Vakre Karlsøya i Troms på en veldig velkommen varm junidag, etter flere uker med kaldt og vått vær.
Author: Ask the Mountains
My name is Monica, aka Mani. Uralic and Nordic artist who loves photography, painting and nature. Born and raised in the European Arctic. I am a tantric student in the Amrita Mandala lineage. (My dharma name is Mani). Welcome!
Fra duk til veske
Oransje og blå er muligens min favoritt komplimentærfargekombinasjon, og jeg har lenge lurt på hva jeg skal sy ut av denne bordduken jeg aldri har brukt. Så da ble det til en enkel og fin – og veldig sommerlig tøyveske med gullknapper som dekorasjon på hver side. Kjempefornøyd med resultatet, har brukt den så og si hver dag siden jeg lagde den. Har stoff nok til å lage én til, så om noen er interessert, let me know! 😀
Ducks on water
“If you know the way, light it for others.”
Brensholmen
Bedre sent enn aldri; noen bilder fra en fantastisk fin vårdag i Brensholmen utenfor Tromsø 🙂
Accomplished
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” – Lao Tzu
Some pictures from UK summer
Stormy weather
THE WELL OF GRIEF
Those who will not slip beneath
the still surface on the well of grief,
turning down through its black water
to the place we cannot breathe,
will never know the source from which we drink,
the secret water, cold and clear,
nor find in the darkness glimmering,
the small round coins,
thrown by those who wished for something else.
– Poem by David Whyte
Misty mountains
Bought a stack of linen canvas papers to practice on. This is first try 🙂 A little yogin on a mountain top. Acrylic paint.
“Deep in the wild mountains
Is a strange market place, where you can trade
The hassle and noise of everyday life
For eternal Light”
– Milarepa
Monotypi
Perspektivet museum har de siste månedene hatt en fantastisk fin postkortutstilling med samiske motiv (samlet av Alan Borvos mellom slutten av 1800-tallet og til midten av 1900-tallet), og nå nylig hadde de et foredrag om nettopp denne utstillingen, samt at man kunne få lov å prøve monotypi (maleteknikk). Sykt morsom teknikk, absolutt noe jeg blir å prøve hjemme selv!
Tok noen bilder av utstillingen med mobilen. Så mange fine postkort/fotografi!
Monotypi: legg en glassplate over et motiv (postkort, foto etc.), mal på glassplaten etter motivet og deretter ta et avtrykk av glassplaten med papir. Voila!
Likte litt at hun ble ansiktsløs (da jeg ikke er noe flink å male ansikt), føler det representerer på en måte den undertrykkelsen og anonymiseringen av urfolk som har vært – og enda er, til en viss grad. Når man ser på henne (min versjon til høyre), kunne det nesten vært “hvilken som helst” urkvinne.
Plutselig vår
Klarte å mobilisere litt overskudd til å komme meg ut i sola i dag! Sykt herlig. Føles så bortkasta å sitte inne når det endelig nærmer seg vår. Ble verdens korteste skitur, da jeg endte opp med å sitte/ligge å spise Smash og lese under tre 🙂 Fortsatt innafor.
God helg ❤
Mother of compassion
Tara 💎 ‘She who liberates’
‘She is considered to be the deity of universal compassion who represents virtuous and enlightened activity; a female bodhisattva.
The word Tara itself is derived from the root ‘tri’ (to cross), hence the implied meaning: ‘the one who enables living beings to cross the Ocean of Existence and Suffering’. Her compassion for living beings, her desire to save them from suffering, is said to be even stronger than a mother’s love for her children.
The story of Tara’s origin, according to the Tara Tantra, recounts that aeons ago she was born as a king’s daughter. A compassionate princess, she regularly gave offerings and prayers to the ordained monks and nuns. She thus developed great merit, and the monks told her that, because of her spiritual attainments, they would pray that she be reborn as a man and spread Buddhist teachings. She responded that there was no male and no female, that nothing existed in reality, and that she wished to remain in female form to serve other beings until everyone reached enlightenment, hence implying the shortfall in the monk’s knowledge in presuming only male preachers for the Buddhist religion. Thus Tara might be considered one of the earliest feminists.’
Bålkaffe på Berg
Starta dagen med bålkaffe på Berg med tre herlige jenter og en stykk Findus her for noen dager siden ❤ Skikkelig nordnorsk vår med masse snø, klar himmel og litt kaldt i været. Det har snødd ekstremt mye i det siste, så en dag med opphold var veldig velkommen.
