Obsessed with autumn leaves

I have a few posts in my head and since the first snow has fallen today, it’s the last time to write about autumn leaves.

I love the autumn colors every year, but this year I was completely obsessed. When I was not looking at the overall composition, I carefully inspected the shapes and colors of the individual leaves along the path.

I tried to paint the leaves by memory several times, but finally I kept bringing colorful trophies from my walks, according to which I drew and painted mostly with watercolor or ink pencils.

Hope you will like some of them!

With love and warm autumn greetings,

Ivana

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Still alive!

Although I’m still going through a lot of internal changes, I don’t stop creating. I have to create just as I have to breathe. I just forget to share the results.

First of all, I discovered a new brand of sock yarn, which fascinated me with quality and beautiful patterns. In combination with a single color yarn I improve the original patterns even more (hopefully). I have no evidence, as I hurried to give the finished socks to the right friends.

However, I keep knitting. Currently, I have a brutal color combination on the needles, but it will fit to my new shoes perfectly.

At the same time, I went through another wave of soap mania. Since September, I have been creating one soap after another. Tiny batches, different recipes. I discovered a passion for soaps with deep earthy energy. My top three include walnut soap, rosehip with cloves and cinnamon, and rosemary with cocoa. No essential oils, just careful work with basic herbs and plants.

For the first time, I also experimented with adding dairy products into soap. I was excited by the silky consistency when I used whey. Goat or cow, both are fine, but I prefer liquid not dried whey.

In my last recipe I used goat kefir, which fit perfectly with the chamomile inside. I can’t wait for the soap to ripen and I’ll wrap myself in the soft foam of it.

Last, but not least obsession is painting on t-shirts. I caught the second breath. Perhaps I will please some good souls with a nice gift.

By the way, taking picture of a white t-shirt is a worse nightmare than the whole painting!

Hoping you have beautiful autumn. Stay strong, creative and healthy!

With love, Ivana

Seasonal clock

Even if the life seems to be ruined into pieces and difficult to fix, there are rules we can rely on. The all known universe works on the principle of regular repeating events. If you like to profit from it, observe. Be aware of what surrounds you.

Soon you find that everything has a rhythm. And depends on your inner tuning, through which rhythm you see the world. My tuning works with four beats, but there are systems built on three or five beats as well. All of them have a logic and even tradition, so follow your self.

My “seasonal clock” could represent anything what is repeated regularly and makes a cycle. It could be a year, a day, a month, a life, etc. For the picture above I have chosen the year, divided to zodiac signs in the inner circuit and illustrated by typical nature/people event on the outer circuit.

I have applied the 4 beats rhythm, so the circle is divided into 4 main parts (elements) – fire (red), air (yellow and green), water (blue) and earth (brown). Most people would probably orientate the picture upside down, because it is more common to see the fire and air above the water and earth. Both are OK.

Relating seasons with elements was quite easy. The hot summer belongs to the fire, while the cold and wet winter is represented by water. Autumn is the harvest time, so it fits to the earth, while the major sign of the spring is a fast move and change, so it fits to the air. Then the vertical line indicates solstice and the horizontal line indicates the equinox.

We can do the same with the lunar cycle and you see it on the picture too. The full moon is the place on the circle, where is the most light, so it corresponds to the summer solstice of the solar cycle. The new moon is the place full of darkness, so you find it on the same place as the winter solstice, while the quarters are placed like equinoxes. Do you see the trick?

If we talk about the day, so morning is spring, noon is summer solstice, afternoon is summer, evening is autumn, midnight is winter solstice and the night is winter. The same could be applied to the life: spring is childhood, summer is youth, autumn is maturity and winter is old age and also prenatal age (spent in water).

Once you comprehend the rhythm of the life and typical characteristics of each phase, you will be more stabilized, better choose the right timing and succeed more easily.

I have even started to read my body through the same clock. Still in a process, but there are some results! Hopefully I will share them soon.

With love, Ivana

Heart, love and trees

With autumn progress I feel forest as a place of evening hygiene. Trees put off unwanted dresses directly on damp ground and some of them are completely naked, ready to put snow pajamas on. Just conifers remain proudly green as if they ignore the cycle of life.

Today’s walk brings me to think about linden (Tilia). I realized that a strong linden tree needs space. To prosper, it cannot be squeezed in a tight crowd. Linden tree is wide and noble, needed a place for its majesty. It can grow on the edge of forest or in the alley, but other trees must maintain a respectful distance.

Since childhood, I was taught, that linden is our national tree. Never ever I had any idea what does it mean. I just honestly admired huge linden trees, which survived centuries. Centuries of peace and wars, centuries of children’s games and lovers’ kisses.

I remember two old linden trees in my hometown beside the church. Big sign proclaimed that they are the trees protected by the state. When you come closer, you could see huge metal belts around the trunks. And to make the protection perfect, they poured concrete into cavities. I didn’t feel any pride at all, either personal or national. I felt only sympathy for the living thing that grows despite the protection provided by the people and the state.

Today, I realized my respect and love for linden. It has nothing to do with the nation, it is a matter of heart and humanity. It responds to patient love and gifts, supplied to us from linden trees through ages. It’s no coincidence that the leaves are shaped like big hearts. Fragrant blossoms attract thousands of bees in order to produce equally fragrant honey. Tea of linden blossoms is an effective tool against fever and colds. And linden wood is an excellent inspiration for carvers of any nation to make our world more beautiful.

What are your experiences with linden or its products?

Frozen Beauty

I spent a wonderful weekend in the company of my friends, we celebrated birthday of few of us and consumed many herbs in various forms. After party we woke up to a sunny day, which attracted us to a walk in nearby forest.

As a true Scorpion born in November, I love the walks when heavy boots treading in mixture of mud and fallen leaves, sun glimmering through the trees, incoming winter feeling in the air. And that’s exactly how it was today!

Because I had pretty new boots, I proudly looked at them while walking. And suddenly I saw all the beauty around on the ground! A unique mosaic of fallen color leaves from the greatest artist, the Creator. And along the way some green plants, frozen alive. I had to admire each of individual leaf, in all details perfectly lined by hoarfrost. It was more like a delicate lace! It’s incredible with how accuracy the cold works and what creates. I was so amazed that I forgot to watch my new boots. All the frozen beauty was the most pleasant culmination of my weekend. Again, I had to realize that the treasure and the beauty of nature are above all our products.

I wish a happy birthday to all other Scorpions!