where are we now?

 I heard your voice

but you were somewhere else

I could not

or would not

find you

it is not that I did not want to

find you

I had heard your voice

and thought

maybe I should leave it at that

any greater search

would require

a deeper connection 

leading to commitment

longing 

desire

the danger of loss

and having to deal with that

"where are we now?"

it is the name of the work above

are we all trapped in the creators art work?

do you hear a voice?

jeffkimsey-carroll.com

...but moments

Moments from the backyard
Brought to you by the Creator
working with my wife

Moments

remembered

forgotten 

released

surrendered

held

spent

embraced

stolen

utilized

lost

captured

envisioned

gathered

wrecked

bought

wasted

celebrated

cherished

regretted

sold

traded

imagined

stuck

erased

filled

praised

gathered

left

lived

jeffkimsey-carroll.com 

Morning thoughts

 Thought all this one morning

"Inner Workings"

Do I think well
Can I think well
Will the world hold together
Will I find enough work
Can I make music
Is art real
Does it mater
This is now
When I finish writing 
It will be then

Time to push reality

Youth is gone

I am good here

Escape into story

Watch

Read if I could

Do I Have the desire

To Do

I want to give

Give away

Give out

Give life

Let go the hold

Hold Back

Move on

What's real

Everything is new

In every moment

I do not need to be

In every moment

You miss nothing

If some one is there

You are there

If we are one

We are one

The we is I

And the I we

So

I wrote all the songs

Did all the dances

Painted all the pictures

Dreamed all the dreams

Delivered and killed

Everyone

Yes,

Once again

This morning

I am the God

I seek

We are

We are all

Every living thing

God

Just a thought

Gods thought

so I wrote it down - one mornings thoughts

jeffkimsey-carroll.com

Bend

Bend

Bend down to touch

To make a closer observation

To make connection

To grow in relationship

With everything

Bend

Change your approach

To make things work

Let go of your need

To maintain control

of everything

Bend

It is a chance you take

True you might break

Hold on to love

Give yourself away

In everything

-------------------

Somehow I lost half of a

year of posting.

Oh well!

Starting again to try.

jeffkimsey-carroll.com

When It All Comes Together

 

Very well then, when it all comes together

A few thoughts on this piece

 

-It is possible that every piece of creativity is a search for God or something that represents the creative force of the universe.

-The piece above is like many of my works. It is me searching by creating.

-I often create a chaotic base on wood or canvas and then draw into it

-This puts me in a very relaxed state

-I think of the lines and symbols as an undefined language that only another creative (or the universe's creator) might understand 

-The word understanding is misleading

-Understanding implies knowledge transferred

-All I am attempting to do is transfer feeling

-The feeling you will receive will most likely depend on your state of mind at the time of viewing  

 -While all creativity maybe a search for the divine, it is also a mirror to the moment

jeffkimsey-carroll.com

 

I made you up

I

I made you up. I was alone and the loneliness was relentless, so I made you up. I set everything in place for you to be. Gave you a place to dwell and eyes with which to see me, so you would not feel alone. Your eyes glazed over with all that was and continues to be before you. Sometimes I am not sure you see me anymore.  Nevertheless I am the one who made you up. I dreamed the motion, all the colors, the balance, the agility. I taught you to dance, to sing, to play about the garden.Then you got scared. With all there was to experience you became overwhelmed. You made up rules to bring order and stories that spoke of not being worthy and that you were cast out. I have always loved you and never saw you this way, you have never left the garden. I gave you everything and wanted you to have all the understanding of that everything, for that is who you are. Who we are, you and I and the everything are one. We are the made up and the makers of everything. Do not be afraid!

Jeff from another perspective 

Whisper

Flowing between every water molecule

Moving down the mountain to the sea,

Lying deep within the folds of every new bloom

Pushing up through the blanket of leaves on the forests floor,

And held fast within the layers of time and energy

From the core to the bark as each tree rises

There are fragments of stars

That whisper to all life

We are here because of a Love

That has no limitation

From a creator who expects from us

Only to pass on the star fragment's secret whisper

“You are loved”

                                                                                                   

 
 
I do not know this to be true

It is only felt to be voiced

For I am not here to know,

But to feel.






