Dec 25, 2016

Peace Surround You

P
                                  E
                                  A
                                          C      E

Peace
   
c
o
n
      calm
e
       peace
                      today into Year
              Hope
                              u    You     r
                           e
                           a
                           r


 Annie



Nov 30, 2016

Ahhh, the Holidays... just breath it in and accept we can not do it all.

I watch and marvel at the sweetness of a child's play...

Remembering that all we really need in life is an active imagination, love, warmth from food & sleep. The rest will work it's way through.

With the exhausting move, feeling unbalanced from no work (artist at work), & the need to feel settled... the grandchildren bring a centered balance that is much needed.
Dear sweet friends knocking at the door, e-mails arriving, and yes even Facebook at times (though it's on the back burner as compared to face to face).

Blessed we are upon this earth, new ones arrive, our elders breathing into their golden years, stories being shared around the fires, snow sprinkles upon the decks. 
I wish for all of you great warmth, love & joy of others this season. 
May imagination fill your soul with sparks of joy &  memories from long ago. 



Nov 1, 2016

Let's


Let's sit around the campfire
where all ideas are hatched,
rolled around on the tongue
Sprouting enthusiastically
in great abundance
Let's

Let's sit around the table
Breaking bread together
Drinking wine together
Honoring all exchange
and notions.
Let's


 Let's gather in these woods we know
Examine all cracks & crevices
Allowing the voices of the forest
Entry
Letting the words & notions
 settle into our bones.
Let's


Oct 21, 2016

A Place to Call Our Own: Onward Ranch

I've been searching ...searching for shelter, for love... for the boxcar that would provide shelter from hunger and cold. 
I've been searching...for a place I know ... where sweetness surpassed a cruel world of indifference. A place that held my heart safely from the elements.
I've been searching for a place way over yonder... little did I know that it laid before my very eyes... onward through the pines longingly searching for me too. 
I've been searching for the golden sun shining through the pines... through the aspens with their golden hues...
I've been searching...for a place to call home...way over yonder.
I've been searching ... for worry free panels of glass reflecting my image through the morning rain...peering back was my reflection of love.. 
I've been searching... planting a secret garden where my grand babies, my rug rats could hang, breath, laugh... way over yonder...
I've been searching... the garden of dreams... and along came my soul partner, recognizing my longing... ending the search 
I'm building a place where over yonder, where secret gardens truly exist, where all people can come... play, dance in the sunshine, paint their dreams... breath
Way over yonder
Onward
Thank you Carole King, Thank you Trace, Thank you Blackfoot River, ...to coming home


Way over yonder
Is a place that I know
Where I can find shelter
From a hunger and cold
And the sweet tastin' good life
Is so easily found
A way over yonder, that's where I'm bound
I know when I get there
The first thing I'll see
Is the sun shining golden
Shining right down on me
Then trouble's gonna lose me
Worry leave me behind
And I'll stand up proudly
In true peace of mind
Talkin' about
Talkin' about
A way over yonder
Is a place I have seen
In a garden of wisdom
From some long ago dream
Oh yeah
Oh maybe tomorrow
I'll

Oct 8, 2016

Fall into Colors



I fall into colors... I am a colorist through and through.
Leaping into a imaginary leaf pile of russets, gold & magical reds. Shadows of royal purple live in the negative while shouts of yellow reside in the positive. 
How blessed we are as humans, count our lucky stars, grateful for all. 
Yes we are reminded nothing gold can stay. 

Nothing Gold Can Stay
Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay. 

-Robert Frost





Sep 18, 2016

Healing tendrils of flight

Healing

                                                                                                                 Tendrils
                                                                                                                            of F
                                                                                                                                 light
                                                                                                                                 I
                                                                                                                                 go
                                                                                                                                the
                                                                                                                                 Tendrils
                                                                                                                                               Fly



Aug 28, 2016

Retreat

Fall approaches
Smells
Change


Thoughts
Comfort food
warm drink
good cheer

Nestle time
Retreat
Gather together
Women

Create
Dance
Sing
Let go .... 

I am considering the next women's retreat. I have found a spot to hold this incredible event. The link is below. If there is interest please send me a message on my website below as well. If we have the numbers we will entertain the notion of gathering once again. 
Where we would gather:www.redsunlabyrinth.com
Leave a message: Annie Allen Art annieallenart.com



Pour

The coffee pours thick this morning, cream trails through...images of mother hit thick. Babies, nestled, babies born...babies lost. Be strong...cry quietly. 
Skies pour thick this morning, smoke trails through...images of land lost... hit thick. Trees, water, animals born...animals lost. 
Be strong...cry loudly
Reflection provides strength & wisdom.
All circles around. 
Water heals
drips
p
you
u
r


Aug 9, 2016

In the Twinkle of an Eye

In the vast sky I lose myself...
Twinkling lights spill upon the earth's surface illuminating beauty
Complications exist in the voices that surround me
I look up
Hiatus....
In the twinkle of an eye all can change, 
health disappears
wrinkles of weariness appear.
I look up
Hiatus...
Reactions vary
Hope exists around corners
I look up 
Hiatus...
In the vast sky, in the twinkle of an eye... a prayer escapes with the moisture of my eye. 


Jul 21, 2016

Changing The Dynamic of Lineage

Wrong-doings, hurts, sorrows, indiscretions...apologies. I've had a few and created quite a few.
The past haunts.
Mistakes made, words said....undercurrents of deep love always exist.
For twenty beautiful expressions said...one expression (without thinking) dissolves the twenty well-meaning thought out expressions of love. 
Humans are complex.

