November is the colourful month, blooming
Rhodos along the tracks; mixing
Primaries with passion, building
Layerings with defter strokes.
Sarva Mangalam
All is blessing.
What a wonderful and fun experience we’ve had with Graham on the recent week-long retreat. So much passion and love he shared on art, and us weaving art into our being through various exercises and days of different colours and focus. We’ve all gained a greater appreciation of colour and texture in the way we see our surroundings, and in our efforts to convey it! It was lovely circle sharing in the late afternoons, a piece we chose that we wanted to share, and to share it in silence up at the whare. A way to share ourselves and explore a creative making. Some of us hadn’t picked up a paintbrush in years and it was lovely to rediscover an interest that we’d now like to give more of our energy to. Stepping into an encouraged creative space supported with Rumi poetry, gentle movement and sadhana as accompaniment, was replenishing and beautiful. We also gladly witnessed the recent creativity of Chris, coming in through the new gates and as a group going to his white ash bench by the mother beech, amidst the storm damage and windthrow.
Graham’s bountiful generosity on the black and white day had us sweeping enso circles with striking Japanese ink & brushes on big white Thai special paper in the quadrangle. A meditation on focus and aiming for sweep before thought. Special to do and special to watch.
Sadly Kath as course manager was in hut isolation for part of the retreat with covid but joined us on the last few days. Thanks to Mark for stepping in and it was also the end period for Ethan as land caretaker who purposefully joined the retreat for as much time as he could. As wangapeka sangha, we celebrated his admirable contribution this past year and also met Nino and Sara, the new caretakers, who came across for the weekend for Nino’s handover with Ethan.
Many thanks for the privilege of this opportunity and for our mutual sharing!
Jo