Dalai Lama teaching compassion in Atlanta this week

This coming week is a special one – the Dalai Lama will be in Atlanta at Emory for a few days, and many monks, lamas, and other Buddhist scholars will be here for a conference. I am looking forward to participating and volunteering with Drepung Loseling Monastery, Center for Tibetan Buddhist Studies, Practice and Culture, where I study Buddhism.

On Sunday, the Dalai Lama will lead “Teaching to the Buddhist Community: The Nature and Practice of Compassion.” His Holiness will explain the nature of compassion and the practices for cultivating it as understood in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition—something to which His Holiness has dedicated his entire life.

The conference descriptions says: Having established itself and laid down roots outside of traditionally Tibetan Buddhist areas through the efforts of many teachers, and particularly His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the time has come for teachers and students of Tibetan Buddhism to consider its future direction, with an eye to ensuring that the tradition continues to grow as a beneficial force for the peace, well-being and happiness of humanity.

Coinciding with the three-day visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Emory University, this conference will bring together the preeminent leaders, teachers, scholars, translators, supporters, and students of Tibetan Buddhism from both traditionally Tibetan Buddhist areas and western countries to engage in substantive discussion about the current state of Tibetan Buddhism in the modern world and how best to move forward collectively

Collecting poetry into one place

Now the Sky Badge Project, a blog of ideas and art and poetry, will collect the writing from many years of a free spirit in celebration of fine moments of simple observations. The art recorded here is in writing form, for now.

Here is a sample from early days - why an artist cannot always conform:

Dancing Words

Writing miles
into years
blue notes
into songs
murmurous memories
into obscurity
passions
into purities
flutters
into fantasies
dreaming unrealities
into visions
mediocrity
into intrigue
spilling sanity
into intoxication
stars
into mirrors
tranquility
into thunderstorms
chaos
into solitude
transforming revolution
into lifetime anarchy
harmony
into questions
riddles
into puzzles
resigning the heart
into meloncholia
unrestrained anger
into power
conformity
into lawlessness
compliance
into dissent
mingling momentos
into melodies
mellowing morning
into lunacy
well-being
into the perverse
observing perpendicular
into distortion
omens
into oysters
rehersals into self-restraint
clarity
into the unknown
tranparency
into a lusterless blur
writing a metamorphosis
into shifting days
tempering perceptions
into refinement.

DaVinci's many coats of glaze a signature technique

When you are a painter, stories of how famous painters accomplish their great works of art are of interest! New technology aids finding answers in old pieces of art without touching them.

Photo credit: Wikipedia/Royal Library of Turin

The Economist covered the recent Angewandte Chemie International Edition article that described Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.

The article says, "Louvre scientists led by Philippe Walter tried to solve the mystery using a hands-off technique called X-ray fluorescence, which can divulge details about the thickness and chemical composition of a painter’s individual brush strokes without damaging artwork...team found that the artist would first paint in the basic flesh tones. Then da Vinci applied up to 30 incredibly thin strokes of glaze above the flesh tone—many just a few micrometres thick. Glaze is mostly translucent, but da Vinci would also slip in small amounts of pigments, such as manganese and lead oxides. By applying many thin coats of this adapted glaze, he achieved the smoky shadowing he became famous for."

Read the full article here. Visit here learn more about the technology - a powerful synchrotron radiation - at A Light for Science.

Art in motion at the World Cup this week

Watching the World Cup soccer games has been a blast so far.

I hated seeing the US lose yesterday, but you can watch the great goal made by Ghana to put the score at 2-1.

Find it on Huffington Post.

Sampling the good life: single malt whiskies

When I saw this news about whisky consumption in The Economist, I wanted to check out the trend. Then I realized I have been using the spelling "whiskey," but now I see this applies to American whiskey! The kind I drink is a single malt Scotch "whisky." A fun web site to visit for more info is Malt Madness.

The Economist says, "the volume of Scotch whisky exports rose to a record 1.1 billion bottles last year, worth $4.9 billion. The value of exports has risen by over 40% since 2000 as more whiskies have gone upmarket and increased their prices. France, America and Spain are the largest markets, but the fastest growth is coming from South America."

If you want to sample some various single malts, try Mac McGees Irish pub in Decatur.

A new passion: fabric

I am finding a new art passion - working with fabrics to make things. No doubt many have found this passion in one form or another for centuries, but I am now on to this in my own way.

Was I encouraged by watching Project Runway? Yes! The talented designer-cast members are exceptional to start with, and watching them design, select fabric and then create clothing has been fun and inspiring. I am now a regular at fabric stores, browsing every isle for wonder patterns and fabrics to jump out. I have started with making handbags, the easiest kind!

I will collect my photos of these - taken with my phone, so we will see if they look decent.

Designing furniture: Milan 2010 and other finds

Furniture Fashion Magazine online is the origin of this photo - visit the web site.

Here is a very cool job that apparently Jill Singer and Alissa Walker have at Fast Company for the Design section. Whether they are stringers on on staff, going to the Milan 2010 design conference looks like an awesome gig.

Visit the web site to see some interesting furniture captured over a few days.

If you want to see some fun designs, go to Google images and look for "chair designs.

Best of all, visit the web site of a friend of mine who designs and makes exquisite furniture, living in Asheville - J.D. Allen Studio.