Artist Barbara Brown used a road at Meher Mount as the focus of her en plein air painting.
She visited with a group of other art students working with instructor Jennifer McChristian who brings a class each spring to paint at Meher Mount.
“Art is one of the sources through which the soul expresses itself and inspires others.”
— Avatar Meher Baba
I am traditionally a studio painter. But with COVID, I moved outside. I find I enjoy watching the light move, feeling the elements and being in the open air.
Painting outside is harder because the light changes as the sun moves across the sky or the wind moves the trees. The view is changing constantly. The shadows at noon are very different from the shadows hours later when you finish a painting.
In this view of a path surrounded by trees, there’s an aura of mystery. The viewer is encouraged to create her own story about where the path leads.
On the morning of May 24, 1952, near the town of Prague, OK, Avatar Meher Baba suffered a severe automobile accident.
“…the personal disaster, for some years foretold by me, took place in the form of an automobile accident while crossing the American continent… It was necessary that it should happen in America,” Meher Baba said.
He explained that this accident would “result in benefit to the whole world."
“When I became a lover I thought I had gained the Pearl of the God; foolish I did not know that his Pearl lies on the floor of an ocean which has innumerable waves to be encountered and great depths to be sounded.” — Hafiz
And the squirrel looks down and says, ‘Hey.’ I have been saying ‘Hey’ lately too, to God. Formalities just weren’t working.” — Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī
“The love just poured out of Him. His vibrations were like a hummingbird. You couldn’t see the vibrations, but you knew the vibrating. You felt that in Baba.” — Agnes Baron on meeting Avatar Meher Baba
“The pond is an essential part of Meher Mount’s role as a sanctuary for all life, large and small. A hub for life in a challenging environment. ” — Ray Johnston, Caretaker
One morning when the birds were singing and splashing in the fountain, I heard an amazing amount of buzzing coming from the rosemary bush by the Visitor Center.
Watching the bees swarm over the blossoms, I was inspired to pick up my sketchbook to do a quick draw. Later, I added some watercolor and played with my new paint pens.
"In the 24 years I have lived at Meher Mount, I’ve come to think there is a battle going on here between the light and the dark,” lifetime caretaker Agnes Baron told Adi K. Irani, Meher Baba’s close disciple, in 1970.
“Agni, It’s not a battle between the light and the dark ,” Adi responded. “It’s a balancing.”
On this day Meher Mount is reminded of the indelible and enduring impressions of Agnes Baron (1907-1994), co-founder of Meher Mount whom Meher Baba affectionately called His watchdog.
On a walk along Baba’s Path, temporary caretakers Robert Turnage and Kristina Somma noticed a slight movement on the ground. There at the mouth of a gopher hole was a beautiful little frog, almost perfectly camouflaged by its brown color. What a lovely gift.
“Lo, I am with you always means when you look for God, God is in the look of your eyes, in the thought of looking, nearer to you than your self, or things that have happened to you There’s no need to go outside.
Be melting snow. Wash yourself or yourself.
A white flower grows in quietness. Let your tongue become that flower.”
“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right doing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there. When the soul lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about. Ideas, language, even the phrase each other doesn’t make any sense.” — Rumi
Ron Holsey and I were taking a hike around the grounds. I kept noticing how many fragrant, picturesque plants and flowers we were surrounded by.
All the colors were perfectly autumn and beautifully varied.
On the way back to the Visitor Center, I picked any that made me go, “Wow look at this one.’” I didn’t even have to arrange them. They formed a natural harmony like they did in the fields.
I appreciate how beautiful it is to be at Meher Mount.
