all the things that I did and did not like about the past year and decide on what should be changed or implemented to benefit the new year.

In ancient tradition, this transition from the old year into the next existed outside of time. I believe this came from following a lunar calendar in which there were a few extra days (five I believe) that didn’t quite fit into a annual system. Those remaining days where held over for this time of year where chaos was given time to rule. People played pranks, dressed up, and generally acted silly or crazy. I suspect this is partly where the tradition of dressing in costumes and celebrating “cabbage night” may have originated. Another belief at this time was that the line that separated the physical world from the Otherworld disappeared. People could commune with their ancestors and those who had passed on before them. By honoring and giving thanks to those who helped to shape them and gave them what they had, they could better understand their own lives.

So tonight at 5:55pm EST (the time of sunset where I live) I will light a candle and take a moment to reflect on the past year, give thanks to those who came before me, and acknowledge the changes that I will need to implement in order to make the coming year beneficial for all who share this beautiful place we call home.

Happy Hallowe’en, All Soul’s Eve, Samhain, Autumn into Winter, etc.

DoAn

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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of DoAn Art must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. 


All artwork and text © Copyright 2005-2011 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

Fall into Winter

This is the view I woke up to this morning. I have officially experienced the effects of living in the north land! I remember as a child living in Vermont that I felt enormously blessed if it didn't snow before Halloween. There was nothing like working several months on a costume only to have it destroyed in the snow or freeze while wearing it.

Fortunately for the kiddies (and those young at heart) an Indian Summer is being forecast, which means temperatures in the 60s and perhaps higher for Halloween and the days following.

This is one of the things about nature that I absolutely love. She always keeps you on your toes and makes you remember that nothing about Her can be left for granted. She is much much bigger than me or you or any one person and for that reason, She should be respected. She is our mother and our keeper. She blesses us with life, food and shelter. She also takes it all away, sometimes in an instant. I believe this is one of the important lessons the autumn season teaches us. A lesson that is important to meditate on. I am going to have a cup of tea and ponder...

DoAn
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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of DoAn Art must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. 


All artwork and text © Copyright 2005-2011 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

Artist Reception and Art Raffle

For those of you who are in the central New York area, I will be at the Sherrill-Kenwood Free Library on Friday, October 24th from 6 - 8pm to attend the annual library art fundraiser.

I donated a framed print of the painting Autumn Hill (pictured here) as part of the art raffle. The other art included in the raffle are all by local artists and include paintings, photography, origami, jewelry, a decorative plaque, paperweight, ceramic items, a hand carved wooden duck decoy, and a hardwood turkey call. The prices for the raffle tickets are $3.00 each or four for $10.00 and are available at the library during our hours of operation and the evening of the event.

This could be a fun way to get a holiday gift for someone (or for yourself) and help support the library at the same time! I hope to see some of you there.

Where:
Sherrill-Kenwood Free Library
543 Sherrill Road
Sherrill, NY

When:
Friday, October 24th, 6-8pm

For more information:
Contact: 315-363-5980 sherrill@midyork.org

DoAn
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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of DoAn Art must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. 

All artwork and text © Copyright 2005-2011 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

Learn about Life and Save the World!

I recently discovered this free online-encyclopedia while doing research for my artwork. It is called The Encyclopedia of Life and is a continually updated database of information on all the living beings on the planet. It is a fascinating project and a great way to learn about the planet we live on and all the creatures that live on it.

I believe the more we know about the living creatures we share living space with the harder it is to continue to allow the decimation of plants, animals, and people to continue. Take a moment to take a look and explore the fascinating creatures that want to continue to live with us. Share the link with your friends!

http://www.eol.org/

DoAn
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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of DoAn Art must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. 


All artwork and text © Copyright 2005-2011 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

New Greeting Card & Contributing toward a Better World

I have uploaded a new greeting card design to my print on demand site. This design is from a painting I did while living in New York City. Ironically, it is a painting of the hill just down the road from where I am living now in Upstate New York! I plan to do a painting of this hill in each of the four seasons so look for a set of four cards in the future! You can view and order the greeting card here.

Also, I am starting to get my materials together for the Vermont Studio Center residency. It is only five weeks away and there is still much to do! Like, for instance, figuring out how I am going to get there with my supplies! Currently, I am preparing some preliminary sketches and drawings for the paintings I will be working on while there. I plan to do two abstracts and a landscape. Once I have the sketches complete, then I can create a color palette so that I can select the paints that I will bring.


