The Gratitude Balls
The First Fifteen!
Dawn on the summer solstice!
Each Gratitude Ball is a sacred prayer painted in nature to say thank you. We are saying thank you because we came inches away from a family disaster. Each prayer is created in meditation and has accompanying music composed by Rebecca. I weave the mood, energy, shapes and presence of the landscape into the painting.
The individual films that we have prepared so far can be seen here!
Rebecca composes by weaving those same components of the landscape into her music. She even incorporates the dynamics of the Gratitude Ball into her compositions. For years we have worked together exploring how music can appear visually. In these compositions she is further exploring how shape can create music.
Rebecca fearlessly composing on an open stretch of frozen moorland. (As she does)
Each Gratitude Ball represents the culmination of my artistry. 43 years of drawing meticulously, mostly in black ink, often exploring the recurrent theme of the Golden Proportion in its unharnessed form which is what I am doing when I am drawing music.
Freezing outside, cosy inside our tent
All this may sound bizarre. And I suppose it is. And yet, to us, it is very real. It is a complex process, and yet the result is great simplicity and astounding beauty. The Gratitude Ball is relatively small, but it's impact is disproportionately big. We do the work as a small family with our son, who is very involved and often provides missing pieces and invaluable suggestions.
St Ives Bay - in the distance is St Ives
Each Gratitude Ball requires 2 weeks full time work from Rebecca and I, on top of the planning involved to find the right locations and staying - often camping - nearby. Locations are choosen according to a comprehensive assessment of the land and the energies at work there. We are guided by Mother Nature and her subtle signs. Though the initial creation is relatively fast I normally spent close to a week finishing each Gratitude Ball and then ages putting together the film. Rebecca composes and records and I then do the computery production stuff, which all takes yonks. There is also the British weather to consider, which has confounded our plans more than, er, once...
Painting on the Cornish Tin Coast at the site of a mining disaster. This required 2 camping trips to Cornwall, and weeks of energy clearing on account of the extreme psychic disturbance in this most extraordinary place
Each film is the result of a huge amount of love, sensitivity, artistry and a great respect for Mother Nature. This project is a family effort and involves the three of us. The tip of my paintbrush is merely the spearhead for this project.
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The Gratitude Ball was created in response to a near family disaster we had. We came inches away from complete oblivion. We decided to say thank you by bringing forth from ourselves something remarkable.
If you would like to sponsor us we would be more than delighted! You would be directly enabling the creation of stunning beauty directed at generating peace and healing for the Earth and for all those who are touched by the Gratitude Balls and the accompanying music.
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We began this project with no idea if this was really possible, but I'm sure you will agree that the results so far look and sound spectacular!
Frensham Little Pond. Pretty clogged with dirty energies these days, not what it was 40 years ago when I played here as a child (my last visit!). We removed bags of rubbish from the lake and cleared some of the worst energetic blockages with clearing techniques but above all, believe it or not, with the power of art
When creating a Gratitude Ball I have no preconceived ideas of what I am going to paint. I clear my mind completely and let creation take place. Each new painting is as surprising and extraordinary to me as it is to my audience. We hope you will enjoy the wonderful world of the Gratitude Balls!