Durga's Day

Leaving no trace was easier than I thought it would be.  I really enjoyed it and found, as Chozen Bays predicted, that it extended beyond my original target areas of the car, bathroom and kitchen.  I liked the notion that ideally, the only traces we leave will be the way we have loved, inspired, taught, or served others.  Or some jewellery. This week's challenge was to avoid using filler words-words that did not add meaning to what I was saying. Tougher. I experience prolonged periods of silence punctuated by impassioned torrents of speech and imperfect listening.  I did manage to mindfully and heroically avoid using the F word one day when all the smoke alarms (5) went off intermittently (approximately 3.5 minutes apart for a period of over 6 hours) for a long afternoon the day after I became bilaterally aided again.  The universe has  a sense of irony. Anyway, as I calmly walked around the house with my button pressing broom to determine which of the 5 alarms was going off at any particular time, interrupting my mindful filler free conversation and concentrated listening to the lovely Sacha, I reflected on the fact that I didn't have to say the F word, could  choose not to, and could be grateful for all the times in my life that the alarms didn't go off. Except in the case of fire. Om.And, as these  photos attest, I have just about done Durga.  (See here beginnings here.)  So to speak (Filler words permissable there I think)  She has been a challenge at many levels-not the least of which was some vaguely mathematical calculation activity. I trialled a couple of different backgrounds, including a red background textured with Tibetan script and rubbed  with gold.  I liked the juxtaposition of the Hindu image with the Tibetan script philosophically but in practice it looked way too blingy!  Eventually I decided on a simple coral coloured clay textured with my current texture tool du jour- the Thimi Ceramics foot pumice.  This layer was then centrally placed on a continuation of the rays decoration made using custom mixed metallic clays and alternated textural patterns.One was made with the end of a bic biro and you will understand that that was lot of dots.  Very meditative activity that one.  For the other panels, I used texture plates by Helen Breil.  I'm not quite sure where Durga will hang.  I have some ideas for a necklace based on the techniques I used and hope I can get one made before I leave.  I quite like the idea of a bigger hanging piece and several jewellery pieces inspired by that.  The photo at the beginning of the post is the original Durga as she proclaimed the virtues of the cement named in her honour.  She's gone now, replaced by an ad for footwear.  All things end.