Hallow
verb hal·low \ˈha-(ˌ)lō\
Definition of hallow
transitive verb
1
: to make holy or set apart for holy use
2
: to respect greatly : venerate
The last few days I’ve been thinking about this phrase…Hallow the Moments. It felt like familiar marching orders. Like a tune I’ve heard many times before just in a different key. A thread I’ve followed for many years, but now has a new color. A food I’ve loved, but with an added spice.
It’s Artful Living. Looking for Beauty in everyday places. Creating something to honor those moments where exquisite loveliness is found…even if it is in humble surroundings or painful events.
Hallowed Moments. They certainly present themselves to me unbidden. But most of the time I have to be purposeful about looking for them. I plan on doing more and more of this in 2016.
At the root of Hallowing the Moments is a sort of brief pause where I breathe into the landscape of my life at any given moment and I embrace it, take a mental picture of it, draw it, look for the beauty in it, create a space for presence, God’s presence there, enlarging that moment, putting a stake there to say here, here it is, a moment of beauty, a space of grace.
From that root will grow all manner of creativity. It may be simple contour drawings, or broad swaths of paint, watercolor splashes, or charcoal portraits. It may be knitted garments, crocheted designs, embroidered art, perhaps more books. It’s exciting to be on the brink of a new year of making. A year to make space for love and light to break through.
Hallow the Moments with me! Join me in searching for beauty and creating something to honor it. Let’s spur one another on in our endeavor to Live Artfully, hallowing the moments of our lives.
Happy New Year dear reader!! Thank you, thank you, for your visits here!
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Hallowed Moments:
*The first sketch is a continuous line drawing made a couple of mornings ago when the phrase Hallow the Moments came marching into my head. I thought…well, this is as good a place as any to practice it. I’ve been here in this same place morning after morning for so many years. Is there anything new for me? Is there anything here, in this ordinary moment, to see? to hear? A simple continuous line, wonky, funky, untamed…slowed me down, allowed me to see that even in a rather frenetic place such as my studio sunroom, peace can be enjoyed.
*The second drawing was made before Christmas as I enjoyed a drawing “hop” with two of my favorite local artists. We have done this now for two years: we travel to each other’s homes to draw our Christmas trees or decorations, eating treats along the way. Definitely a moment to respect and set apart as special.
*Knitting socks continues to be a fascination for me and a lovely opportunity for breathing into my life and throttling down the the busy go-go-go pace. Stitch after familiar stitch brings about a new and interesting pattern.
*I have moments where my inner landscape is in need of broad swaths of paint, just paint. My sketchbook becomes a paintbook. Rich color in simple bold strokes restores my sanity in anxious moments.
*This last drawing in charcoal is something I will tell you more about soon! I worked on it yesterday and I’m sure I’ll be refining it in the next couple of days. But it is created from a photo, taken this Christmas, of my husband with two of my nieces. It was a beautiful moment of fun and goofiness. Definitely worth savoring many times over with a charcoal drawing.
Thank you so much for starting my new year with such thoughtful comments! I will definitely look at my days a little differently going forward! Love the whimsy in your art…all of it! And love your heart for the Lord! JoAnn
Thank you so much for visiting Joann, and taking the time to comment here! I hope your New Year is starting off with lots of creativity and joy!
May your 2016 Sparkle with Joyous moments… Hallowed Moments… Like the ones you ha ve given to so many of us.
I’ve started to crochet, inspired by you and encouraged by my daughter, Maggie. My brain rests as I watch something soft and beautiful evolve before my eyes (even my mistakes are beautiful, because I’m learning).
You’ve also inspired me to return to daily drawing &/ painting. Maggie says “I love that you have found something new … What have you drawn today?” Her point being, I can do anything and everything, but I ache when I feel my drawing skills slip…so, what have I drawn today? haven’t started yet today, but working on a pen and ink waterfall.
Thank you for all you do for all of us who follow you.
Phyllis
It is so wonderful to hear from you Phyllis!!! Happy New Year! And it sounds like it is a happy one with all the lovely creativity you are making a part of your life! I’m so glad to hear of your daily drawing and painting and of the crochet moving through your hands. The benefits are rich and far outweigh any lagging skills. Just keep drawing and crocheting, enjoying them for their own sake. Thank you for visiting here and commenting! I so appreciate your online friendship!
You are an Artist for all ages and all time…
Love the idea of hallowed moments. I need to do more of this and maybe that is what I will concentrate on this year. Thank you! One of the things I am thinking of doing that I saw on Facebook today and then somehow lost the post, is a 365 day weather afghan. One row a day with the yarn following a preselected order set to temperature ranges. I think I will have to change the degrees since I live in a very warm zone but it looked and sounded great. People choose their own pattern (I am thinking of a ripple afghan) and work all year long. I figure I should be able to make a bed sized afghan at that rate! Check out temperature blanket on Facebook. I don’t know how to grab a link from there.
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year Timaree!! This temperature blanket sounds awesome!! If you want a great ripple afghan pattern and tutorial, check out Lucy’s here: . I made two of these last year at this time as I recuperated from surgery. So much fun! And slipper socks? those sound fun too! I love that you are making things! I hope you keep it up and have fun in the process. Thanks for commenting here Timaree! Have a lovely making day!
Such an inspiring post, full of energy and color. I hope to visit again!