Instagram story viewer> @mcbex_> Posts

Mack

@mcbex_

1.1K

followers

4428

following

Live slow. Die old. Love your mother.

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Download All

Painting reveal! 🎨

I came into the workshop led by @dean.fisher.paintings with basically zero painting experience. Each day we had group lectures and 1-on-1 instruction, and we were able to participate in live demos and portrait sessions throughout the week as well.

I didn't really know what to expect, but I'm starting to develop a real love for painting and hope to continue. It's definitely not easy, but I really enjoy the deep meditative aspect of the process, as well as what Dean describes as a "quiet celebration of sensuousness."

Life can be hard at times. It's a joy to indulge in the simple beauty of a moment. taken in Tenuta Di Spannocchia by @mcbex_

87

14

21 days ago

I'm very fortunate to have spent the last week at @tenutadispannocchia in Tuscany. This 800-year-old estate has been operating as an ICEA-certified organic farm since 1994, nourishing visitors, workers, and neighbors with healthy food, stunning views, and warm hospitality. Not only did we get to eat, sleep, and paint there every day, we were able to interact with the workers there and catch glimpses of their day-to-day. We were lucky to watch the season's first grape stomping (pigiatura) sessions, as part of their traditional wine-making.

As a lifelong student of environmental sustainability, I frequently seek out organic/farm-to-table/eco-friendly/regenerative operations. Tenuta di Spannocchia impressed me far more than I was expecting. I'll certainly be back (perhaps to volunteer on the farm)!

Thank you to @dean.fisher.paintings for the opportunity to indulge in such an exquisite experience! taken in Tenuta Di Spannocchia by @mcbex_

15

2

22 days ago

Day One complete! We were out in the hot Tuscan sun all day long scouting subjects, sketching, and oil painting. @dean.fisher.paintings led us through a fantastic lecture and live demo, then offered each of us 1-on-1 assistance (which I needed a LOT of 😅) . I learned so much, it's hard to believe only one day has passed!

Although I don't love how my first oil painting is looking quite yet, I'm pleasantly surprised by how well my thumbnail sketch turned out! I'm getting a good feel for representing tone through shadows and light. Tomorrow I'll experiment more with mixing paints for color matching.

HUGE shout-out to the amazing staff at @tenutadispannocchia for taking such great care of us and serving us three incredible organic meals, sourced from right under our feet. Honestly I don't know if I'm more excited about the painting or the eating... Good thing they both pair perfectly with wine!! taken in Tenuta Di Spannocchia by @mcbex_

52

5

a month ago

Lately my heart and mind have been in conflict.

My heart is open, and beautiful opportunities flow in to the space that I create there.

My mind, however, has been a place of tension. Wracked with anxiety. Uncertainty. Doubt.

When @dean.fisher.paintings offered me the opportunity to learn oil painting from him in the heart of Tuscany, I had a dozen reasons to say no.

"It's not the right time."
"I need to focus on my business."
"I've already been traveling non-stop for months."
"Uh...I don't know how to paint!!"

But when I took a moment to tap into my body 🧘🏻 to understand how this opportunity made me FEEL, my mind quieted and a shift occurred. I felt a vibrant creative energy buzzing within me. I felt my strong muscles, my powerful breath.

This life is filled with countless blessings. But when I identify too closely with my mind, I stumble into the past and fixate on the future. I lose sight of the beautiful Now.

We have one short life. Why not paint it beautifully? taken in Lax International Airport Los Angeles California by @mcbex_

100

36

a month ago

cheers to one year
of learning what togetherness is
riding the waves
making art
committing to health
& building a home
not just for us
but for all of the people
in our beautiful lives

we are here loving each other
in this particular, wonderful way
because of you taken in Love by @mcbex_

124

14

9 months ago

you urge me to open
my heart more, more
than i have dared to

you urge me to breathe
deep into my body,
letting air touch soul

you urge me to hike,
dance, climb, swim,
to enjoy our finite youth

it's not always easy
for a man of little urgency
to meet such passion, such fire

but i am better for it.
stronger than ever before.
strong enough to love you, powerful you. taken in Earth by @mcbex_

135

17

a year ago

For most of my life, I was certain I wouldn't marry. I've always been a romantic and sought out love that felt true, but the tradition of marriage seemed too formal, too conventional, too conservative.

