I love the colors on this one. They remind me of a phoenix, which makes the piece much more meaningful.
I had thought and thought about a good tree painting for a friend of mine. Her brother was killed in a car crash several years ago, and had written the poem that is carved into the painting. The poem is titled "Trees" by Garrett Isom
Instead of a forest,
I think,
just a tree would be nice.
To give me shade on a
hot summer day,
And branches to climb
and to swing on,
And always be there
when in doubt and
despair,
I need something to lean
on.
But still it would give me
the room
And the space that I
need
To step into the sun
And be warmed by
it's rays.
Forests are good
When you need to feel
lost
And want to hide from
the world
But in a forest
You can't
Get away from the trees
Instead of a crowd,
I think,
Just a friend
Would be nice.
A friend of mine has challenged me to loosen up and try some abstract painting. I never had been a true fan of abstract work, because it was so hard to find meaning in it for myself. I'm glad that I tried it though because this is what emerged. I have coaxed pieces out of a canvas before, knowing already what I expected it to look like in the end. I tend to be rigid and controlled, but this piece coaxed it's self out of me. It began with layers and layers of symbols and when I felt a little stuck, I went for a run and then came back to work on it, and it emerged. It is inspired by the semicolon project which is a suicide prevention movement, for those who have lost someone and for those who struggle themselves. The semicolon represents that a life could have ended, but because there is no period, your story isn't over yet. The title of this piece is "Purpose". There are windows painted in the figure's head which represent perspective and opportunity. There is an Eye under the first bird representing eternal perspective, and a sun in the top left corner. As this painting came to life I saw a few different things; I saw a person letting go of grief, anger, fear, bitterness etc. and setting those feelings free, like a bird. Letting go and letting God, as the birds ascend to the heavens. I also saw that for those who have taken their own lives, the semicolon is still a valid symbol. Although their life on this earth has ended, it goes on eternally. Also at the bottom of the semicolon I painted a "..."to represent the same thing. There are spiral symbols showing that we often feel like we find ourselves in the same place or situation, but next to that I painting a growing plant showing that the spiral is more like a spring, even though it might seem that we are experiencing the same things over and over again, through learning and growth, we move higher up the spiral so that our perspective is never the same.
This is actually the companion piece to "Purpose" and its title is "And They Awoke Unto God".
"Behold, they were in the midst of darkness; nevertheless, their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word; yea, they were encircled about by the bands of death, and the chains of hell,..Behold he changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God."
This piece isn't done yet and though the styles are completely different, they are one piece together. The abstract of the first shows that thinking and experiencing emotions are not always clear and precise, and that thoughts tend to emerge sometimes all at once, but usually it's a process of peeling back layer after layer. This second piece, which is still true to my word (loosened up much more than I'm comfortable with) says with clarity and LIGHT; YOUR STORY IS NOT FINISHED. Enjoy:)
No comments:
Post a Comment