Ithell Colquhoun: Between Worlds

The Surrealist art movement grew out of the lingering horrors of the first ever World War. Artists who dedicated their lives to philosophy and beauty were sent to war, where they witnessed the lowest crimes of humanity and the arrival of death machines like the Gatling gun which could wipe out a whole battalion in moments. They were searching for meaning in the world and their art changed to reflect it, incorporating symbols and mysteries which mirrored the contradictions of real life.

Dance of the Nine Opals, 1942

the heart of home

Tucked into the lush landscape of Negros Island, the Gaston ancestral home in Hacienda Santa Rosalia was built in the 1930s. Constructed by descendant Jose Gaston, married to Consuelo Azcona - it is the home where they raised their eight children amidst a bustling sugarcane plantation. 

This decades old Filipino French villa has undergone several striking transformations through tumultuous years in the tropical climate and fraught history of the Philippines. The Gaston generations have since struggled to honor its heritage by opening its doors to the public - sharing their gracious home and life history with us. 

Hacienda Santa Rosalia - where stories live & roots run deep

The project seeks to preserve the site’s original structure - retaining key historical elements and preserving its old world grandeur. It remains a spacious, secluded retreat that has accommodated a large growing family while maintaining the soul of the original owners. 

debunked & busted

There is no shortage of lament over neighborhoods of the past and establishments gone for good.  wonder | wander | women noticed there’s not much retrospective about what we - as planners and designers and city enthusiasts - used to think and believe. Nothing ages so badly as our intellectual history. 

Whether it is Trump hunting and pecking selectively throughout America's brief newly minted history - to declare whatever strikes his curdled mind. Or the Philippines' Marcos clan desperately trying to whitewash their parents' conjugal dictatorship. Selective historical amnesia strikes far too many of us. 

not to be confused with history of human thought

It is embarrassing when the ideas that guided us are revealed to be wrong or worse yet become outdated or do not age along with our time. We don’t need to be too critical of our half-formed or none too evolved thoughts from the past. But it’s instructive to connect the dots and see how our beliefs may have translated to the reality around us. 

Hiroshige's sketchbooks

Recently wonder | wander | women saw the British Museum's exhibition of Utagawa Hiroshige, and were so impressed by his virtuosity and artistic sense that one post was not enough to talk about this wandering artist.

Evening Cool at Ryōgoku, 1847-8

Hiroshige: artist of the open road

Utagawa Hiroshige was, with his contemporary Hokusai, one of Japan's greatest artists. He came from a noble but impoverished samurai family in the last decades of the Tokugawa period, one of the most violent and dangerous times in Japanese history.

mothers, mothered, mothering

Mother's Day the world over is such a big deal. Everyone is born to a mother, whatever the circumstance or outcome - happy or not. Without a mother there is no life - plain and simple. 

Because it's such a big deal - there are bound to be strong opinions about it. Mother is a verb as well as a noun - honored by whatever mothers, the capacity to mother, or its equivalent. 

may we be

May 1, May Day, Spring, Beltane - all are here as nature celebrates our connection above and below. A time of opening arms thrown wide as we dance - wild and full of earth's abundance. 

Sunshine and rain pour down from the sky and kiss the ground. Fertilizing the seeds planted in our garden of ideas and intentions. 

Earth Prayer: Benediction © Kay Kemp 2020

We move from Aries season which brings in the brought fire of awakened life force - to Taurus, which brings it into manifestation. 

capturing colour

In art school, wonder | wander | women learned colour theory: how colours work together and how they can affect our perceptions and even our moods. 

"Plane Air" mini painting no. 1

memory + truth = medicine

Take a breath offered by friendly winds. 

They travel the earth gathering essences of plants to clean.

Give it back with gratitude.

If you sing it will give your spirit lift to fly to the stars’ ears and back. 

Acknowledge this earth who has cared for you since you were a dream 

    planting itself precisely within your parents’ desire. ~ Joy Harjo 

holding vigil

At the bedside of our dying grand/mother we said the ritual words: 

"I love you. Thank you. I forgive you. Please forgive me."

There is great power in these words, and rituals hold much healing - especially in times of need. 

cherry blossoms, passing

In Japan the blossoms of the cherry tree represent the ultimate beauty, but because they bloom and fall so quickly, they also represent the brevity of life. wonder | wander | women always feel a sense of loss when we see the clouds of pink thin out and begin to show more new green leaves.

Painting of the cherry tree in Tavistock Square

March 2025 revolt

March is Women's History Month - a time dedicated to honoring the remarkable contributions of women throughout history. 

The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in commemorating and encouraging the study, observance and celebration of the vital role of women in American history. 

In February 1980, Jimmy Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation
declaring the Week of March 8th, 1980, as National Women’s History Week.

