Shadows slant differently in autumn light. Nights draw in sooner; there may be an edge to the wind. That wind often plays music on the rustling leaves as they turn to autumn's colors of red and gold.

It is a time of gathering as well as solitude, of reflection as well as celebration. All these take place in the frame of the natural world. Those changes and connections are subjects artists often turn to for reflection themselves.

May this music aid in your reflections and actions on the changes of this autumn season.

“Peace is not just silencing the guns.”

 ~ Fawzia Koofi, former Republic Peak Negotiator and first woman Deputy Speaker of Parliament in Afghanistan
 

In 2020, a concerning new record high in the global mean sea level was documented. i  An increase in approximately 8-9 inches since 1880 was recorded; over a third of this increase has happened within the last two decades. ii Sea levels are continuing to rise and at an alarming rate, jeopardising the lives and livelihood of many human beings.

When death leads to life, art is inevitable. And art, as creation, is a reflection of its creator. Brinston and his work consistently grapple with the revolution of death and life and death again. The cacophonous symphony of color and shape, rhythm and structure that compose his work is all at once chaotic and calm. Just as the artist himself is an amalgam of mania and peace. The composition of art and artist is indistinguishable... just as his art is an extension of himself, the artist has become an extension of his art. For the artist, art is valuable in its making life worth living.

Have you ever heard of the term self-care? Do you roll your eyes, thinking it’s all sorts of woo woo nonsense? Do you embrace it fully, relishing in those moments you make sure to take time for you? Do you think it might be nice, but when on earth are you supposed to find the time for that kind of thing? Or, do you find yourself a little bit interested but completely unsure of how to go about it? At one point or another, I’ve hit every stage of these questions. Well over a decade ago, I walked out of my first yoga class.

Throughout time in the Middle East, women have been considered second class citizens and have had to fight for their basic human rights.