Jo Stodgel – Page 3 – LOVE TREE PRODUCTIONS

Job’s Tears from the Na Pali Coast of Kauai

Beadwork, Writing

Into a chasm of twisted trees the trail went,
young flowers floating on green stems beside it.

Awoke from the dark of shadow cast flight,
Into the open, sea stretched to the depths of sight.

In the distance a beach so many times passed,
While I thirst for dreams of bluff covered in grass

Barefoot of mine kept moving, eyes lingered for a while,
Caught in webs of wonder like an awestruck child.

Gaze returned to feet set in motion,
In the distance, pulsating crash of ocean

Soon again revealed to whales if they looked,
To find me thinking that I was wrapped up in a book.

Drank in the view for a moment or two,
then dipped to the river where the Job’s Tears grew.

This is a poem written just now and some photos from the sacred expanses of the Na Pali Coast of Kauai. I have now visited this coast on several different occasions, and have often on these journeys gathered the seed-beads of the Job’s Tear plants that grow near some of the creeks and rivers.

I have been threading these beads on waxed linen to make Buddhist malas and Sufi tasbeehs as well as on stretchy synthetic line to make bracelets. Some of these are currently available thru the 1st of March, 2014 on my crowdfunding campaign to raise money for the Sustainable Cup Challenge Do School Fellowship which I was accepted to and just began here in Brooklyn.

CHECK OUT, SUPPORT and SHARE THE CAMPAIGN HERE!

– Joseph Stodgel, 2-24-14

My Deep Thanks to Daphne

Jo's Notes, Photography, Writing

2014-02-23 15.08.12 s — a first sight in NYC

I hoisted my heavy pack, climbed off the bus and took my first steps onto the pavements of New York City where I would soon begin a ten-week fellowship program with the DO School. After taking some pictures and a short video explaining briefly my setting and location, I glanced across the street to see a sign with the name Dafni on it. Immediately I was reminded of a pressing desire to write a bit about my faithful chariot, a 1990 Honda Civic wagon named Daphne.

Daphne s — one of the most awesome rides ever made

Last summer I gathered the money to buy Daphne and give her a couple of new tires. In the months since then I have traveled more than 10,000 miles with her, over many a mountain pass and from New Mexico to California and back twice. We celebrated her 200,000th mile in Oakland, just before she lost compression in one of her cylinders and began a chugging in her engine that continues today. Other smaller issues presented themselves as well and were fixed in turn, namely her brakes, starter and distributor.

Daphne's Alter s — on the road with Daphne

It seems that many held the thought that Daphne wasn’t going to make it back to New Mexico this time around to deliver me safely for my impending departure to New York City. I questioned taking my painting rug or massage table, lest I end up putting my possessions on a greyhound or amtrak, but in the end somehow knew that she would make it. Somehow… epically… she made it to Santa Fe. A day later her back right wheel was locked up – she was going nowhere for sometime. Here and now I give her great thanks and a deep bow for all of her oil-burning hard work, and look forward to putting in the hours this summer to get her on the road once more.

SUPPORT AND SHARE MY LAST WEEK OF CROWDFUNDING!

Here below are three pictures charting the trajectory of the first of the 8×10 paintings that I have made as a perk for my ongoing Crowdfunding Campaign at Indiegogo.com. By reserving the artworks found here at the Crowdfund the Fellowship page on Spoke of Source, you will be enabling me to participate in the Sustainable Cup Challenge Fellowship Program in New York City with the DO School, where I will learn what I need to take my upcyling projects in Santa Fe and South Africa to the next level.