February 2007- Second Life - de-ja-vu

Tone:

One day, while working on another Ra-painting, my favorite radio station (Norwegian P2 - mostly good quality cultural and artistic material) had a story about something called 'Second Life' - I can't remember what exactly triggered the interest, but something certainly did... I immediately started a search; and same day entered SL; as - yes:

Raspirit Heron.

- Oh, I've had feelings of 'de-ja-vu', but never like this one;

And thus:)) started my one month long exploration - ----

FLYING!!!:))

For a one-time-potential-animator-choosing-fine art painting - It was like entering 'visual heaven'!

And every day I wondered what in the world my book ('Det store puslespillet', published 2004) was REALLY about? Tp'ing...? Flying? Visiting places, any time, anywhere...?

I travelled distances...dropping in and out - seeing what people of fantastic artistic qualities had created - It was all here!

And I knew I had to find a way to make my artwork live here...in SL.

Tone:

One day, while working on another Ra-painting, my favorite radio station (Norwegian P2 - mostly good quality cultural and artistic material) had a story about something called 'Second Life' - I can't remember what exactly triggered the interest, but something certainly did... I immediately started a search; and same day entered SL; as - yes:

Raspirit Heron.

- Oh, I've had feelings of 'de-ja-vu', but never like this one;

And thus:)) started my one month long exploration - ----

FLYING!!!:))

For a one-time-potential-animator-choosing-fine art painting - It was like entering 'visual heaven'!

And every day I wondered what in the world my book ('Det store puslespillet', published 2004) was REALLY about? Tp'ing...? Flying? Visiting places, any time, anywhere...?

I travelled distances...dropping in and out - seeing what people of fantastic artistic qualities had created - It was all here!

And I knew I had to find a way to make my artwork live here...in SL.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Raspirit pre-SL

RA

In the early summer of -06 RL Tone was given a little crow girl to care for; It was during one of three heavy rain storms that otherwise unusually sunny and warm summer, and the little crow had evidently fallen from a nest high up underneath a cliff - down onto a road with heavy traffic. Her foot was badly damaged, but otherwise she seemed ok. After searching for the nest for several stormy days, unsuccessfully, Tone accepted her 'Crow mama' status, started building an aviary at the edge of the forest surrounding her garden; And for the next few weeks the crow healed, and quite rapidly began to participate in Tone's daily gardening activities, picking weeds but mostly rose petals - and picking baby trees was a favorite - but the pond being the most exciting attraction; to bathe in and as a mirror to watch all the creatures of the skies. And every time she wanted to tell Tone something, she called out 'Ra! Ra!' and aimed at a shoulder, a hand, or preferably the head.

Thus:) - she received the name Ra.

And as it turned out to be the sunniest summer in living memory in the fjord of Hardanger (Norway), the name seemed even more fitting (Ra, the sun god).

Every morning Ra greeted Tone with flapping wings and excited cries, and every evening she would insist on sitting close to Tone's ear and tell her about everything that had happened on yet another adventurous day; Herons flew by at dawn, all the birds of the forest danced for her on the first sun beams breaking through, seagulls scouted throughout the day, cats came and went, and at dusk the forest pidgeon's wings would signal dark's arrival - and then the herons would return.

But the night is filled with danger, and so is early dawn - one morning a hawk was scouting nearby. Soon thereafter the local crow family started to visit the garden more and more frequently - making an obvious approach towards Ra; taking her on flights, keeping her away for hours at a time - yet always returning with her at dusk, guarding her flight back to her aviary home in the garden.

And always Tone would be waiting for her; Receiving the amazing communion of a wild being choosing to spend these moments together with her.

The time spent in the garden gradually started to change; instead of picking weeds and rose petals, Ra started picking at Tone's heals - as if to say: 'Come fly with me!' And when Tone explained that 'I have no wings..!' - Ra still insisted, and grabbed her hair: 'Come!' Fly!' And then she would fly all around her, teasing and 'attacking' her - before she finally gave up, and would take off to spend the day with the other crows.

And return when the herons did.

One morning Tone found a headless dead bird on her doorstep, later that same day she found a skull in the a field -

And then, that evening, Ra never did return....and not the next....nor the next....

