Fall Equinox 2024

 Welcome to a time of balance, in the constantly changing world I love the dance - going from light to darkness knowing we'll return to light

Ganesh - Ruth Ann Howden 

14" x 11"

Mixed Media painting / mono print 

(this is the only piece of my artwork - original title: Winter Yearning - that I've saved from before my travels and move to Hawaii. It has place of honor on my glass desk and keeps watch over my whimsy.)

See my older artwork at: rahowden.com

On June 20, I endured a focused ultrasound procedure that cured the essential tremor in my left hand. Miraculous!

For the procedure, my hair was shaved off  – I do not have a beautiful skull, but I do have some lovely scarves. Of course my hair is growing back in, and with a natural mohawk. Who would've guessed…

self portrait, pencil, 8x10"

 August 2024

Yes, the right eye was drooping. Just as I was recovering from the ultrasound, the retina in my right eye detached and there I was  back at Queens Hospital for more surgery. They were successful with the reattachment, but I am still recovering from that experience. It just takes time . . . at least my eye looks better.now

Sip of Respair 

Yikes, I've been getting old for a long time

These last chapters

seem to be about accepting loss, 

practicing patience, and learning to ask for help

Trying to be a good custodian

Of this frail, shrinking body -

letting go by sitting in silence

Keeping the ability to laugh is 

my vow to the end, and

my sip of respair 

A few haiku

tiny web of words 

capture unique direction 

I write and release

Words paint images 

images beg for more words 

what is a haiku

daily ritual 

haiku as meditation 

words or images

A haiku a day

Leads out of fog into light

The path familiar

Keeping your silence

As a means of survival

has no guarantee

Push and pull the words

Nothing seems to be working 

Inarticulate 

Another haiku

Playful arrangements appear

Push and pull the words

And small selection of visual haiku

by Ruth Ann Howden

4 x 6", collage and ink

on card stock

The Queen of Good Intentions

If you can recall something I said I would do, 

but obviously have not done. 

You might as well forget it, as apparently I have -

And does it matter…

we've managed without, it seems

But the problem is mine, I like to believe that I am a person 

who does what she says she will do. 

In my self image, I keep my promises

Yet I feel I've missed something

The Queen of Good Intentions is often distracted

   I now give my attention to the rare gift of another day.

Summer Solstice 2024

 

Happy Summer Solstice 

With the help of a small, hard-working crew the overgrown butterfly garden was dug up, except for the crown flowers and tropical milkweed, and replanted with dwarf marigolds, and spider flowers. The butterflies are happy…

Custodian to Yellow

I will start by being

custodian to yellow.

Whole fields and gardens swathed in yellow

bits of orange and purple for spice

with underlying green encompassing the weave.

And beautiful dusty dirt 

coming home under my fingernails

My friend Deb found this handmade, blank book in a thrift shop and knowing I love bright-shiny things, got it for me to fill. Here are a few pages of my illustrations from it, as well as the cover. With forty pages, it was a challenge. My goal was graceful absurdity - thinking of Charlie Chaplin picking up 12 chairs (individually!) and dancing around.

Life Time artist book - Ruth Ann Howden 

5.5" x  4.25"  (closed)

Mixed Media painting 

collage, metallic ink, pencil & walnut ink

40 pages in found handmade journal 

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Needing Respair

In the 16th and 17th centuries 

as colonialism began it's greedy 

devouring of people and nature 

the word respair dropped out of use and 

despair took over.

The noun respair "return to hope" 

and the verb respair "to have hope again" 

were left behind as money became 

the universal religion.

How to restore respair . . .

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Rick-o-shaying  'round

stuck in a nut, maybe knot

transformative times

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Former President Dwight Eisenhower was a most credible whistleblower and yet here we are 60 years later caught in the chaos of the military-industrial complex that he warned against.

The US Military is single largest consumer of fossil fuels and has about 1000 bases around the world. 

