The medicine wheel of Truth- one of the 7 Grandfather teachings. The Medicine Wheel is an allegory of the journey that each of us take in this time/space that we call life.
These paintings of the teachings are a type of meditation in the landscapes. How the landscape of the earth reflects as the landscapes of our minds.
Each one of them has a real leaf.. a gigantic leaf from the trembling aspen- poplar tree. The first year saplings have these enormous leaves.
These paintings, all seven of them! are acrylic and mixed mediums on canvas. 36"x24" They are currently framed in black shadow box frames.
More artist wisdom from the workshop...
Pick your Gods.
As a visual artist one has the moments of being awestruck by the work of another artist. In studying, replicating, immersing oneself in the all of the work of that artist is a way to understanding one's own abilities and talents.
There is a tremendous merit in this exercise as a study, I have found. It is another way of training the eye and developing the co ordination between the hand and eye. One always finds in this an even more profound respect and admiration for the life and spirit of the person.
Sherry! Thank you for your comment on my lack of clarity! I see your point completely. This blog is like the studio diary.... random thoughts not being caught in the paper cup! or Perhaps all the no clues define a space... we will have to wait and see!
Cheeridoodles!
I just love that word 'cheeridoodles.' Beautiful painting, Elaine. And thanks for the clarification. I'm not going to always get it as your fleeting thoughts are captured in your blog!
ReplyDeleteYou are going to laugh E - I hope you do....I have recently picked up pencils and started to draw...and I haven't drawn since I was a child...
ReplyDeleteSimply put, I felt the need to not aspire to anything...to not measure on a scale of what is or isn't art...but the freedom of just allowing yourself to create. It isn't about being good or bad, but taking that thought and allowing ourselves to tap into the possibilities we can unleash in many things, leading to anything.
Perhaps that is the lesson of what is within us all....we don't have to be perfect...and the echoes of Thomas Edison rang in my head like a loud bell..."I haven't failed, I just found 1,000 ways that don't work." Contrast that with Auguste Rodin's reaction when the public commission of Balzac was rejected...he secluded himself. We have to be human. There is no failure and there is no pinnacle of perfection...
There is no freedom is we have to be perfect....and can't evolve....that is the beauty of looking at someone's body of work...art, literature, science (ah, even Einstein failed...but the failure was corrected later on)....
We have to embrace the possibility of what can come...
So it is a great and wonderful thing to be able to see where you go....I love what you share.
Thank You Sherry!
ReplyDelete@Marilyn Muse! I love what you share! What a great journey.