there is something so sweet about watching someone effortlessly open up and share with others their gifts and extraordinary talent. in a style i can easily call devout and unpretentious, amitabhan, performed a concert for myself and the beautiful yogis at my yoga retreat last weekend, with music he has written straight from the heart. his message, so simple and true, comes through in every melody he conceives. i asked him for a personal interview, with hopes of possibly conveying bits of his loveliness.

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Sure.  I play the guitar and write songs. I love singing bhajans. I spend a lot of time driving from place to place.

When were you first interested in making music and why?

There was a lot of music in my house growing up.  I do remember holding a guitar in my lap for long periods when I was probably 10. It only had two strings. I would just sit there with the guitar in my lap for a half hour at a time, pretending I could play it. I really wanted to play the guitar. Much later, I started writing songs.

As an artist, what do you find most challenging about what you do? What do you love most about what you do?

Most challenging… paying the rent!  Lol.  Just kidding. Things are going pretty well. I spend a lot of time on the computer, booking shows, setting things up, publicity, marketing, updating websites and such.  That takes up a lot of time, and can be a challenge.

The best part for me is probably when the songs are coming through. I write some songs. Other songs come through. The best songs are the ones that get delivered. Sometimes they need some shaping, editing, or finishing touches, but they are much more a download than a creation.  When that happens, it’s a pretty blissful process.

Where do you gather inspiration for your art? What is the creative process like for you?

Sometimes inspiration is just there. It comes a lot more when I don’t have 27 things to do and my life is more stress-free.  I was on a silent retreat for a week recently. There was a lot of inspiration!

What is your favorite song that you have written?

I like “take me”.

What projects are you working on at the moment?

Right now there is a lot of energy going into some upcoming tours, generating the promotional materials, contacting people. But I will be getting back in the studio in the next month or two to record a few new songs.

What other musicians/artists influence you?

Kirtana is my favorite songwriter. I love the bhakti in Krishna Das’s music. I’ve been really touched by Snatam Kaur and Kathy Zavada also. There is so much grace waiting to pour down on us. Some music reminds me to slow down and rest in that presence.

I love all types of music though.  Some people have a personal integrity or genius that comes through – and it can be in any genre of music. John Prine and Townes Van Zandt have some incredible songs. I love Bob Marley. I’ve played with some unbelievable gospel artists.

I heard a lot of James Taylor growing up, and other songwriters –my parents listened to a lot of music. There were other influences at different times. Its often songs or collections of songs, more than a particular artist that inspires me.

Outside of music, what other interests/pastimes do you have?

Resting in the presence.

Yoga, meditation.

What are 5 things currently making you happy?

Amy Jo’s yoga classes.

Watching the sunset, especially from the top of a hill or mountainside.

Barefoot walks on the earth.

Giving up fear.

I think the best happiness is the one we experience for no reason. Its what we are at the core, when we stop identifying with thoughts.

What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?

Nothing is worth hardening for.

Truth is worth softening for.

Upcoming Amitabhan shows in Southern California:

Friday, July 1 – Santa Barbara

Saturday, July 2 – Pasadena

Sunday, July 3 – Ojai

More info at:

Tickets

www.amitabhan.com

the sage sees life in deeper ways:

sees intricate patterns of beauty

embedded in life’s fabric;

sees comfort woven with the pain;

sees gain shining amidst the loss;

sees forgiveness binding up resentment’s wounds;

and sees life always rising out of death.

so much of our perception

is conditioned by our fears and our desires.

we must learn to see the things

that others cannot see.

then we must assure them

of the beauty hidden there.

(words by william martin)

this touching poem, more powerful when read by the author himself, was written last weekend by dylan barmmer on the last day of the yoga retreat. it brought many of us to tears as we listened intently to his token of love and remembered moments that were so perfectly illustrated with his words.

