Archan Knotz creates : The Call of the Strait

Archan Knotz creates : The Call of the Strait: The windows are open at our silent retreat. Sitting in silence, calling out from our source through our mind to focus on our breath.  R...

The Call of the Strait

The windows are open at our silent retreat.

Sitting in silence, calling out from our source through our mind to focus on our breath. 

Retraining the brain, to let go of thoughts, worries or, our to do lists.

I hear the waves, coming to the shore, calling.

Waves, who are bringing water from all over the world.

Listening, focussing back onto breath, listening.....

I am blessed to sit in my house and hear the waves kissing with passion the shore.

On our walk break from sitting, I went down to the shore, I couldn’t resist.

The waves breaking , the wind cold on my face.

Every now and then, the water was exhaling and I caught it’s brine breath in my nostrils.

Mesmerizing, the waves breaking on the shore.

I imagine, the waves carrying never ending stories, and that I am part of the stories it carries.

Imagining how old this water is breaking in front of me and that I am a part of it.

I am in awe about the beauty, strength and wisdom of the ocean!

Archan Knotz creates : Walk in November

Archan Knotz creates : Walk in November: The sun is shining but it is cold, as I walk down to the shore. The only salt I feel on my body these days is, when I walk...

Walk in November

The sun is shining but it is cold,

as I walk down to the shore.

The only salt I feel

on my body these days is,

when I walk past the woods

and the north west wind 

hits me 

and my eyes start to water

as I stand at the shore.

As the waves

kiss the shore over and over.

I see my shadow 

in the sand.

Yes, the sun is shining.

It is a beautiful day!

Archan Knotz creates : Openwater Season

Archan Knotz creates : Openwater Season: 6x6" acrylic on canvas $65 Thank you to the water Thank you to the sun Thank you to the wind Thank you   frien...

Openwater Season

6x6" acrylic on canvas $65

Thank you

to the water

Thank you

to the sun

Thank you

to the wind

Thank you 

 friends

Thank you to my love!

7x5" Possibility $65

7x5" Dog paddle $65

 

 

Accomplishments of the group:

500 m dog paddle

1800 m non stop swimming in open water

Marathon in Ottawa 

swimming over seaweed

swimming with seals 

swimming till the middle of October in the Strait

kept going even when freaked out

swimming when the goggles leak

swimming the first time so far out

enjoying the wildness of the water

going out to eat 

supporting each other

this is all I know

How I will miss you water of the Strait around my body these winter month

and how I miss my swimming buddies already, 

as we go our separate ways over the coming winter month.

Keep swimming!

8x8" Contemplation $85

 

Archan Knotz creates : Monday Morning

Archan Knotz creates : Monday Morning: Study of Bee- 5x7" monotype print on tissue paper ... as the morning progresses I am having my third cup of tea and I am excited t...

Monday Morning

Study of Bee- 5x7" monotype print on tissue paper

... as the morning progresses I am having my third cup of tea and I am excited to created today.

Last week life interjected some,
in order for me to contemplate,
to learn about myself,
to avoid the big rain drops that kill bees.

.... this morning is a new day,
nourished with life, I move on,
concentrating on my up coming show in Oxford at the Riverside Gallery in October.

Contemplating aging with grace and joy what does that mean to me.
Working on expressing it in a visual way for the show.

Archan Knotz creates : Journaling a Healingtool from the Past?

Archan Knotz creates : Journaling a Healingtool from the Past?: Is keeping a journal something from the past? Are we able to not communicate every thought on social media? Are we able to write it...

Journaling a Healingtool from the Past?

Is keeping a journal something from the past?

Are we able to not communicate every thought on social media?

Are we able to write it in a journal, explore the meaning of what we just have written in the quiet moments following the entry with more thoughts just meant for us, or for someone we feel safe with?

Does every thought be public knowledge?

When I write in my journal, I check in with my body, how does it feel?
How much energy do I have this morning?
What am I grateful for?
Yes, sometimes there are sad thoughts, angry thoughts, however, when writing them down in my journal and not on a social media platform I am able to reflect and change my thought pattern, while on social media I have already 10 reaction as I am wishing that I never posted it and feeling locked into a unhealthy thought pattern, which can result in shame and embarrassment and, therefore, is counterproductive of becoming a more responsible, aware, thoughtful, kind human being.

Anyhow, journaling is a worthwhile activity for my mental health. Slowing things down, bringing my thoughts into prospective, giving me a chance of intrinsic growth, changing my energy expelling  highway.  

Not only are the journals inside unique because of your unique thoughts, but they are beautiful objects and remind you of your own beauty when you look at them.

Enjoy your beauty today!

Archan Knotz creates : Selling Online while keeping the importance of the...

Archan Knotz creates : Selling Online while keeping the importance of the...: Handcrafted Leather Bound Journal How can you tell how it feels by looking at a picture? How the journal opens? How the paper feels? ...