Every day she searched, and every day Tone found new feathers - making a trail for her to walk with her grief and wonder:

Did she fly with the crows?

Did the hawk find her?

Did she live and thrive?

Or did Ra perish and die?

Tone will perhaps never know -

but she was granted a bird's heart

and the magic of a bird's breath

(Birds do breathe differently - if you didn't know....Breathe on a feather, and you will see

- when you breathe out, the feather rises..)

Far away, on the other side of the planet, there's a woman called Mary; a real medicine woman, a healer and a Raven. When it was time, Tone gathered the feathers Ra gave me as gifts, found the ones she wanted to carry closest to her heart, and thus 'Raspirit' was born.

Raspirit travelled in the form of these feathers half way across the planet - to Mary; who made a beautiful pouch to safeguard them and to safeguard this precious spirit - and back again.

And in the meantime Raspirit turned a heart into one of renewed longing - to fly high!

Thus:) - Raspirit Heron

Several moths later- on on of her daily walks, Tone suddenly found a little baby pine tree - all intact with roots and all - 'thrown' in front of her on the road....?

RA

In the early summer of -06 RL Tone was given a little crow girl to care for; It was during one of three heavy rain storms that otherwise unusually sunny and warm summer, and the little crow had evidently fallen from a nest high up underneath a cliff - down onto a road with heavy traffic. Her foot was badly damaged, but otherwise she seemed ok. After searching for the nest for several stormy days, unsuccessfully, Tone accepted her 'Crow mama' status, started building an aviary at the edge of the forest surrounding her garden; And for the next few weeks the crow healed, and quite rapidly began to participate in Tone's daily gardening activities, picking weeds but mostly rose petals - and picking baby trees was a favorite - but the pond being the most exciting attraction; to bathe in and as a mirror to watch all the creatures of the skies. And every time she wanted to tell Tone something, she called out 'Ra! Ra!' and aimed at a shoulder, a hand, or preferably the head.

Thus:) - she received the name Ra.

And as it turned out to be the sunniest summer in living memory in the fjord of Hardanger (Norway), the name seemed even more fitting (Ra, the sun god).

Every morning Ra greeted Tone with flapping wings and excited cries, and every evening she would insist on sitting close to Tone's ear and tell her about everything that had happened on yet another adventurous day; Herons flew by at dawn, all the birds of the forest danced for her on the first sun beams breaking through, seagulls scouted throughout the day, cats came and went, and at dusk the forest pidgeon's wings would signal dark's arrival - and then the herons would return.

But the night is filled with danger, and so is early dawn - one morning a hawk was scouting nearby. Soon thereafter the local crow family started to visit the garden more and more frequently - making an obvious approach towards Ra; taking her on flights, keeping her away for hours at a time - yet always returning with her at dusk, guarding her flight back to her aviary home in the garden.

And always Tone would be waiting for her; Receiving the amazing communion of a wild being choosing to spend these moments together with her.

The time spent in the garden gradually started to change; instead of picking weeds and rose petals, Ra started picking at Tone's heals - as if to say: 'Come fly with me!' And when Tone explained that 'I have no wings..!' - Ra still insisted, and grabbed her hair: 'Come!' Fly!' And then she would fly all around her, teasing and 'attacking' her - before she finally gave up, and would take off to spend the day with the other crows.

And return when the herons did.

One morning Tone found a headless dead bird on her doorstep, later that same day she found a skull in the a field -

And then, that evening, Ra never did return....and not the next....nor the next....

Every day she searched, and every day Tone found new feathers - making a trail for her to walk with her grief and wonder:

Did she fly with the crows?

Did the hawk find her?

Did she live and thrive?

Or did Ra perish and die?

Tone will perhaps never know -

but she was granted a bird's heart

and the magic of a bird's breath

(Birds do breathe differently - if you didn't know....Breathe on a feather, and you will see

- when you breathe out, the feather rises..)

Far away, on the other side of the planet, there's a woman called Mary; a real medicine woman, a healer and a Raven. When it was time, Tone gathered the feathers Ra gave me as gifts, found the ones she wanted to carry closest to her heart, and thus 'Raspirit' was born.