Påska 2018
Påska har så langt vært ganske chill for min del, har stort sett vært hjemme å slappa av, lada opp. Spist godteri. Tatt tvangs-selfies med kattene. Prøvd meg på litt hjernetrim i form av kryssord. Blitt sint fordi jeg ikke er noe flink på kryssord. Drukket litt for mye kaffe, og hørt veldig mye på Lord Huron. Legger ved en fin sang av dem! Ser ikke ut til at det blir så mye skitur eller sol i år, da vi har snødd ned her oppi nord, men håper alle har en nydelig påske læll ❤
Books
Some books I 1) have read and loved, 2) plan to read and 3) am currently reading 🙂
1)
* Stones to Shatter the Stainless mirror: The fearless teachings of Tilopa to Naropa:
Excerpt from the book: “…I suppose that is the secret and the point of this Vision. In every situation, there is the relative view; where there are others and a world to serve with loving-kindness, compassion and generosity. And there is also the Ultimate view; where there are no others and no world. Only the mind of clear light, manifesting in the various illusions.”
This book really hit home for me; it’s easy to read, is filled with wisdom but also some funny parts that I could recognize from my own path. It’s written in a way that shows Naropa’s own point of view and the hardships he went through to humble himself enough to receive the teachings of Tilopa. Also, there are some direct “pointers to the moon” by Tilopa at the very end of the book.
* The Life of Milarepa
“It presents a quest for purification and buddhahood in a single lifetime, tracing the path of a great sinner who became a great saint. It is also a powerfully evocative narrative, full of magic, miracles, suspense, and humor, while reflecting the religious and social life of medieval Tibet.”
I have heard this book three times on audio, and it actually only gets better each time. The words are collected and written down by Tsangnyön Heruka (“The madman Heruka from Tsang”), and tells the story of Milarepa‘s physical and spiritual journey towards enlightenment. It’s written in quite a humorous way, I think, and has been very inspirational for me. Actually planning on hearing/reading it again very soon!
2)
* White Lotus: An explanation of the Seven Line prayer to Guru Padmasambhava
“Mipham Rinpoche’s famous explanation of the Seven Line Prayer to Guru Rinpoche. In this remarkable text the author explains the Seven Line Prayer in the context and application of the main practices of the Nyingma school, including Trekchö and Tögal in an exceptionally clear and accessible manner. ”
Actually found this book as a free pdf file HERE!
* Lady of the Lotus-born: The life and Enlightenment of Yeshe Tsogyal
“This classical text is not only a biography but also an inspiring example of how the Buddha’s teaching can be put into practice. Lady of the Lotus-Born interweaves profound Buddhist teachings with a colorful narrative that includes episodes of adventure, court intrigue, and personal searching.”
I ordered this book from Amazon about a week ago; patiently waiting for it to drop into my mail box! I have been fascinated by, and feel very close to, Yeshe Tsogyal for the last 6 months or so, so am very excited to start reading this book. I normally order books to my Kindle app, but there is something very nice about having the book physically in your hands too 🙂 Especially if you are in a coffee shop reading, which I often do.
* Sky Dancer: The secret life and songs of the Lady Yeshe Tsogyal
Another book on Yeshe Tsogyal. Not much on this book when I google it, but still seems worth reading and easy to order for my Kindle app. The cover shows a picture of Vajrayogini/Naljorma – one of Yeshe Tsogyal’s aspects.
* The Life of Longchenpa: The Omniscient Dharma King of the Vast Expanse
“Compiled from numerous Tibetan and Bhutanese sources, including Longchenpa’s autobiography and stories of his previous lives and subsequent rebirths, The Life of Longchenpa weaves an inspiring and captivating tale of wonder and magic, of extraordinary visions and spiritual insight, set in the kingdoms of fourteenth-century Tibet and Bhutan. It also reveals for the first time fascinating details of his ten years of self-exile in Bhutan, stories that were unknown to his Tibetan biographers.”
Since I loved The Life of Milarepa so much, I have been looking for more biographies on spiritual teachers to read, and stumbled upon this one on Longchenpa, a teacher from the Nyingma lineage. These kinds of biographies seems to be very inspiring and motivational for my own path, and I just generally enjoy reading about other people’s path, and the way they deal with hardships and challenges. Still have not ordered this one, but it’s on my list!
