Inner Cow

By Niya Christine. Copyright

#112/365 Paintings

In my late 20’s I was a workshop fiend. Anywhere a group of people gathered in the name of finding oneself, I was all over it. Once in meditation, a particular group leader asked us to say hello to the inner child. All I saw was a cow. I tried again. Nothing. Just the cow. Of course I thought I was dealing with some embarrassment about being 10 lbs overweight. But this cow was grazing about, munching on hay. At one point she laid down in the sun and scratched her head on her neighbors rump. She curiously poked her head through the fence and got caught, a neighbor came by and helped. I watched this movie for awhile. Very pleasant.  When I shared about my inner cow, the group was very helpful (after a good laugh and challenging questions about my avoidance of course). After much discussion the workshop leader thought I needed a break from my current work situation. A sabbatical — to rest and be curious and laze about, soak up the sun, perhaps go to Europe, fall in love, take photos of a few pigeons, let people help me more, etc. Okie, dokie. Great assessment.

Does anyone else have an inner cow? Care to share? I promise not to laugh! Okay, maybe a little.

Social Lives of City Canaries

Painting by Niya Christine. Copyright

#102/365 Paintings

When it comes to the “party/happy hour/sunset” — where all things “chat” occur — canaries take this time very seriously. No matter how much they love their city people, their various sugar coated seeds, and wooden toys, they find a way OUT of the apartment to the high wires in the sky. And they chat like they’ve never heard the sounds before. Every single note… something to be admired and repeated again and again and again. Until the pigeons come over and lay down the law or they feel one too many electrical currents.

City canaries… they know the value of a good conversation.

Silly Cows

Painting by Niya Christine. Copyright

#96/365 Paintings

Silliness abides when it comes to cow community. Can you imagine how many hours they have to practice? In fact, do cows have imagination hours like we do? You know those hours (or minutes in the case of the human condition) that we let ourselves daydream and giggle a bit? I think maybe cows invent silliness as a daily diet of being a cow. But how would we know? I wanna know. I do, I do.

Lady Bug Pays It Forward

Painting by Niya Christine. Copyright 2013

#83/365 Paintings

She had rested so many times on the graciousness of flowers. Wings pulled in tightly, so she wouldn’t disturb their high speed growth. Flowers were to this ladybug what a nice warm bath or meal is to us humans. She could hear their leaves unfurl—the molecules buzzed along, binding so fast and soaked up waves of photosynthesis in close sync with water in the earth. Today, the ladybug pays it forward as her flower friend takes a long deserved rest.

Project notes: Acrylic, pencil, silk dye, watercolor, gesso, ink and charcoal on wood. And yes, the red flower is wearing sunglasses. He’s just too cool for school.

Hot Air Balloons Galore {backwards birds}

Painting by Niya Christine. Copyright

#81/365 Paintings

Well now, I think even the birds got caught up in the whoosh of air flying as I painted this. It started out innocently enough. The thought to just play and take a break from the intense concentration of previous weeks in class. And then suddenly the paint is flying. And behold, the veritable mess. Poor little birdies, they have to learn to fly upside down in this painting. Fun painting session though.

 

Red Poppies, Random Numbers and a Birdie

Painting by Niya Christine. Copyright

#64/365 Paintings

Red poppies and a complex world of color and roots. I think it’s good that a blue headed birdie stand by to watch the action. Likely lots of worm action.

Project notes: I’m officially intoxicated by art. I remember feeling this way in my 20’s when I had my first studio and just started working as a designer at Apple. Design by day, art studio and chocolate cookies with Earl Gray tea by night. Bliss!