a vision in another eye

Le tourbillon de la vie

2011-08-09T03:36:00.001-07:00

I just love this song.... it gives me enthusiasm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqwLx0DG7qQ&feature=player_embedded

Lucien Freud leaves us last night

2011-07-21T15:25:00.000-07:00

About 3 weeks ago I went to the National Gallery and bought a biography of Lucien Freud. I have always liked this artist but had never read anything specific about him...

I started to become quite obsessed at observing his work, brush strokes etc... and kept thinking that he will not be with us long, as I knew he was 88yrs..

A few days ago I started a small painting of his portrait, as I wanted to understand his expression which fascinated me... It was not completed yet and nowI feel I cannot touch it anymore for some reason... I will just have to work on a new one..

so tonight when I heard the news of him passing away, it was not so much a shock as I had felt it coming but just terribly saddened to feel that we are loosing a great artist, a painter!! and unfortunately few like him are behind to take over...

Lucien Freud and Francis Bacon - 1953

Poem to the Narmada River by Shankaracharya (version francaise)

2010-12-13T15:04:00.000-08:00

Narmada River by Marianne

POEMES POUR LA NARMADA.

Narmada Sutra/ Mehta Gita.

Interprétation d’un poème de Shankaracharya par un ménestrel sur les rives de la Narmada.

Les sages ont dit :

Puisse celui qui chante tes louanges

A l’aurore, au crépuscule, à la nuit,

Sous sa forme humaine

Acquise dans la souffrance de

Tant de naissances,

Approcher dans l’honneur

Les pieds de Shiva lui-même.

Entend donc mes louanges ;

O Narmada sacrée.

Ta présence est

Une grâce pour la terre.

Les fidèles te nomment Kripa,

La grâce même.

Tu purifies la terre

De ses impuretés.

Les fidèles te nomment Surasa,

L’âme sacrée.

Tu traverses la terre en bondissant

Comme un cerf qui danse.

Les fidèles te nomment Rewa,

La bondissante.

Mais Shiva t’a nommée Délicieuse

Et, dans son rire,

Il t’a donné le nom de Narmada.

Eau couleur de cuivre

Sous un ciel couleur de cuivre,

De la pénitence de Shiva tu es devenue eau.

D’eau tu es devenue femme

Si belle que dieux et ascètes,

La chair tendue de désir,

Ont abandonné leur contemplation

Pour te suivre.

Une fois, seulement,

Depuis que tourne la roue de l’existence

Le terrible s’est ému jusqu’à rire.

Levant les yeux de sa contemplation interne

Pour les poser sur toi, le destructeur a dit :

Ô demoiselle aux belles hanches

Evocatrice de Narma, le désir,

Tu seras pour tous Narmada

La plus sacrée des rivières.

O rivière née de la pénitence,

Baptisée par le rire,

Le lacis désordonné de tes eaux

Est serti dans la roche des monts Vindhya

Comme la dorure de l’ichor sur l’eau de l’éléphant.

Le long des rives

Les étamines des fleurs de Nipa mordorées

Percent l’enveloppe de leurs pétales

Dans le désir pour toi.

Les bois lourds de jasmin sauvage

Te ceignent de leur parfum.

Au bruit de tes pas, les jeunes manguiers

Se couvrent soudain de fleurs.

Les sages en méditation sur tes berges te disent

Deux fois née,

Une fois de la pénitence,

Une fois de l’Amour.

Selon eux, l’Ascète, dans ses ébats avec la déesse,

A mêlé la sueur de son ardeur aux fatigues de l’amour

Souriant de ses seins,

Et t’a changée en rivière

Pour refroidir le désir des saints hommes

Et t’a nommée Narmada,

Celle qui apaise les passions.

Il n’est pas jusqu’à la semence de Shiva

Que ton lit froid ne durcisse comme la pierre,

Et chaque goutte devient

Une idole à arracher à tes eaux noires bleutées,

A vénéré avec des guirlandes de fleurs

Dans les temples qui bordent les rives.

Ô rivière née de l’amour,

Baptisée par le rire,

Tes eaux pourpres glissent comme un vêtement

De tes berges lisses.

