This weekend was travel busy so I am posting Saturday and Sunday's paint adventures along with today's. Let's begin with Saturday.
"Topekana Hana" is the name of this small watercolor. A friend once, walked into one of my solo shows and pointed out that there were not any humans in the images. I had not noticed it until she pointed it out, only because she was both right and not wholly on the mark.
When I think of humans, I think beyond their form. I think about the thoughts, actions, motions, and energies they carry. Most often when I depict a person, it is what is going on inside of them, and this takes the form of color, shape, light, movement, and interactions with the other forms on the page. This view is not a new one. It is even in everyday language, for example "I feel blue", "She has a sharp tongue", "He was a nice as a spring breeze". Also, as we feel compassionate towards other forms of life we relate to their experience and form, and so though we have human looking bodies, we have experiences and relate well beyond that.
Furthermore, I have begun to realize, thought it is not a surprise, that images that have been in the background of my life actually took root and affected the way I think, and express. My mom was awesome, and before I went to preschool took me to see paintings at the Art Institute in Chicago, and brought home lots of art books. Most often, we admired the impressionists and other modern painters. Moreover, my grandfather's house was filled with Native American and African art which is abstract and filled with spiritual symbolism.
Also, recently I received some cachina doll pendants in the mail. So it was no surprise when the painting adventure for Saturday turned out to resemble all of this.
There was a sense of complete calm focus, and listening. So our friend here is a representative of living one's life to the best ability one can. He carries a staff of rainbows, and is a creature of welcome, balance, helpfulness, clarity, and honesty.
Also, when he is upside down he is a portal, much like some friend's hugs are.
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