Progress: Child's Play On Top Of My Head

In recent months, I have developed these symbolic visual narratives in greater depth . They are a culmination of concepts and images from previous works, all aimed toward the exploring the importance of "child's play" as a venue for learning, communication, collaboration and self exploration. It is a time when secrets are revealed, roles are defined and emotions are expressed. In 2012, I will compose text that more explicitly defines the story of these works.
Here is a glimpse of this evening's effort! Enjoy!

 

“The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this: A human creature born abnormally, inhumanly sensitive. To him... a touch is a blow, a sound is a noise, a misfortune is a tragedy, a joy is an ecstasy, a friend is a lover, a lover is a god, and failure is death. Add to this cruelly delicate organism the overpowering necessity to create, create, create -- so that
without the creating of music or poetry or books or buildings or something of meaning, his very breath is cut off from him. He must create, must pour out creation. By some strange, unknown, inward urgency he is not really alive unless he is creating.”
― Pearl S. Buck

On Top of My Head

I intend to surprise myself this upcoming year! I do. I have set in motion a path that will markedly change my life. I am apprehensive and a bit frightened but more fearful of standing still . My art has also begun to change and is more genuinely representative of who I am and how I think. We are our thoughts after all. Our ideas are inextricably tied to how we navigate and react to the world in which we live. For me, the awareness that I alone am responsible for my life, is more important than ever before in this season of my being.
A dear friend, unknowingly inspired me to retrieve and recover a creative project that I set aside, one that embraces all that I value in my art and life...children,love,whimsy and wonder. And so I have begun a new series of works that are tied to my Child's Play paintings, entitled, "On Top of My Head..." I hope, I know, I pledge...to surprise myself:)

“May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art -- write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.”
― Neil Gaiman