Kalidasa s’interroge : qui pourrait seulement t’abandonner ?

Qui donc pourrait abandonner une femme, les reins recouverts,

Quand il a connu la douleur de son corps ?

Le tracé de ton cours

Fait des bonds d’antilopes

Sur les places des villages qui te bordent, l’ombre

Des arbres sacrés grouillent d’oiseaux.

Des pommes de merveille assombrissent ton eau

Du lustre des fruits mûrissants.

Des mangues sauvages choient dans les remous de ton courant

Telles des fleurs dans les cheveux d’une jeune fille.

Il est dit dans les Ecritures

Que tu étais présente à la naissance du temps

Quand Shiva, sous la forme d’un paon doré,

Errait par l’océan du vide.

Tu as rappelé le destructeur

Que la création n’attendait qu’un ordre de lui.

Alors, déployant ses redoutables plumes,

Shiva a procréé ce monde et la montagne

Où il médite

Jusqu’à l’heure de la destruction.

Tu étais présente à la Création,

Par la seule volonté de Shiva toi seul resteras

A l’heure de la destruction.

Il est prédit par les sages qui connaissent la vérité :

A minuit, à l’heure où monteront les flots sombres,

Une jeune fille tu deviendras

Eclatante comme une colonne de lustre.

Un trident dans ta main menue, tu diras :

Sages, quittez vos ermitages sylvestres

Sans plus tarder. Voici venu le temps de la grande destruction.

Pendant que les destructeurs dansent

Tout sera détruit.

Moi et moi seule suis sanctuaire.

Venez, avec votre connaissance de l’humanité,

Suivez-moi.

Je vous conduirai à la prochaine création.

Ô messagère du temps qui passe,

Ô sanctuaire du salut

Tu dissipe la peur du temps lui-même.

Ô Narmada sacrée.

Tu effaces les taches du mal.

Tu libères la roue de la souffrance.

Tu soulages les mondes de ses fardeaux.

Ô Narmada sacrée.

Bardes et acètes chantent tes merveilles.

Joueurs, tricheurs, danseurs chantent tes louanges

Tous, nous trouvons refuge dans ton étreinte,

Ô Narmada sacrée.

Poème de Shankaracharya.

Narmada River by Marianne

Vissi d'Arte

2010-08-26T01:39:00.000-07:00

"J'ai vecu pour l'Art, j'ai vecu pour l'Amour...."

One of my favourite piece by Maria Callas... Whenever I listen to her she never fails to take me closer to my soul, creating a direct link with the Divine. As Gainsbourg once said; "Il y a l'art mineur et l'art majeur", she is definetely one of the highest representation of Art Majeur!

As I listen again and again to "Casta Diva", "Un bel di Vedremo", "d'amor sull'ali rose" I shiver to the depths of my sensitivity and think what a great privilege it is to be born a human being to experience such beauty!

New website!

2010-05-28T07:09:00.000-07:00

I finally found the time to build myself a new website as I was getting bored with the other one (which will still be online for a while until my registration expires).

here's the link:

http://mariannesimonin.weebly.com/

"Self portrait" by Marianne - 2009

YOGA VASISHTA SARA

2010-04-30T00:37:00.000-07:00

The words of these scriptures always inspire me!.
Click on the following link

Yoga Vasista sara

Photo by Marianne - Lalita Ghat, Varanasi

Saraswati Devi

2010-04-28T16:15:00.000-07:00

ॐ वाकदैव्यै च विद्महे कामराजाय धीमहि। तन्नो देवी प्रचोदयात्‌।
AUM Vaakdeviyai cha Vidhmahe
kaamraajaaya dheemahi
tanno devi prachodayaat.

Saraswati is the Goddess of the Arts, knowledge, and wisdom. Saraswati means "the essence of the self"; the Sanskrit word sara means "essence" and swa means "self." In Hindu mythology She is the divine shakti of Brahma, the Creator of the universe. Since knowledge is necessary for creation, Saraswati symbolizes the creative power inherent in each artist, student or teacher.

