New Print shop goes live

Well I have spent the last couple of days putting together a new online shop site for my Visionary Prints. You can view it direct via www.tonypinfold.biz or through the shop/gallery button on my main site www.tonypinfold.com. If you enjoy by work or blog I hope you may consider buying a print as everything I make goes pack into paying for my website costs, equipment improvements and new projects.

Why My new site look the way it does:
I have gone for a more basic navigational path for my new shop as it seemed my old one was a little confusing for people who don’t use the internet much. This is always the problem when designing sites, it would be great to use all the bells and whistles but how many people will really be able to view the site as you intended? It’s a fact very few people update their web browsers (or even know they should). A very large proportion of people still surf the web using internet explorer 6 which is frustrating for the web designing community. Many people who are still using explorer 6 and alike are clueless that new versions or other options are available to them (usually free) such as safari which I use on my Mac and Pc.

The New look shop is split into the following sections (below) with around 9-12 images in each section.
I supply my work in 3 different sizes :
8×6 inch – ￡5 + p&p, 16×12 inch – ￡10+ p&p, 30×20 inch – ￡30+ p&p.
All my prints are Printed professionally on high Quality semi gloss Fuji Archive paper – packed in a ultra clear bag with a backing card to prevent creasing .
hipped from my home in Sunny Clacton on sea, Essex, England UK to you where ever you may live.

Oneness Prints

Direct Link: http://www.tonypinfold.biz/Oneness.html
Thought behind: Separation is an illusion. It is a man made construct. It is just another lie propagated by the Kingdom of the ego. No matter how disconnected you may feel from society this is simply a false perception that blocks you expressing your love for others. Personas are not always easy to resonate with but they are simply egoic masks that hide a divine light buried within us all. Today, no matter where you are on the planet, you will be relying on people you may never meet to feed you, clothe you, produce your power, build your roads and make you secure etc. In knowing this how can anyone entertain the concept of separation. The divine matrix (the everything) is all inclusive, non judgmental and so non dualistic. Only fear stops humanity truly embracing oneness

Pathway Prints

Direct Link: http://www.tonypinfold.biz/Pathway.html
Thought behind section: All Spiritual pathways bring us to new realizations. They point the way to perennial wisdoms but this wisdom is often obscured by thousands of years of allegory which have been taken as fact. It is important to understand all spiritual paths are walked by choice. It is not for anyone to ’save’ anyone else from some belief system we can’t understand or embrace. I have included images of waterfalls as they are metaphors for the ultimate spiritual pathway – one which is guided purely by source energy. We all need to stop trying to mould and manipulate life and simply ‘go with the flow’

Feelings Prints

Direct Link: http://www.tonypinfold.biz/Feelings.html
Thought behind section: Your feelings are your guide to how you really… well feel about something. They can often be far more trusted then the thousands of thoughts that pass through your brain. Feelings tend not to be swayed by the ego’s need to impress or it’s fear if it fails to please. They are unimpressed by money and status. Often if you are not really in tune with your feelings you can make a great many mistakes and bring a great deal of unwanted stress in your life. I have found that dowsing your true feelings on a subject is a good way to go. It is our feelings that will often save our lives due to their great awareness of vibrational energy. Your whole body is a guidance system it should never be underestimated… listen to your feelings

Earth Prints

Direct Link: http://www.tonypinfold.biz/Earthprints.html
Thought behind section: Many people that follow spiritual paths can become so captivated by higher realms that they loose connection with their current reality. This can cause a great deal of emotional trauma. I’m sure we all know people for who even everyday communication has become a problem. I have many works that can be use as images for grounding as not everyone is able to get out into nature and link with the elements. See the peaceful places gallery for more photos of nature.

Peace Prints

Direct Link: http://www.tonypinfold.biz/PeacePrints.html
Thought Behind section: The world is a very noisy place indeed and many people are actually frightened of silence. The chance of finding true peace happens mostly in the natural world. It is not necessary to fly across the planet to find some scared grove, often such places can be found in your own town if you know when and where to look. No matter if it’s sitting by a river bank or the sea, wandering through a wood or down a footpath, every now and then the mind chatter will subside and you will be there face to face with the peace and pace of nature. It is then when you will understand what really does and doesn’t matter.

