 

Alina Karasinska-Tokar, 'Blue and Grey' (Visuals) 

I met Tanya through a mutual friend before the Covid-19 situation. Our common goal and the goal of our friends had been, for many months, unrealised. The plan had been to get closer to the wild Scottish nature by bathing in natural, but extremely cold water such as in mountain streams and waterfalls. These interactions and connections with nature can be perhaps a great challenge for ‘southerners’, but not for Tania, since she comes from Siberia. One day, after the Covid-19 situation, we will meet, and despite numerous duties, we will find time to stand in the icy water and look up together, breathing in the fresh air and observing the deep blue of the sky. Before Covid this was not possible.









Tanya Malakhova, 'Blue and Grey' (Emotional Reflection)

Taking time to breathe. Taking time to see around, to listen to birds tweeting and enjoy the scents of blossoming trees. Taking time is to catch the awe of life, to immerse in its beauty and goodness. This is the flash of now, of us being aware and present, being right here and right now.

Taking time through calmness and harmony with oneself. It is the state of mind which looks like the blue sky, magically bright blue. It is calm and sedate in its confidence and profoundness. It is not searching for answers, not being anxious about the future, not sinking in the feeling of blame or shame. It is the mind switched to curiosity mode. It is utterly focused on the world around discovering the every tiny unique detail of it. 

Taking time makes sense of our living. It grasps us on the run to stop, look around and disclose the reality. Explore every single aspect of what’s happening and become a part of it, drown in it with all your senses involved.  

The world has become fast. We are constantly searching for stimulations from the outside. In a daily rush taking time for oneself is not habitual anymore. Even if it happens people unconsciously try to avoid it due to it’s deafening silence.

Staying in silence is facing your inner self and seeing the truth. It’s so hard. The truth is hard but it is fundamental and real. The truth brings real happiness, which is eternal and profound. It’s hard to face the truth but it does good. 

Taking time is about being here and now. It is about forgetting about productivity and efficiency, about the time-management and the to-do-list. It is all about imprinting the moment onto oneself and living it through to the fullest extent cause this is what’s called life. 






Collaboration between  Alina Karasinska-Tokar and Tanya Malakhova
 

 Blue-Grey Reflections  (Collaboration Alina and Tanya)

My art piece, ‘The Selkies’, represents mythological beings known as Selkies in Scotland. In local legends, these beings change or ‘shape shift’ from seal to human form by shedding their skins. My art piece represents a family of Selkies who are considering the risk of going out onto Nairn beach. The exhibition, ‘A Woman’s Place: Prominent Women from the History of Nairn’, was planned for the end of March 2020. However, this was cancelled due to the Corvid-19 situation. Unfortunately, my art cannot be seen until the museum feels it is safe to re-open to visitors. Also included in the exhibition are prominent Nairnshire women such as poet, Olive Fraser, and World War One Nurse, Kate Mackenzie. All the women included have contributed in some way to the local life and community of Nairn.

‘The Selkies’

I am presenting my lyrical monologues along with my illustrations because they form a whole. They are phantasmagories on the subject matter of quarantine.
The inspiration of my art originates from ambience and philosophical thoughts by Fathers of the Desert, which I studied with great pleasure and interest in April 2020. The Fathers were early Christian hermits about AD300 who resided mainly in the deserts of Egypt.
As an explanation I am adding the information that a Polish idiom "to be getting a cat", means becoming a little bit insane/mad/crazy.This is a reference to my photo the Cat.  
The Monologues explain the meaning of the illustrations and vice versa.
My illustrations are mixed media projects with acrylic colors and pastels, photographs with modifications and collage combining everyday objects with nature elements.


The Journey
Being a Fish
Darkness is Coming
My Desert
The Cat


Metamorphosis

Suddenly, it became dark outside.
The cloud hit the sunshine
And then, it became completely dark
And slightly brighter.
When people turn on the lights
And then, they turn them out
And ...
I have started to change into a cat....
And then, it was dark again,
And then, slightly brighter again,
And then,  slightly less dark.
And lighter and brighter,
Even totally bright
And ...
And I was not a cat anymore,
I was myself again.
I have been traveling in my dreams.
I‘ve been swimming, swimming, swimming
inside a whale.
And then, I still was inside the whale
And then…
And then…
I fell asleep.

Sand

And when I fell asleep
I appeared in a desert,
among the hot sands.
There, I saw an old man,
I knew,
that he was a wise one.
His old eyes were closed,
but despite this,
he could see.
So he saw me
And he asked 'are you expected  here?'
And I replied
"Sorry, I'm not".
And then, he opened his eyes,
looked at me
and asked "so what are you doing here?"
And I replied,
‘’I don't know ...
I think I fell asleep …’’
And he said, 'I'm waiting for someone so, go away please'
and I knew 
what to do.
So I left that strange space.
  
Neck and coffee
 
After I woke up,
I exercised my neck,
washed my hands
and
teeth
and
Get dressed
and followed the arrows to the shop.
And I did the gymnastics of zigzags,
enjoying walking the shopping paths.
When I greeted my home again,
I was washing my hands for a long time
and later,
I painted a fish to fry it for lunch.
And then,
I squeezed  paper to shape into a cup
For the pleasure of drinking
some afternoon coffee,
With my own majesty
And then the phantasmagorias came to me,
So I was a fluffy cat and a cold fish later
or maybe it was a tree?
 I do not know...


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Alina Karasinska-Tokar