Further journeys of "The White Blushing Iris" started yesterday at Jim Beecroft's iris test garden, mixed media and collage, 23" x 22", $150.
When I start I do not try to copy nature but work towards the feeling I get and let the intuitive take over.. I didn't know that the flower would keep getting larger and that I would want to add more paper to the top. So today I pasted watercolor paper to the top and added some torn pieces of watercolor paper. When working intuitively I need to let this rest before deciding if this is the energy I want to have in this painting. I think I lost some of the fragile paper thin petal quality. The second painting of the flower did not hold my interest.
When working intuitively some paintings happen and I don't know how they do. One example of a train of thought that is to me beyond my usual consciousness is this painting of a naval cargo ship hull.
March 23, 2003, "Ship of State, Our Burden - Liberating Iraq", mixed water media, 22" x 30" , NFS.
My husband and I went fishing and crabbing in Yaquina Bay by Newport, Oregon January through March 2003. We use to jig for herring bate by the old derelict World War II Navial Cargo ships used as a wharf. The ferro-cement hull was eerie and became a springboard to abstracted images. On this one I intuitively saw the old military supply ship as a means of communicating about war at an emotional level that all faiths including Islam could look at and see. 
The ships I wanted to use as a symbol is falling apart. In recent months there is a plan to use government stimulus money to mitigate the danger of stored oil leakage and at best the entire ferro-cement hull will be removed. At the time of painting these ships I saw the rust as the blood of our best men leaking the strength of our country. I started writing my thoughts as they randomly entered my mind. The hope I had for the Iraq war was this: That we would be responsible while not becoming the imperialist. I hoped that we would learn that we were not better than other countries. I wrote "I do not think about whether we were right or wrong to invade Iraq. We are committed to succeed beyond winning or loosing or somewhere between. Win or not our crystal image will transform - evolution of our self awareness as citizens of the world will have to be mankind's goal. Imagine a world where no one feels the need to terrorize. Yes, we can. Yes, we will. We will demonstrate all kinds of people with strongly held opposing ideas can live together in respect!!!
We are not going to wake up one morning in the next year or so and find we have entered a world without fear. But when we compare March 23, 2003 with today, our president is reaching out to all countries and to all our citizens although we are completely different.
4 comments:
What a thoughtful post, and stunning paintings. It's always a pleasure to drop by your blog. Always.
Cath,
Thank you, thank you, Cath. I truely continue blogging knowing a few like you are reading it.
Intuitive painting must be something like writing a novel. I have heard authors say that the novel didn't turn out the way they intended; the characters took over. Your paintings and your comments about them seem to have some of the same feelings; the paintings grow and change as you apply your talent.
Don't we all wish that the world would stop going to war and that we could start living as one people? Sadly, this is not a unique thought and the world never seems to learn from history.
Yes, Darlene, I am not so much in control and have a converstion with some of my art work making for an ineresting adventure where I am always learning.
The dream of a peaceful world is old true enough but There are new reades. It is important to keep the dream of peaceful resolution alive. Terrorism cannot end unles someone keeps the dream alive.
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