In the last few months my connection with this aspect of Shakti has deepen. She started manifesting more strongly during my stay in West Bengal, and keeps re-appearing through unexpected circumstances in my life without me imploring Her.. I found three very traditional representations of the Goddess, I like them for their colour scheme, beautiful features and moods (Bhava). Tonight after attending my Indian classical music lesson I realized once more the importance of Tantra sadhana.

ॐ श्रीम भ्रीम सरस्वतये नमः

(click on sanskrit to listen to her mantra)

AUM Shreem Bhreem Saraswatyai Namaha

0 longitude walk at 0 degree temperature

2010-02-10T10:27:00.000-08:00

Early morning walk in Greenwich with Alessandro,
a very refreshing and uplifting start of the day!

The footpath tunnel linking Island Gardens to Greenwich,

nobody at this time, great feeling.

(photos © Marianne Simonin - 2009)

The song of a bird

2010-01-30T11:34:00.000-08:00

"Everyone wants to understand ART.

Why not try to understand the song of a bird?"

Picasso

(All photos © Marianne Simonin - 2009)

Red Mars - White Moon

2010-01-29T14:53:00.000-08:00

RED & WHITE

Red is Shakti - White is Shiva

What a beautiful sight tonight in the sky!!

Mars - a planet with a very powerful influence
(I know as I am strongly affected by it according to my jyotish chart! hence I make a point of paying my respect to the mangala yantra on my shrine every Tuesday)

The Moon - eternally beautiful, enigmatic.

RED Mars + WHITE Moon against BLACK Night

Black - Blue Black - deep Prussian Blue - one of my favourite colour in painting...the colour of Kali!

May this sky be auspcious to all those who took the time to raise their head on this cold wintery night of January.

This is a couple of shots that I tried to take with my broken camera, shaky and Mars looks more purple than red... but I still like them!

Secrecy of the womb

2010-01-12T11:30:00.000-08:00

This morning I was reading one of my books when a couple of words caught my attention and then became the title of my new poem. The energy unfolded from within me and I started writing these lignes which I would like to share because we ALL have been there. If only I could write a poem each morning upon rising!

Secrecy of the womb
Warm, moist & fragrant is my world,

Legs folded towards my chest

I bathe in the darkness of light,

.......No desires.....

Oh, that mighty Love carrying me

From place to place

From now to next,

I can hear Her voice

The fine tune of Her song

Reaching me from far, far beyond.

Warm, moist & fragrant is my world,

Nothing to see

Nothing to say

Just feeling

That mighty Love carrying me

From place to place

From now to next,

Cradled in Her waters

I feel free

I feel me.

Warm, moist & fragrant is my world,

A soft red glow

All around me,

Legs folded towards my chest

I bathe in the light of darkness

.....No desires, yet.....

The cosmic sound

Her cosmic breath

Keeping me asleep,

Nothing to see

Nothing to say

But I can hear

That moaning sound of ecstasy,

Calling me deeper

& deeper toward Thee,

The throbbing of Her heart

The throbbing of Her pulse

The heat of Her Love,

Fragrant

Moist

& warm

Is all I remember,

Mother in Her full power!

Her Love

Licking, kissing

Every inch of me,

Her warm breath

Absorbing me

In the cosmic embrace

And Her mighty power.

Legs folded against my chest,

I cannot see

I cannot say

But I can hear

The fine tune of Her voice

Soothing me.

Dark, mysterious & powerful is my world,

My senses growing

My awareness expanding

An irresistible urge

To know Thee,

Bathing in Her waters

That can no longer carry me

I feel a desire

That is new to me.

The urge to see

The urge to be

Independent of Thee.

Oh, and the sound of Her throbbing pulse

Is now expulsing me,

Floating in a river that is too big for me.

That mighty Love

Carrying me

From place to place

From now to next,

In search of Thee...

..............................

In the recess of my mind

In the darkness of my soul

In the secrecy of the womb.

Kamakhya Devi - Assam

Promises in the dark

2010-01-02T07:08:00.000-08:00

.....Blue Moon.....

