Le Dolmen de la Pierre-Pèse, Limolonges, France, late August

The roadside sign that marked the path was small and low to the ground. I walked away from the intense sound of vehicles whizzing past, their weight and power all too evident on a narrow road with no really safe space for pedestrians, into a moss and ivy hung oak wood full of birdsong. From the moment I entered it was obvious that this was no ordinary place, and then the dolmen came into view, so perfect and magical it literally took my breath away.

Once a tumulus covered with an earthen mound that has since vanished, le Dolmen de la Pierre-Pèse is a megalithic monument that has stood for perhaps five thousand years in the French countryside. An early archaeological exploration here in the first years of the 19th century turned up many human bone fragments, confirming the dolmen's use as a burial site in Neolithic times. In the not too distant past folk beliefs throughout Europe connected dolmens and other megalithic monuments with the faery realm. Whilst visiting this site one could very easily be convinced that there is truth in these tales... 

I discovered this small bird of prey dead nearby and carried it inside the dolmen as a fitting place of rest.
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And from this site I brought home with me a small clump of moss, two bright crimson hawthorne berries and two brindled feathers that lay on the ground

Travels in Turkey

Wishing you all a happy and creative New Year filled with good things! It's been a long time since my last post--more than four months. To make up for my incredible laziness I'd like to share some photos from my recent trip to Turkey...a magical land with a winning combination of sea, mountains, a rich ancient history, lovely handcrafts and charming villages.

The photos in this post are from the site of the ancient Lycian city of Myra. Much there has been leveled by earthquakes over the more than two thousand years since the city was built but it still possesses the bulk of a fine stone amphitheatre and a beautiful collection of rock cut tombs carved out of the cliff face that towers over the site. There are also row upon row of carved stones from other buildings which are no longer standing. The intriguing bas relief faces and decorative motifs on these must have kept a small army of stone carvers busy over many years...

 Carved stone building parts, Myra, Turkey

More carved stones from fallen buildings

View of Myra's amphitheatre and the cliff with rock cut tombs behind it

Stone garland and figures

More beautiful decorative stone

Amphitheatre entrance

A rubble filled stairway in the amphitheatre

A bit of "out of character" carving on a building stone--maybe an example of ancient stone carver's graffiti?

A fallen lintel in the amphitheatre

More decorative carving

A tomb entrance

Rock cut tombs

Another tomb entrance

Virtuosity in stone

Tombs carved from solid rock in the cliff face more than two thousand years ago

Another entrance to the amphitheatre

 

 

 

Overview of the largest cluster of rupestrian tombs

 

 

 

 

Part of the amphitheatre

Some tombs are nearly free standing but still firmly rooted in the rock from which they were carved.

Paris in June

Sphinx along the route, Paris, June 2012

Late June in Paris--just a quick trip but long enough to experience the magic of the Les Maîtres du Désordre exhibition at Le Musée du quai Branly and see the permanent collection on display in an intriguing and at times disorientingly dark space dotted with pools of theatrical lighting. Earlier in the same day I also had the thrill of seeing the extensive Artemesia Gentileschi painting exhibition on view at the Maillol Museum. It was an outstanding journey with nary a trace of the mysterious "museum fatigue" that often accompanies a day of too much beauty and wonder.

Bolivian festival costume, the archangel Michael

wild men festival costumes, maîtres du désordre exhibition

wild man of the woods, maîtres du désordre exhibition

installation, maîtres du désordre exhibition

Afghan hunting regalia, permanent collection

Swiss mask in carved wood, maîtres du désordre exhibition

Oceanic art, permanent collection

view from the Pre-Columbian galleries

slit drums from Oceania

Australian indigenous paintings

Chinese shadow puppet, a bat-like dragon

Pre-Columbian miniature figure in gold sheet, Peru

sculpture from the permanent collection of oceanic arts

view from the museum's extensive gardens

a section of the Musée du quai Branly green wall

Furthering a dream

Since arriving in France I have been fortunate to travel and experience many fascinating places--and I hope you've enjoyed the voyages I share here. Right now I'm longing to travel again for a deeper purpose, to teach workshops and perform as I have in the past, expanding my range of possibility to the United Kingdom and other European countries where I have many supportive internet friends and contacts. I would also like to take the first steps toward my ultimate goal of creating an itinerant troupe of nature-based artists and performers whose job would be to help people engage their creative imagination and find a place of energy and joy within themselves and the natural world.

I've always considered my art to be about other people and as such teaching and performing have major roles to play. It has been a great pleasure for me to work with age groups ranging from kindergarten through adults, in venues including museums and botanical garden workshops and teaching appointments at Steiner school and university. My guiding force has always been the joy and vibrant energy available when we look to our creative centers and our connection to the natural world. I believe we can also find a deep peace and sense of purpose there as well, something sorely needed in the world at large.

Now I'd like to ask for your help in getting the word out about a campaign I have created to raise funds for purchasing a reliable used van in which to travel, carry my materials and provide a shelter to support my nomadic arts/performance dream. Your participation doesn't have to involve money-- although any amount would be appreciated no matter the sum--- your help in sharing the campaign via Facebook, Twitter, your blogs, and other social media alone would be very valuable. My campaign page has a full explanation of the project and there are also original art gift perks available for those who do want to be involved financially, beginning with twenty-five dollar contributions and upwards. So here's the link to share and see for yourself: http://www.indiegogo.com/nomad-ness
Many thanks to all of you for reading this and for your support and friendship along the way. Love and creativity to all of you, Diana

Spring segues into Summer

Away from blogging for such a time that now spring is turning towards summer, I have plans to be away yet again in travel, in Paris and other parts of France and then on to do workshops and performances at festivals in the UK in August. Life is interesting and ever changing---my art is the creative thread that holds it all together, no matter how tenuously. I do hope to stay in touch better even during my coming time on the road! Let me share with you some of what I've seen and done of late...

One of my recent projects was a papier-mache pulp and fiber mask adorned with flattened, rusty bottle caps and sea glass, made for a dance performance in Paris. Here it is on my work table nearly complete...

So many fae furniture orders have been coming my way as well... Here are a few ready to ship...

 

I have been obsessed with recording the plethora of blooms and the lovely spiral beginnings of ferns in the Jardin des Plantes and most particularly the baby goats at the mini farm of the Jardin. I was there for the birth of one kid who is my special favourite. He is quite tame, content to climb into my lap and curl up like a cat even though he is a bit older now and sporting tiny nubbin horns. Here he is at a few days old...

There were so many varieties of fiddleheads in the Jardin, varying from around nine centimeters across to delicately minute lacy curls...

 

I played with fallen petals and listened to the frogs' mating songs... 

 
I am not long back from the beautiful countryside of Burgundy (Bourgogne) in the east of France, where I traveled by train to spend two and a half weeks. I walked at sunset along quiet roads...

And conversed with magical hoofed beings of great beauty...

 

 

There were roses in the gardens and hedgerows...

and vintage doorways with mandala like designs...



















And when I came back to the west, I spent a day in the countryside near the ocean. The light was so intense that the world became a high contrast composition in shadow and highlights...

 

And once again there were flowers everywhere...

Well... not quite everywhere...