3)
* The Heart of Compassion: The thirty seven verses on the Practice of a Bodhisattva
“What would be the practical implications of caring more about others than about yourself? This is the radical theme of this extraordinary set of instructions, a training manual composed in the fourteenth century by the Buddhist hermit Ngulchu Thogme, here explained in detail by one of the great Tibetan Buddhist masters of the twentieth century, Dilgo Khyentse.”
Only just started on this one, think I am on page 4. I have been meaning to read Dilgo Khyentse’s autobiography Brilliant Moon for some time, but then I stumbled upon this book instead and will finish this before I start on the other. Dilgo Khyentse is by far one of the most inspirational buddhist teachers I know of, so looking forward to see if I like this text.
* Wild Ivy: The spiritual autobiography of Zen Master Hakuin
“Hakuin Zenji (1689-1769) is a towering figure in Japanese Zen. A fiery and dynamic teacher and renowned artist, he reformed the Zen Rinzai tradition, which had fallen into stagnation and decline in his time, revitalizing it and ensuring its survival even to our own day. Hakuin emphasized the importance of zazen, or sitting meditation, and is also known for his skillful use of koans as a means to insight.”
I am, unfortunately, a very slow reader and have spent a few months on this book, but I really do like it and plan on finishing it. It’s filled with personal accounts of Hakuin and also some lovely calligraphy paintings.
* More than Two: A practical guide to ethical polyamory
As the title implies, this is a book about polyamory. As a person who is relatively new to this kind of relationship structure, I thought I could use some pointers. Only read the introduction so far, but it seems promising.
If you have any books to recommend, please do not hesitate to comment or link it to me 😀
Blått vær
Litt bilder fra de siste ukene. Ramfjord, Ersfjord, Storelva og Lyfjord 🙂 Jeg har til og med vært på skitur; tre ganger! For første gang på fem år. Selv om det tar all energien jeg har, og krever mye planlegging både før og etter, så føles det verdt det å komme seg ut og bruke kroppen. Jeg elsker jo å være utendørs, skulle virkelig ønske jeg kunne gjøre slike ting oftere, ja – faen heller, hele tiden! Springe på fjellet, gå lange skiturer, klatre på berg og i trær..:) Naturen, ass.
Hamperokken
Malte Hamperokken for en liten stund siden. Uten tvil min favorittfjelltopp, spesielt nå på vinteren, dekt i snø. Har vokst opp med dette fjellet som utsikt og bare å se på det bringer fram minner og følelser jeg setter pris på. Var absolutt på tide at jeg fikk malt det i mitt bilde!
Quiet, loving and strong
– Tilopa
Januar
Januar er favorittmåneden. Dagene blir fort lysere, og sola “kommer tilbake”. Alt ser friskt og nytt ut når det er så mye snø, og selv om det er veldig kaldt, fins det varme rundt meg. I folks hjem, i bilen, fra stearinlys, i musikk, fra dyr, i relasjoner, under dyna. Ja, også har jeg bursdag i januar. Det er alltid stas 🙂
Snø
“Svalbard” 10 x 15 cm, akryl på lerret
“Polarstjerna” 20 x 20 cm, akryl på lerret
* * *
Prøvd meg litt på å male vintermotiv i det siste. Syns snø er litt vanskelig å få til å se ekte ut, men det er vel bare å øve videre 🙂
Blackwork friday
Har lenge tenkt på å gjøre en cover-up av den tatoveringen jeg har på høyre overarm som jeg dessverre ikke er så fornøyd med, og har bestemt meg for å bare gjøre halve armen helt svart. Har alltid elsket blackwork, syns det ser utrolig kult ut. I går satt jeg tre timer og fikk gjort ferdig et svart bånd nederst, resten blir nok å ta noen timer til 🙂 Regner med å bli helt ferdig i løpet av neste år en gang!
Nydelig novemberlys ute, forresten. Sola har takket for seg for i år her i nord, men av en eller annen grunn så liker jeg mørketida. Nordlys og stearinlys. Hvitt på bakken og nakne trær.
Håper alle har en fin mørketid og jul! ♡
Impermanence
Mørketid
Bildene er tatt i Spåkenes.
* * *
Av og til
må noe vare lenge,
ellers mister vi vel vettet snart,
så fort som allting snurrer rundt med oss.
Store trær er fint
og riktig gamle hus er fint,
men enda bedre –
fjell.
Som ikke flytter seg en tomme
om hele verden enn forandres
(og det må den snart),
så står de der
og står og står
så du har noe å legge pannen inntil,
og kjøle deg
og holde i noe fast.
Jeg trives med fjell.
De lager horisonter
med store hugg i,
som de var smidd av smeder.
