Arctic, Art, Beauty, DIY, Indigenous, Landscape, Outfit, People, Photography

Complementary colours

Monica Olívia ☃️

Did you know there is a reason why orange+blue and yellow+purple work together so well? 🧡💙💛💜 They are considered complementary colours! “Complementary colours are pairs of colours which, when combined or mixed, cancel each other out by producing a grayscale colour like white or black. When placed next to each other, they create the strongest contrast for those two colors. Complementary colours may also be called ‘opposite colours’.”

Arctic, Beauty, Dharma, Dzogchen, Everyday life, Indigenous, Meditation, People, Photography, Quotes, Spirituality, Vajrayana

Remembering impermanence is a good motivator

Monica Olívia ☃️

“The buddha, the dharma and sangha are the triple gems of the spiritual life beyond the bounds of this world. … Humility is the moisture or fertilizer from which devotion will grow. To help that devotion grow, remember the following: Your friends, family, identity or projects, big or small, will not provide you with the fundamental basis necessary for bliss and happiness. Absolutely everything around you is impermanent, even your body, and while you can be sure you will die, you can have no certainty about when, where or how. The people with whom you associate, who accompany you through this life, will all eventually lead you to pain. All your relationships are temporary. When you check into a hotel you don’t immediately think that you’ll spend eternity with the managers, maids and waiters. Your home, your friends, your ideals and values are just part of a hotel experience. Sooner or later you will have to check out and leave them all behind.”

– Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche

I don’t think this is a negative quote or way to look at things, although it sounds negative at first! Remembering impermanence is a good motivator for making the best of life and our time here.

Arctic, Beauty, Culture, Everyday life, Hair, Indigenous, Make-Up, Outfit, People, Photography, Photoshoot, Uncategorized, Vajrayana

No need to try to fit in

Monica Olívia ☃️
Photography by NS Photography (true.earth.lover on Instagram)🇵🇱🇳🇴📸

You don’t need to be vegetarian or vegan to be buddhist. I am not. Tantric buddhists have historically not been. We always pray for the animals (say mantras), and dedicate the merit.

You don’t need to be able to handle cold well or have any knowledge about reindeers to be sámi. I don’t. The old ways of life are changing, and only around 10% are herders today. Also, traditionally, sámis have been both fisherpeople, farmers, etc.

You don’t need to be eccentric to be a painter. I am not. I just like making art.

You don’t need to be good at maths or into technology to be autistic. I am not. In fact, I am so terrible at math I got extra tutoring.

You don’t need to have “everything in order” before becoming a parent. I don’t. Who does?

You don’t need to be scared to call yourself disabled if you have a chronic illness which limits you. It’s not a bad word, it’s just an explanation of your lived reality.

I am all these things and labels, but just mostly myself ❤ Or at least trying to be most of the time.

Arctic, Awareness, Beauty, Culture, Dharma, Dzogchen, Indigenous, Meditation, Spirituality, Vajrayana, Yoga

Gold hidden in its matrix

Monica Olívia ☃️
“You might ask, ‟If I have Buddha nature, why can’t I perceive it right now?”
It is because, like gold hidden in its matrix, that nature is hidden by our habits that we have accumulated since beginningless time. These habits have been created by our disturbing emotions and then reinforced by the actions that those disturbances have produced.”

~ Shechen Gyaltsab
Adventure, Arctic, DIY, Everyday life, Health, Indigenous, Outfit, People, Photography, Saami, Sápmi, Uralic

Vinterbaby, part 1

Monica Olívia ☃️
Fikk endelig “møte” den lille som kommer tidlig neste år 👼
💜
Søte samiske tøfler jeg kjøpte for litt over to år siden i Kirkenes 😊
Håndstrikket av den kommende farmor 🌹
En vintage brukt sparkedress fra Etsy
Masse fint brukt og gratis
Dundress til vinterbabyen☃️ samt liten lue og genser også kjøpt for noen år siden! Fant også en billig bra sutt på ‘Normal’ i naturgummi. 💛

Animals, Arctic, Art, DIY, Landscape

Hibernation

Monica Olívia ☃️
32 x 24 cm, acrylic on multimedia paper
“Dvale”. Means hibernation. Only pregnant polar bears hibernate 💙 was hard to paint her intirely inside the den, so she is just laying at the entrance waiting for her cubs.

“During the fall, if a polar bear is pregnant, she digs a den into a snow drift. She then climbs into the hole and stays there to give birth and care for her cubs for the first few months of their life. She and her cubs will not emerge from the den until the spring. Male bears and non-pregnant females continue to roam and feed throughout the winter.”

One of the absolute top animals on my list I wish to see in my lifetime.. Guess I need to head up to Svalbard for that!

Adventure, Arctic, Dharma, Everyday life, Landscape, People, Photography

Sommeren så langt

Monica Olívia ☃️
Et lite arktisk bad i Bukta 🌊☃️
Telegrafbukta
Hundekjeks!
En liten hvit valmue i misnattsol
💚🌿
Kokoslatte med vanilje ☕
Spist store mengder jordbær så langt i sommer 🍓🍓🍓
Kjøpte noen veldig fine peoner som alltid lukter helt fantastisk 🌸🌸🌸
Vært på kafé et par ganger siden lockdown har løsna litt opp igjen 😊
Første dag ute i solværet med finfolk i juni 💜
Stine 🌷
Heidrun 🌻
Heidrun og Lisa 🦋
Sole mæ ⛱
Det fine med sommeren, er jo at man kan gå i noe annet enn boblejakke ☘🙏🏼
Arctic, Art, Awareness, Beauty, Culture, DIY, Everyday life, Indigenous, Landscape, Photography

Changing, changing..

Monica Olívia ☃️
Portrait by my partner with my new camera 😊
45 x 55 painting, acrylic on canvas. Sold 🙂
Sun symbol painted on my denim vest 🌿 Sápmi flag sewn on my bag 🌸

Did you know only around 30% of the whole sámi population speaks/write one of the sámi languages today? The longlasting banning of the languages caused identity crisis for many, but I am happy it is changing slowly 🐢 I feel proud to be part of the generation that is reviving our own culture, with not only language but art, clothing and music too 💚

Adventure, Arctic, Everyday life, Indigenous, Landscape, People, Photography, Poems

Winter poem as we enter spring

Monica Olívia ☃️
I like this picture; my hair is frozen and my eyes look bigger than normal 😅👌🏻❄
Somewhere near Målselv.

Poem by Suzanne Bates. I really liked it:

An awesome scene the artist paints, expert and deft his hand.
Brush strokes swift, he draws with ease, a winter wonderland.
Landscape sketched from memory, heavens and land entwine
Rapidly the scene is set, exquisitely divine.

Pine trees reaching tall and proud, like statues standing still.
There is no wind to speak of, more an icy winter chill.
Strong branches dusted with the snow stretch their fingers high
As if welcoming the blanket bequeathed by the darkened sky.

Crisp snowflakes twirl like dancers, pirouetting to and fro,
Waltzing to their silent tune toward the ground below.
Pale moonlight generously showers diamonds all around.
Its treasure glints and sparkles upon the hardened ground.

Snowfall in shades of silver envelops the land below,
Lighting up the darkness with its soothing, gentle glow.
Mellow in its nature, no preference where it lays,
Takes refuge where and when it can, throughout the winter days.

Though bereft of colour is the scene, prevailing grey and white,
Its awe inspiring beauty is apparent day and night.
Who nonchalantly paints this scene, for all on earth to share?
His strokes proficient every time, precise and so aware.
Jack Frost paints wondrous pictures with his palette of frozen dew,
Then stands back when his work is done and proudly admires the view.