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Danza de la Vida

Karen Casey-Smith — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 17:30:27 +0000

Danza de la Vida

We dance round in a ring and suppose, but the secret sits in the middle and knows. ~ Robert Frost

My new flower mandala, Danza de la Vida, is filled with movement and dancing colors! Can you see the dancers twirling in their colorful red, orange, gold, and green costumes?

If you choose, the Danza de la Vida (Dance of Life) can be joyful. Filled with emotion, learning, and growth, life’s manifestations can be mesmerizing. Notice how this mandala draws you to the center? The center is where the Great Mystery is found. Your center is where you discover the key to the joy of your life.

Join the dance, keeping your awareness of the mystery and stillness underlying, and interpenetrating everything. This allows you to align with Spirit, to respond instead of reacting to life. You will then be moving with your own flow and guidance, living the authentic life you were born to live.

Now the dance is a joy moving through you.

Aspects

Karen Casey-Smith — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 21:13:28 +0000

Aspects - A mirror reflects two aspects of Nature, showing a swallowtail butterfly as an Echinacea flower. This creation is two of my photographs digitally combined.

The Law of Reflection is said to be one of the spiritual laws. Basically, it says that our outer world reflects our inner world. You’ll see outside yourself what is inside of you, your inner beliefs.

Have you ever noticed that if a friend tells you a sad story, or maybe you see one on the news, that you’ll begin to recall other sad stories like the one you just heard? They may be things may have happened to you, to someone you know, or even a friend of a friend. The longer you dwell there, the worse you feel, and the more sad stories that will come to mind. This is because like attracts like, and fortunately this works with positive stories, and feelings of gratitude as well.

When you’re sad you see sadness. When you’re irritated and rushed, thing seem to conspire to jump in your way to cause more irritation. When you’re very happy, or in love, you see happiness everywhere. All these potentials exist at all times; it’s what you’re tuned in to, what you’re looking for, that you experience. It all begins with how you predominately feel inside.

This is very good news. The only thing you really have control of is what you think, and where you place your attention. You can choose to tell a different story. You can choose different thoughts! If you really want happiness, begin to think of things that bring a smile to your face. This is one reason gratitude journals are so wonderful.

How you feel, what your life is like, is an inside job. Things aren’t happening to you. What you see is a reflection of your own inner self. If you wait for everything around you to please you, you’ll seldom be happy. Be happy first and there will be more things to be happy about, or as Buddha has wisely said, “there is no way to happiness, happiness is the way”.

Believe me, I’m working on this right alongside you, and there are times it takes some effort. It’s worthwhile work with great rewards. Actively look for things that make you smile, notice your blessings, and enjoy that wonderful feeling of appreciation for the good in your life. Begin here and now.

Today I’ll close with a few beautiful quotes on reflection. I hope you enjoy them.

Life is a mirror and will reflect back to the thinker what he thinks into it. ~ Ernest Holmes

Nature often holds up a mirror so we can see more clearly the ongoing processes of growth, renewal, and transformation in our lives. ~ Mary Ann Brussat

Like the fragrance which lingers in a flower, and like a reflection in the mirror, the Spirit dwells deep within the Self; search within your own heart. ~ Sikh parable

Since everything is a reflection of our minds, everything can be changed by our minds. ~ Buddha

Changes

Karen Casey-Smith — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 14:55:34 +0000

Changes - Flower Mandala

This feathery lavender and purple flower mandala speaks of change and joyous unfolding. While changes are in process they can look and feel absolutely chaotic; remain centered with trust and the knowledge that things are unfolding as they should, and you’re able to see that in reality there’s a beautiful pattern that emerges. I’m reminded of a quote by John Welwood, “Chaos is creativity seeking form.”

Feeling trust and confidence, or feeling fear, each allows for a different unfolding of events, and different outcomes. So, take a deep breath and breathe out slowly. If you’re not already there, find your way back to center. You may not be able to control events, but you can take charge of your own thoughts. Much of what you experience is really just your thoughts about what’s happening. That is truly empowering knowledge.

Embrace change for it’s the only constant. Remember the wise words of Mahatma Gandhi, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”

I sincerely hope all of your changes are joyous in their unfolding.

Abundance Mandala

Karen Casey-Smith — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:50:39 +0000

This is the Abundance mandala. In Chinese culture koi fish images are said to attract wealth luck, and are very good career luck. Fish shown with lotus blossoms symbolize living year after year in affluence. Lotus flowers also open us to beauty and light, enriching our lives and giving us appreciation for our abundance. Clouds are often used to symbolize good fortune and happiness.

I’d been reading about the rich symbolism used in Chinese paintings. These all sounded like wonderful things to have in your life. My next thought was that I would love to have my own abundance picture! This was why I originally drew the mandala. The original is framed, and hanging in our home. It was drawn with colored pencils on Canson Mi-Teintes paper.

Prints, done on Kodak Lustre paper, are now available at both my shops – Etsy and 1000 Markets. The mandala prints beautifully, and you are even able to see the texture of the paper in the print. If you’d like a custom size, please contact me and I’d be happy to list one for you.

Best success to you, and I hope this mandala will assist you in attracting abundance, and best wealth and career luck too!

Beloved

Karen Casey-Smith — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 22:14:26 +0000

Beloved

The fragrant Freesia is the symbol of sweetness, friendship, innocence, and trust. They’re so beautiful, and their scent has to be one of my most favorite. Freesias are one of the flowers that makes me wish I could just continue breathing in!

So far, I’ve never found a perfume or essential oil that captures the amazing fragrance the living blooms have. If anyone knows of one, please let me know!