Naturally

Nestled in lush green groves in

frolicking hills, we are alive above

stunning sun-kissed Santa Barbara

Grace unfolding oh-so Naturally

Beautiful mindful women and

sometimes naked yogic men co-mingle

blending breath, chopping wood, creating space

for individual explorations of autonomy

“Find your own way,” I heard the

smiling soulful teacher say, the words

drip drip dripping like raw honey, seeping

deep deep deep into our soft subconscious

From there will flower, flow freely

much-needed reminders to do more than

pay lip service to things like Presence

and Solitude and Funky Freedom

White Lotus

Green mountains

Blue sky

Yellow tea

Perfect me

Perfect you

Perfect circle

So much Love

So much Love

So Naturally…

The very lovely and candid Susan Carter Hall was generous enough to take a few moments of her time yesterday and share with me a little about herself in an ingenuous interview. Not only does she create beautiful paintings that have been fascinating me since I first laid eyes on them last year, she lives the bona fide life of an artist. During our discussion, she explains the process of translating artistry to canvas, reveals what brings her unadulterated joy, and divulges a secret aspiration – which involves getting her hands dirty in the kitchen.

Ode to Lascaux

Navy & White

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I grew up in Mississippi and moved to California after college. I have studied painting in Italy, Mexico, New York, and Los Angeles. Other than that, I dyed my hair black once.  It was either out of creative frustration since I wasn’t painting at the time or the desire to look more like my dog, since “they” always say how owners look like their dogs. Nevertheless, it was a mistake.

When did you first start painting and why?

I started painting when I was a kid. My grandmother, Alma Twente (aka Moremom) was a painter and sculpture. Whenever we were at her house, she had art supplies around and had us drawing and making little clay sculptures. I started taking art more seriously in high school, and then got hooked in college. I knew something had a hold on me around my junior year when I started showing up to an empty art building early on Sunday mornings, obsessing about the light reflections on the bottles in a still-life painting I was working on.

As an artist, what do you find most challenging about what you do? What do you love most about what you do?

The act of being an artist is a challenge in itself. You have no idea about your income, you spend most of your time alone in a dirty studio, and you give 100% of yourself to projects your audience might not respond to. At the same time, the things that are so challenging, I would also, oddly say, are the things I love most about it too. It keeps me on my toes to constantly have to research, problem-solve, and market myself just to make a living. And, I find great fulfillment being in my studio fully immersed in painting, time seems to stand still and even though I am generally alone, I still have my dog to talk to. In regards to the audience not responding, well that’s just a truth you have to accept and learn to try to paint what is the most honest extension of yourself at that time. And, I don’t say that as if I have mastered the key to artistic freedom, I think about my audience all the time.

Where do you gather inspiration for your art? What is the creative process like for you?

I am inspired by writers, religion, philosophy, myths, space, science, architecture, nature, and fashion.  I am also very inspired by other artists and musicians. I am inspired by relationships – relationships of objects in space, relationships of light and dark, texture relationships, the relationship of urgency and stillness – Cubism really.  I like the idea that in Cubism – you aren’t quite sure where objects exist in space – reality is not spelled out for you – therefore you have to accept – at least for that brief moment – a new model.  Things are not as they appear. And, I think this idea relates back to my interest in religion and science. There are no simple explanations. There is not one way to exist in space. There is not one explanation.

As for my current process, I tend to begin a painting with a certain outcome in mind. This quickly falls apart. I make a lot of marks in an effort to establish this first intention. I am generally unsuccessful. I put the painting away for a day, month, or years.  Time passes. I work on other pieces. I probably have about 25 pieces in various stages of development. I gain new perspectives, have some life experiences, see some art that inspires me, and possibly access the information I need so that when I see the aforementioned painting sitting in the corner of my studio weeks/months later – I see something new, something I couldn’t see before – color, line, etc – and I am drawn back into the painting.  I might only be able to work on it for a week, then I might need to put it away again b/c I don’t quite understand what to do next. So I work on another.  And this goes on and on – this rotation of pieces. Now the paintings are teaching me – in their own time – revealing new relationships, new approaches, new outcomes – and they are always more interesting than the first idea I came up with.

