Caravan

Come, Come who ever you are
this Caravan is not of despair
Come come who ever you are
this Caravan has no despair
Even though you have broken your vows
perhaps ten thousand times
still come again come who ever you are
who ever you are come
Wanderer worshiper lover of leaving come
Wanderer worshiper lover of leaving come

I attended UU WomenSpirit at The Mountain for the first time last year.  Some of my favorite time was around the circle.  Tarleton Brooks who led the dances had created a beautiful center circle to dance around.  It looked like the universe. 

Magic Floor Cloth by Tarleton Brooks

 On our last night there we had a late night quiet, meditative dance time.  The music was beautiful and powerful but the highlight was dancing and singing to this song.  Everyone loved it so much that we played it over and over.  As we would go around the circle I felt like I was walking on the universe, our shadows were cast on the tall ceilings, the lanterns were suspended above us like stars and the window looked out onto silhouettes of trees.  This image came into my head, the floor cloth brought into 3D, women singing this song, beckoning comfort  on the long trail of life and the shadows, so distorted, could easily become the long silhouettes of camels.  The floor cloth, lit by a single candle looked like a hole into the universe.  This is a memorial to WomenSpirit,  the unified relationship among women and how it can affect everything around us.

The day I began sketching this painting is the day that I learned that the poem by Rami, which this song is based on, is the theme for this year’s 25th anniversary of Fall WomenSpirit on The Mountain.  How perfect is that?  So my plan is to celebrate with this painting and help WomenSpirit.  I’ve posted the details below.

This painting is having it’s in-print debut at the UU WomenSpirit Conference at The Mountain near Highlands, NC.  May 16-20.  Women attending the retreat can pre-order this print on Etsy for $10 and pay the difference when they pick it up at the conference.  This will help me to have enough supplies for those that are interested.  All 11×14 Prints at WomenSpirit will be on sale for $30, regular price is $34.  As a celebration of Womenspirit’s 25th anniversary I am donating 30% of the total sales of Caravan to UU WomenSpirit for the Spring event.  So Ladies, save money, support art, and donate to UU Womenpirit, you can’t lose!