1/29/11

Surrender To Nature - Arija's Sacred Canyon


Arija in Her Sacred Canyon. Archival ink on 9"x12" Arches Watercolor paper. Double Click to enlarge


For years now I have been wanting to draw my beloved friend, Arija. She is an extraordinary woman; beautiful, learned, wise, kind, caring, an avid and peripatetic photographer, aesthetic... are not enough to describe her.

I feel her vibes across time and space. She is a healer, her words soothe an aching heart and energize a weak resolve. I can go on and on but I will just summarize it with how I feel about her: I love Arija.

She reminds me of my sisters and my mother. I think that's the highest compliment I can ever give a friend, if you know my sisters and mother. I have a close-knit family but I consider Arija a sister, my friend, a true sisterfriend.

I could not make up my mind with how to draw her. This past week, I have been drawing trees. I wanted some inspiration and so I went to Arija's blog and found this and this. I almost flipped. I missed these posts, how???

Please visit Arija's blog. You will know what I mean when I say that sometimes we must surrender to nature and let it infuse us with valuable lessons. Beauty is only one of them.

When I see a rose, especially a pink rose, I see Arija, but I don't know how to draw roses. I sort of hid her behind the tree in this sacred canyon. I can only draw trees. I must learn to draw roses...


P.S. Thank you for all your prayers and well wishes for my Father-in-law. He is still in ICU.


Inspired by and surrendering to overwhelming sacred places: South Dakota's Cathedral Spires, North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains, Mauldin Tree Farm, Rocky Mountain Aspen Groves, South Dakota's Black Mountains and Wildlife Loop, England's Dell (Click on images to enlarge view)

27 comments:

MrBibleHead said...

Hey Ces! I jumped over to Arija’s blog! What a wonderland of nature! Thanks for pointing in her direction ;o) Your work is so amazing! The detail that you put into your work just blows my mind. Your’s are the only posts that I just sit in awe over to grasp the entire piece. I love zooming in on your work. I saw all the carvings that were posted over at Arija’s place and I also saw a bunny, a dinosaur, an owl, an iguana and my Aunt Annabel! (that was a shock! I didn’t even know you knew her ) Beautiful Ces! Your work and you :o)

Ira R said...

beautiful!!!

Ces Adorio said...

Oh Jack, you always make me laugh! I probably know many people's aunts, the way I sometimes draw trees? Hahahaha! What a riot.

Thank you Ira. Oh I like your name.

Arija said...

Ces, you surpass yourself yet again and I can only sit here and marvel not only at your talent, but at your, so deep, insight.
Thank you my friend so very much. As you know, I need all the strength and patience I can muster for a prolonged period. It is easy to be a hero for a day but even with love, constant repetition can become wearisome.

Your sacred places are havens of peace for me which I can always refer back to at need.

I don't know how you managed it and I am sure it was not intentional, but you don't enlarge it you will see my wolf totem.

Thank you from the innermost core of my being.

Tsup . . . Arija

Ces Adorio said...

Ahhhhh! OMG, I don't know how. I was just looking at your photographs of the Scared Canyon and I saw so many faces. It must be overwhelming in real life and when you said that had you been alone, you would have retreated, I believe you! I need to send this drawing to you soon I need your address again. I will put it in the mail on Monday. Tsup!

Lins Artyblobs said...

wonderful work

Ellen Byrne said...

Gorgeous work as alwyas1

Bella Sinclair said...

Oh my, where to start?

Arija is all that you said and more, I agree. I truly believe she is Nature's ambassador, perhaps Mother Nature's daughter herself. Oh goodness, Ces. What an exhilarating and honest tribute to an amazing sisterfriend. Your canyon is regal, and the tree is strong and resilient and has so many faces, so many stories to tell. Every time I see one of your nature illustrations, I am flattened by the blow of its beauty. I am in awe!

martinealison said...