Perception Prints

Direct Link: http://www.tonypinfold.biz/PerceptionPrints.html
Thought behind Section: Your Perception is your reality, but I have to say that your perception is often based on lies you never even knew you where told. We all see the world through filters that have been shaped by family and friends and a media that has lost it’s way. Every now and then your perceptions of someone or something may be shattered but this is rarely enough to truly wake us up to the fact that no-thing is really ever as it seems. Situations that appear black and white, cut and dry seldom are. This is what I discovered when I created my first image ‘oppressed’ which is below .

Realms Prints

Direct Link:http://www.tonypinfold.biz/Realms.html
Thought behind Section: Angels and spirits have been with us in folklore since the beginning of Art. As long as man has been on earth, he has pondered the higher realms and the great beyond. Often his limited understanding has forced him to reach conclusions that now modern men scoff at and ridicule. I can not say what angels and spirits really are, but I believe that if they do exist they are far more awesome and powerful than the dreamy wishy-washy figures of fantasy tales.

Freedom Prints

Direct Link: http://www.tonypinfold.biz/FreedomPrints.html
Thought behind section: Freedom or rather the lack of it, is in truth a man made perception. For we often place our own limits on our freedom based on what we believe to be right or acceptable. We often say we would like to do something but we don’t have the time or we simply say ‘I couldn’t do that’ which is a self for-filling prophecy. Many times we are in oppressive relationships or jobs but we remain within them like the the animal who refuses to leave the cage once open out of programming. Often we don’t have to even move to be free, we simply have to change our mindset, throw off our mental chains and silence the Minds chatter that torments us with images of the past and fears of the future

Dawn Prints

Direct Link: http://www.tonypinfold.biz/DawnsPrints.html
Thought Behind Section: With every dawn life begins a fresh, who knows what you will discover this day, the possibilities are infinite. Embrace each day and even see within them the many opportunities to have a new beginning

Thank you as always for all your support and making my work possible – Tony

More Youtube picks

Ok it time for one of my random lists of You tube videos, If you have never viewed one of these before you will soon see how eclectic my tastes are. Note this is not in any order and is a blend of music, film and documentary clips, It is my hope you may see something you may never have watched normally. My only frustration with youtube is the ten minute time limit and the comments section of which I can see no point, personally I know what i like and have no need to have my taste validated or ridiculed by others. So enjoy (or not) the following bubble gum for the brain I know i did.

Makes me almost want to go clubbing again lol

hmm not sure what to make of this yet

Nondualism a subject as slippery as a eel for most minds to grasp

A wonderful program, this clip is cut short, the funereal of the mouse is finished with the brilliant line ‘May the force be with you, because your worth it’

A great real feel good record and what a beautiful woman kelly is

A rock classic

The brilliant Alan Watts.

Now our guinea pig Gus wants a jet pack for Christmas.

Embraced by Silence (Being)

The image above ‘Being’ was inspired by my following words/experience ‘Embraced by Silence’

Embraced by Silence

I switched off the TV, the room fell dark and quiet.
I lingered on the sofa, embracing this sacred serenity.
I did not flee from darkness by turning on the light,
I sat there almost womb like in thankfulness of the night.

No temple, church or priory could match this sense of peace.
Nothing to do, no where to be, finally I’ve been released.
How exquisite this simple being without a care or thought or word.

Death could come in this moment and I would welcome it as a friend,
for there was nothing left to prove, read, hear, taste or think.
True beauty is this blanket of emptiness, this flash of life without need.

No poet or artist could capture the perfection of this moment, this now.
Alone and silent at last.

Finally I was meeting with everything and nothing and it was the same.
No mantras or meditations had birthed this sweet moment, how could they?
Tranquility waits effortlessly until finally without effort it is noticed.

Thought and action could never have crafted such perfection, such universal love.
This darkness was the light, love and peace.
It had dwelled in me forever unnoticed.
Life’s search ends when embraced by silence.
Embraced by silence ©Tony Pinfold09

Note: Picture will be available to purchase from www.tonypinfold.com on the 1st sept 2009

Closer than Close

I found these clips on youtube the other day from a film I new nothing about called ‘closer than close’. I thought some of you may enjoy viewing them or even wish to find out more about the film via www.poetryinmotionfilms.com
As of writing i have not seen the full version of the movie but from the clips it looks very thought provoking which can’t be a bad thing can it?