What a great way to start the New Year with a Blue Moon!. I had a very nice celebration, and although I went to bed well past 3am, I was still up quite early and spent January 1st all day in my studio, feeling inspired and energized, drawing, painting and listening to a lot of Spanish music.. it did remind me of my flamenco years. As I drove home in the evening, I spotted the moon for a split second between two rows of houses and couldn't believe the size and the intensity of the light! I even thought that I had a vision, but later it appeared again, bright and full, beautiful and magical!... Once in a blue moon... indeed it is.. as the last time we had 13 moons in a year AND on New Year's eve, it was over 20 years ago...
Back home I took a few photos of it, as it was shining bright and high, right in front of the window of my sitting room.
I felt it was an aupicious day for me and the beginning of new directions, renewed energy and healing. This year I would like to passionately follow my artistic and spiritual paths as ONE, paint at the feet of Ganga Devi, walks the streets of Kashi, learn sandhya-bhasa and meditate on the blue Hill..

kāmākhyāṁ kāmasampanāṁ kāmeśvarīṁ harapriyāṁ I
kāmanāṁ dehi me nityaṁ kāmeśvarī namostute II

kāmākhye varade devī nīla parvata vāsinī I

tvaṁ devī jagataṁ mātā yonimudre namostute II

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

KASHI - 12 months to find you.

2009-12-01T13:39:00.000-08:00

My new 2010 calendar is now ready! These photos bring so many special memories to me. Each image has its own story. To preview or purchase click on the title of the calendar. Happy New Year!

Kashi - 12 months to find you

Sri Yantra clock

2009-11-28T07:37:00.000-08:00

".....TIME.. IS ON MY SIDE...."
A song initially written by Jerry Ragovoy, but made famous by the Stones.. yet it is by Patti Smith that I remember it the most.

Autumnal walks

2009-11-02T06:50:00.000-08:00

Wild leaves are falling...

The remains of Halloween...

This month I have enjoyed taking long walks in the Lea Valley.

Breathing.... the smell of earth, leaves..... wild leaves.... Crisp air entering my lungs.
Energized, my mind opens towards the infinite sky.... cloudless blue autumnal sky... merging with space & silence. These moments are precious. In society but out of society.. this is my way.

Wild autumn leaves, eternal cycle to which I belong... so what is there to search? what is there to find? what is there to prove?

Realizing that "Nothing" IS the answer, I feel so free as I hear the sound of my own steps, just moving through a field of colours, everything else being illusion.

Jai Maa!

The Secret Supper Club

2009-10-06T09:26:00.000-07:00

I have just discovered that one of my yoga student Uyen Luu is opening her home on several evenings and with Simon cook wonderful meals in their pleasant and vintage surroundings.

The "Secret Supper Club- Fernandez & Leluu" is located in London Fields, East London.
Check their website if you wish to book a meal and evening with your friends.

Uyen also has a fashion shop in Kingly Court, Carnaby Street, West End.
this is her website: http://www.fernandezandleluu.co.uk/

Back to the Cosmic Egg

2009-08-13T08:48:00.000-07:00

Back to the cosmic egg, searching, creating new forms from the original shape, giving birth in the darkness....
Consciousness and Primal energy linked ad infinitum..
2 small oil paintings done recently, inspired by the lingams of the Narmada river (Madhya Pradesh)
Om Namah Shivaya!

The small black goat of Kamakhya

2009-08-10T07:21:00.000-07:00

I drew a sheep... in my mind I wanted to draw a goat but I drew a sheep.

.... the small black goat of Kamakhya, how much I have observed her, sheltered against the wall of the temple, warming up by the light of ghee lamps burning at her hooves. Sitting on the silent steps opposite, under a moonless night, I watched the heat, the flames, the fire under the belly of this small black goat creating gigantic shadows on the wall... I thought of sacrifice, life and death just by watching the shadows of this small black goat of Kamakhya...
In the darkness of this precinct, I could only see three colours: black, ochre and red.. MAA!
...but this morning in my studio I drew a sheep next to a small tree... why? as I looked around I then became aware that its skull was already on my wall, attached to the branch of a tree.. This beautiful skull that I found ten years ago in Wales while walking in the meadows... I often wandered what this creature looked like when it was alive?? the drawing was my answer.

... this morning I drew a sheep.. tomorrow I will return to Kamakhya.

"The skull from Wales"

Twenty years from now..