Raspirit travelled in the form of these feathers half way across the planet - to Mary; who made a beautiful pouch to safeguard them and to safeguard this precious spirit - and back again.

And in the meantime Raspirit turned a heart into one of renewed longing - to fly high!

Thus:) - Raspirit Heron

Several moths later- on on of her daily walks, Tone suddenly found a little baby pine tree - all intact with roots and all - 'thrown' in front of her on the road....?

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

A Liminal Existence

"When the soul wishes to experience something she throws an image of the experience out before her and enters into her own image.(Meister Eckhart)

"When the soul wishes to experience something she throws an image of the experience out before her and enters into her own image.(Meister Eckhart)

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

You'll never break it darlin', you won't break this heart of stone.

Put down the spray cans and pick up the sandblasters!

DUFI are in the process of producing approx 30 stencilised quotes to be sandblasted into the streets of Inverness. Here are some sample images, and a press cutting.

Put down the spray cans and pick up the sandblasters!

DUFI are in the process of producing approx 30 stencilised quotes to be sandblasted into the streets of Inverness. Here are some sample images, and a press cutting.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Doctor, there's something wrong with me.

DUFI have recently been commissioned to produce four permanent artworks for the new Fort William Health Centre. As part of this project we will be working with Lochaber High School Support for Learning Department, involving young people with physical and learning disabilities.

We will post updates and sketches as the project progresses.

DUFI have recently been commissioned to produce four permanent artworks for the new Fort William Health Centre. As part of this project we will be working with Lochaber High School Support for Learning Department, involving young people with physical and learning disabilities.

We will post updates and sketches as the project progresses.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

How To Have a Successful Blog

As Artists it is important to market oursleves, this can be done through blogs so I thought I would include this article here.
















A blog is like having your own personal soapbox for the whole world to see. There are literally millions of them, so it's impossible to keep up with every single one.

Having a blog can keep you up-to-date in the field you practice in, and it can help establish you as an expert. As a successful lawyer and consultant, these are the following steps I practice to maintain my blog. Here are 8 tips to creating and maintaining a blog that will be read:

1. Have a great title for your blog site. Include keywords that are relevant to your work so the search engines can find you. That means that using your firm name may not the best title.

2. Have great titles for every post. Again, it should have the relevant keywords so it can be found. Think of the words a person would type in if she were looking for an answer. Those are the words you want to use.

3. Post often. A blog is a dynamic marketing tool, meaning that the content has to change often. If you are a lawyer, post new topics on law, your law firm and your law practice. The most successful blogs have new, fresh content every day, sometimes multiple times each day. You may want to post daily until your blog is established, then you can go to two or three times a week.

4. Choose interesting topics. Of course you'll want to post blogs that people will read, so think of questions your clients have had and answer them. Start with the basics first before moving into more in-depth blogs.

5. Get followers. Most blog hosts will allow for RSS feeds or a way for people to subscribe and be notified whenever you post new content. Allow for comments on your blog site, and stay involved in the threads. If people ask questions in the comment section, it will give you more material to post in future blogs.

6. Write simply. The legal field can be confusing. If your blog is meant for the general public, follow the KISS (keep it simple stupid) principle. If your blog is meant for professionals in a certain field, speak to them in their language. If your blog is meant for other attorneys, you can use more legalese.

7. Keep it relevant. Your blog represents you and your practice. It isn't meant to be a place for you to rant about things that aren't relevant. If you want to have a soapbox that doesn't pertain to your legal practice, start a separate blog where you can write about your personal opinions and political views.

8. Read and link to other blogs. Find legal blogs that you think are good and read them. They will give you ideas and different perspectives. You'll get to see what others are blogging about and keep current on what's going on around you. Also, if you link to those blogs, you will get noticed and people will start reading your blog and link to you.

Remember that a blog is time consuming. If you can't dedicate the hours necessary to keep one, you could always be a "contributing blogger" on someone else's legal blog. Find some blogs that you like, leave comments, and eventually ask if you could be a guest blogger. That way you still increase your visibility without all the work!