Movement forward, reflection... I love aging. It treats me well. Youth...it was harsh on me, scared me and left me exhausted. 
Raising children...that was icing on the cake of youth. 
Youth allowed play time with them...
Aging would have allowed wisdom and silence more. Just keep going, just keep plugging... 
I'm in love with the ones I've helped create.
Their turn to try & do their best for the future lineage. 

Jul 17, 2016

Digging up Roots & Planting Color

Digging, excavating...allowing time to creep into our bones and information to disperse through our system. We all come from somewhere... lines of colors, shapes, sizes & varieties... thus spice of life.
Differences, often, produce disharmony. Competitive spirits exist within us... thrusting forward demanding recognition... but all lines are of value and provide the great diversity of the world we live in.
While digging we realize the ponderous lines have come through many hardships... floods, washed out coulees, jagged cliff edges, sun-parched lands. The struggles have weakened & strengthened the lines of color. Clinging together for strength, lines have intermingled resulting in harmonious new colors & possibilities. Planting occurred and the power of new seedlings provides hope in a world ever-changing.
Dedicated to the immigrants who filled Montana with diversity in the 1890's.

I was fortunate to guide & teach an art camp at the Sculpture in the Wild, http://www.sculptureinthewild.com, in Lincoln Montana. Our theme was "Digging up Roots & Planting Color". We studied immigration and the beautiful ripple effect it had on our state. This same ripple, in beautiful lines of color, affects us today. Through food, games, crafts, work, and etc. Mixing, mingling, & blending occurred.
The lesson continued to grow as we discussed our connections to the international artists from all walks of life. We are connected in one form or another. Beautiful lines of diversity.
I'm filled with pride to live in a state of beauty and old values. My hopes & prayers would be acceptance of all lines, shapes, colors...










May 25, 2016

Windbreak

There is an ambience to a windbreak, created by humans, protecting & providing. Hidden from the world, I rested among the branches leaning into the comfort of trees. Wings filled the air with flitting sounds, beaks filled the air with chatter and music. Sunlight filtered in allowing daydreams to persist. Sitting quietly allowing rabbits the curious moment of testing me with their nose and viewing with sideways glance. My granddaughter does this same curious movement. Girl of the earth sniffs the air and views her grandmother with a quick sideways look before scampering in all directions.
It is good to exist hidden from view. Times are troubling, windbreaks are needed...sniffing the air for safety and comfort..
Using my hands is comforting. I believe it was comforting for the father to build windbreaks... protecting & providing.
Perhaps the earth is in need of more windbreaks, strong windbreaks to protect us from cruel words, from bullies who persist. Where we can listen, smell and cast a sideways glance.




May 13, 2016

Thoughts on Art Houses vs. Art Galleries

Some thoughts to consider. I ran an art house in Lincoln Montana for 4 years and was often times curious about the energy that existed in the art house. It was warm, inviting, open to all despite race, religion, political views, etc. It was  meant to represent how I was raised in central Montana, Laredo (near Havre) to be exact. We were very open to company that came calling at our home. We lived in rural, and I mean rural Montana. We welcomed all peeps despite opinions or views as long as you could get along with one another over coffee (or beverages) and mom's homemade baked goods. Believe me homemade baked goods creates quite a euphoric atmosphere. Another story will have to be about mom's homemade cinnamon rolls after sledding!
So as the art (coffee) house evolved I realized that the comfort level produced the atmosphere conducive to educating the public about art. Relaxed and warm + inviting = ahhh, fill me in on your teachings! I believe that this is an important element in Montana. 
Give me your tired, give me your starved, give me your weak... let's provide them some understanding and friendship. Hospitality and art education! Love to all of you. 

Annie

May 9, 2016

Accumulation of Talus

Talus has extracted itself from my headwall, trickled down the front of me, forming a fractured crusty protalus rampart at my root system. There are moments of realization that removal of this accumulative talus is crucial to my well-being. It is accumulating due to stress, overloads, change...and that is the time to... simply...release. 
Now what does one do with the accumulation of talus, or scree, at your root system... the base of your body? 
These broken parts provide hazardous travels and often times sharp barriers to overcome. 
All in due time, life softens the edges of the talus and they become memories. Memories and hillsides where green begins to sprout, where pikas & marmots scamper, and the butterflies land...remembering as my headwall ages & trickles more talus. 

My inspiration for this writing came from "Home Ground: Language for an American Landscape"
Barry Lopez, Editor
Debra Gwartney, Managing Editor

May 6, 2016

Deep Water Wells of Intimacy


I have been drawn to authentic souls most of my life. By authentic I refer to individuals who can reveal a glimpse of their soul along a line of conversation. 
An individual who looks into the back of your retina to see what you are made of and what color your soul is.

Superficiality does not appeal to me. Who you know, who your associations are with, who you feel will buy your passage into some great kingdom of yore... not interested. 






There is a depth to our fellow winged creatures...a depth to their song, to their flight, to their vision of life... purpose and passion exist for them.
Currently their song floats through the spring breeze in my studio... beckoning... come play. 
 No sign of polished surface, no sign of illusion, no sign of falsehood. 

Just a murmuring of songs, feathers and survival. 
Superficial does not exist here.

Intimate outlooks
Authentic 


Live for the day,
 love for the moment.
Bare your soul and look me in the eye.