jodesigns.com
JoDesigns
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Mandalas
  • Serenity Coloring Book
    • Harmony Coloring Book >
      • Peace Coloring Book
  • Art Shows/Workshops
    • Previous Shows
  • The People's Gallery 2020
  • The People's Gallery 2017
    • The People's Gallery 2016
    • The People's Gallery 2015
    • My Friend's Personal Mandalas
  • Contact

Love

3/19/2016

1 Comment

 
Picture
Jody Cooke © 2016  All Right Reserved 
   


​    On
 Love
     
​    Kahlil Gibran    The Prophet 
 
 
      Then said Almitra, "Speak to us of Love." 

      And he raised his head and looked upon the people, and there fell a stillness upon them. And with a great voice he said: 
      When love beckons to you follow him, 
      Though his ways are hard and steep. 
      And when his wings enfold you yield to him, 
      Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you. And when he speaks to you believe in him, 
      Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden. 
      For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning. 
      Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun, 
      So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth. Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself. 
      He threshes you to make you naked. 
      He sifts you to free you from your husks. 
      He grinds you to whiteness. 
      He kneads you until you are pliant; 
      And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God's sacred feast. 
      All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of             Life's heart. 
      But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure, 
      Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing-floor, 
      Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears. 
      Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself. 
      Love possesses not nor would it be possessed; For love is sufficient unto love. When you love you should not say, "God is in my                 heart," but rather, I am in the heart of God." 
      And think not you can direct the course of love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course. 
      Love has no other desire but to fulfil itself. 
      But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires: 
      To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night. 
      To know the pain of too much tenderness. 
      To be wounded by your own understanding of love; 
      And to bleed willingly and joyfully. 
      To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving; 
      To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy; 
      To return home at eventide with gratitude; 
      And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips. 




1 Comment

Blue Skies and the Luck O the Irish!

3/13/2016

1 Comment

 
Picture
Jody Cooke © 2016  All Rights Reserved


This one goes out to my late, great husband Jerry Cooke, who always had a twinkle in his smiling eyes.  

An Irish Blessing

May the road rise up to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rain fall soft upon your fields,
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.


​I miss you my Cardinal....
​



1 Comment

All is Well

3/9/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Jody Cooke © 2016  All Rights Reserved
0 Comments

My Happy Place

2/28/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Jody Cooke © 2016 All Rights Reserved
The weather in North Carolina today is absolutely gorgeous.  I think that's why I'm reaching for so many yellows and brights!  Also, I'd like to put down the happiest colors with the most vibrancy to lift spirits and hope to those who come to my site.  I wish you all peace, love, health and joy.  May your visits to your own happy place (and mine) keep bringing you the serenity you seek.  :)   Namaste
0 Comments

Sunshine Daydream

2/27/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Jody Cooke © 2016  All Rights Reserved


​“The breezes at dawn have secrets to tell you
Don't go back to sleep...."

― Rumi


I thought of this poem at 3:03 this morning....and did not go back to sleep.  I went downstairs and in the wee hours of darkness this incredibly bright and beautiful sunshine mandala came to life.  Such a nice secret to reveal. I hope you enjoy it!  
0 Comments

Pink Pinwheel Mandala

2/21/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Jody Cooke © 2016 All Rights Reserved

Life is just better with a pink pinwheel mandala.
0 Comments

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

2/20/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Jody Cooke © 2016  All Rights Reserved
I'm rowing my boat gently down the stream today.  My stream always has flowers in it.  :)

0 Comments

All the Sun that Shines, Shines for You

2/6/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Jody Cooke © 2016 All Rights Reserved 

0 Comments

Popcorn Flower Mandala

1/30/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Jody Cooke © 2016 All Rights Reserved
I think I'm rather settled into my new home now.  I've a got a routine (sort of) and I am trying to allow time now each weekend to create a full color design.  So easy to make a black and white one each day. Now my new paradigm is....it's so easy to make a full colored design each weekend.  They yearn for color!  I yearn for color....more color. (More cowbell...ha ha). Enjoy! 
0 Comments

Pow!  Color Pop on a Snowy Winter Day

1/24/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Jody Cooke © 2016  All Rights Reserved by the Artist Jody Cooke
0 Comments

For the New Year

12/29/2015

1 Comment

 
Picture
Jody Cooke © 2015  All Rights Reserved
Wishing everyone a bright, beautiful and happy new year!
​
1 Comment

The Lavender Light

12/21/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Jody Cooke © 2015 All Rights Reserved by the Artist Jody Cooke
First of all, I feel a need to keep thanking my dear friend who gave me the wonderful markers to create such a happy mandala.  Thank you.  :)  I still love them, I am still inspired by the array of colors and I think of you every time I use them...and so many other times as well. 
I was listening to a meditation video while adding color to this one...."Imagine a funnel at the crown of your head, Imagine a lavender light coming from above and channeling through that funnel into your head, around your eyes, into your cheeks...."  Before I knew it I was reaching for lavender (so much for trying to make it Christmasy).  Ha ha...Well, I don't use lavender enough... so an homage to the forgotten color in my palette, and to my friend who I will always remember with gratitude in my heart. 
0 Comments

Miriam's Manifesting Mandala

11/13/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Jody Cooke @ 2015  All Rights Reserved
For my dear friend Miriam....this one's for you sweetie.  Love you lots!
0 Comments

Happiness

10/30/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Jody Cooke © 2015 All Rights Reserved
I love this mandala simply because of the colors.  I received a WONDERFUL gift of markers for my birthday yesterday!  And this mandala is solely created with those markers.  It was like Christmas for me to get this fantastic gift in the mail.  Every mark was made in gratitude and love. Thank you my dear friend for your gift and your belief in my designs.  Namaste. ( I bow to you)
0 Comments

Jordan

10/6/2015

2 Comments

 
Picture
Jody Cooke © 2015 All Rights Reserved
After almost two weeks of dreary weather....the sun is out!  I completely took advantage of a sun filled porch this morning and created this mandala. The sun will keep us connected no matter where we are, even when it hides behind clouds and we can't feel it's warmth for days on end. We are still close...still connected....still one under the sun until we meet again.
2 Comments

Mandala for Melanie

9/18/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Jody Cooke © 2015  All Rights Reserved
In our household we lovingly refer to this turquoise color and anything close to it as, "Mellie Blue." My daughter Melanie loves this color so much.  At one point her bedroom walls were a light shade of this, her bedspread was close to this color in the mandala and accessories were all in the same color family as well.  I think you get the idea.  Though we have since moved...and her walls are a neutral color now, she still has the bedspread so....maybe we'll hang this one in her room.  A mandala for Mel! 
PS: months later I post this PS....her walls are now Mellie Blue too!!!  :)
0 Comments

Good Day Sunshine!

9/11/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Jody Cooke © 2015  All Rights Reserved
"I need to laugh and when the sun is out, I've got something I can laugh about......"                                                     The Beetles


It's just such a beautiful day...the sun is shining, I've focused my energy in a positive way, and look what came out...  A sunshine and a cross.  Two of my favorite elements!

Have a happy day, and thanks for stopping by.  :)


0 Comments

Pistachios and Cashews

9/8/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Jody Cooke © 2015  All Rights Reserved
It feels so good to be settled into my new home AND designing again! This mandala represents the first colored design I've created in the past few weeks while I transitioned from New Jersey to my new home in North Carolina.  I love being here...it's hot! 
So....
I got the most lovely and unexpected package in the mail last week.  It was filled with bags of fancy cashews, pistachio nuts, sun dried tomatoes and quinoa!  All of my favorite foods.  Thank you my friend! When I was looking at my color palette for this design after it started forming...I couldn't help but see the correlation between the gift and this mandala.
I look forward to posting more regularly now that I'm here.  Enjoy today's blog (ya'll) and more will follow!  

0 Comments

Cardinal Love

7/9/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Jody Cooke © 2015  All Rights Reserved
0 Comments

Mandala 06-05-15

6/30/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Jody Cooke © 2015 All Rights Reserved
It's a dreary, cold rainy summer day here in New Jersey.....just had to counter balance that with all the warmth and color I can find!
0 Comments
<<Previous
Forward>>
    Picture
    Photography: Pat Olds

    Author

    Hello, and welcome to my website. My name is Jody Cooke and I am a designer living in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  I have been an artist in some form or another for over thirty years. My new passion is mandalas! Since I learned about them in January 2013, I have created over 1,500 (black and white) of these circular patterns and over 160 full color.  Some are very small and sketchy, most are 8 inches in diameter, currently I am creating on 24" x 18" paper (transitioning into a Lotus Mandala series as of summer 2017) and one is a 24 inch square acrylic mandala painting on canvas. Definitely not my preferred medium..but I gave it a try!
    Making mandalas is the most rewarding creative endeavor of my career.  Each time I sit down to draw I am so excited to see what comes out on the paper.  I feel so fortunate to have found this expressive and spiritual porthole to reveal my true self.  Thank you for visiting my site.

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

    Archive

    August 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.