-----------------------------------------------------------------

written by

Kendra Brodin

Kendra Brodin, MSW, JD is author of the Happy In Law blog found at http://www.kendrabrodin.com/ and founder of http://www.womenlawyersonline.com/ . With a powerful background as an attorney and social worker, Kendra helps lawyers experience the best of life and legal practice, while helping law firms attract, retain, and advance their best and brightest women attorneys. For more information, please visit her site as mentioned above.

As Artists it is important to market oursleves, this can be done through blogs so I thought I would include this article here.
















A blog is like having your own personal soapbox for the whole world to see. There are literally millions of them, so it's impossible to keep up with every single one.

Having a blog can keep you up-to-date in the field you practice in, and it can help establish you as an expert. As a successful lawyer and consultant, these are the following steps I practice to maintain my blog. Here are 8 tips to creating and maintaining a blog that will be read:

1. Have a great title for your blog site. Include keywords that are relevant to your work so the search engines can find you. That means that using your firm name may not the best title.

2. Have great titles for every post. Again, it should have the relevant keywords so it can be found. Think of the words a person would type in if she were looking for an answer. Those are the words you want to use.

3. Post often. A blog is a dynamic marketing tool, meaning that the content has to change often. If you are a lawyer, post new topics on law, your law firm and your law practice. The most successful blogs have new, fresh content every day, sometimes multiple times each day. You may want to post daily until your blog is established, then you can go to two or three times a week.

4. Choose interesting topics. Of course you'll want to post blogs that people will read, so think of questions your clients have had and answer them. Start with the basics first before moving into more in-depth blogs.

5. Get followers. Most blog hosts will allow for RSS feeds or a way for people to subscribe and be notified whenever you post new content. Allow for comments on your blog site, and stay involved in the threads. If people ask questions in the comment section, it will give you more material to post in future blogs.

6. Write simply. The legal field can be confusing. If your blog is meant for the general public, follow the KISS (keep it simple stupid) principle. If your blog is meant for professionals in a certain field, speak to them in their language. If your blog is meant for other attorneys, you can use more legalese.

7. Keep it relevant. Your blog represents you and your practice. It isn't meant to be a place for you to rant about things that aren't relevant. If you want to have a soapbox that doesn't pertain to your legal practice, start a separate blog where you can write about your personal opinions and political views.

8. Read and link to other blogs. Find legal blogs that you think are good and read them. They will give you ideas and different perspectives. You'll get to see what others are blogging about and keep current on what's going on around you. Also, if you link to those blogs, you will get noticed and people will start reading your blog and link to you.

Remember that a blog is time consuming. If you can't dedicate the hours necessary to keep one, you could always be a "contributing blogger" on someone else's legal blog. Find some blogs that you like, leave comments, and eventually ask if you could be a guest blogger. That way you still increase your visibility without all the work!

-----------------------------------------------------------------

written by

Kendra Brodin

Kendra Brodin, MSW, JD is author of the Happy In Law blog found at http://www.kendrabrodin.com/ and founder of http://www.womenlawyersonline.com/ . With a powerful background as an attorney and social worker, Kendra helps lawyers experience the best of life and legal practice, while helping law firms attract, retain, and advance their best and brightest women attorneys. For more information, please visit her site as mentioned above.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Born down in a dead man's town.

We have just completed a set of workshops with a group of seven kids in Alness Academy. Despite being warned that it might be one of our toughest groups to work with, we had a great time and the group worked really hard.

However, it turns out that David (one of the smaller members of our group) was a diehard Springsteen fan and insisted on playing ‘Born In The USA’ on repeat for the three painting sessions. So on a very modest estimate we must have listened to that song over 30 times in six hours - resulting in us permanently deleting it from iTunes!

We have just completed a set of workshops with a group of seven kids in Alness Academy. Despite being warned that it might be one of our toughest groups to work with, we had a great time and the group worked really hard.

However, it turns out that David (one of the smaller members of our group) was a diehard Springsteen fan and insisted on playing ‘Born In The USA’ on repeat for the three painting sessions. So on a very modest estimate we must have listened to that song over 30 times in six hours - resulting in us permanently deleting it from iTunes!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad