The Art
To me, the art is so many things: it may be photography, music, even sound of the wave, or a poem. It may be you taking ballet class or attending rock-star concert in large venue followed by piano recital at local school. Anything creative will do.
Art connects generations, exposes our fears, awaits our actions and protests our silence. It generates interests despite language barriers, in fact it unites and brings down the borders.
To create the art it is to be free.
Doodle away!
Does doodling distract or increase awareness and focus during listening to a lecture? Harvard article suggests that not only that the greatest among us used to doodle to combat the boredom or monotony of listening but also that the habit may sharpen the focus and help with alertness.
Black Lines no longer with me.
It all begins with canvas.
Then there is a line. Black line.
Then there is a painting.
Then the painting gets sold.
I miss it already…
(But I am happy to sell it.)
What if the artist is God Himself…
Or herself, or does it really matter? Just look and enjoy!
If you have such perfect images above your head all you need is a poem to match. Here it is, a fragment of poem by Larkin, whose collection of poems I review in this post. Poem XXIV from North Ship […]
Never has sun more boldly paced a sky | Never were hearts more eager to be free […]
Sky after the rain
Summertime…
…and the living is easy.
I live for my summer garden. But before I enjoy the fruits of my labor I put on my gardening shoes and gloves and place my selection of herbs and veggies into a mini front yard “farm”.
Art of living…gardening…is it, or is it not?
Spring photo.
Spring near the ocean..
..means to me near empty places, less crowds, milder temperatures, less flies and mosquitos, longer days and gorgeous sunsets. Cape Cod Bay beaches provide me with chronic inspiration and have wonderful meditative quality. To catch sunset after few hours with a book, or walk on a beach is so breathtaking and grounding. Old day, new day, the loss and hope, beginning and the end.
How do I feed my brain?
I eat local.
Eat at home.
Find local farmer.
Invest is the community.
Follow this link for Part 5 of Brain Health Series: Nutrition.
Meditative quality of gardening.
Follow this link to my latest - this time audio only - post on spring gardening and how I find calm and serenity in the process.
Easter is here.
Spring is here! Do not sit, get up and get out. While nice weather brings all of us out, not everyone can walk without risking a fall. What to do? DOC to the rescue: listen to the video below where in Brain Series (this link will take you to part 3) I talk with Brown University’s Dr. Goldberg on her research on fall prevention.
Spring balance check list:
check your eyes/wear glasses
hearing protection (avoid loud music)
get great shoes to maintain feet care and to promote balance on the surface
Easter flowers (poem)
The room is bright … with sunflowers
Magnificent yellow … radiating hope
Harmony of petals … reaching out to hug each other
Which we almost forgot how to do
Spring! Bring us out — bring us closer!
by Kat Gilek-Seibert
Listen up balance seeker.
Out, out you go and fall you fall and roll.
Spring, fragment of poem by Thomas Carew
Now that the winter's gone, the earth hath lost
Her snow-white robes, and now no more the frost
Candies the grass, or casts an icy cream
Upon the silver lake or crystal stream;[…]
Springing forward.
The first flowers make a difference in my mood.
My art is poetry.
In the isolating and difficult times of 2020+ people took to art, and even poetry. As anyone can do anything I also sharpened my pencil and sat down to write a poem. This probably would not happen if not inspired by Devotions by Mary Oliver, the bestselling poetry collection that I currently read.
My poem is presented below. When I was a teen I loved creating essays, fairy-tales and poems. My hobby was also summary of current events and seasons, and I had a News Wall in my childhood room.
Late winter day.
By Kat Gilek-Seibert
On my walk the sun is glistening through tree branches.
Birds are scattered, but
I am listening for their voices.
Cardinals near the feeder I see,
so colorful - red, smartly dressed.
They enjoy the late sun on the sky
and are eager
to connect, to couple.
This time of the year they begin yearning for new life.
Spring is near.
Do not throw week-old flowers.
What does it mean to get older? Some people say grow older, some call older age autumn or fall, but to me it is about grace, acceptance and beauty, yes, finding beauty in the rarer, fuller, deeper in this more balanced stage of life. You are aware of time that passed by and recognize behaviors that no longer matter to you.