The bulbs were planted in April, and checked daily in delightful anticipation of the time they would bloom. Here you see the first blooms that came in June. This image was captured outside, late in the day, in the hour before sunset. The warm light gives them a beautiful golden glow.

I’ll leave you today with a lovely quote that seems a perfect fit for these sweet flowers.

“To be overcome by the fragrance of flowers is a delectable form of defeat.” ~ Beverly Nichols

Bold As Spring

Karen Casey-Smith — Sat, 29 May 2010 19:47:41 +0000

Bold As Spring

The Bold As Spring flower mandala radiates the energy of joyous becoming. It’s about creating for the sheer joy of creating, being in the flow and riding that wave in delight.

Spring is a powerfully expansive time. There’s a marvelous exhilaration in the air that comes with reborn activity. Spring’s nearly irresistible energy rises and expands. This is the energy used to manifest, to break bonds, to express creativity in all its forms, and create change.

Spring this year was absolutely amazing, the trees bursting with blooms! I don’t remember a more gorgeous spring. Often it’s only when the mandala is completed that the energy message is fully revealed. This time, as I worked on Bold As Spring, I was aware of, and filled with, the exhilarating energy I’m describing.

In this mandala you can see the soaring, singing birds, and how profusely the trees and plants were flowering. It was most definitely a joy to create.

To me Bold As Spring expresses being happy in this very moment, and joyful in the unfolding of your creation and what’s to come. This is the place to Be, and also the place to take action from.

“When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.” – Rumi

I wish you many blessings, much joy, and creations that delight your soul.

Wordless Wednesday – Irresistible Spring

Karen Casey-Smith — Wed, 05 May 2010 21:29:26 +0000

Is it any wonder we have Spring Fever? Enjoy!

Irresistible Spring

Purple Pansy Photo Set

Karen Casey-Smith — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 23:16:49 +0000

Set of two photographs - Butterfly Pansy II & Pansy Glow II

Pansies have a timeless, classic beauty. I found this purple and white beauty at a local nursery, and brought the plant home to grace our garden – after making pictures of it of course.

The table they were on was filled with flats of pansies of all colors. Even among the masses of spring flowers, this particular flower captured my attention. It was the amazing glow, that you can see best in the second picture, that caught my eye.

The Pansy is always a favorite in the garden. The word pansy can be traced back to the French word pensée, meaning thought or remembrance. I’ve seen the meaning “loving thoughts” given to this little flower, and that’s one of my favorites.

There are some wonderful names given to pansies. Have you heard of “Jump Up and Kiss Me”, “Flame Flower”, or “Love in Idleness” for the lover who has little or no other employment than to think of his beloved one? “Heart’s Ease” is another favorite name given to the Viola Tricolor.

Many artists and lovers have been inspired by the pansy, including D. H. Lawrence and Georgia O’Keeffe . You may remember it was the juice of a pansy flower that was used as a love potion in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Pansies aren’t supposed to overwinter in Illinois, but they have come back a couple of times on their own to bloom for another season. That’s such a delightful surprise when they do! As long as the spent blooms are cleaned away, the plants will bloom prolifically. It can actually be enjoyable removing the spent flowers. You have a quiet time and really get to look at each little face individually. They are such charming flowers.

The images to the left are two views of the same flower, Butterfly Pansy II and Pansy Glow II. They’re listed together as a set in my 1000 Markets shop and my Etsy shop at a special lower price than if they were purchased separately.

Perhaps no flower (not excepting even the queenly rose) claims to be so universal a favorite, as the viola tricolor; none currently has been honored with so rich a variety of names, at once expressive of grace, delicacy and tenderness.

…………………………………………………………………… __ Dorothea Lynde Dix

Thanks so much for looking!

Wordless Wednesday – Black-Eyed Susan

Karen Casey-Smith — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:33:00 +0000

Here are some sunny yellow-orange Black-Eyed Susans from last autumn to brighten up your winter day!

Black-Eyed Susan

Metallic Gallery Wrap

Karen Casey-Smith — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 00:04:04 +0000

Always, My Love - Metallic Gallery Wrap

I was just thrilled when I was asked to have a gallery wrap made. Ever since I’d seen that White House Custom Colour offered them, I’d wanted to have one of my images put on a canvas so I could see it in person. Let me tell you, WHCC does not disappoint! They did an excellent job – as always!

We ordered my image, titled Always, My Love, as a 24 x 16 Metallic Gallery Wrap. It had a matte finish applied to it to protect the canvas. The actual photographic print is created and its emulsion is stripped, bonded to canvas and wrapped around a 1 1/2″ deep wood frame.

I absolutely love the Kodak Endura Metallic photographic paper. The colors are amazing and there’s so much depth to the images. Also, you can see just a slight shimmer which I thought looked really great. The canvas itself has a nice subtle texture, and they come to you ready to hang, right out of the box.

The wrap arrived in perfect condition. I wish I’d thought to take pictures of the packaging before unpacking it. It was pretty brilliant.

I wanted to say a special thanks to talented photographer Jessica Grieves of Hey Girl, Nice Shot for her post on Metallic Gallery Wraps. It was so helpful to see her wonderful pictures and description when I was trying to decide on the details before ordering my own wrap. Thank you so much, Jessica! I’m hoping my post will be helpful to someone searching out information on these too.

This pictures in this post are all of the gallery wrap itself, not the computer files used to print it. If you’d like to see some real detail, you can click on any of the pictures below, and they’ll open a very large version of the picture. You can see in this last picture how nicely the back is finished. (You could have an open back with wire if you prefer it.)

Someday I’ll have a few of these lovely wraps to hang in our home. I couldn’t have been more pleased with this one!

3/4 front view

front view

back view