Into the deep (part 4)

Posted on March 29, 2016 by betsybeadhead | Leave a comment

This layer was added this morning (3-29-16).

Additions –
bronze and gold gel pen
white chalk pen
decoupage glue
“abandoned coral” Distress stain
the broken tip of a key (found)
glitter gem

Top left

top right

bottom left (pleased to discover that the edge of the book page didn’t glue down well. I’ll add a red stamp here later)

bottom right (The glue will go shiny and translucent when dried. The key tip reminds me of Noah’s ark.)

Middle detail

I’m reminded of the photographic idea of dodge and burn. I’m highlighting certain areas and downplaying others. I try to make it look like it is all planned, but I’m making it up as I go along. It is a voyage of discovery.

This is kind of like when I painted the bathroom by myself. It took four hours. I was alone with my own thoughts all that time, and it was a little intense. This is also part of why I partly dislike how I exercise – water aerobics. I can’t listen to an audiobook while I do it, and I can’t take down notes of ideas I have. I’m stuck with myself, and that is hard sometimes. But I do it because it is always important. If you can’t stand being by yourself, then who would want to spend time with you? Friendships need to be constructed of two equal people who can stand on their own, and work even stronger together. If one or both lean on the other too much, it is harmful.

Inside the Kaaba

Posted on March 29, 2016 by betsybeadhead | Leave a comment

Muslims face the Kaaba five times a day in prayer, no matter where they are in the world. Hundreds of thousands of people turn towards this immense cube (which is what “Kaaba” means).

Did you know that it isn’t solid? It has a place to worship inside. The Kaaba is a mosque, a holy house. It is said to have been originally built by Adam and Eve, then restored by Abraham and Ishmael, as the very first place to worship the One God, who Muslims call Allah.

The interior is 13 m (43 feet) high, and the sides are about 10.15 m (33.3 ft) by 8.24 m (27 ft). There are no windows but there are lanterns.

These are screenshots from a 3D animation of the interior.

This is a top-down map of it.

These are cutaway illustrations.

What is inside the Kaaba

The Kaaba used to be opened twice a week for anyone to pray inside. But now it is opened just twice a year, and then for only dignitaries and exclusive guests, who enter to ceremonially clean it. The door is 2.13 m (7 feet) above ground. There is a wooden staircase on wheels that is used to reach the door.

The key is kept by one tribe. Here are pictures of the key.

This is all very interesting, but I think this is the most interesting part– if you are inside the Kaaba, what direction do you pray? You are in the center of the center of worship.

The 12th century Sufi mystic and friend of the poet Rumi, Shams of Tabriz said – “The Kaaba is in the middle of the world. All faces turn toward it. See! Each is worshipping the soul of each.”

Now try this. Visualize that you are inside the Kaaba every time you pray, no matter where you are, no matter what faith tradition you practice. You are in the epicenter. You are in the eye of the storm. You are in the heart of the Creator. You are in the first holy place ever made by human hands. Hold that feeling in your heart. You don’t have to face any direction. Your prayers go directly to God, right where you are.

(Pictures and information are from Wikipedia and other online sources. All copyright belongs to the original owner. Used for educational uses only.)

Into the deep (part 3)

Posted on March 29, 2016 by betsybeadhead | Leave a comment

This is the third layer of this painting. This was painted Monday (3/28/16) morning, right before work. I’d not planned enough time to use this color blend on “November Rain” as well, as I’d intended. I barely had enough time to work on this. I find that it helps me if I can work on some bit of the art every day. Not only is it relaxing, it gives me something to look forward to. Each layer takes several hours to dry, so working on it in the morning and evening is a good use of time.

I added a blend of paint using these colors – manganese blue, deep violet, and phthalocyanine blue. I used my standard way of blending paint right from the palette. The colors aren’t quite this bright in reality.

Whole