GuruMooch 2

Mooch is trying his hand..uh...paw at yoga. Strictly speaking, his attempts to meditate are also a form of yoga. Here in the west though, yoga is equated with hatha yoga, mostly known for its postures (like standing on your head!). However, this physical type of yoga is only one of many pathways open to us. Yoga is a practical aid, not a religion. Yoga is a Sanskrit word which, translated into english, means: 'to unite', to join', 'to attach' or 'to add'. It is an ancient art based on a harmonizing system for the body, mind, and spirit. The promise is that a continued practice of yoga will lead you to a sense of peace and well-being. The practice of hatha yoga makes the body strong and flexible, and it improves the functioning of the respiratory, circulatory, digestive, integumentary and hormonal systems. Yoga also brings about emotional stability and clarity of mind. While this is true, some practitioners are hoping/aiming at something more than a healthy mind and body. The 'true seeker' wants nothing less than the (presumably) pure bliss of 'enlightenment', 'union with God', 'atonement', 'white light' or... well... you-name-it. That indefinable bit that we have heard of and that seems to be missing from who and what we are right now. Or so it seems.... Mooch is definitely a seeker of this kind. 'Just sitting' in meditation is not enough- even though cats in general  excel at it. Now he will try to bend his body in every possible way; making it obey his will- also something cats excel at. Something cats do not excel at: standing on their heads.

Disclaimer: I do not recommend doing a headstand without having had the proper guidance of a qualified teacher. Nor am I an expert on yoga, meditation, enlightenment or even cats....

   

Brisbane Square Library

This week was the culmination of many weeks of work and about two years of creative development. It all came together in the Brisbane Square Library. I know I have gushed about my love of public libraries before, and now I will do some more. Public libraries are places that are freely accessible for anyone who wants knowledge, entertainment, a place to study, to go online, to read the newspaper and more. They are an oasis of quiet in our busy lives. The Brisbane Square Library is located at the end of the Queen Street mall. The library is in the blue section of a high-rise block, and sports diagonal windows, visible from across the river. Its modern architecture contrasts with the neoclassical building opposite - ironically, a casino.

So there was I, car loaded with thirty paintings of various sizes, and an appointment 
with Anita, the library technician who is looking after the displays. She was very warm and also very enthusiastic about her work at the library. She equipped me with a large trolley, a ladder and an allen key in order to hang up my work. People who were quietly sitting on one of the many comfy chairs along the windows were gracious in their reaction to my intrusion. Anita came back after an hour or so, had a look at my work and gushed: 'They are perfect!'. I agree, if I may be so bold, that they do indeed look beautiful in the modern and airy space of the library, but the spontaneity of her comment made me float for the rest of the day! A yellow painting with a bowl seemed to made especially for the wall I had selected for it. Even the the colour of the wall paint seemed to match. 

My paintings will be there for the next three months. Even if you don't like my paintings, the library is still worth a visit!