A Reflection on Stillness: Bubo on the Round Table

“Look at a tree, a flower, a plant [a cat].
Let your awareness rest upon it.
How still they are, how deeply rooted in ‘just being’.
Allow nature to teach you stillness.”
― Eckhart Tolle

This illustration came about because we got new couches a while back. I used to sit on the couch that faced the back of the house...but when the new couches arrived, the smaller couch needed to face the front of the house to allow passage to the back of the room.  And George didn't like the feel or the width of the smaller green couch, so we traded places.  Every time I sat on the couch I would look at the front door from this exact vantage point.  I often admired the composition.  I love the way the table juts out perfectly above the little stool by the front door...and the way the round mirror fills the space and references the round light fixture.  The whole scene brings me joy.  But when Bubo hopped up on to the table, he took the composition to a whole new level of WOW!  The way his paw hung over the edge was too cute and I knew I had to draw it.

I began by taking a photo.  Once Bubo realized I wanted a photo, he hopped down.  But I had patience and knew he would be back.  A couple days later I was rewarded and got my shot.  I adjusted a few minor details in Photoshop and then traced a pencil sketch from the printed photo.  I then used carbon paper to transfer my pencil sketch onto watercolor paper.  I often make little changes to the composition before I ink the final drawing.  After I have the ink drawing done, it is time to paint!  This video shows the process of adding paint and colored pencil. (Turn on the sound!)  

  

(Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay)

"The quieter you become, the more you hear."  ―Ram Dass

I love Eckhart Tolle's quote above about learning from nature how to be rooted in being and stillness.  And I can see the question might arise, why be still?  From a practical standpoint, I think Bubo and Ram Dass would agree, "The quieter you become, the more you hear."  And I would add, "the more you see."  Being still allows a feeling of calmness to descend.  Once settled, we can pause to reflect on which way we would like to go once we enter movement again.  It helps us see our path clearly.  Or we can simply be present to the world in front of us.  Being still allowed me to notice the composition of the room I was sitting in and to be in awe at its perfection. 

"I quaked in awe for the most ordinary things."  ―Henry Shukman

"All that is required to realize the Self is to 'Be Still.'"  ―Ramana Maharshi 

Stillness also allows our very presence to come to the foreground.  When we sit still, our thoughts also tend to slow down.  And even if our thoughts continue to run around, the stillness provides a space to notice that we can observe those thoughts and not get swept away.  At times,  if we are lucky, we can realize that we are stillness itself.  It is a stillness that resides at our very core that can be carried back into life.  In truly stressful times that stillness can act as a ballast when things get rocky.  Lest we end on too serious a note, I would like to return to Bubo.  I once saw Bubo go from what appeared to be sleep, to having a lizard hanging out of his mouth in less than five seconds.  When we have a balance we can move seamlessly between stillness and movement...and that is the dance of life.    

"In order to understand the dance one must be still.

And in order to truly understand stillness one must dance.” 

―Rumi