Weapons manufacturing in the US is a trillion dollar industry - Wikipedia reports US accounts for over half of weapon sales and rising every year, supplying not just the military, but police, individuals and paramilitary organizations.

In James McBride's new novel, Heaven and Earth Grocery Store he calls out the industry: "men creating great companies that made weapons of great power in factories that employed the poor, weapons that were sold cheaply enough so the poor could purchase them and kill one another. Any man could buy one and walk into schools and bring death to dozens of children and teachers and anyone else stupid enough to believe in all the American mythology - hope, freedom, equality, and justice."

Did we really choose this or were we too busy struggling to get by to pay attention? Too busy being consumers? Too busy watching tv, getting hooked on computers and now social media?

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And on the ecological front – this June 24th Our Children's Trust trial begins in Honolulu vs Hawaii Department of Transportation 

   I now give my attention to the rare gift of another day.

Spring Equinox 2024

 

Feral Wise Woman - Ruth Ann Howden 

14" x 11"

Mixed Media painting using

handmade pigments & walnut ink

Inspired by Ellie Irons' book Feral Hues I mashed up some spotted orchid petals for a wonderful golden color (sorry my photo didn't capture it); then I used desert rose petals for the yellow green color; and purple sweet potato gave me the bluish green for this painting. I've often used walnut ink in my work and it is the perfect compliment to these subtle and transitory colors.

I'm experimenting with other plants to find a range of colors, and started next painting using these handmade pigments.

Custodian Haiku

Taking care of life

The thoughtful custodian 

Works in her own way

Custodians of our local Post office did a major cleanup, repainted and hopefully they will re-landscape the corner. One large tree was taken out. The little palm that would catch the early morning sun, had grown large, also gone.

I love my sunrise walks through town out to the wharf, for exercise and often an opportunity to catch a good photo like this one of our Library with a rainbow over it. 

And the play of the morning light, of another day, on the Goddess Hina next to our library.

Photo collage, February, 2024, Ruth Ann Howden

This image speaks to me of the structures that seem to hold our so-called civilization together; full of blocks and barbs - a maze that has no path in, nor out. 

I want to use it as a cover for a book. I wonder what might be inside.

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the game of life

We dive, most of us head first

into this confusing mass of energy and

try following the many conflicting instructions

We study and debate the ancient, obscure rules

There are games of physical endurance 

games of chance and games of skill -

physical skill and mental skill - 

most requiring teamwork

Or one toss of the dice might 

end our game in disaster

Maybe the game is one where we excel 

maybe not - the deck was stacked either way

But it's said we have free choice and 

it's all so very confusing, oft-times not even knowing 

what game we're in or how it's scored

Perhaps it's best just to sit on the sidelines 

try to ignore it all, some of us practice not seeing 

or become a serial player of many games

My only goal is to enjoy the roller coaster ride  

Win or lose, we're all equal at the finish line

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Regressive Reality of Old Age

I left my knee in 

the mirror looking like a 

carved, wide-eye owl

A dragon recessed into a stone wall or cliff face 

appeared to be carved in stone, but very slowly 

I could see it's shallow breathing

My eyes are growing weaker, but the imagination is growing stronger. This could be a prompt for a short story, I've never written about dragons . . . .

In memory of Nelson James Puailihau, Jr.

September 27, 1960 - February 8, 2024

Although I only knew Nelson in passing, short greetings, in town or on the bus, he always radiated a joyfulness, never failed to make me smile. A unique being, he is missed.

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Although it is late to mention, I also miss the hotdog vendor in front of the import store. He died sometime during Covid lock down. I had never interacted with him, as I don't eat meat, but his presence on the street was reassuring.  Somehow we each find a way to make a living by supplying others with what they need; even if it is a humble hotdog. We all need everyone else to weave this amazing experience of life.

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Thank you for reading my blog. Emailed comments are always welcome and updates on what you're doing are most appreciated! 

I have a new sign off for my daily journal that I'll also use as my blog sign off

          I now give my attention to the rare gift of another day.