2009-07-20T00:29:00.000-07:00

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do.

So...Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

Mark Twain

photo by Alessandro Visentin

३ देस ३ नाइट्स

2009-07-10T09:41:00.001-07:00

3 Days ... 3 Nights....in my studio.
Opening the new series about "Ganga".. searching for the right colour scheme... but red keeps re-appearing everywhere. RED is MAA .. but I will try to focus on a palette of jade and ochre.
I spent some time also drawing stone lingams from the Narmada river.... turning them at times into the Cosmic egg, then back to their shapes.. very meditative..

Hommage to Lord Shiva with this little painting!

Now back at home.... back in front of the computer finalizing my partner Alessandro's website, in order for people to start booking trekkings with him in October. I hope one day to discover also the Himalayas, this region is calling me but I am not sure that I have the stamina for high altitude! Shankara will decide for me....

What an artist is or is not

2009-07-03T07:17:00.000-07:00

Today I was "scanning" the bookshelves in my studio when I spotted a book that I'd forgotten I had: "Dance - from Magic to Art" by Lois Ellfeld.

Opening a page at random I came accross a list of characteristics of an artist. It made me laugh, some true and others not so true.. anyway if you are an artist read through and see if you recognize yourself;

Excerpt:

.. resume of fairly well-documented evidence of the behaviour of many creative people.

High perceptive acuity
sustained curiosity
independent and assertive
dedicated and involved
bold and courageous
spontaneous and enthusiastic
adventurous and original
adaptable and resourceful
honest and persistent
egocentric as well as introspective
emotionally responsive and excitable
dominant and domineering
irritable and stubborn
anxious and complex
skeptical, critical, and precise

The creative person is usually highly tolerant of:

ambiguity
disorder (!!! you should see my studio when I am not expecting anyone)
emotional instability
new experiences
puzzles and strange ideas
intellectual pursuits

and he has little regard for:

job security and routine
people and their opinion or trivia
traditional judment
order for the sake of orderliness
logic, as such
conventional morality
clubs, lodges, and social societies
many close friends
time and schedules

Well... reading the above does it make you want to be an artist or happy of being one, or grateful that you do not belong to that categorie? !!

thanks for your comments

Cheap Thrills

2008-05-26T11:26:00.000-07:00

Now if you're a bit bored at home (or at work!) and you've never been to India, this is a mini-video I made in 2006. Just click on the video link, jump on the bus with me and get a little taste of the experience of travelling on the roads!
If you've been before than for sure you know that the real thing is SO much more exciting or frightening, and that 99% of the time everybody gets out alive.. but not always, I did witness some tragic scenes.. then you wonder, what exactly is life???

Listen to high volume .. it's more impressive.

Love the sound of the engine!

Spring - New beginings

2008-05-07T01:55:00.000-07:00

Marianne - Holy festival - March 2008

London early May, and the sun is shining! On such a day I would normally rush to my studio, eager to dab my brushes in thick oil paint or flood my canvases with turpentine to destroy the obvious and let MahaShakti show me the way to the next stage... But this year I do not have my studio having decided to sub-let it for a while and I need to find a way to create!. I'm so glad that I love writing and always wanted to have time to let words unfold from my heart and soul. My last Indian trip this winter was difficult, it is only now upon my return that I realise that it gave me Rust and Gold - learning to let go of all the pain that kept me away from becoming my true Self but also meeting people that became stepping stones along my journey.

Amongst them Swamiji from Ujjain was one of the key I needed to find in order to unlock more possibilities and point me in directions that I was subconsciously searching for. In such peaceful surroundings on the banks of the Chippra River the true values of life became apparent: simplicity, faith, trust and never letting oneself being caught up in trivial and superficial expectations or ambitions.
I am grateful to those who unknowingly gave me wings and aspirations, but I am learning to be even more grateful to those who blocked my path or stole some of my precious belongings, as sometimes it is only through very hard lessons that one sheds "old skin" in order to be free!

Swamiji during Holy festival 2008

India is calling me again and again... the land of endless possibilities. I must work hard and save for the time being, and maybe realising my dream of moving one day my studio over there?

Om Namah Shivaya!