I am not interested in fresh flowers.
Bear with me here.
Wool project that started right after Christmas.
I did not have enough yarn so upon consultation with person who was to get a sweater we settled on knitted bear project. I started with design on paper, then I knitted separate squares for each body part. Then my helper got pieces in second-hand stores for ears and additional wool for legs and arms. Stuffing was a choice of what do I honor as an amateur craftsman and decision was made to go as natural as possible. Stayed away from polyesters I purchased organic cotton, see link below for one of places you can get it. 1 lb. was more than enough.
While assembly of materials and knitting the wool pieces took me over a month I put my mind together and connected parts, stuffed bear and stitched ears and tail (the knob really) in one long evening by the fire. Bear needed a bow and here you have it. I wanted to finish that before Valentine Day and voila!
Swan has a moment.
I am mesmerized by majesty of this wonderful birds.
In winter they feel me with warmths and thoughts of family and bond.
Netflix rocks with new series by Martin Scorsese.
Portrait of Fran Lebowitz on legal pad. It is to express my freedom of creation. Fran disagrees - we do not all have a talent: LOL Fran!
Portraits, again.
Start 2021 with ideas how to combat monotony of stress, build up of toxic emotions that pile up as the time in this pandemic progresses and grey dates predominate.
Will 2020’s prove to be decadent, just like 1920’s of Great Depression (1929), post-WWI (1914-1918) recovery, Spanish flu losses (1918-1919), but also enormous economic growth and jazz age optimism?
Acrylic paints, legal pad paper. Simple and effective stress reducing habit of work with art of any form.
Kitchen table, any table. On days of high stress or low impact.
I am forever inspired by curly hair and diversity of faces and expressions on them.
Gift to self - package of excellent brushes that I share with those who build time for their creative side around me.
Meditative and fun (and the product may surprise you).
Take an art class, watch Bob Ross enchanting painting shows and be mesmerized by his brush strokes accompanied by his male-siren voice that is totally intoxicatingly relaxing.
I am not afraid of different shapes and asymmetry. I am at awe of color, mix of colors and they play with water and how they stain the paper.
The Holiday Gift.
Use them.
One of my favorite people gave me a set of drawing pencils for my art projects. They did not need long till they were in full use.
Cherish.
The gift so sweet as you know that the person who gave that to you knows you well. It maybe the box or a couple of crayons; maybe a gift card to your favorite cafe. It may be a decoration on the Christmas Tree commemorating the special event in your like (anniversary, photo of the trip to beloved destination, framed picture of your favorite family member). That Special Thing.
Art of Holiday Living and Giving.
Bake It and Share It.
Build it.
Every year I spray paint pinecones. I collect them late fall, dry them in basement and then one windy day I go outside and spray with all colors of rainbows, but most with reds, greens, silver and golds, like in the song.
Fragment of poem by Robert Frost
{…}He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
Kitty plays main role.
Cats just love messing up with decorations on Christmas Tree. When Tori was small she would climb to the very top of it and she was very obvious fire hazard. Now she calmed down a bit, but when tree goes up that is still a brief attraction to her as well.
Rock painting Holiday projects.
Relaxing and fun for entire family.
Ho, ho, ho?
Owl, owl, it is oh so Merry!
Holiday List
For peace on Earth
For children to play outside
For less than 6 feet apart from each other
For vaccine that works and does not hurt much
For real Tree, Pine Tree
For being able to go to concert to see Chris Botti
For being able to take off…anywhere in 2021 summer
Who do you rock with?
Visual art with inspirational words and recipe for non-alcoholic Holidays Drink a la DocOffClock.
Who is your rock?
a friend
parent
mom dad
sister
teacher
coach
Are you smooth?
Water smooths the edges of rocks over the years
Rocks become similar and indifferent.
Did that happen to you?
Do you still have the edge?
Holiday Drink anyone?
Rock-ita on Rocks.
one part water
one part seltzer
one part cranberry juice
ice cubes and salt to taste, lemon wedge on the side
sugar on top
stir but not mix
Enjoy @docoffclock Rock Cafe!
Fall magnificent colors still on full display.