That all changed the day I met Emilie. While I was with some friends on the Cafe Bosna dance floor at the Bombay Beach Biennale, I was transfixed by what appeared to be a goddess wrapped in twinkling lights dancing across the room. After grooving our way towards each other and having a beautiful, heart-centered conversation, an exciting and entirely foreign realization entered my brain: "this is the woman I'm going to marry."

I didn't know how it would happen, or when. But I knew it would.

And so it did. On January 3rd, 2025, Emilie and I said our vows and exchanged earrings in the presence of our wonderful family and friends. It was a magical day filled with so many twists and turns and surprises... And we wouldn't have had it any other way.

Emilie, I'm so lucky to call you my wife. I'm so excited to continue this grand adventure with you.

📸 @wrennphoto taken in San Pedro, California by @mcbex_

208

62

2 years ago

Hours before the Hunter supermoon
Surrounded by rainbows of ancient gems
The Universe provided a humbling sign
In the form of beautiful synchronicity
Which inspired a promise
Of devotion
Of connection
Of care.

Thank you Emilie for saying yes to this next chapter ❤️

📸 @ernestjschweit taken in Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History by @mcbex_

182

41

2 years ago

Straight outta Kapa'a 🌊🐓🌺 taken in Kaua'i, Hawaii by @mcbex_

95

2

2 years ago

Goodbye again my friends...

Time to retreat into solitude and peel back the layers. I hope you all have a fun and restful holiday. See you in 2024!

🧅

"I don’t think we give that gift anymore - the gift of silence. I’m very concerned that our society is much more interested in information than wonder. In noise, rather than silence.

How do we encourage reflection? Oh my, this is a noisy world.... What can we do, to encourage people to have more quiet in their lives, more silence? Real revelation comes through silence."

-- Mr. Rogers by @mcbex_

58

4

3 years ago

Ode to Emilie.

It's been one year since I've had the privilege of calling you my adventure buddy, dance partner, and lover. Looking back on 2023, my favorite moments were spent together with you: exploring new neighborhoods, practicing yoga, camping in the back of the car, sharing delicious meals, cross-pollinating our circles of family and friends, laughing uncontrollably... The list goes on.

One of my favorite aspects of this relationship is that we motivate and empower each other to hit a wide variety of life goals, granting ourselves permission to beautifully shape our reality. Together we set intentions and gently allow the Universe to work its magic. And when we're properly attuned, the outcomes are truly astonishing. How wonderful to have found such a powerful co-creator, a true conduit for love and light!

Thank you for being you, Emilie. I'm excited to see what the next chapter has in store for us. taken in The Heart by @mcbex_

124

15

3 years ago

car-camping
farmer's-marketing
secret-hiking
creek-basking
rock-collecting
garage-sailing
friend-finding
serendipity-swimming
vibe-synchronizing
awe-inspiring

🌀 Synchronicity #1: While hanging out at a coffee shop I was flipping through a really interesting book called UNITY THEORY, which attempts to bridge the gap between theoretical physics and spirituality 🌌 Suddenly a young man walks in and some coffee shop regulars notified me that he was none other than Isaac Mars @thecrimsoneagle , the author of the very book I was reading. So naturally I had to get a photo with him. (Check out his book at TheCrimsonEagle.com, you can download it for free!)

🌀 Synchronicity #2: I was checking out handmade jewelry in Tlaquepaque and a beautiful rainbow raku pendant caught my eye 🧿 I've loved raku ever since I was young - my mother had raku pottery in our home. I asked the shop owner who the artist was and she said Mak (pronounced "Mack"). So naturally I had to buy it.

🌀 Synchronicity #3: After swimming in Oak Creek @_strangerthan and I were driving back to downtown Sedona, but were enticed by a red GARAGE SALE sign on a windy dirt road in Cornville 🌽 We drove up, dug through some items, and just as we were about to leave... @kameltoemusic jumps out and says "Mack?!?! What are you doing here?" Apparently we were at a garage sale at their parent's house (completely unbeknownst to us). So naturally we had a spontaneous slumber party. The universe brought us together at such a beautiful time.

caught in this vortex 💞 taken in Sedona, Arizona by @mcbex_

57

10

3 years ago