An Invitation

I know that most of you are too far away

but still. . . .

I wanted to invite you to my upcoming show

of dreamscape images from my "About Time" series.

"About Time" © 2009 Meri Arnett-Kremian

It's going to be mounted at

Dragonfly Holistic Healing

in Seattle's Fremont District

760 N. 34th Street

"In the Nick of Time" © 2009 Meri Arnett-Kremian

in time for the Fremont Art Walk

Friday, December 4 (from 5 pm until 8ish)

and will be exhibited through December 29.

There are seven related images in the series.
This is a sneak peek at two of them.


Enjoy!

Windows

Sometimes I'm lucky enough

to take a photograph that excites me,

an image that's a visual metaphor.

It might say

"oneness"

"grace"

or

"sadness."

"Seeing All the Way Through to the Heart of Things" © 2009 Meri Arnett-Kremian

Here, the magic for me is in

the wavy panes of glass showing their age,

being just as they are.

The meaning I ascribe shines through

the transparency and openness,

the way you can see all the way through

to the light on the other side of things.

The light

so pervasive and yet delicate,

coming in quiet in the morning

and illuminating everything inside .

The art leaning up against the window walls,

 hidden treasures just waiting to be revealed.

The whole tableau speaks to me

of light

and open hearts

and the gift of creativity.

What moved you today?

Tell me.

Letting the Light Shine

One of the challenges that most women face

is learning how to gracefully wield their power

and let their light shine.



Some of us were lucky enough to find great role models
and learn from their examples.


Others of us acquired power but never learned to use it wisely.


The rest of us still struggle with issues of personal power.


What lessons have you learned
that might shine a light for other women?

Share with us, please. 

Writing Circle

One of my favorite things about the Egypt trip
was the writing (and reading) circle.
Here's a piece that explains the magic.

Left to right - Margaret Kachadurian, Laura Janesdaughter, Nettie Eldredge, Piliaka Peter, Denise, Pat Chesser, and just the merest hint of Joyce Brady's peach-colored sleeve. Not visible: Nicki Scully, Mark Hallert, Gloria Taylor-Brown, Normandi Ellis, Barbara Lindsey, Kathryn "Raven" Ravenwood, Vera Kaplan, Cathleen Shattuck, Jane Wodening, Alma Donato, Donna Swindells, and of course me (the photographer).

The group sat in rapt concentration, bringing to a close the scribing of words that described alternative selves, alternative realities. Eighteen women and a lone man sat on chairs, sofas, the floor, with journals in laps and laptops on tables or perched upon their knees. The air conditioner exhaled a steady stream of air above our heads but we barely noticed the cool breeze caressing our shoulders, the sacred energy was so vibrant and compelling. The writing done, each participant floated back from imagination and inspiration to the present. These embodied goddesses and the lone god sat expectantly, attentively while in turn each pilgrim's voice emitted words so pure and true that they pierced the hearts of those who received them. I am the priestess, the protector of the vortex. I am ritual, the sacred nectar. I am the meaning of life. Sometimes my sisters and I sing with passing whales. I am the intoxicating drink brewed during the dark moon. I want to capture that creative juice in an iridescent crystal bottle so I can tip it upside down against my fingertip and dab the essence of spirit and sacred union on my wrists. I want to inhale its fragrance forever.

Raindrops. . .

The word for the day is

raindrops.

Raindrops on roses,
raindrops hanging for dear life on the leaves and twigs
of my coral bark maple.

Raindrops dripping down your face like tears.
Raindrops pattering a soothing sound on your roof.

Raindrops filling the creek behind my house
so the ducks can body-surf from the bridge to the pond.


Raindrops.
Have any fallen lately into your life?

Are they helping things grow
or making you think you might drown?

If there's too much rain falling around you,
stop complaining. Complaining doesn't stop the rain.
It makes you focus on what you don't want.
Just let your friends
shelter you with their umbrellas of love.

Mum's the Word

My cold and I went out for an adventure today.
I couldn't seem to leave her at home, though I've tried.
I don't know why I think it's a her, but I do.
It might be because she keeps urging me to eat chocolate.
Whether she's a she or a he, it'll do her good to get a breath of fresh air.

We went to the conservatory in Wright Park in Tacoma

"Hanging On" © 2009 Meri Arnett-Kremian

and were overcome
by the beauty of the floral displays.

" Unfurling" © 2009 Meri Arnett-Kremian

She started whispering to me,
making lots of suggestions.

"Pink Princess" © 2009 Meri Arnett-Kremian

You know, said Ms. Cold,
people might like these photos.
You ought to get off your butt and get prints made.

She's pushy, this cold.

"Yellow in the Thick of Things" © 2009 Meri Arnett-Kremian


So I said to her,
once you decide to go live in someone else's head,
I just might do that.
Are you planning to leave anytime soon?

"Cinderella Moment" © 2009 Meri Arnett-Kremian

She just smiled.
Mum's the word, she said enigmatically.

Indeed.

While We're on the Subject of New York. . .

I know the Empire State Building is taller.
I know the observation deck of the Empire State Building
was romanticized in An Affair to Remember
and Sleepless in Seattle,
but in my book
it doesn't hold a candle to the Chrysler Building.


It was designed by architect William Van Alen for a project
financed by Walter Chrysler, chairman of the Chrysler Corporation.
Ground was broken in 1928, not long before the crash of Wall Street.

At the time, there was intense competition to build
the world's tallest skyscraper
and with a few tricks up their sleeves,
Van Alen and Chrysler managed to do just that
but only for a brief interlude.


It was the first habitable structure standing taller than 1000 feet.
But less than a year after it was opened in 1931,
its height was surpassed by the Empire State Building.
The Chrysler Building still can boast about being
the tallest steel-supported brick building in the world.

The building is a National Historic Landmark
and is considered a masterpiece of Art Deco architecture.
The Chrysler Building is renowned for its graceful crown
consisting of seven radiating terraced arches
clad in stainless steel riveted in a radiating sunburst pattern
with many triangular vaulted windows.


Close inspection shows another decorative feature of the building
that I didn't know before my tour of New York on a Gray Line
double-decker tour bus.

The ornamentation on the building is based on details
that were used in Chrysler automobiles of the time
like hood ornaments and radiator caps.
Nice detail, I think.

What's your favorite landmark building?