White Halloween anyone?
Heavy lifting.
Post mortem.
How appropriate it feels to write that title a day after 2020 Halloween.
There will be many post mortem on 2020 - pandemic, elections, social unrest, and perhaps more nuisance … snowy October 31st. We got good 3-4 inches in some parts of New England. Cats were uneasy, kids did not know whether to go trick or treating or sledding and I was permanently cold.
The remote technology perhaps provided for some reassurance that not all is lost this year, that we can adjust, innovate, make the best out of the times we were handed.
What did I learn from snowy Halloween 2020? That kids were not walking neighborhood like last year which made me sad, but also hopeful that people try to limit risks; that I can still go on a walk and enjoy the outdoors with weather adjusted clothing; that there is always room for hot coco and … that I love my remote car starter. In addition I took a moment to snap few photos for here and instagram.
Snowy passage.
Walking in the woods and searching for inspiration.
Simple gifts (Anonymous)
“ ‘Tis gift to be simple, ‘tis the gift to be free,
‘Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight[…]’’
Halloween like no other.
Scarecrows.
Anxiety level is high, but scarecrows always have a smile for you. Pumpkins this year are abundant, with many shapes and colors.
Tall sunflowers.
Would you be so at awe if you were lost in this field at midnight on this year’s Halloween Blue Moon? Without a mask and with scarecrows closing in on you?……
Masked, but no faceless.
Show of time to have this scarecrow farmer wear a surgical mask.. Blue mask on Blue Moon?
this is work in progress
pre-baking resting and rising
I am prune nut-bread, I taste good.. Am I just bread, or am I a pure art, delicacy and harmony for senses and feast for the eyes?
Cape Cod blueberry jam will pair well with any bread
I am white bread, plain but delicious!
Nutty Patti, Is bread baking art? Is any kitchen creation that Tates and looks good an art piece?
Art of falling in love with Fall.
New England walks are never boring. Old stone walls, majestic trees, leaves changing colors and illuminating my way in early hours of the day. Fall-ow me on my walks!
Fall my Fall, but not too fast..this Fall go slow..
Kat Seibert
Ginger and fall ready, my cat.
Surfing Blues.
Able to be there.
Beach Tree.
Path to Wellness.
Big Blue with Clouds.
Blue sky and the Beauty.
As the result of my sincerity and belief in each of them, barriers between us were dismantled over time as trust was established and strengthened.
Bronnie Ware “The top five regrets of the dying”
Alien Papa with Blue Eye
Yellow Hair Alien Girl
Mom of The Alien
Alien Boy
Alien Grand-Ma
Art in motion.
Ocean, ocean, sea and sea, wave and wave and tide after tide. So chronic, so repetitive, so reassuring that tomorrow will come with new wave, that new tide will re-shape a beach or create a sand bar. The rocks will move around and yes, this will be here for sure.
Nature orange.
Gallery of marvelous and home grown carrots is complemented by orange tom cat, also orange, book that I read recently and sunset to die for. The collage is completed by short video “Lunch break dance party…” where I dance in my chair wearing orange knit top.
Nature orange on the horse ride
Carrot heart
Orange Cat
Keyboard Karrot
Multiple orange heads
Carrot you know what
Coming soon in Bookish, do you see orange in the cover colors?
O-range sunset
Sunday cucumber art.
Guest artist and designer Rebecca Shanahan.
I call it Red Woman.
Cape Cod artist, fashion designer, mom and busy artist-artist-enterpreneur Rebecca has an eye for gorgeous design for women which is reflected also in her sensible paintings.
It may rain in summer.
I like how this painting depicts one of Rebecca’s dress designs in the woman of her imagination. I like how she uses blue in various shades in this art piece as it would depict the mood - soft, rainy, but nevertheless there is always something to do for this woman with umbrella.
Flowers.
So pretty are the flowers in the vase.
I recently talked with Rebecca in the interview for this website and the link to it is listed below. I can picture Rebecca in her studio or backyard concentrating on her painting and capturing beauty of nature.
Diversity is beauty and beauty is diversity in my portraits.
Fascination in human faces.
It starts for me with observation of people and art around me, portraits that are already made, instagram and other social media sources. Then I solidify an idea of what face I choose for the picture - is that adult or child, Black, White, Asian, perhaps alterations on these themes. I draw with soft pencils, crayons, or paint in watercolor, rarely acrylic. It is a creative process for me to choose medium, colors, shades, hair styles, expressions, eyes color. I like to mix and match to allow myself for alteration of DNA which creates amazing and different, each time, result. This is a creative journey for me and I am hoping to continue being inspired.
Summer living in art.
The perfect summer chair.
Is of course Adirondack..
The pictures above are in watercolors.
Paint a perfect summer chair.
Painted 13 years ago, each time I look at them I think of summer.
They are a constant in many lawns of beach front houses.
Three stages of scream for ice cream.
Dipped Mint yogurt in chocolate.
I think ice creams have bad reputation for being so heavily calories packed, and low on healthy nutrition. I noticed that there are so many healthier varieties in stores, ranging from yogurts with low sugar or low fat to more traditional, but redesigned and improved old fashion staples. There are frozen juice bars as well, but those you cannot really call ice creams. The quality of yogurts that are frozen improved so dramatically in last decade. The variety of companies producing them is something to be grateful for too. There is much more in sense of flavors, size, texture. Some of them may in fact constitute a part of daily Calcium requirement for those of us who do not like chalky tablets or more traditional milk products. I pick up a few different packages to keep in freezer at this time and any time of the year. There is nothing better to end dinner or barbecue with then portion of some cold desert.
As far as avoiding the trap of unnecessary calories and potential weight gain there is a solution. The portion control is a key and one ice cream on stick comes in defined amount and number of calories, if you truly count them. This one has 150 thanks to its rich chocolate layer on the outside. One portion has 6% of estimated daily calcium and 4 % both of iron and potassium. And the experience is a delight. Guilty pleasure or pleasure without the guilt, choosing your attitude will make this snack so much mode delicious.
Steve Lyon’s Woman in Garden.
Cape Cod sculptural painting artist, expressionist Steve Lyons sat down for interview with me. Here is a fragment of our talk about his specific art piece Woman in Garden.
Green explosion in photos.
Fern.
I am very keen of ferns. Many plants grow inside of my house, but I also notice them on my hikes and even along the old brick wall where fern grows despite harsh environment. My favorite perhaps is Boston fern.
Salad them.
Or in my version, I salute them. Those first greens, just few larger leaves from still growing plant, I pick and mix with store bought offerings. Fresh lettuce from garden is so rich, flavorful and spicy compared to grocery mixed varieties.
I enrich my salads with few finely cut parsley and cilantro leaves. The latter agreeing with many more meals than just salsa.
The meadow.
This alluring meadow was irresistible with its aroma and looks of wildflowers mixed within a grass. This is this very short period just before grass will be pollinating and causing lots of respiratory troubles for many of us.
What else? The insect spray, make it a habit to use before each outing to wooded area to avoid ticks that also seem to enjoy this time of the year.
“Cherish every moment with those you love at every stage of your journey.”
― Jack Layton
Pictures of snakes on my walk.
Garter snake.
These are very common snakes that are not venomous and harmless unless threatened. They feed on small animals like frogs, insects and may be advantageous to the yard. They need not to be forcefully removed or sprayed on with chemicals. I found a natural repellant that helps to draw them away from yard as not everyone is comfortable with snakes around the house. The repellant has cedar, clove and cinnamon oil to add to the list why I love the spices. Press button to learn more about clove.
Fun fact: Thamnophis sirtalis pictured here is a Massachusetts state snake.
This is more scary snake to me and I was so happy to be quite distance away from this Northern Water Snake. It is not venomous, but may appear threatening due to its size (reaching up to 5 or so feet in length) and can be mistaken with venomous cottonmouth snake at times, and harmed.
Power of water.
‘‘I show him rivers, babbling streams;
I show him youthful hopes and dreams;’’
This fragment of poetry is from Blind by John Kendrick Bangs
Acrylic paint on canvas.
Dance of yellows with browns and blacks.
