Did you ever have a kaleidoscope when you were young? I had numerous ones over the years, starting with the bulky cardboard tubes and graduating to the smaller metal ones. Something about them seemed magical to me. I would peer into the one end and see at the other end the motionless colored bits of glass. Ah, but then I would slowly twist the tube at the bottom, and the glass would shift. Little images reshaping to form another beautiful vision.Held to a bright light source, the colors were fantastic and brilliant. Miniature stained glass windows, so it seemed. Quickly swiveling the end of the tube brought about new patterns one after another. It was constantly changing and amazing my eyes. It was not uncommon for me to "ooooh" and "ahhhh" aloud while turning the kaleidoscope.
Aiming the tube at a dark area altered the loveliness of the captured pieces of glass. They became dull and lifeless no matter how many twists of the tube I performed. There were no more vivid colors, no striking designs. The images were dark and gray. The new patterns appeared unimpressive. The wonder of the kaleidoscope was lost when viewed in darkness.
In no time at all, there was frantic searching for a lighted spot to once again bring the magic back to life.
Life is very much like an always-changing kaleidoscope. When everything is going smoothly and my path is free of thorns, the light brings the beauty of bright colors to my eyes. New and positive happenings are like a twist of the kaleidoscope, further drawing expressions of happiness from me. Bright occurrences that please my eyes and my heart. I feel full of joy and contentment.
The times when I am caught in dreariness and lifelessness due to calamities, disillusionment, fear, or pain are akin to the light source being taken away from my kaleidoscope. Just when the gloom seems to be changing for the better, sometimes I am disappointed to find the gray is still there. It is then that I need to try a little harder or hope a little more to find a bright spot toward which to direct my kaleidoscope.
All of us have our own sources of light from which to choose. We may lose sight of it from time to time, but gradually we do find our way back. And we are once again bathed in the splendor of the vibrant colors of the glass.
I made the above graphic using this tiny (3" x 5") watercolor painting I recently completed. I cannot believe what some of the software programs are capable of doing to images! 'Tis fun to play with them.
"A new dawn is always breaking inside a kaleidoscope." ~Cozy Baker
5 comments:
Oh nice! I love them! I love adobe, although sad that when puter decided to go nutty there went the program and I dont have the CD.... :( and I dont have the 600 to buy it...That is why the design stuff ceased sigh!
I have a self potrait I did do though over at Messages there...this is a cool entry and two!
Peace
OOOH, pretty, Nikki! I love your butterfly :-) And I do believe you've inspired me to purchase a kaleidoscope on my walk home this evening. How marvelous that you use such wisdom to return to innocence.
My favorite painting so far! The background just toots my horn :) Can you take a close up picture and email it to me? It's for my office in the new house. Pretty please!
An apt (and very elegant) analogy. As a kaleidoscope fan myself, this brought back memories.
Nikki, that watercolor is so soft and lovely! It is soothing to me even though I just wired myself on 3 cups of coffee!
It is amazing what software programs can do these days... I wish I was a little more knowledgeable , though.
For everything there is a season. And when I am at my worst, I am usually assured that just as water becomes a foamy chaotic mass when it hits the bottom of a waterfall drop, the waters will clear and become translucent again as the prisms of color flow out and catch the beautiful reflection of the light source from above.
Now if only I knew how to capture that effect with paints!
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