refuge and sanctuary

 |  January 31, 2011

Not merely an absence of noise, Real Silence begins when a reasonable being withdraws from the noise in order to find peace and order in his inner sanctuary. ~Peter Minard


refuge_sanctuary
refuge and sanctuary
mixed media panel
6×8 inches

When I figured out how to print onto the teabag paper, I decided to print out the same image on two teabags and to experiment with them in different ways. The first experiment was my last post. And the panel above is what I did with the other teabag. I had planned on this panel just being mixed media- cloth, acrylic paint and various papers. But at the very end I ended up brushing beeswax onto the surface of the teabag. I wanted to give it a little extra protection. After all, this panel’s final destination is as a cover for a handbound blank journal.

Don’t know why, but these quotes on silence resonate with me today. Maybe it’s because the image of that tree brings back a memory of a silent early morning in the eastern foothills of the Cascade Mountains in Washington. The fog of the morning enveloped the landscape and muted all the sounds around me. I snapped a photo of that tree to remember it and to remember the silence of a new morning emerging.

And now in the bustling city of Chicago, silence like that…well I’m not going to say it doesn’t exist. But it is hard to come by. Even now, both kids napping (ahhh, rare silence in my home!), I hear my neighbor’s windchimes, the hum of the furnace, the distant flight of a plane heading towards O’Hare, a loud muffler driving by. Different worlds. Neither one better nor worse. Just different.

Let us be silent, that we may hear the whispers of the gods. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

12 Comments

  1. by Mary on January 31, 2011  4:57 pm Reply

    we so need silence in our lives, and this piece as well as many of yours evokes peace and calmness to my heart. beautiful!

  2. by Bev on January 31, 2011  5:06 pm Reply

    i love this piece bridgette...as i do all your art!
    i ditto what mary has to say...when i look into your canvas i feel at peace...
    xo

  3. by merci33 on January 31, 2011  11:32 pm Reply

    Hi Bridgette
    I was so intrigued by your urge to print on tea bags and the effect you're getting is magical...like from a fairy land.
    Your quote:
    Not merely an absence of noise, Real Silence begins when a reasonable being withdraws from the noise in order to find peace and order in his inner sanctuary. ~Peter Minard
    fits so perfectly for this time of year...inner work/rest/regrouping/quieting...I had just completed this week's post when I came here and felt the sweet resonance.
    charmed.

  4. by my croft on February 1, 2011  12:27 am Reply

    One of my favorites is from Thomas Carlyle: "Silence is the element in which great things fashion themselves."

    I'm very intrigued by these tea bag experiments. I pulled apart a couple of bags the other day and was surprised at how big they are. hmmm. . .

  5. by Julie on February 1, 2011  2:23 pm Reply

    Love this, Bridgette! I always stop o look at your art for a few minutes...love the palette...every time. :)

  6. by Caryl on February 1, 2011  3:05 pm Reply

    Your work is so beautiful.

  7. by Seth on February 1, 2011  11:31 pm Reply

    Beautiful piece. Lovin the texture. And that brush of beeswax is the perfect touch.

  8. by femminismo on February 1, 2011  11:53 pm Reply

    The teabag printing sounds like a challenge, but I would try it! Encausticamp! Whoopee! I'll check my calendar.

  9. by Supria Karmakar & Patrice Baker on February 2, 2011  9:17 pm Reply

    Brigette:
    thanks so much for these quotes..I am craving a moment or two in silence...and I am carving out that time tomorrow morning in a meditative walk alone with the white crisp fresh fallen snow...
    I love how you go for it and try some lovely exciting things...with encaustic
    supria

  10. by Gina on February 3, 2011  6:26 pm Reply

    What a beautiful piece, Bridgette. The colors really work and it has a true winter feel, too. What a fascinating object to experiment on—the humble tea bag! Since it’s cold here, especially at work, you’ve got me looking at my accumulating pile of tea bags in a new light :-) Best wishes and much congratulations on your new upcoming teaching gigs.

  11. by Wen Redmond on February 16, 2011  9:16 am Reply

    beautiful beautiful. I hear internal singing when viewing your work!

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