"we are not human beings having a spiritual experience. 

we are spiritual beings having a human experience.” 

-Teilhard de Chardin

i came across these photos while puh-roozing the ol' internerd . . .
i knew they were of my gorgeous palm springs hills before the photos fully downloaded. 

it took some time to truly appreciate the desolate nature of the desert.

i'll surely miss the beauty of its mystique.

i may spend all mornings with rachael finley.

this new-found friend is pretty silly 
and happens to be drop dead gorgeous. 

check it, steaktooth.

alas, 

my final painting to complete that "themed" project.

i thought i'd do something different this time-

mostly because i couldn't stand the thought of such intricacy again...

also, i attempted to make my lady a little more realistic.

eh, it's ok...

the following photo was taken at the get go--
i did a rough outline of the figure,
then coated the canvas down with acrylic paint using a kitchen sponge.
then goes a long process of removing paint and plastering it back on (over and over)-
attempting to catch myself and stop somewhere in between a dream-like state and realism. 

i almost like the painting best like this.

this very view may know me better than anything else in the world.

"what you remember saves you."

-w.s. merwin

mum- the land between solar systems

"honesty without compassion

is just cruel".

i'm quickly approaching my last days out here in the good ol' desert (my transition had a deadline; i'll be moving back after graduation from my nursing program in less than a month)- 4 months have really flown by! 

it's been such an interesting journey and i feel that i have benefited greatly from it (most likely in more ways than i had anticipated and/or have yet to realize). i've had no choice but to get to know myself and learn to truly value my own company. i've been fortunate to have quite a few visitors, but have really been on my own for much of the time. i feel that this isolation has made me much stronger and i now know that i am truly capable of solitude. however, there have been numerous times that i wished for a partner, of any sort, to enjoy the trip with. 

earth can be so strange sometimes

i took my mom up the palm springs tram to mt. san jacinto [for mother's day]. it's hard to believe that as baron as the desert is, just 6,000 ft away (meaning "up") is a lush forest, complete with snow.

"People are afraid of themselves, of their own reality; their feelings most of all. People talk about how great love is, but that’s bullshit. Love hurts. Feelings are disturbing. People are taught that pain is evil and dangerous. How can they deal with love if they’re afraid to feel? Pain is meant to wake us up. People try to hide their pain. But they’re wrong. Pain is something to carry, like a radio. You feel your strength in the experience of pain. It’s all in how you carry it. That’s what matters. Pain is a feeling. Your feelings are a part of you. Your own reality. If you feel ashamed of them, and hide them, you’re letting society destroy your reality. You should stand up for your right to feel your pain." — Jim Morrison

when you commit to the life of a dreamer,

you make the commitment of having the responsibility

of taking the universe's limits into account.

i made a recent realization that i am very capable of imagining the world away,

which sounds well and good-

but, when i came to the truest of truths,

i realized i had no right to take others into my world.

i had to make the promise 'that i'll simply exist alone'.

after all, 

it is my independence that empowers me.

mychel danna- the winner is

this is my most recent bit of painting.

our assignment is to paint "in theme",

meaning:

we are to paint 3-5 pieces that belong together . . .

this portrait is of my mother,

we look alike, don't we? lucky me.

i don't know if i can do another one of these-

the work is a bit tedious. 

however, i certainly find it to be quite meditative.

(ps excuse the photo quality).

i apologize for being absent as of late.

i've been attempting to figure it all out-

i think i've made some serious progress.