Jeff listening
 

this season

As I enter the Holiday season I always find myself looking for the real message. I look to friends, nature, the over all energy and movement of the season. Sometimes I find it some years it just comes and goes. One morning outside the house I am working at currently, I was putting off working by taking pictures of the trees. Later on that night (just a few nights ago) I put this image together. I call it "cracked vase".

 We live in a time of much brokenness as did this child Jesus. No mater what you believe this child grew to share a simple and yet complex message that if we could see past our fear and love each other with out conditions we could heal a broken world. I do not believe this child expected religions to be built around what he said and wars to be waged in his name. He simply wanted us to be together, truly together. It is that being together that is our greatest challenge. We still scramble around like frightened forest creatures gathering all the things we think we need to survive. Don't expect me to share some answer to all this I am as frightened as the next critter. Just keep looking to the creative spirit for guidance, always struggle to see in new ways and share what you feel with those around you. Allow growth, change, things must change, do not fear this. I know this is easier said than done, but we need to keep telling ourselves this. I hope the season gives you visions that eases a bit of your fear.

The Cracked Vase

The vase had been cracked

For all the years I was aware of it

It held a feather

She had pick up on a walk

The feather she said

Carried a prayer

Up to the heavens

To Gods ear.

"Awaken, awaken little one

The earth it moves with you

Bend down near it

And rise up from it

In every moment

You are new."

The vase was always cracked

But it still holds the feather well

The prayer had gone it's way

Along time ago

God has heard it full

And keeps handing it back to me.

Jeff then

Here is another story about broken Jars.

 Follow the link: http://www.innerfrontier.org/Practices/TikkunOlam.htm

Paint escape

I spent the day doing drywall. That makes me go a little mad. So this evening I took some time to escape into my subconscious painting. If you remember back a few posts I started painting from my subconscious attempting to capture the Jackson Pollock thing. This is where I just start putting paint on big chucks of plywood until I get something to come out of it. This is what I got tonight.

Okay I call it "snag"

Like it?

Then I put the Photo into the computer and Pumped it up a bit. Check it out!

Don't you love the power of digital.

and then again.

Mister Warhol would have loved the digital age. This has totally blown away the drywall blues. Click on the picks to see them a bit bigger.
Jeff surfing his subconscious

just notion #7

into the darkness

again

to be there

here

in this dark

place

come to heal

hold

take back health

rest

but the darkness

consumes

easy to fear

question

is this death?

voices

with in me

speak

some lift up

others

draw me down

fight

I hold on

back

I will climb

out

of the dark
not

into the light

but

into the arms

now

of the one

who

holds it all

darkness
and the light
breath
I am there
good.

----------------------------------

Wrote this reflecting on a good friend who was having brain surgery, Scary days!

Jeff waiting

just notion #4

There is a language

This language is imbedded

It is imbedded in my emotions

What I feel
It is not spoken
And it is not written


-


When I allow my emotions
To have equal validity to reason
And knowledge
When I allow them to be
As fully present as possible
The language reveals itself to me


-


I’ve spent much of my life
Denying my emotions
Not allowing myself to feel
What I needed to be feeling in the moment
Therefore I have lost
Much of the guidance the language would have delivered


-


This is the language of God
Not anyone’s God
But the true force that moves the cosmos
Man creates religions
To meet his organizational and security needs
These structures are of no concern to God


-


How do I know this?
I don’t
I feel this
Dare I say it?
What God is saying to me is
“It is all still good, do not be afraid”

-------------------------------------------

Jeff thinking stuff

Back In Control & just notion #1

A few posts back, I claimed I was out of control and that I had started a new blog site. Well I have come to the realization that I do not have time in my life to manage two blogs. I will be shutting down my "Just Notions" blog and bringing the idea back to this site. From time to time, I will post a "just notions" post. These are random thoughts that come to me during the day or when I am asleep or both. So I'll start today with one of the posts from the now defunct "just notions" sight. As with all my work it will come with an image.
-----------------------------

just notion #1

I do not need to defend the existence of God

Because I am a madman

You see
God talks to me
You talk to me
And I do not dispute your existence
I hear God in the breath
That comes from your mouth
And crashes into my face
It says
I don’t care if you believe
In me
The idea of God needing to be worshiped
Is a human misconception
I hear God say
In the sound of your foot steps
Moving away
You are not here to obsess over my existence
You are here to be alive
In the sound of the door closing
God adds
Be that
Alive
You are a gift given to a moment
Believe in that

_______________________

The title I gave this on the old site was "be that"
Jeff Thinking

Receiving the Call

Sometimes these little dramas come to me when I am working in the shop. I'll take a risk and throw this one out there. This is one side of a phone conversation with the creator. To all editor people feel free to contact me with any ideas on how to better use punctuation to make this work.
Image Title: I will, one day...