Utdrag av Rolf Jacobsens dikt ‘Mere fjell’
En liten kyst i skogen
Har blitt helt forelska i å lage søte små maleri. De er så lett å jobbe med, da man kan holde lerretet i hånden hele tiden, og dessuten liker jeg veldig godt å bruke små pensler. Føler at fokuset på detaljer blir ekstra viktig 🙂
Dette maleriet er forøvrig til salgs – skal legge det inn på butikksiden!
Frozen river
Bildene er tatt i Dovre, på en fryst elv. Det var så mange fine mønster, ble helt betatt. Hadde uheldigvis ikke ordentlig kamera med med, kun mobilen, men de ble ikke så verst. Naturen slutter aldri å imponere meg 🙂
Høstretreat
Litt bilder fra Lyfjorden. Var der på meditasjonsretreat for andre året på rad. Utrolig heldig med været og vi var en veldig bra gruppe mennesker, både fra Norge, Finland og Irland:) Alltid like gøy å møte andre som praktiserer samme type yoga/meditasjon. Gleder meg allerede til neste års retreat!
Waves and clouds
I am currently working on a bigger piece (60 x 60 cm), but I needed a small break for it, so I decided to do some wave and cloud painting studies/practice. Turned out pretty okay, but I see many places where improvements can be made. Things don’t have to be perfect at first try, and the practice of different techniques is key. I did, however, really like the colors. Blue, pink and orange – and a bit of purple inside the peaks of the waves. I see many more wave paintings in the future, for sure! 🙂
Rainbow
This was a very fun project to do. I got an order to make a rainbow body/sambhogãkaya representation in the form of swirling rainbow light in primary colors (the five elements), with a simple black circle. It was a challenge to get the different colors in the same size and had to do most of it freehand, but it turned out super nice and whole image seems to have movement which was the goal. It took about 7-8 hours in total, and each color has 4 layers to not make it look streaky. The person who ordered it seemed very pleased with the result and seeing someone else appreciate my work is priceless. Thank you.
50 x 50, acrylic on stetched canvas. Simple yet powerful.
Sunrays
Newsest acrylic painting, inspired by the colorful Moomins! 🙂 40 x 50 cm on canvas
Birthday girl
My sweet, sweet, weird cat Kali turns 4 years this Spring. A bit unsure of the exact date, as she was found in a box in a ditch with her two siblings in Bodø. They have also found good forever homes, and I am so grateful that Kali is still with me, as I have lost two other cats while having her (car accident and illness). She has the funniest personality, and acts more like a dog than a cat at times. Her company is priceless, especially since I am home quite a lot. She always reacts to her name and makes the cutest sounds if you talk to her. She loves to sleep on my chest, and sit on the chair across to me at breakfast. Her eyes cross a little which makes her too cute to be angry with her when she does shenanigans – which is quite often. Happy birthday, little weirdo! ❤
Min påske
I år hadde jeg en helt super påske! Har ikke vært på hytte-påsketur på masse, masse år, men nå hadde jeg overskudd nok til å bli med på en aldri så liten ekspedisjon til Målselv og Faksfjorden sammen med en gjeng raringer 😉 Badstu, scooter, brettspill og veldig mye god mat. Kanskje en god del vin. Ikke noe skigåing på meg, men var koselig med litt alenetid også i helt fantastiske omgivelser. Tusen takk ❤
Snowy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvfPjbXZEYk
Had a little break from painting in the Easter, but today I felt like making something again. Have not bought any new canvases, the only ones I have are these tiny cute ones, and they are very fun to work with because you can hold them in your hand.
The weather here is absolutely amazing these days; clear blue sky all the time and very much snow in the mountains. So this was inspired by that 🙂
Ask the mountains
Snowy Norwegian mountains.. Every time I take the bus, I drive pass these mountains, and they look very majestic, so I had to paint them ❤ Still about one thousand more mountains I want to paint, hehe, but all in good time.
20 x 40 cm, acrylic paint
Blå, lilla & grønn
Etterhvert som jeg har vaska håret, ser det ut til å bli mer og mer lilla enn blått (som det opprinnelig var), noe som egentlig ikke gjør noe, da jeg også er nokså glad i lilla. Har fremdeles ganske mye hårfarge igjen og tenker å freshe det opp så snart jeg får dreadsene mine i posten (har bestilt sånne håndlagde syntetiske dreads – igjen)!