Tomorrow i will post my new visionary art work ‘Being’ along with a small piece of writing which came to me last Friday night called ‘Embraced by Silence’ which seems to fit well with the work.

Have a day ! Tony

The search

What is the search?
Nearly all of life is spent in ‘the search’ it shapes the way we act and sets us on pathways we often end up regretting. ‘The search’ starts very early on in life when it is made clear to us that we must learn and achieve academically so we can become someone society will respect and hold in high esteem. In our materialistic culture most buy into the belief more is best and that 1st place is the only place. Few of us ever achieve any of our childhood goals, those that do often see that life is still problematic and that the constant feelings of fear, emptiness and lack seldom fade . Sadly because of ‘the search’ for most contentment is some mythical land that lies far way.

‘the search’ is the reason mankind became industrialized, invented the atom bomb, went to the moon and moves deeper and deeper into space. It is also why man dissects everything that moves in a attempt to understand how it all works. It it seldom mention that most of what man has done has been done to prove of disprove the notion of god. The search is what drives men of religion and science to do unspeakable acts in order to be deemed right or further ‘the search’.

Sadly ‘the search’ both on a individual and world level ultimately has achieved very little. Millions still die our ecosystem has been raped and billions still look for comfort in all the wrong places. The search goes on and in truth mankind is no nearer understanding it’s self let alone the Universe it dwells in or beyond.

Some myself included because of our belief in non duality have decided to ‘Call off the search’ but that is a whole different blog for another day

Note: Just to say that obviously ultimately it doesn’t matter if you call off the search or not, if you buy into Non duality all approaches and ways of thinking from universal perspective are equal, but that said we can still have a personal preference when given a option in our current short term dualistic world. (confused I know, I’ll explain it better some time soon lol)

Below is my image which is very different from my other visionary work. ‘The search’ depicts a future being that can explore both inner and outer space disconnected from nature in some sterilized capsule created by science for the soul purpose of the search for the answer to life.

The girl image is created from a photo I took of model friend Georgi when i was a glamour photographer some time ago.

Pendulum ‘Different’

As you know I’m a bit of an odd bod when it comes to music – classical stuff one second, trance the next, folk to pop. If it’s got passion I will no doubt like it. Ever since I saw Pendulum on TV (BBC)  playing at Glastonbury I’ve had to have my daily fix of the group on spotify

This clip is just a small part of probably the best set of the whole Glastonbury weekend, (unfortunately not their best part but it is the only one I could find!!!) In the set they also do a brilliant rework of Calvin Harris’s “I’m not alone”… It had me and the wife bouncing off the walls (not bad for old farts).  Makes my licence fee seem worth while after all.

Please don’t watch if you don’t like loud music with flashing lights… … … (If you are viewing in another country you might not see the video below, sorry YouTube, BBC and Music companies in general don’t seem to embrace the concept that we live in one world, as there are different licenses for different countries, In a world that has been made so small by the internet that seems absurd.)

My Mantra Explained

Question everything and rejoice in the honesty that we know very little.
Understand all life is precious and is to be respected.
Have regard for those with different beliefs to our own.
Fight the egos wish for separation and see we are all one.
Understand that in our current form the only certainty is there is none.

Very early on in my awakening, I was inspired to write the very short mantra above . What amazes me is that while much of my thinking has shifted time and time again over the past two and a half years, this mantra still remains true to me. I thought I would elaborate on each line for those that are new to my work or this way of thinking.

Question everything and rejoice in the honesty that we know very little.
Questioning is not welcomed in many areas of life as it is considered rude, disrespectful and at worse heretical. At one time in the west Christianity held all the cards, that is to say it dictated how millions of people thought about themselves and the wider universe then came along science with its ‘dangerous’ and ‘blasphemous’ ideas. At first science was mocked in most areas of the world but as it questioned more and more people began to waken to the idea that maybe religion did not hold all the answers. We now live in a time where Science rules but despite this many of the great questions still remain unanswered. Ask any scientist about the big bang and you will soon find that just as much faith is required to support the idea as any religious creation tale. We are now in a time where we must stand up and be honest, we no more know if this universe is the result of god or a great cosmic fluke. Personally I believe to carry on debate after debated is pointless. If you respectfully question everything you will lead yourself to a place where little can be relied on, What you may have once held as right and wrong blend together, once this state is reached you are just in a place of simply being, free from the need to know more or be right.

