Roy DeLeon‘s stories are simple and mesmerizing, like a zen poem.
Simple truth, compassion, reflection.
His sketches are delightful.
They bring a smile to my face, even when they are dealing with sorrow,
because there is a message of compassion.
I can’t imagine a better artist to share for our first month of
We Are The World blogfest!
☾☾☾
“We were going to pass each other in a couple of minutes. I saw her face.
Dark, frowning. Each step heavy. Instinctively, I breathed in, held it for a few secs,
then exhaled. And for the next few breaths until we passed each other, I inhaled as I imagined breathing in whatever was worrying her, whatever was burdening her.
Then I breathed out whatever will make her feel at peace and calm.
I hope it made her steps and her heart a little lighter.
☾
May we, during our dark hours, know that there’s always someone
praying for us or holding us in their heart without us knowing it.
Maybe even they don’t know they’re praying for you. Oremus.”
“wednesday morning
in the constant drip of rain
a daffodil sings”
“From a Seattle Starbucks, I see them standing in the cold morning temperature as people passed them by. “Anything helps” read their sign. They were young. Looked able-bodied. Easy to think, ‘Why should I help them? Why don’t they get a job like everyone else?’
When I was done with my coffee and drawing, I nodded and smiled at
them as I handed them a few bills. At least as a thank you for being my
unwitting models for my drawing, which I also do for buskers.
☾
May donors and volunteers towards the end of hunger,
poverty and homelessness be doubly blessed by those they bless.”
“She was our food server at the restaurant last night. All the while, I tried to figure out if her hand tattoos were real, or henna. When we were done, I asked if they were real. Slowly, she nodded her head.
Later, before we left, I asked if I can photograph her hands.
She asked: for real?
Me: of course.
She: I thought you were kidding.
(I got the vibes that her tats were not appreciated by some.)
And then she did this gesture.
On each of her 8 fingers was a calligraphic treatment of each letter spelling BONA FIDE. Latin for ‘in good faith.’ It also means genuine, authentic.
☾
Divine One,
Lead us from lies to truth,
From the fake to the authentic,
From meanness to kindness,
From fear into peace.
Peace. Peace. Peace.“
“you’re on in the night
a guiding light in the dark
’til the morning light
☾
May we keep our light on for those lost in the darkness of or victimized by
fear, ignorance, lies, malice, unkindness, and hatred.“
“As I drew this from a photo by the WPA photographer Dorothea Lange during
the depression in 1938, I felt the hot Texas sun on this lady’s skin and bones in
her tattered dress and pained expression. I felt the suffering, the injustice,
the violence of the widening divide between the haves and the have nots.
Sketching can be a powerful tool for meditation on compassion and loving-kindness.
☾
“If a free society cannot help the many who are poor,
it cannot save the few who are rich.”
~ John F. Kennedy
☾
May we help in anyway we can. Like the panhandler’s sign says: Anything helps.“
☾
Interested in lifting the vibration in th world with stories of compassion and positivity? Sign up in the
WE ARE THE WORLD Linky List below to
join us and be visited on the last Friday when you post your article! Please help spread the word via
the hashtag #WATWB.
Click here to enter your link on this Linky Tools list…
☾
Sign up in the WE ARE THE WORLD Linky List below
if you want to join us and be visited on the 31st when you post your article!
Please help spread the word via the hashtag #WATWB.
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list… Powered by Linky Tools (BTW I am new to Linky so if there are problems please tell me!
☾
To hear about classes on art journaling,
follow me on Facebook!
☾
©D. Katie Powell.
My images/blog posts may be reposted; please link back to dkatiepowellart.
D.Katie Powell Art 
Hi Kate – a powerful WATWB message … as you say Roy deLeon definitely has some incredible poetic thoughts to go with his art … loved seeing the messages – thank you … good to mee you from another participant … cheers Hilary
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Hilary I’d love to visit your blog! Post your link pleeeze.
Thanks for the kudos!
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Beautiful Kate. Thanks for sharing. I’m passing this on. I have not been able to participate in this blogfest, just no time for the details, but continue trying to share the love hwerever I can. Every day people sit in front of me-angry, ill, mentally challeneged, surly, wretched, pitiable, funny, timid, and occasioanlly joyful and at peace. Some desperate for a kindred soul, another angel walking the Earth seeking to share the love they have. I wish I could sketch them all. I do pary for them, especially the angry and wretched. Sometimes it is all I can do. Hugs!
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Tonglen is a good practice for all those people…
Your daily posts are a good contribution for WATWB! Huggs!
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LOVE the artwork and the words that go with each piece. It’s a beautiful start to WATWB, Katie. I’ll be back later to read this all over again, because it’s so worthy. Thanks for sharing!
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I know I broke and made more words than 500… but they are such GOOD words!
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True! I didn’t mind it a bit.
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Thank you for the post. And for the wonderful art.
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_/\_
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What a wonderful way to express the spirit of WATWB, Kate.
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Thanks. Roy is an inspiration!
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Oh what a beautiful find to share – thank you. Roy De Leon’s work is truly heart-opening.
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You are welcome. I will have Roy come look at all his art inspired tomorrow!
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Thanks for sharing the beautiful art of DeLeon. So timely to read your post. Last night I helped serve 33 homeless women some mouthwatering meatballs in gravy over butterfly pasta, green beans, applesauce, carrots and celery. Most of the women were so appreciative of our church’s effort to give them housing for the night (actually a whole week of it) and three meals a day and laundered clothes. This is CARITAS (Churches Around RIchmond To Assure Shelter). Many, many churches do this service throughout the year to assure shelter for men, women and families.
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So many faiths open parts of their facilities to homeless people. It is important work.
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What beautiful art and thought provoking words.
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He is a delight!
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Thanks for sharing this wonderful blog! A great example of shedding light in darkness.
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❤ Yesh!
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Lovely posts, as usual, Kate. The art makes a wonderful contribution to #WATWB. More, please!
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I’m committed. It is a GREAT idea…
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I love reading the thoughts behind Roy de Leon’s work. While the sketches and paintings could stand on their own, it enriches the experience to know what inspired them.
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Yes. And he has such interesting thoughts….
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I love the way you portray life as it is! And, make such wonderful art of it all. After all, we are (no matter who or why) all part of life itself.
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Roy is an amazing artist — not my art but his. In this unusual post I was featuring an artist who lifts me up!
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This is a wonderful post with beautiful art.
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Roy is amazing!
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See, Kate! I said your artistic approach would bring something unique and special to #WATWB. The lady’s tats with ‘bona fide’, I just gasped. Thanks for this. I’ll be looking for more of this Roy DeLeon art. 🙂
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He is great!
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