The Rhythms Of Time And Place
Pen and ink contemporary fine art by Doug Ashby
As time marches onward I often find myself within the vacuum of existence. Sometimes it feels as if weeks, months, even years are just moving swiftly by and there is little I can do but continue to put one foot forward everyday and flow within that rhythm. The truth though is by blindly doing so I am someone who can easily lose sight of myself. It’s not uncommon for many of my demons, whom I like to play with from time to time, emerge and take too much of a presence in my life. It’s then that I desperately need to throw a wedge into that habitual rhythm and take a step back to look at time and place.
There can be beauty though in the rhythms that center all of us. When one considers that these patterns are much larger than all of us, and that we are a mere momentary cog within, we can consider more deeply the beauty in the moment. A moment that is transient and elusive if we get lost in the grind. Therefore it is important to continually push oneself to open up to the vast beauty that exists all around us. It’s the larger rhythms of time and place that can reveal themselves and show us that there is a much deeper order at work that we are a part of. At times slowing down enough to bare witness and be in that moment, that time and place, can be breathtaking and instructive to what is truly important.
Like everyone else in the world I can be woefully bad at this. This is also a part of the curse and blessing of being human. I believe in many ways this is why I create the work I do. I desire to have my work be the thing that jars me back to life and centers me. Often though in order for that to happen I have to continually go back and consider the work I did before, especially in relation to the direction my work is heading. I am aware that there are certain themes in my work that persist over time but if I am not careful, and reflective, even my art production can fall prey to the daily slog. I can get lost in the act, which is good, but then easily slip into a place where I am not growing.
So it is with grace and humility that I reflect on this piece here that I created roughly a year ago. Since then I have taken on a new role in my teaching career and sadly in that process lost sight of my desire to be a professional artist. It’s time for me to heed the call that I believe I have subliminally planted in my work. That being to pull oneself out of the moment and take a step back, and take stock of the moment. To rediscover the time and place I am within. To rediscover the hidden rhythms that exist to keep pushing me in the direction I truly desire. The path that brings me the greatest joy.
It’s a beautiful world out there. Both on the surface and even more so when you take a moment to plunge a little deeper.
As always I hope you like the art and writing. Stay tuned for more.
Doug
