a triangle prayer for you today:
“Triangle Prayer,” 5 x 7 inches, pen and ink, available here in my shop
Often the titles of my drawings can excite me as much as the drawings themselves. What can I say, I love words. Prayer. I’ve always loved that word, not because I’m religious (I’m not), but because there is so much hope in the word, and a lot of humanity—like we must pray because we are human and can’t possibly grasp even one tiny part of what’s going on. We pray because we are small.
I also just love the word itself—the letter “y” seems so English to me, and it makes the word sound old. I love old things. Turns out “prayer” comes from Middle English from Old French “preire,” and if you know a romance language (at least Italian), the word for prayer is very close to “prayer,” minus the “y.” So it’s interesting, that “y.” It makes it English.
And I just think about the history of that word, how many tongues it has passed, and hearts, and the little old women kneeling and whispering. This writing is unleashing a torrent of memories, like sitting on the cold marble in St. Peter’s in Rome listening to the nuns praying. There is a very specific moment I have in mind, that one when I had a very severe crush on the person sitting next to me, so there was this complicated mixture of things in my heart—the nuns praying, and my heart praying, and the feel of the cool marble, and the enormous high ceilings, and the longing. In that moment there was the mystery and completely arresting flood of everything.
Don’t you love those kinds of transporting memories? The moment will stay in me for the rest of my life, even if my companion that day turned out to be nothing.
And so, the title of this drawing is so much bigger than the drawing, that perhaps I will have to do more of them under this title. The title gets my brain wandering—what would a triangle prayer look like? And is it a prayer in the shape of a triangle, or is it a triangle that is praying and therefore the prayer of a triangle? Hmm. Deep questions. Oh, how words take me places. What a gift. Language.
blue bicicletta 
Greetings Nicole,
I was at the festival at the Calif. Museum
this weekend and saw your fantastic work.
I especially love the buttons, and was wondering
if you would share where you have them done?
I am a photographer and would like to have some of
my photos put on them.
I would appreciate the information if you’ll share it, if not, I understand.
Keep up the great work!
Thank you,
Dennis Latona
Latona’s Spirit Photos
and
Pinentz Gallery
Nicole, you are such a treasure. Another great word, that.
Simple.
cool idea and i like the way you built this up
It might depend upon what direction direction the prayer takes.
It’s so true that religion aside, all of us pray in one way or another…something comforting about it…confiding, hoping…trusting in a greater good perhaps? I also agree that it’s the emotion and thought behind a piece that really gives it the heart and soul… :)
What a wonderful ascending, breathing image. I’m imagining the seemingly empty base triangle speaking from the heart and then, behold, look what comes forth! This reminds me of “When I can find my heart in frame of liberty for prayer, everything else is comparatively easy” (Richard Newton, 1813-1887).
I also really liked your musings, especially the questions — wwwayyy to constantly create and inspire us.
I love the image of you in an Italian church listening to the nuns praying, and your heart so full of everything. Beautiful.