To Change the Landscape & To Change the Landscape of our Mind Istanbul's Bosphorus canal could dramatically improve the regions economy. Due to the ease of transporting oil it could reduce the price of oil changing our rate of use and the global market. There are ripple effects to such changes that must be weighed. The dramatic effect the canal could have is mirrored by the dramatic effect it will have on the landscape cutting straight through the land defying nature with rising water. In a certain capacity this project will control or rather defy nature manipulating it for human use. Perhaps, it will be worth that cost but projects such as this set a moral precedent that places the economy and the present moment above the land and the future. The Dakota pipeline is a prime example. We have reached a point where the taking of others land is believed to be wrong, and disrespecting and dismissing groups religious beliefs is wrong yet the land was taken and it's sacredness to the people who live there dismissed. I don't really know enough to be sure what the right choice is in the case of the canal. However, I do know and truly believe that the business of prioritizing the economy is the wrong thing to place at the top of societies moral hierarchy. What we believe transforms our mind, the way we see, what we see, what we remember. I have learned from painting that we see what we think we are going to see and it takes great effort to remove ourselves from anticipation and truly look. A "green" leaf has an array of shades from blue to yellow, browns and more, yet in our belief that it is green it is easy to dismiss or not even notice what is really there. The psychology of perception has been studied extensively, and it applies to more than just the visual, anticipation or prior framing places experiences into schemas and alters how we experience things in the future. In regards to the article this week which saw alien influence in ancient art. I am reminded not to look for what I want to see or be limited by what I think is there; but to be open. Is is in mindfulness and childlike curiosity in the world around me that I think I see the truth most clearly. Life is far more beautiful when I see, hear, and feel the unexpected. It is in taking time to notice that I find my mind freed. Inspiration I have been working of the waterfall piece this week and having largely one subject "the falling water" flattens the space. I'm hoping to use light, contrast, and atmosphere to increase the sense of space, this weeks inspirations are work that do just that. Rani Gardner's Paintings the first two below, have an incredible sense of light and atmosphere. The David Shepard panting 3rd uses detail and texture. The final drawing is a William Hyde piece his ability to crease atmosphere with charcoal is astounding to me! I love his work! Work in Progress
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Stardust I can see the stars in other peoples eyes. It is said that eyes are the window into your soul. Well, somehow I can see inside; both the love and the pain. I can see it when someone has suffered. It's something deep inside. Something is hidden, but so very close. I can see fear and searching. When someone is looking for something to hold on to, there is an emptiness. I can see the lonely, the rejected, and in pain. My heart it hurts to see it, so I try to make my own eyes show the love iv'e been blessed to see. Love is like the stars shining in others eyes. I saw it in my mom's eyes as a child whenever she would come home. No matter how long, dinner or a trip. Arms outstretched, eyes twinkling waiting, loving. Still I see it now whenever I come home, still twinkling, still waiting, still loving. I see the joy in the eyes of children, eyes filled with emotion yet that spark is always there, I think it is curiosity and hope. And a love without condition that glows. My favorite thing to see as dear as my mom to me, is the love of loves. A light so bright it fills the room, it does not twinkle it shines, as bright as love can be the Holy Spirit, I can see Him there in people eyes. Yet, I don't just see it I feel it and it fills my very own soul, rushing through me like water gushing forth from a fountain. It is joy and peace. Let me give Him, let me share Him, can you see Him in my eyes. A love to shine into the pain and the loss. A love of hope, it is the stars shining in the darkness. Another thing about the darkness, it becomes beautiful when you can see the stars. Inspiration... Michelangelo Pistoletto,1962–1964, 78-3/4 x 78-3/4 x 7/8 inches, Oil, graphite on tissue paper mounted to mirror-polished stainless steel. The material and use of the mirror to create space as an integrated element to the concept is inspiring. Pandora's Box, Maryanto,2013/2015, