Showing posts with label dreams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dreams. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

The shells ...

I woke up this morning and against the bright sun peering through the veiled curtains I saw an island floating on an ocean of rattan ... I closed my eyes again as I wanted to go back to the state of slumber and experience this dream again ...
I slowly open my eyes and through my lashes this sight appears again ... I hesitate to open a bit more ... afraid this was going to disappear ... an ocean of rattan with a bright white sky and an island ... two islands ... no ... make that three islands ... three white sand humps on an ocean of rattan ... different size ... different shapes ... all preciously shimmering in the light ...
Where was I ? ... where did this sudden surrender to peace and quiet come from ? ... oceans of rattan don't make any noise ... it was quiet ... ear deafening silence ...

Now I remembered my dream ... it was as in a faint memory coming back ... the silhouette on the beach ... a silhouette walking on the beach in the the darkness of pre-dawn ...

I pause my thoughts and pain my memory ... it all turns dark ...

* * *

The orange glow of the sun is lighting up the water and a silhouette is taking form ... the first rays light up my vision and I see a flowing dress ... a goddess floating over the sand ... tall ... mysterious ... golden skin lit by a rising sun .. the head is framed with long wavy hair ... hiding the face ...

Turn ... turn ... turn ... I whisper in my dream ... alas ... the appearance can't hear me in the deafening silence of my dream ocean ... I walk closer to the scene ... a goddess arm stretches graciously our to me and an elegant hand opens up ... I see three shells ...

Three shells fall out this mysterious hand ... I catch them and hold these little treasures tight ... I turn my head towards the apparition but all I can see is a soul silhouette disappearing in the darkness of the sun ...

"Wait ... wait ... wait" ... I yell ... I scream ...

I pause as no sound is escaping my voice ...

What is ? ... the dark turns slowly to light and I don't have a shadow ... I'm reduced to my soul ...
But wait ... the shells ....

* * *

I slowly opened my eyes and through my lashes I see three islands ... foggy this time ... out of focus ... the bright sunlight is blinding ... slowly I open a bit more ... my vision adjust and I see the ocean of rattan ... the white beaches of the islands ...

The islands slowly disappear in the distance and they get smaller and smaller until each island is reduced to a shell ...

One shell ... two shells ... three shells ... all different ... all beautifully shimmering on my rattan nightstand ...

I close my eyes again and I'm overcome with a warm feeling ... My soul is blessed by three little shells that travelled in a mysterious way to the beach in the dawn of a dream ... dropped from the hands of a beach goddess ...

* * *

Images in this post are from a shoot with Nettie R. Harris ... we worked together almost a year ago ... extremely talented art model .. more images of this shoot later.


Friday, February 27, 2009

My Red Barn ...

... in the Fremont hills ...

*   *   *

I discovered these hills during my first visit ever to Fremont on December 22, 2001 ... I'll never forget the day ...

I casually explored a one lane wooded canyon road ... I grew up in the forests in Belgium and can't resist exploring, looking for the view, the peace, the quiet ... the history of it all ...

The top of the hill rewarded me with this most magnificent view ... miles of it ... to never forget

*   *   *

On my way down the hill I made my next discovery ... insignificant at first ...

I was wrong ... this first glimpse is still on my mind ... the taste of the air ... the smell of the nearby eucalyptus forest ... the sound of a nearby spring ...

A red barn ...
A tin roof ...
Old ...
Rusty ...
Cracks ... missing boards ...
Inhabited ...
Full of character ...

... the history ...

*   *   *

In the months that followed I would be preoccupied moving from Los Angeles to Fremont ... new job ... new challenges ... new realm ... 

*   *   *


The red barn took on a life of its own ..  at night, when I could not fall asleep, I would nurture the barn to health ...

Fix the cracks ...
Replace the boards ...
New tin on the roof ...
Massive skylights ...
Windows ...
Doors ...

I would talk to the old red barn and ask permission to gently add some new comfort ... 

A wooden floor ...
Fireplace ...
Clawfoot tub ...
Staircase to the rafters ... 
Loft with bedstead ...
A pipe stove ...

In my sleep the red barn became my studio .. my workplace ... my home ... a place where I could curl up and dream on about yesteryears and forgotten lives ... 

*   *   *

The dreams were real and recurring  ...

I've worked many a night in my red barn ...

Escape ?

Past Life ?

Parallel Dimension ?

With time the red barn disappeared from my mind ... or so I thought ... 

I goofed up ...

The red barn is there ... it always was ... it always will be ...

Elusive ?
Yes ...

Unattainable ?

No ...

*   *   *

I've been dreaming about the red barn for the last 9 months again ... 

I finally figured it out its secret ... 


Continued ...