Selling Online while keeping the importance of the Product

Handcrafted Leather Bound Journal

How can you tell how it feels by looking at a picture?
How the journal opens?
How the paper feels?
How can you imagine an intimacy between you and these pages?
How can you spill out your dreams, visions, fears on something you have only known digitally?

Every time, I exchange a journal with some one who has only seen the pictures my anxiety heightens.
Will it be the right product for you?
Will  it be like you imagined?
Will it inspire you?

I also know that these things are out of my control, however, it is still very important to me.
A journal can be a very good friend and to relay just on one of your senses to select such a good friend can be deceiving.

However, even a good friend is not perfect. We except the part that isn't quiet as we expected and love the other parts even more. Could it be the same with the journals I produce?

I put thought into them, love and all the good energy I can find and send them out to you, to fill them with your thoughts. Maybe, that is all one can do, be the best one can be and trust that this is enough?

Archan Knotz creates : Journals

Archan Knotz creates : Journals: Handcrafted leather bound journals 6.5 x 4.5" #repurposed Journals have been instrumental in creating opportunities in my life. ...

Journals

Handcrafted leather bound journals 6.5 x 4.5" #repurposed

Journals have been instrumental in creating opportunities in my life.

So I am happy to now actually create the 'hardware' myself. I have not been known to be crafty and actually fainted into my adored teachers arms, when working in sewing class.

Journals have followed me as my sketch books or to visualize my life. Sometimes with long pauses in between.

When I was younger and living in Munich struggling, while escaping reality into writing a life I wanted to live into my journal. I started to understand how important journals are. While writing, my brain started to be more free of all the things charging through the synopses.
Yesterday, I had titled by blog post, Unlimited Possibilities, well, eventually I basically talked myself into being courageous by exposing my inner critic in my journal. Which prompted big changes in my life.

Moving to Frankfurt.
Signing up for art classes.
Had my first show.
Sold some artwork, which eventually connected me to Nova Scotia, which I now call my home.

I remember sitting in the airplane in February of 1993 (only someone who does not know how cold winters are in Nova Scotia would be thinking of visiting NS in February), telling the story how I came to be flying to Nova Scotia to a person next to me, he said, "write a book about it".
In a way I did, before it happened.

Journaling is a courageous undertaking because what you put in there and dream about can come true.

Archan Knotz creates : Unlimited Possibilities

Archan Knotz creates : Unlimited Possibilities: Unlimited Possibilities 12 X 6" acrylic on canvas    It has been a strange winter here in Nova Scotia. One day we have 10 C and the...

Unlimited Possibilities

Unlimited Possibilities 12 X 6" acrylic on canvas 

 

It has been a strange winter here in Nova Scotia. One day we have 10 C and the next we are back into the deep freeze -27 C.  No snow just ice. People are slipping and falling like bowling pins and breaking all kinds of bones.

This morning, I was trying to catch one of our Gulf Shore bald eagle on camera, however, no luck. Every morning in the last couple of weeks, one of these amazing birds has been soaring over our roof. How lucky am I to see these birds flying or sitting on trees across the road in my neigbhourhood. I feel a strong sense of reaffirmation about myself when I see these bald eagles, with gratitude I stand by the road and look up at these majestic birds. 

Giving myself permission to explore product making for this years Farmer's market. I felt overwhelmed by working in all different mediums and needed to allow myself, one month at the time to work on different things.

It is important to give space to all our different abilities to create, in order to concur the overwhelming anxiety of the never quiet inner critic.   

Archan Knotz creates : Unterpainting

Archan Knotz creates : Unterpainting: 6 x 12" acrylic on canvas This painting is inspired by all the women I see when I am going to the pool in Truro. They, or I bette...

Unterpainting

6 x 12" acrylic on canvas

This painting is inspired by all the women I see when I am going to the pool in Truro.

They, or I better say, we come in all shapes, sizes and ages.

I am inspired, seeing a elder walking with a walker to the pool's edge abandoning her walker and slipping into the lane next to me. As I swim my lanes, I look over and here she is with her nose clip and her goggles doing the front crawl lane after lane, till she switches to back stroke.

After an hour we both exit the pool.

Now this is inspiring!

Archan Knotz creates : Inspiration

Archan Knotz creates : Inspiration: "Diving" acrylic on canvas 10 x 8" SOLD Wondering were to find inspiration these days. January has been a difficult mo...

Inspiration

"Diving" acrylic on canvas 10 x 8" SOLD

Wondering were to find inspiration these days.

January has been a difficult month to find inspiration. Yes, I have still gone swimming, and are doing my daily activity journal, but squeezing paint onto my palette plate, or rolling out the block ink seems to be to much to handle.

In the beginning of January I started a painting I found little joy in, I seem to be stuck in this experience, therefore, it is so important for me to take these paints and squeeze them on to the plate in order to move back into the joy of creating art.

In order to pull myself out of this slump, I have started to make simple drawings in my journal. Nothing much, just to keep going.

The self critic is the hardest critic, I want to be kind to myself again and allow the energy to flow.