Understand all life is precious and is to be respected.
Many tribes that live precariously both now and in the past have given respect, thanks and worship to the animals they kill for food and clothing. It is a fact that in the ‘modern’ food chains animals are not respected, they certainly aren’t given any thanks as they are slaughtered on mass on their way to be devoured generally thoughtlessly with fries and a coke. I know from a non-dualistic point of view life never ends and the forms we see around us are simply expressions of the oneness (divine matrix). That said it is my personal preference all life should be acknowledge and respected for the divinity that flows through it, doing so helps to refocus how we are all interconnected. As a vegetarian I do not eat any form of flesh that has been born, that is my own personal choice. I can not hold any moral high ground because of the way I live or judge those that chose to kill that which I believe has a right to live. The smugness many vegetarians display can easily be trumped by those that are vegans. But even vegans require life to be given up, be it in the form of vegetables. Many would say that was just silly, but is it? Does not life force energy drive a sheep as much as a carrot? I think a simple giving of thanks not in any great ceremonial way to all things be they animal, vegetable or mineral simply maintains an acknowledgment to this energy that is flowing though all things it also helps us focus on the now and the wonder of life.

Have regard for those with different beliefs to our own.
Throughout history, those that are different have been culled simply for that reason. Very few, if any country on the planet stands unstained by the blood of others simply due to this perceived difference. These pointless wars still go on, indeed it is highly possible that it will result in the demise of mankind. As we look back at history every culture that was deemed ‘Savage’ or subhuman has also been found to hold great wisdom and knowledge that we still marvel at today or wish we had. Very few if any people are Belief free, often even within a group that holds a common belief much variation and division can occur. The dogmatic cry of ‘we are the true faith’ or ‘we are the true believers’ has been used as motivation to arms and often the justifications of the most ‘ungodly acts. Personally I find all beliefs fascinating but ultimately limiting, but I see no reason to persecute people for having them. I know that I have at this moment in time a luxury of such an opinion, in times gone by, and I dare say in the future, such an ideal would get me in hot water. For someone who fails to condemn a ‘perceived enemy’ is often deemed to be the enemy as well.

If a bunch of religious zealots came to my door with weapons asking me to convert to their faith or else, my regard for others beliefs would truly be tested. I may choose to die rather than be forced to go along with someone else’s belief system or I may decide to live and just go with the flow. I believe in a non-dualistic outlook, whatever I decided in such a situation wouldn’t really matter which really is the bottom line for me, it ultimately doesn’t matter what people think or do for our current forms will fade away soon enough no belief lasts very long from a universal perspective. Dyeing for a cause or a belief is just one of a million ways to die and it ultimately hold no more or less merit.

Fight the egos wish for separation and see we are all one.
I have talked on this subject a great deal in this blog so I won’t go on about it. The Ego sows seeds of discontent daily. Only by questioning every thought that arises can we begin to see that it really does very little to improve our life experience. Believing we are better or worse than others, does very little to heal the human condition. Like wise thinking that we could live or succeed without others is the greatest lie ever told… There is no such thing as a self made man or woman. We are all One, like it or not we are all a part of this great everything. The ego may sow daily seeds of separation but I would suggest what is ultimately reaped from such a limited mind set is a ugly crop indeed.

Understand that in our current form the only certainty is there is none.
We are highly evolved beings when compared to a turnip but beyond this planet we could be regarded as dribbling baboons. Our concepts and ideas can seem as misguided as those that perceived the world as flat. We believe that tomorrow will be very much like today, that events we have planned for in the future will happen but of course it is the ultimate pie in the sky… We live upon a rock hurtling through space which could at any moment cease to exist for any number of reasons. None of us have an unlimited life span we all daily take our lives in our own hands and function on blind trust. The truth is at any second you could be snubbed out, certainty does not exist except in a world where nothing ever changes and no one has yet discover such a place. We are all free falling through life and everything you cling to is doing the same. So you can live every day in fear or just let go and enjoy the ride because in a hundred years time none of us will be here in this form… as the saying goes seize the day or more correctly Seize the Now…

Final thoughts
While I call this a mantra I think there is little to be gained by being able to recall it verbatim, in fact if you asked me in the street to say it without error I doubt I could. This mantra holds no power, none do, it is simply a string of words attempting to once again point to a state of being that ultimately defies all our ability to describe.