Je comprends à présent, pourquoi les parents du Petit Poucet dans les conte de Charles Perrault sont allés perdre leurs enfants dans la forêt...
La tienne est si belle, si intense et il y a une profusion de détails qui tuent de bonheur...
Je suis allée visiter le blog de ton amie... il est génial!
Promis ma chère Ces, je te préparerai dès que possible un petit paquet avec des feuilles et glands de mon chêne... En ce moment il est chauve comme tes bébés!!! mais les petites pousses au printemps vont arriver, je ne désespère pas. Je pense à toi...
Je t'embrasse fort.

Indigene said...

What a beautiful illustration! I adore trees, and probably have over 1,000 pictures of them and it's obvious you love them too! Your attention to detail boggles the mind. It's wonderful coming here to view your work! :)

Tammie Lee said...

I am sorry to hear about your father in law. prayers and light I send for him and all of you!

This is a lovely post for you and Arija! I love this forest, I would love to be wandering around in there with Arija!

k.h.whitaker said...

beautiful, beautiful, beautiful :) as always Ces, your work is amazing

Linda Hensley said...

Beautiful, and such a lovely tribute to a worthy friend! Wishing your father-in-law the best too!

Shirley said...

Wow, Ces..wonderful illustration of Arija..I double clicked and just stared in awe. She looks content in her sacred canyon and those links were amazing! Sending my best wishes for a swift recovery for your father-in-law. Always great to see your fun visits and you are fine..no fear, you have not committed to anything and do not stop visiting, ya hear?! : ) Have a lovely rest of the weekend!

steveroni said...

Ces, even your TREES are people! (Did not write Peeps! OK?)

In Arija's blog I found a spiritual essence, and happy it is to 'know' her better. And she almost beautifies nature in photos

To find that essence captured in your inked piece is not a surprise. YOU are so 'in tune' (Yep, i meant it--grin!) with feelings, happiness and sadness and JOY of others, that you create
(n trees, of course!) the innermost selves of People. God is happy with you, girl.

It is with JOY I count myself in your circle of friendship. I LOVED Arij blog, BTW!

Arija said...

Hey ces, that was a subliminal invitation. Internet cut out before I could comment and on next trying I was barred and I so resonated with your poetry!

Unknown said...

This is a fantastic illustration Ces.

Janine said...

Your drawings are sooo amazing, I never saw trees like this before, you give a soul to all of them, that is so unique.
I am so amazed....
You are the queen of the woods!!!
Cheers
Janine

Lidia MP said...

Wow, ces! love all this details! wonderful work!

Curious Art said...

Wonderful, meditative piece... I saw old growth rain forest for the first time last summer & the beauty made me cry... this image brings back that awe.

india flint said...

nice trees...

Andrew Finnie said...

Ces when I come here I am like a kid in a lolly shop, do trees make you salivate? They give me splinters actually.

Arija's blog is magnificant. It is 41 degrees here today and looking at her photos and the heat all go nicely together. I'd like to stand under both your trees

Becky said...

Ces, the detail in this is just amazing. I love how you have rendered Arija.

I am still keeping your FIL and the rest of you in my prayers.

Becky

rossichka said...

Dear Ces, I do hope your father-in-law is better now!
Oh, that magical forest! Full of secrets, charm and surprises! What a precious friend you have and what a loving friend you are! I suppose Arija is happy to knpw that and to see how much she has inspired you to interpret the Sacred Canyon in the way you feel and imagine it! I came back to this post several times - and each time I saw different figures. And I like that! I'm sure there're still some that hide from me and I hope to discover them in my next walk...
I like your other forests, too, especially the one with the birches. (If you are interested, in Bulgarian "birch" is "breza", pronounced /bre'za/ ). Best wishes!

Vanessa Brantley Newton said...

Detail, detail, detail. It is said that "God is in the detail" Yes indeed He is. These are so awesome Ces. I mean it. How fabulous! It's so awesome. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.
great work. I miss you honey bunny.
Hope all is well with you.
V

Emily said...

Hi Ces!
I love looking at your woodland images! You manage to keep the magic in them that I so enjoy by visiting the real thing. That's a gift!

Hugs
Em

Sunray Gardens said...

I am flipping over this series. Wicked cool!
Cher
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