It may seem like a terrible time to be generous, but please consider the gift to community that individual artists give. This is not the time for us to give in to fears and worries, but rather, to extend our support and remember that goodness and generosity exists in every situation. By supporting individual artists, community development groups, social service organizations, we support ourselves and make a healthy community and in turn a better world. Your tax-deductible contribution to DoAn Art can go toward improving our lives by allowing beautiful and thought provoking works to be shared with society. A simple, but effective way to ease your mind during this time of fear and uncertainty is to take an active role in making the world a better place by offering your support.

Thank you for your support!
DoAn
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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of DoAn Art must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. 


All artwork and text © Copyright 2005-2011 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

The Honeybee: Community & Harmony

The Honeybee: Community & Harmony is my latest painting in the Animal Spirit Totem series. I have been reading a lot of fascinating literature about the honeybee. This painting celebrates the all that the honeybee contributes to life on earth.

Until recently, the honeybee has been taken for granted, and feared by some. However, the honeybee is an integral part of our existence on earth. Without it, we would not be able to survive like we do now. Honeybees are responsible for fertilizing the flowers and plants we depend on for food. One third of all our food is produced by pollinators, which include the honeybee. Not only does the honeybee play an important role in our ability to provide food, but they can also serve as examples and guides of how to live better lives.

The honeybee teaches about community and harmony. They live in hives comprised of the Queen and many Workers and Drones. The Queen begins building the hive by choosing a home and laying the eggs. While the eggs develop into Workers the Queen continues to construct the hive. Once the Workers are old enough, they take over building the hive, collecting food and caring for the developing bees. The Drones aid in propagation and in controlling the temperature of the hive. The health of the hive depends on the cooperation and health of every one of its members. Every bee has a role and contributes to the over all harmony of the hive.

One lesson we can take from this is that the well-being of any community is dependent on the health and contribution of each of its members. One member cannot take on all the responsibilities, nor can one sit back and reap all the benefits without harming the community in a negative way. Another lesson is that sometimes one can work too hard, ignoring the others in the community who can contribute, risking their health from stress and depleted health. Think of the classic workaholic. Being part of a community means knowing you cannot do it all, and asking for help when it is needed. It also means to step up and help out those who need it.

Honeybees work very hard to prepare for a long winter, collecting pollen and nectar to feed their young and to sustain them during the winter months when food is scarce. We can also learn from the honeybee about conserving and preparing for the future. By balancing working roles, the hive (the community) can run efficiently and create a harmonious living environment.

Honeybees have had a long relationship with humans throughout history and in many cultures. Most of the ancient myths are centered on Europe and the surrounding area, because honeybees are not native to North America (They were brought here by the European colonists).

To the Ancient Egyptians, honeybees were believed to be the tears of the sun god Ra and honey was believed to be a symbol of resurrection and protected against evil spirits.

In Ancient Greece the honeybee was thought to be messengers for the gods. The Priestesses of the Oracle in Delphi were sought to answer questions about the future and past. The Priestesses sat on three-legged stools near a spot where sweet-smelling fumes rose up through an omphalos stone, which was hollow and shaped similar to a bee hive. The exterior of the omphalos stone was carved with the images of honeybees.

The Honeybee was sacred to the Celtic goddess Brigid, who kept an orchard in the Otherworld, which was visited by bees.


DoAn
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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of DoAn Art must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. 


All artwork and text © Copyright 2005-2011 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

The Orphan Act Bill -- The End of Free Creative Expression?

Back in May I wrote about a very problematic bill being proposed by Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and other Senators. You can read about what I said here.

Well, now that the country is caught up in the scare tactics of the government over the financial crisis the Orphan Acts Bill was slipped into the senate where it PASSED because no one was present to vote against it! Please take a moment to write your representative now! If you value art, writing, music either as a creator or a collector, this bill will effect you dramatically.

Use these templates to send out a letter to your representatives:
http://capwiz.com/illustratorspartnership/home/

It is best to copy and paste the letter template into a hard copy and mail the letter out. I was informed by an assistant to a senator that emails go to a junk folder and are never opened. The best way to have yourself heard is by sending a letter and addressing the envelope by hand.

Here is the Orphan Acts Bill as proposed:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:H.R.5439:

DoAn
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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of DoAn Art must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. 


All artwork and text © Copyright 2005-2011 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.