Seasons Greetings!

Best Wishes for the Solstice, Xmas & the New Year bringing lots of Hope, Love and Joy to the World!
namaste
Mo & Rod
“Cosmic Seedling” illustration by Mo Orkiszewski 2020
for “How Plants are Born: A story about relationships” by Peter Webb

Time Out of Time

we just took some time out of time at Dowling Cottage in Blackheath
such a peaceful quiet space
to read and relax
and enjoy the wild beauty
wild waterfalls on the walk to Centennial Glen
a wave carved by Mother Nature
the heath near Porters Pass
the bush is recovering from the bushfires near Govetts Leap
Banksias need fire for the seeds to germinate
resilience
“Our minds are not hopeful …
But our nerves are made of optimistic stuff.”
a potent line on the last page of “Cosmo Cosmolino” by Helen Garner
roses full of love & light for my beautiful friend Julie and her partner Leigh dealing with a very aggressive cancer
praying for a miracle

hope from Michael Leunig for 2020 !

Michael Leunig bringing hope for 2020 !

a feathered felted sea urchin pod with obsidian and parchment star

Yesterday I posted this feathered felted sea urchin pod with a powerful obsidian and an antique parchment star to a dear friend diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer late last year to help with the surgery next month and follow up radiant rays
the obsidian was given to me by a crystal healer back in 2005 for deep spirit healing, love how it fit so purrfectly into the pod
namaste

home sweet home

yesterday we had our first house inspection with the new real estate agent with only 24 hours notice, always have to worry a bit about what on earth they will think of us and this wild old lady of a house!?
the lounge room full of plants and art
looking into the studio
the office
dining room
industrial storage shelves
the milk crate wardrobe
the view from the bedroom window is nearly private, we will celebrate ten years here on December 1st
Old Man Crow in his music room
upstairs verandah
Ariel P Cat 1999-2017
so the house feels clean, the inspection went well & looks like we will be here for a good while yet!

making talismans of love for our beautiful broken world

This is a call for making a small talisman of love for
“I dream of a world where love is the answer”
a collaborative project joining hearts from around the world
The talismans need to be small as there is a lot of weight to suspend already in
the 44 pennants  that have flown out to this circle of hopes and dreams
H 1.5cm x W 1.5cm (H 1/2″ x H 1/2″)
they can be made of anything that speaks from the heart of love for our beautiful broken world
cloth, stitch, metal, buttons, feathers, shells, stone, bone, wood, paper, etc
(PS If you want to send natural materials like feathers, twigs, rocks, bones, etc the best way is clean the article thoroughly and declare it on the customs form at the post office as Australia has very strict quarantine rules)
all the talismans will be stitched to the branches of the dreaming tree, they are jewellery scale like Mexican milagros
if you want to stitch, paint or write more words perhaps a paper or cloth scroll that is 1.5cm (1/2″) in height x as long as will fit into the width of 1.5cm (1/2″) when rolled up and tied with a thread
(using thin cloth or paper will help to give more space to work with)

Definition of a Talisman-
“A talisman is something thought to be imbued with some magical property. It can both protect, and radiate power, and is often used in ritual.”
from “Amulets – A world of secret powers, charms and magic” by Sheila Paine 2004
“The word talisman is derived from the Greek root teleo which means “to consecrate.” And it is precisely the act of consecration which gives a talisman its alleged magical powers. For contrary to the amulet, which is usually an object naturally charged endowed with magical properties, the talisman must be charged with magical power by the person preparing it. Also, while the amulet is used for general purposes, such as averting evil or attracting good luck, the talisman is always prepared for a definite reason.”
from “The Complete book of Amulets and Talismans” by Migene González-Wippler 1991

“Plant your love and let it grow” as Eric Clapton sang all those years ago
if this resonates with your heart & you want to make a talisman please e-mail <mocrow(at)iinet.net.au>
for my snail mail address, the talismans will need to be made & posted to me by December 2018
the installation will be exhibited in the Braille for the Soul show scheduled at Artsite Gallery for March 2019

am halfway through reading “No is not enough” by Naomi Klein, it’s heavy going, our beautiful broken world is in a very precarious place, the hollow men that have made this corporate coup are paper tigers, we can make them irrelevant with love for our beautiful planet and caring for each other but things are going to get very strange in the process
“I dream of a world where love is the answer”

the first cut is the deepest

My friend who donated her mother’s wedding dress tore one of the applique circles out of her skirt to give to the dress & it turned into a heart! then she tied it into the left sleeve with some white silk thread & snipped the tiny frayed heart you can see just below it
the first cut
the skirt all cut up into pennants ready to fly out to be stitched with hopes and dreams for our beautiful broken world
there’s still plenty of pieces left if you want to come aboard
the cloth is weighty, old and full of story
hold it in your hands, listen with your heart & dream
then do whatever feels right – fray or bind the edges, burn if that’s your turn, add bits of cloth or special beads, feathers, stones, bones, paint or dye, stitch or just fill it with good vibes then when it’s done send it back to me by December 2018
“I dream of a world where love is the answer”
for the Braille for the Soul show at Artsite Gallery in March 2019

PS all of the 45 pennants have flown out but if you want to join this circle make a small talisman and post it to me by December 2018

listening & learning

Holding Space, Weaving Place a yarning stick workshop and story telling gathering at the Australian Museum
Wiradjuri Elder Aunty Gail, Wailwan and Yuin man Millmullian (Laurance Magick Dennis) and Wiradjuri/Ngemba woman Nyimirr (Fleur Magick Dennis) showed us how to wrap the yarning sticks, add feathers and seed pods then Laura McBride, an amazing young woman with two degrees who is the curator for the First Australian Galleries sat with us & spoke eloquently about oh so many things… great food for thought, I especially enjoyed her analogy of how to hold space when the going gets tough like an echidna & just wait it out… Australia’s First People are so kind & generous with their sharing of culture, we enjoyed the listening & hope to see a treaty made respecting the rights of the people of this ancient land who have lived here for 50,000 years
Holding Space, Weaving Place is on again today and tomorrow from 1-4pm

our beautiful muse Ariel P Cat

our beautiful muse Ariel P Cat is living on pain killers
a wise old cat, noble and stoic as he prepares to leave this mortal coil
he inspired these two books
Cooking with Cats
An illuminated Book of Cats
& this song
Little Pussycat
we love you Ariel!
a wand for seeing in the dark made with Ariel’s whiskers

Last Chance To See

last chance to see Collector’s Choice 2016 at Artsite Gallery
Saturday & Sunday 11-5