Inspired by Life...

It is finally, truly Spring in the Highlands where I live. As usual she was slow to arrive, and rather tentative about fully participating this year. But she is here and fully committed to staying for awhile.

  I love this time of year, capricious as she can be, and welcome her with open arms. That being said, I will also add that it is a chaotic time as well. I have a huge yard and garden, and I have no control over my own impulses when it comes to planting. It seems every time I turn around, someone (me) has added yet another flower bed, constructed another fairy garden, or started a new variety of vegetable I cannot resist. I am surrounded by beauty and green and growing things, but it all takes maintenance. That would be me...

   I am no longer in my twenties, and I feel this most strongly at the end of a hard day weeding, seeding and crawling around on my hands and knees. A soak in a hot bath just makes me fall asleep faster, so my indoor chores are neglected, or outright ignored. But the thing I have found, the complete irony to this, is that the harder I work physically, the more inspired I become to create my art! My mind is full to the brim with ideas, schemes and plans, and I am a wrung out rag by the end of the day. This seems unfair to me, but apparently that is just how my brain works.

   I am painting many things nature related, what with all the visual stimulus, and I am driven to capture the amazing color that surrounds me. I am dreaming of a time when all the flowers are planted, the irrigation is running smoothly, and the veggis are growing, but not quite ripe. When I can take my paper and paints out to the garden and sit amongst Spring's bounty and breath again. Until next time...enjoy!

Today is Monday, so that means Every Inchie Monday! The theme this week is "labyrinth". In my research on this subject, prior to making my inchie, I discovered there is a difference between a labyrinth and a maze, though the two terms are often used interchangeably.

  A labyrinth has only one path, follow it where ever it twists and turns, but you cannot get lost, the path will lead you to the middle...

"A labyrinth is a single path or unicursal tool for personal, psychological and spiritual transformation. Labyrinths are thought to enhance right brain activity."


A maze, however, is designed with a challenge in mind, with many twists, turns, deadends and exits. 


"A maze is a tour puzzle and can be designed with various levels of difficulty and complexity."


As I read more about them, I discovered that the tradition of building a garden labyrinth is over 4000 years old, and plans and societies currently abound on the internet. 


   You know, I have an entire extra acre that is just in field, plenty of room for a garden labyrinth! Planting one really doesn't look that hard...