Ebb and Flow

This collage grew out of a conversation with my dear friend, Ellyn Dye.    We were commiserating with each other about finding the patience to 'go with the flow', the awareness to not 'push the river' and the permission to feel grumpy when things just are not moving as we wish.  Oh we all do lament the truth that we are just not in control!  In any event, we both came to the point of remembering that reality is always ebb and flow.   Ellyn is out there 'celebrating the magic of life' at LionMagic.com

It took me a bit to get around to bringing this collage to life as I just couldn't find the right images that resonated with 'ebb and flow' to me.  I knew I had the right 'flow' when I found the  red-dressed woman  and she also echoed the energy of  fiery red Ellyn.  

When I came across the reclining woman in my photo stash, I was drawn to her and then resistant to the fact that she seemed asleep, so I kept looking for the 'ebb'.  In a dream it came to me that she was in the ebb and comfortable enough to sleep, while awaiting the flow to move her into action.     This image, by the way, is from the cover art for a wonderful book - The Mystery of Grace - an urban fantasy by a favorite author of mine, Charles DeLint.

The black & white figures are the yin and yang of ebb and flow and the spirals the movement.  The ocean is the essence of ebb and flow.  But all these descriptions are what I can say after I compose the image.  The process itself is much more organic and, pun most intended, in the flow.