The theme for Women's History Month 2025 is Moving Forward Together! Women Educating and Inspiring Generations.

equinox time

It's March 20 and the equinox is here! We call to our own awakening as Nature wakes from her winter sleep and sloughs off her mantle for yet another seasonal change.  

In the Northern Hemisphere, this day signals the long-awaited end of winter. While in the Southern Hemisphere, it marks the arrival of autumn. 

What exactly is an equinox? How is it connected with the seasons? How ae we all affected? 

lent prayer

Lent 2025 begins on Wednesday March 5 and lasts until April 17. Lent comes from the old English, lencten, which means spring. 

rains turn the garden so lush

Lent is just another of the church's festivals built on an existing cycle of celebration. In this case it falls around spring equinox - signaling the end of winter and the birth of spring. 

cotton candy sky [no filter]

The world turns and seasons change - so does our rhythm and activity. Bursting through our old shell we replace resistance with sprouting intention. 

What is a commonplace book?

Being writers and visual artists, wonder | wander | women love collecting and filling up notebooks. Our post at the beginning of the year talked about our notebook review and the journals we filled up last year. 

Sketchbook with wonder | wander | women’s own handcrafted cover!

Each journal serves a specific purpose: Morning Pages for stream of consciousness journaling, planners for scheduling and keeping track of events, sketchbooks and art books for creative outlets, idea factories and honing our skills. 

awash in starlight

In numerology 2025 adds up to the number nine (2 + 0 + 2 + 5 = 9). It is a number of endings, personal growth, and helping others. 2024 was an eight [8] year which focused on personal material orientation. 

The Nine [9] Year is the completion of the cycle of years one through nine. 2025 will be a year to release old pain and sorrow - as it prepares us for new opportunities and fresh perspectives in 2026. 

within the coil-shaped Helix Nebula

The year 2025 carries the numerological vibration of nine - a number often associated with completion, renewal, and universal wisdom. In darkest times our light shines brightest. 

sketch in the city

Seems to wonder | wander | women like the times are getting rougher and tougher. It's been hard to work at home with all these worries whirling through our heads.

Art, as always, soothes our anxiety. Without too much planning, we pick up a trusty waterproof pen and our favourite paint. Simple doodles with pure colours are best: pick one colour from the palette and let your drawing grow around it.

rooting deeper

The first Friday in February (February 7, 2025) is National Wear Red Day. Put on your reddest red and paint the town red.

It's American Heart Month, on this day everyone across the country waves their red to raise and spread awareness to eradicate heart disease and stroke in millions of women all over the world. 

wear your reddest red

The American Heart Association’s® Go Red for Women® movement urges everyone to wear red on National Wear Red Day® on Friday, February 7, reduce risk, celebrate survivors and learn CPR.

snowstorms and scenic seas

It's been a while since wonder | wander | women took a long train ride, and we didn't expect that Storm Eowyn would sweep in that weekend and strand us for a day. The next day we were worried, but the ominous weather seemed to have cleared and we finally got on the train. The rolling English countryside made the perfect backdrop for our quiet thoughts. 

Dance of the Divine Feminine

The Lunar New Year began January 29 - a triple marked beginning for both east and west. Aquarius new moon, Imbolc, and a new year of the Snake. A trinity of blessings open 2025 to us all! 

The new moon is a Dark Moon - it honors the divine shadow within. Our feminine energy and fount of wisdom - the seat of our ancient ways of being among Nature. 

New Moon in Aquarius 2025

This Aquarian new moon sets the tone for the next twenty years - as Pluto moves through the sign of Aquarius. Remain open-minded, unbiased and curious in this new unfolding world. We are the grandparents of the Aquarian Age. 

dark days defied

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! Today we honor the legacy of Doctor King - a historical global figure advocating for freedom and equality for African Americans, the economically disadvantaged, and victims of injustice. 

All through peaceful protest. We invite you to join us in celebrating the mission of this inimitable man and the beautiful words he offered to the world, and to take some time in contemplation of how what he said is still most relevant to the world we live in today. 

Is the United States on the brink of a revolution?

May we all work to embody his messages of conscious awareness, love, and peace. 2025 tests our faith - taking the steps forward even when faced with such a bleak future. Where do we find the light and love to support and sustain us. 

the wake we make

Monday night’s Cancer Full Moon rises right in the middle of an intense astrological month, where Mars and Pluto take a starring role, along with Mars’ sister - Eris, the Goddess of Discord.

wolf full moon

Perhaps this is our wake-up call to grow up and act as responsible adults. This is going to be an intense, as well as potentially healing full moon. Its placement in Cancer can help heal old parental wounds - which we need to recognize, forgive and let go of. 

for the record: Techo Kaigi

It's 2025! Meaning it's time for wonder | wander | women to say goodbye (and thank you) to all the planners and journals we have used this year and joyfully start all new ones for the coming year.

Bullet Journal spread from all the way back in 2020