Wild Heart

“A prayer for the wild at heart, kept in cages.” ~Tennessee Williams

Cecilia: My Little Wildflower

For My Daughter...

My recent vertical triptych is entitled Cecilia: My Little Wildflower. This portrait is created in oil on 12" x 12" maple sheathed panels. It is a celebration of abundance, strength and the confidence to be oneself. "CiCi" epitomizes the untainted beauty and untapped potential and promise of youth.

“One isn't necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can't be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.” ~Maya Angelou

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

Wildflowers

I have an upcoming exhibit that I am curating. It is about "love." Actually it is about passion and dreams which seems inextricably connected to my definition of love. A core body of work that will be featured are my "Wildflower" paintings....all very much in progress and process. Reflecting upon the essence of these works, I want to convey on some level the awesome beauty of that which grows freely and how it relates to the human spirit. True love and "wild" passion for others, for ideas, for work,for a purpose,for freedom... have a great deal to do with persistence, an indomitable spirit,and a strength of mind in the face of resistance. It also involves forgiveness, patience and adaptability.At heart, we are all wildflowers but often our growth is limited by both internal and external forces.As we mature, we hopefully identify these boundaries and realize that they are superficial and that we are mostly bound by our own thoughts and fears.

Two weeks ago when my daughter departed for Australia for 6 months, there were people who, prompted by "love" and concern ,shared with her a host of reasons why she SHOULD reconsider her choice of destination: distance, money,inaccessibility,insects and snakes(okay that may have been me but this kid has life threatening allergies):) I asked her to think about and believe in why she SHOULD go rather than the should not's and to think about whether or not she would regret not going based on the fears and misconceptions of others. She packed her bags and arrived in Brisbaine alone with no housing, no group program, no friends or contacts:) She loves it.She has met people from all over the world. She secured a youth hostel room until she signs a lease for a home that she found on her own.She begins her studies at the university today. Imagine if we all lived expecting to succeed and blossom. Christina is my "Wildflower" and I have a whole lotta people in my life that share that some wonderful spirit as well. We all have the potential to grow and become our own unique, abundant and beautiful selves! Yikes! I get excited!

So here is an idea for a painting that I know I will create. I drew it early this morning using charcoal on primed cardboard. It was an unexpected image but it represents all those lovely, free thinking, unique spirits that cannot and will not be subdued:) Grow, Tia, grow!

Listen to :The Woman In The Moon

in·dom·i·ta·ble/ɪnˈdɒmɪtəbəl/[in-dom-i-tuh-buhl] –adjective

that which cannot be subdued or overcome, as persons, will, or courage; unconquerable

One Sweet Love: Wildflower Paintings

Although I enjoyed my time away and the warmth of the weather while on vacation, I yearned (yes yearned:) to return to my studio and to my work. And so last night I began again to paint, collage, sketch and scrape. Recycled wood is my preferred substrate material. The texture ,taste and "nature" of love will always inspire my work. This is a work in process.This is actually a single composition, hinged in the center. The portrait falls to the right. It is a rough underpainting and collage. Oh how I missed the smell of my materials.

One Sweet Love

Patterns:Embracing Change

New Year's Eve 2009

I find comfort and power in the predictability of patterns. Aesthetically speaking,the repetition of line, shape and color creates a rhythm that seduces, soothes and engages my eyes and my mind. From the radial symmetry of a flower to the proportions of the human form, patterns provide beauty and a meditative calm. I will continue to use patterns in my work but am becoming more fascinated with what happens when the anticipated calculability of these occurrences ceases because of a sudden, accidental or deliberate change. My use of patterns is reflective of my recent life. Sometimes the unforeseen and unanticipated, transform and redirect our "typical" and habitual thoughts and behaviours.There is an excitement in the mystery of "not knowing" what lies ahead.

"All around us are facts that are related to one another. Of course, they can be regarded as separate entities and learned that way. But what a difference it makes when we see them as a pattern! . . . They begin to make sense. The world becomes a more comprehensible place."

Murray Gell-Mann (1929-), American physicist.

"Wildflower" panel in process 2010

My Studio

My studies for my "Field" paintings consume my mind and my "studio"(my dining room table:)I suppose the approaching holidays necessitate that I set aside my work and rediscover and unveil a clean table surface. The thought of that is sadder than anyone can imagine(except perhaps for fellow artists) but I remind myself that I share this space with my family.The new year promises new work...wildflowers, fields and figures.I love that I am an artist and that my inspiration is abundant.

The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen.
Frank Loyd Wright

The World I Always Dreamed Of ~Pineapple Thief http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/song/The_World_I_Always_Dreamed_of/23099034

Wildflowers...growin' and flyin'

My Wildflower series is taking shape:) Most of it remains in my thoughts. My "vision" of a painting, emerges from my "daydreaming" of which I do quite a bit:)I rely on my thoughts and some visual references such as photographs,as create. There is rarely concept work beforehand...no preliminary color studies or sketches. I rework the painting as needed. I prefer this process because my "errors", are actually experimentations and evidence of changes in my thoughts throughout the painting process.The end result reveals the "texture" and marks of my decisions. The richness of the surface, the underlying colors and scratches,cannot be easily reproduced.

However, while creating the "Wildflower" series, I have deviated from my usual process. These works warrant exploration (somewhere other than in my mind.) So I am painting small concepts, and other images,in hopes of successfully marrying my figures with highly textured, stylized fields. An interested observer, asked me via email, the scale of the flowers in the work on the door. Here is an image to gauge proportions...and of course there is an updated image of my daughter who posed for these paintings.

Enjoy!

Wishes and Wildflowers

My art has become an obsession. It is my passion. My inspirations are personal, emotional and heartfelt. To alter the way I think and feel in accordance with someone else's "rules" or values, would diminish what makes my work uniquely my own.And sometimes the most beautiful and valuable work, comes from the darkest and most challenging places.I wouldn't have it any other way. It motivates me to move forward and to find strength in myself. Fear, regret,and loss really have nothing to do with my work any longer. Beauty, love, hope and persistence have everything to do with what I create.Some people mistake and confuse emotion with weakness or failure to progress.Be assured, I am far from weak and I will continue to love, learn and dream the best I know how.I am painting for myself.I am painting my dreams.

This image: Wildflowers is a small 3 dimensional prototype for my much larger "Field" paintings. I used mixed media: hardware, aluminum, wood and paper, painted with an oil overlay, to create the highly textured surface.