Idag var jeg i en tur i byen for å handle litt og kom over en veldig fin mørk blå kajal med glitter samt en blå øyenskygge. Vanligvis kjøper jeg kun sminke på salg, fordi jeg syns alt er overprisa, og idag var intet unntak. Kajalen kosta 10,- og øyeskyggen 20,- – på salg på H&M 🙂 Så da jeg kom hjem måtte jeg prøve de sammen med en lilla matte lipgloss jeg fikk i bursdagsgave. Syns det ble en fin look så tok ‘noen’ bilder. Mini photoshoot med Kali💙💚💜
Skarven // Cormorant
6 x 9 cm, acrylic on canvas. For sale in my shop – link in menu bar 🙂
Nils
Nils, eller Nikodemus som han het da jeg adopterte han, er en ca 5 år gammel storøyd mons fra Dyrebeskyttelsen. Han kom til meg som en veldig skeptisk liten kar, men har etter lang tid blitt godt vandt med både meg og min andre katt, Kali. Han hilser til og med noen ganger på gjester. Selv om han fortsatt er litt skeptisk, er forandringen ganske stor fra da han kom til nå, og det er herlig å se at han trives hos oss. Her er noen bilder av klumpen:
Hvis du ønsker å adoptere en katt som trenger et nytt hjem i Troms-området, kan du sjekke ut hvilke katter som er til omplassering her: http://dyrebeskyttelsen-tromso.no/info-om-omplassering/katter-til-omplassering/
Lyngsalpan/Lyngen alps
Lyngsalpene sett fra Kåfjorden. Litt av en utsikt! 🙂 Hadde dessverre ikke med meg speilreflekskamera denne gangen, men fikk et par OK mobilbilder. Været var nydelig og stille, men plutselig slo det om til å bli full storm. Nord-Norge i et nøtteskall! 🙂
Fur babies
Nils og Kali, mine to hårete samboere som gjør hverdagen litt mer livlig, hver dag ❤
Tiny peak
Tiny painting made with tiny brushes mounted on tiny easels! 6 x 9 cm 🙂
Snow off the mountain
Small square acrylic painting on canvas (20×20 cm) 🙂
The eagles of Manwë
“The eagles of Manwë”, 50 x 40 cm, acrylic on canvas
“The Great Eagles were beings of Arda said to have been “devised” by Manwë Súlimo, the leader of the Valar, and were often called the Eagles of Manwë. They were sent from Valinor to Middle-earth to keep an eye on the exiled Ñoldor, and also upon their foe the evil Vala Morgoth, and later yet upon Morgoth’s lieutenant and future Dark Lord, Sauron.”
Jewellery
Made some more jewellery lately. Love the colors. All jewellery is made with glass or crystal beads, and either nickle free metal or sterling silver. Pine cones and shells are from the local nature. Will put it in the shop asap! 🙂
Himalayan peaks
Finally made something new and fresh, and it feels really good to make something that comes straight from a joyous place. It’s been a long time since I was in such a creative mode. I have a thing for mountains and peaks, especially if they are covered in snow. Growing up in Northern Norway (Troms and Finnmark), I have been spoiled with mountain views all my life, but for some reason I decided to make a mountain peak how I imagine it looks like in the Himalayas, a place I’d much like to visit one day 🙂
Landscape photography
“To the complaint, ‘There are no people in these photographs,’ I respond, There are always two people: the photographer and the viewer.”
― Ansel Adams
Sunny friday
Helmut
“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.”
― Anatole France
Animal shots
“You can judge a man’s true character by the way he treats his fellow animals.”
― Paul McCartney
Medicine Buddha
Small painting I did today! Perfect Sunday activity 🙂
Bhaisajyaguru, aka the Medicine Buddha.
18 x 24 cm
Reincarnation
One of my favorite short movies. Beautifully narrated by Leonard Cohen 🙂
Tre korte dikt
Ny hobby: skrive dikt oppå foto jeg har tatt 🙂
Frosty
“Though this world seems stable and solid, nothing here is permanent, but like water, snow and ice; life is always shifting, changing form.” -Leonard Cohen
Funky fungi
Saw these tiny fungi in a little puddle of water. The color was absolutely stunningly bright and I am pretty sure I have never seen this kind of fungi before. I also got this nice shot of a siberian poppy – which are my absolute favorite!
Mountain lift
Just some nice pictures from a trip up the mountain lift in Tromsø 😀
I had not been up there since I was a kid, so it was really nice to get up there again. Amazing view.
Cherry red
Crocus
Ask The Mountains 