How to balance dark times with art reflecting your feelings, but not succumbing to despair? I just posted a piece on this blog in “Moments”(May 2, 20920) on dealing with unpredictable.
I remember vividly that while painting this picture I was not unhappy or sad and did not have dark mood or so. However, how much of what unconscious lives in our art versus what matches our words and behavior? My prediction is that this mismatch is what makes us to create art, write a new post or entry to a diary. How many songs were created out of deep sadness, so deep indeed that if one truly acknowledged that what would be the way out of that? Two pieces of music I think about here is Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant song “All of my love” and Eric Clapton’s “Tears in heaven” both written after loss of children. When you listen to that music you realize the beauty and sadness, but also that this is a masterpiece born out of hitting the rock bottom and reaching out any way one can back to the blue, sunny sky and a hope for better days ahead.
To balance that below I show you a photo of spring in full bloom, the season that for me is a sign of new birth, hope and life moving forward with passion and beauty.
My weekend art.
This Friday evening image will be linked to my Monday morning blog post.
Visit Moments Monday to learn more.
My early spring garden.
Deer repelling dianthus went into ground yesterday. The plants need full sun so I chose a spot that is great for my tulips, roses and later on the stars of the summer: tomatoes.
Roses, in soft pastels.
Beauty as a shield.
I will hold beauty as a shield against despair.
When my heart faints I will remember sights like these:
Bronze cypresses that framed a sapphire sea,
A desert mesa wrapped in sunset flame,
An airplane that raced the Overland […]
Tall office buildings rearing through the night
Sheer wall of alabaster pierced with gold-
And snowflakes falling on a lonely pine.
I will hold beauty as a shield against despair.
When my heart faints I will remember sights like these:
The dawning wonder in a baby’s face,
The kindness in a weary wanton’s smile […]
And if there’s something, I can still hope on.
by Elsie Robinson
Portrait in soft pastels “Elsie”
Blue Boy in soft pastels
A couple of recent drawings with use of soft pastels. Faces capture so much - age, mood, illness. As a rheumatologist I can tell what is happening within a body just studying a face for few moments: and at times it is something like lupus, but quite often desperation, hope or loss.
Medical images: inspiration for My/Art.
Pain and suffering with Frida Kahlo.
Spydergram and other graphs.
The images below are my interpretation of medical images presented with two different studies. The image on the left resembles colorful spider net. The right image is simpler: the only vivid aspect of it is a light pink background. Both are on paper with use of soft pastels, crayons and pencils.
This interpretation was based on front page image of June 2019 issue of Arthritis Care and Research (AC and R, Wiley).
This spydergram represents various quality of life measures over a period of 3 years in patient with lupus. Lupus is one of autoimmune disorders that causes not only organ damage, but also markedly challenges patient in the areas like fatigue, pain, sleep, social functioning (pg. 829-838).
Similarly, patients with psoriatic arthritis suffer from pain which may be expression of ongoing inflammation.
The study of that and how ultrasound images can help with capturing the ongoing disease process is presented in the same issue of AC and R that image on left was based on (pg. 798-810).
The artist Frieda Kahlo struggled from variety of illnesses afflicting her skeleton and body, some as a consequence of polio she suffered as very young person.
She is to believe be inflicted by fibromyalgia, which causes widespread pain among other symptoms. Pain is understood better than decades ago, but it still remains a challenge how to treat it, what works best for it and how to minimize side effects of remedies that have been used for pain in past, and currently.
Modern medicine concentrates more on idea of body and soul connection and allows exploration of how emotions, mental state and other factors contribute to pain. There is much more interest and permission in exploring the integrative medicine practices like yoga, tai chi, therapeutic massage and acupuncture among other modalities to help with pain. I am very happy to see that being part of routine rather than alternative path for pain treatment.
Cubism de Novo series.
Murielle
I painted a few portraits in last few days. This time experimenting with soft pencils and crayons and blocks covering some facial features.
Editka
Faces are fascinating, and don’t we all, at times, want to hide at least part of it from view?
Madalena
I like to work with paper as it provides me portable canvas for the art. It is less forgiving if you work with wet paints, but works well with drawings.
Soft pastel roses.
Metal objects part 2.
