Magic of the Day.

Dear February, Thank You for the Bald Eagles.

Dear February,

    Thank you for your kind and stunning skies at dusk filled with sorbet streaks of orange, raspberry and lemon. We love it when the air is filled with pink goodness.

Your Winter birds have been generous. Their majesty riveting. Their colored feathers pop in the winter grey skies and they are beautiful. 

We especially love the bald eagles that have come to stay in the harbor. They make our hearts sing every time that we see them soaring over our shared lands and inlets. It seems that they are here for a bit and we are thrilled to be in their company.

We love that they are messengers from the Creator, represent the feminine, have magnificent strength and clear sight. 

We are also fascinated by how they are totems that represent agility, opportunity, inter dimensional balance, boundaries, illumination and grace. 

We love that they sit at the tops of the trees in the snow and allow us to marvel at their beauty.

Personally, they represent purity, rebirth, devotion and the Divine. Being so close to one yesterday was one of the most magical moments of my life. Never did I believe that I would ever see one much less have the chance to photograph one so close to my home. This is such a rare and special  gift and opportunity. Having the eyes of a bald eagle study me felt somehow transformative and meaningful, especially on such a powerful full moon.

We hope that next February is just as exciting as this one!
Sending our best wishes...

Ornithology News.

This has been a busy and exciting month for many reasons, namely the sighting of the bald eagles in Accabonac harbor. The very first time that I saw them, my heart skipped a beat, and then  filled with pure awe.
They are majestic beyond words.
The eagles carry such a powerful energy as they soar through the air. I go back to the harbor regularly, with hopes of more time with them as they perch on the trees of Tick Island. There is a great distance from the shore of Louse Point to the island so I have had limited capacity in documenting them, never-the-less, it feels as special as my encounter in the wild with an orca in Hawaii.
And here is one of the beauties alongside an osprey nest.

One day the seals were in the harbor and over their heads sea gulls chased one of the eagles away. The harbor was so alive and I felt to blessed to be there at that moment. It was the very first, and so far the only time, that I have heard the call of the bald eagle. Every cell in my body came alive with the goodness of this sound.

Below are the harbor seals that paid us a visit last week. 

In addition to the eagles, and the seals, I have had a moment with a blue heron. This beauty was in Amagansett at fresh pond. This picture caught the feathers, the beautiful colors and the grace of the herons. I love this picture because the eye is so very clear and the camouflage of the coloring.

The last bits of ornithology news...

I am so very pleased that Sylvester and Co. in Sag Harbor has invited me to show my pictures in their new online gallery. I am thrilled to be able to share my birds and their beauty with the world. 

I love the work of the other photographers and feel honored to participate with such gifted artists. 

The link to the collection is below:

https://www.sylvesterandco.com/collections/maria-bowling

Lastly, and this is such delicious news... I was invited to participate in an exhibit of the Four Harbors  Audubon Society in Setauket, New York. I submitted Guapo and Flora, my hummingbirds as well as a blue heron and an osprey. The heron was taken on Gerard drive and the osprey at Three Mile Harbor. I was honored to be invited and encourage everyone to see the exhibit. The opening of the show was a smashing success. There is so much beautiful work in this show, all celebrating Long Island and the many beautiful landscapes and animals that inhabit this magical land. 

A special thanks to Patricia Paladines for creating such a supportive, well organized, family friendly and educational event!

American Bald Eagle. Accabonac Harbor, East Hampton.

Indian Wells, Amagansett.

The Art of Resourcing

As this year comes to a close, I am filled with gratitude for all of the new opportunities that I have had, the people that I have met and the natural beauty that I have seen. 

I am especially grateful for the opportunity to study more and deepen my capacity to support the process of healing trauma in my practice and with my patients.
Deepening my understanding of how to physiologically support the mending of trauma has also shown me how important it is to resource and create an internal compass that leans into goodness, wellbeing and safety.
During my own process, studies and practice, I have discovered that the point of resourcing is to create a single or many references towards safety and containment. This exploration aides in the integration of life force and in the building of internal physiological capacity to self regulate.

All of my life, color has been an incredible resource.  It often informs my day, how I widen the work my sessions and my creativity. My mother was a painter, designer and colorist. Seeking just the right color, making something beautiful and complete was a very important facet of her life and our shared connection. 

This past Autumn and Winter, I have been making many beautiful inks and revisiting the potential that various colors have in healing work. Making the images for this post has felt so positive and inspirational. Placing textures and images together, and being curious is opening a new little portal of sweetness.

 I have been drawn to vibrant hand painted wools from Bedouin women, the pink of the orchids that were a recent holiday gift and the remaining flowers from the last growing season.
These small wonders and rich colors make me feel inspired, calm and curious.

All of the knitting, needlepoint, painting and photography has offered a space in which I can land. It is with these resources, that I am able to take a deep breath in the very beauty of things and trust that  the kindness of these moments are regulating and leaning into better versions of the work and life force. 

The image of the juvenile bald eagle that I incorporated in the last image has been one of my favorite magic moments of 2018. It flew directly over my home for several days and I was able to photograph it and receive confirmation from my friend Dr. Carl Safina that it was indeed a bald eagle. It gave me tremendous hope and a feeling of excitement that it lives nearby. A bird once on the verge of extinction, returns to life and the land here in Springs. 

Wishing everyone a sweet new year, much goodness ahead, and as one of my favorite teachers says 'good learning'. 

New Light.

New light arrived this past week.

This morning there were pink sorbet clouds and aqua skies welcoming Winter.

There is a sweetness to this time. 

Diving into the softness of handspun, hand dyed wools, and the presence of amaryllis. Cloves and tangerines.
Custom botanical scents made for gentle beautiful beings, new scent discoveries.
I have been allowing the deep sleeps to draw me in and the restorative creative energy of Yin to fill and enrich my tissues. 

Broths made from smoked turkey, roasted Japanese sweet potatoes, rich dark vanilla and citrus infused teas.
The base notes of cistus and patchouli fill the air with frequent observations of the star filled sky and full moon.
This is the time for integration.
At the moment, one the the greatest gifts from Winter and nature are her botanicals that are being made into inks.

These beautiful colors, and this dreamy watercolor on the right were made from natural pigments of greenbrier berries.

Moving forward, I will share more of these gorgeous creations that have evolved from a curiosity of how to make beautiful inks from the natural world of Springs, East Hampton.

The materials have been foraged from the magical lands here, and I am delighted to explore and play with these magnificent colors in the new year. 

Wishing everyone much goodness and kindness in the days ahead.