Tickle the Soul

Heard this phrase as part of the intro to a segment about fountains on CBS Sunday Morning. It caught my ear and made me smile. Don't you just love it? Picture a long finger of water reaching out to gently poke. Or the your soul giggling because it is so tickled. And it brought to my mind so many run-on thoughts.

Artist, Dan Zinno, often picks his titles from random phrases he hears on NPR. Phrases he finds thought provoking or reflective of his work in progress. When he told me this, it brought an added dimension to his abstract pieces and what he wanted his audience to experience in each painting, or not. Tickle your senses by paging through his website. What do you think his titles tell you?

Apologies to the Next Generation by Dan Zinno

Back to the subject of fountains and tickling. The phrase brought back memories from my youth when every summer my mother would take some of us to Longwood Gardens to see a show followed by the dancing fountains. For the life of me I don't remember any of the performances although I think at least one might have been a Gilbert and Sullivan. But I remember being mesmerized by the fountains painted in colored lights and dancing to music. I was so excited each year. Truly it was an awesome display to this young lady. The fountains still dance, now in concert with a fireworks show. If you ever have a chance to see these at Longwood Gardens, remember that girl thrilled by the spectacular. I thank my parents for exposing me to them even if they were sure I'd remember the musical play too.

Other waters, simple and not, stir my creative juices. When trying to work out a problem or unblock a design, water always helps. From a shower to washing dishes the feel of water seems to unclog my thought processes. Feeling a little down, sitting by a stream or watching the play of light through a sprinkler can bring back a lightness to my being. Water has the magical quality to "tickle my soul." Make me feel whole, again. How about you? What pulls you out of the doldrums? Anybody else out there use water like I do?

I leave you today with one of my favorites, Buckingham Fountain in Chicago.