What is your favorite piece of work that you have painted?

Any work in which I was fully immersed and not trying to control the painting, where the painting took over and time stood still, then I am happy with that piece.  I don’t think I have one in particular; they have all been unique experiences.

What projects are you working on at the moment?

I am currently trying to finish a large painting to hang at a downtown loft in the next 3 days for an event.  I am also collaborating with a company on illustrations for a children’s book and franchise. And, I just finished a few pieces that will be featured on an upcoming Bravo TV show.

What other painters/artists influence you?

Off the top of my head….

Past - R. B. Kitaj. Joan Mitchell. Cezanne. Robert Motherwell. Picasso.

Current – Tom Wudl. Summer Wheat. Kati Heck. Neo Rauch. Hockney.

Outside of painting, what other interests/pastimes do you have?

I have a lot of friends who are musicians, so I enjoy going to hear live music in LA.  I also like to hike – we have so many great hikes in LA, but I typically go up to Bronson Canyon where you end up above and behind the HOLLYWOOD sign. And it is a must that I run on a regular basis – it just clears my head and gets the cobwebs out.

What are 5 things currently making you happy?

1. An article on Jeff Bridges in Esquire I just read made me happy.  He talked about overcoming fear, the creative process, and letting creativity “rip” through you.  It was very inspiring.

2. Every time I look at my dog, Aida, I am instantly happy.

3. Bridesmaids, the movie made me laugh so hard yesterday, and laughing makes me happy.

4. Dancing to Vaud and the Villians makes me happy.

5. Hmmm, seeing other people succeed and happy – makes me happy.

What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?

Feel the fear and do it anyway.

Oh, and my mentor, Tom Wudl, advised me to please learn how to cook. And, I am getting around to that.

Red Light, Limelight

4th Dimension and Teacups

Untitled Journey

Aida

Do Something, Then Do Something To That

Cave

this radiant face, only a hint of the beauty and grace that is trapped within her soul, is a very treasured friend i seldom get to see outside the chance encounters that happen in the least expected moments. i was lucky enough to catch her gleefully strolling the streets just yesterday morning on my way to grab some hot tea, and found out about one of her new projects. when she is not teaching pilates, she finds time to create these unique hand painted river rocks. you can find her etsy store online at zoe’s earth.

sandwiches were never appealing to me until the day i discovered the endless possibilities a grilled cheese provides. for years now, i have been mastering my idea of the perfect sandwich but have put in nowhere near the hours and energy that grilled cheese social has implemented. i just found this website and wanted to share some of their fantastic creations for all the grilled cheese lovers.

my love affair with words translates into every area of my life, including all forms of art. i recently discovered these suggestive treasures that instantly became a favorite of mine, magnifying my current need for expressive jewelry. you can find her etsy link here.

last week was the first in a long time that i shed my clothes to soak up some sun at the beach. daydreams of barefoot mornings and lazy afternoons far from home soon followed, as they normally do at the first sign of spring. i’m not exactly sure what it is, but this longing to live a quiet, less-civilized life out in the middle of nowhere tends to visit me about as often as the breath i breathe. occasionally, i can keep her quiet for days on end, occupying her time with promises of future endowments. then suddenly, she begs to be exalted into freedom, leaving me at a loss for words.

indulging my gypsy spirit with a trip to a faraway place is in the works, but for now i have decided to create my own enchanted, tent-like space here in san diego to keep the restlessness at bay. here are a few ideas currently serving as inspiration.

(photos via weheartit)

looking through loved one’s old photos of days gone by is a pastime i rather enjoy just to feel closer to the people in my life. irina werning, the mastermind behind this brilliant idea, has found new ways to link the past to the present through this back to the future project that impels me to gather some friends for a then & now comparison party.

(design sponge, delight by design, decor8blog)

a little bit in love with these adorable creations.

(source)