How could I resist this combination of baby blue and rust? I think this is a part of old gate.
Drink it.
This is not functional at this time of the year, but welcome sign near any trail or walking path, or sport field.
The car wheels hubs have so many cool shapes. I love how they shine on a sunny day.
Express yourself, but politely please…
Metal objects on the walk. Color, utility, story: I love these aspects of metal objects captured here. Painted red fire-hydrant, or rusting away farm objects from last century. Green metal bike stand, and finally grate on the street for water drainage. They are comfort, hard work, they are safety and deserve our admiration.
Toilet paper industrial art.
Sense of humor in times of the virus.
It is officially an upside down world. Not like in Netflix series Stranger Things, but real, palpable, and as novel as the virus that caused it. Covid19 creates behaviors typical for times of uncertainty and fear. The smart heads try to explain and analyze why people are hoarding toilet paper (TP)to the point that there is none, none whatsoever left in the stores. One of explanations is that doing something like buying toilet paper is reaching for low handing fruit, in hopeless time you feel that you retain some of control by utilizing relatively inexpensive behavior. While I predict that this TP phenomenon will be a theme of not one, but many PhD dissertations in the future, it is time for us to get creative and consider the TP substitute that anyone can make at home. Talking about total control and on the budget. All you need is some unwanted pages of your paper, skillful hands and imagination. The pages you choose again, totally under your control, may also reflect how you feel and relate to current events: I chose sports section (sorry), politics and advertisement. Have fun with it. The end product may be utilitarian indeed, softened balls can be used in bathroom (just wash those ink stained hands and body parts), or better yet create some paper balls towers and include all family members in that process.
Potato art
Unpretty.
Is it still eatable? Perhaps, it landed in a pan for the evening meal. It was mis-shaped, wrinkly and imperfect, but who or what isn’t? I do not want to follow the trap of showing only the special, the best pieces there are. Bare and raw is captivating and trending right now (just think of no make up movement).
Fave side dish.
And the favorite potato version for many of us.
I darer to create sustainable veggie art. After the project I placed the tatoes back in the freezer.
This is my take on blonde, blue eye beauty.
Grow it.
OK, this one is perfect. I think of it as shape of heart or perhaps….
Street art in times of banned travel.
London
I cannot believe I spent my last birthday in London. Spring just began, I came for medical conference. My mom was sick a day before so she cancelled meeting with me. Walking streets of this great city I could not believe that I was here. The Tube, famous subway of the city, is easy to use and to me a quintessential London. I admired diversity of the passengers and London street fashion was so cool.
Washington DC Subway map
I spent so many hours walking the capital. Every time I visit a museum or two. DC has a good metro system and I liked looking at professionals reading the papers or checking the smart phone, while I was in my more casual conference attire. To me this map is an art of this thing we used to do in the past: travel.
Foggy what?
Yes, the Bottom. This is DC again. The name of subway station near George Washington University puts a smile on my face. I traveled that line from the airport to the hotel near conference center. Or at least I think so. I like how the sign illuminates the ceiling in pink. The piping above it looks industrial-cool.
The images with flowers.
Birthday gift.
I used to work with a very unique woman. She is a great doctor, but she is more than that. She is smart, warm, funny and plays piano, what a combo! Few years back I wanted to surprise her with my own gift for her birthday. You see, she brings gifts from her travels, she will give you Christmas gift, she will make you blush, but will not make you feel bad about you not getting her a gift when you come back from your holidays. But I had enough of that and wanted to present her with something made by me. It took me a while to paint a few watercolors of flowers (which she likes) and this one made a final cut. Now, when she moved on to her new work she took a piece of me with her: not only in a form of art.
Alive and vibrant.
I could take a thousand pictures of flowers. They are perfect. There is a few sets of flower photos already included in theses pages.
There is flower art on my walls, I paint the flowers, I love to have fresh cut flowers on the table. It is rare that I do, but not so in warm months when I have my own flower garden and cut some of them for the inside. My love for wild flowers is more metaphorical as allergies to pollen exclude them from the inside.
Many flower shows were cancelled this spring, but we can still look at thousand images of them online. It is so good to take a break from painful events and look at beauty around us.