God calls and I answer:

God slow down, slow down
what are you so excited about
What?
Everything?
Oh great, I thought this was going to be a quick call.
I know
it's all terrific
Oh yes I love everything you've done.
Yes I really feel that way
Okay you're right
If you'd left that out I wouldn't have minded
I guess it's the smell
Sure, sure you could have let that go as well.
Well the problem is none of us can agree on how it should be dealt with.
Well it just makes it easier if we can all agree,
all be on the same page so to speak
what do you mean why?
it just seems like it would be easier if all our thinking was the same on the issue.
Yes, Yes I hear what I'm saying.
What?
I know you know me.
What do you mean you know me like the flowers know me?
How the H... I mean how can flowers know me?
I was looking at the flowers on Wednesday
I just haven't had time the last few days.
How are the flowers going to get to know me?
I don't understand.
No, no I guess I don't need to understand.
One more time, tell me.
The flowers need time to get to know me.
Okay
God, God
I, I get it. It's not always about me.
You're right it's the control thing again
I just get afraid, I won't...
You gotta get that?
No, no, I'm, I'm good
I know, I know, you made me that way.
Thanks for the call.
Later.

http://jlcarrollimages.webs.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=8290355

Jeff disconected

Branching Out

Whenever I need something to reconnect me to the cosmos, a creator, a higher power, a god (whatever word you use) I look to the tree. The tree for me is the ultimate symbol that the creator moves with me, through me and beyond me. The tree reaches into the earth and draws its energy and at the same time reaches into the sky receiving and drawing what it needs from the sun and atmosphere. At the same time it provides a place for life of all kinds to dwell and flourish among its branches, its roots as well as with in its own body at times. The tree does all this care giving while filtering our air and contributing to keeping the earth cool.


I have been incorporating tree images into my art work for many years. I must admit I live with a certain amount of guilt for cutting down trees to make images of trees, but I chose the mediums and then the images came.


For me the strongest aspect of the tree symbolism is that of "reaching out to connect". From the ends of the roots deep in the ground up through the trunk, out the branches to the tips of the leaves the tree is a complete story of connection. As we stand back looking at the tree we feel the sun beating down and see the branches reaching out to connect with the energy coming from millions of miles away. For me the tree holds the whole story, I am here to connect, and I am just beginning to understand that, as is the world. It is a little overwhelming and leads to more questions. So this becomes another topic for future thoughts (blogs). For now pay attention to trees. They will speak to you, but you're going to need to be connected to hear.

The tree wall
was an attempt to give an
office space an organic feel.







Wood Cut Titled "Reach"
This couple from my swathe collection are wrapped in a spiritual energy that I feel (I see) moving between all creatures.


Questions on "Reaching out to connect":

• Is the Internet real connection?
• How do I connect with out the Internet?
• How do I connect and not loose my sense of self?
• Do we all have to be talking to each other to be connected?
• Must we all be on the same page to be connected?
• Does true connection always need a spiritual presence?
• Which comes first connection or love? Do we need to love before we can connect or will connections lead us to love?
• I got more! But I'll stop for now.
  

Jeff can you hear me now?

Links to articals on the spirituality of trees

Trees are earth's endless effort to speak to the listening heaven - Rabindranath Tagore
http://academic.evergreen.edu/n/nadkarnn/cv/pdfs_new/Nadkarni;%20Dharma%20News%202002.pdf

Trees at my window, window tree

My sash is lowered when night comes on;

But let there never be a curtian drawn

Between you and me. - Robert Frost

http://www.uufhc.net/s001105.html

To see more of my tree images visit the link to my sculpture page. http://www.jkcwood.com/Sculpture.html