The 'Serenity' owl series came about because an owl spoke to me in the forest one day….. I was on a road trip in northern California recently and had been traveling for quite some time. I had been having a super crappy day after a frustrating hurtful conversation and was honestly feeling very defeated. I usually can shake these moods easily, but there was no clarity or feeling of resolution in sight. My first stop on the planned trip was a hike in Muir Woods National Monument, just north of San Francisco. A beautiful, magical place! Please visit if you can. (Make sure to get a reservation first) After about 30 min of hiking in the quiet of the forest, I began to feel a tiny bit better, but not much. Then I happened to glance up far into the trees. And there it was. A wise owl, hidden in plain sight. Possibly a great horned owl? I am no owl expert, so I'm not exactly sure. It was very camouflaged and you had to really look to be able to see it. It looked at me and I could feel its presence guiding me and talking to me. I stopped in my tracks and kept looking into its gaze. I sat with the owl and listened to its message. It told me that all was well and I needed to remember that all of these trials are just part of the human experience. I should not take them so seriously. I should not let others ruin my ability to stay in the moment and that I needed to stay present. Because look, here he was in all of his glory. This magical creature that I could have missed out on witnessing, if I had not looked up right at that second. I was instantly filled with a feeling of peace and rememberance. I connected back into my light and felt a sense of calm and serenity. I thanked him and kept on my walk. Feeling lighter and grateful for that experience. I kept thinking of that owl after that and once I got home, I knew that owls were going to join into the clay at some point, in some shape or form. And here they are! Animals have always spoken to me. A lot of my work is inspired by animals and nature. I believe that all of us has a direct connection to nature and all of it's magial healing powers. Some of you may have forgotten, but if you truly listen, you will be able to hear the animals speak to you too. *This series is only available for purchase in person or through direct message requests. See the Exhibitions page for upcoming shows in November and December 2024. After December (if any are left) they will be posted to my website.
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The creation series began with a small spark in the fall of 2023. Inspirations and visions of the future caused waves of energy to spill out from the ether. It began as a tiny ember and slowly grew into a yearning, a need to release bottled up emotions that had been living deep in a cave, somewhere in my subconciousness. After years of meditation and self-reflection, an energetic shift occurred. Maybe it was planetary alignment or a mirrored vision. Maybe it shifted because I slid into a new frequency or dimension. Either way, something spectacular happened. The "Creation" series emenated into the physical realm. The first batch was sculpted in February 2024. Piece #1 felt like a mirrored image, was it a reflection of self love? The embrace of two souls? Not sure, but the next five pieces flowed out seamlessly and after 2 months they were dry enough to be fired in the kiln. Or so I thought.......... Creation Series #1 My pieces were not completely dry. The entire kiln exploded and my work was ruined. I was shocked and devistated. I had shows coming up, so I had to start over quick. I wrote all about it on my instagram posts in April 2024. Read up on it if you're interested. One piece survived from that batch, and honestly, it is my favorite. Creation #3- (click here to see it) But enough about the kiln explosion. That is just the beginning of the story, this post is about something else entirely. This post is about Passion. Here is the excerpt from my journal: One thing I've been more observant of this past year is that the majority of people don't express any passion in their lives. Not only do they not express it, they suppress it. It seems to be an elusive and non-existent concept that escapes their every day life. I have also noticed that a lot of people feel uncomfortable seeing passion demonstrated in the arts, on film or in real life situations. It's almost like they forgot about a time when they experienced passionate moments. Or maybe when they did feel it, it was too scary to pursue. Too powerful. Believe it or not, I too was in a place where I suppressed passion. Even artists hold back. I didn't realize I had this blockage. I think the reason I suppressed it was because I remember how intense I had felt when I was in the middle of it. Like burning in my chest and an urgency to act on it. It felt like something out of control, within a world of its own. I also remember how big of a dissapointment it was when I felt it slip away. I remember an incident once when I was shamed by someone while attempting to express my passion. It made me feel unsafe to show emotions that were so enormous, so potent. So, it got buried for a while. Life becomes black and white sometimes. Then something happened. A great shift in consciousness. A letting go of fear. I finally got it and everything clicked into place. It has been a long lengthy process and a tumultuous journey to get to this space. But I made it somehow. All these words I’m saying don’t really mean anything. People are always telling us to "let go of fear" all the time. We know we “should” and yet we don’t quite know how. What does that mean exactly and how do we do it? It begins with passion. Things that make you fall in love again. Things that open your eyes to beauty in this world. It involves falling in love with life. Small things. We must seek new adventure, inspiration and a chance to see the world with new eyes. We must discover and connect with our highest selves, our guides, soulmates and mirrored spirits, those that assist our clairvoyance. Those that help us see the truth of ourselves more clearly. We need other humans, as much as we don't want to admit it. Because we are not meant to live this life alone, and we can’t do it without learning the proper tools. We must seek those who bring about the fire within us. Not the ones who constantly put it out. You can only make educated decisions after you’ve seen where you don’t want to be. I, for one will never go back into the cave. I am committed to walking through fear. Just as I always have. Every morning, I wake up and decide to be here. I choose passion. Passion is the key. When you feel it, even a tiny hint of it, follow it wherever it takes you. Because we don’t have much time left. This is Creation #16. Check out the full series and add one to your collection---HERE
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AuthorTess Israelson-Artist/Writer/Traveler ArchivesCategories |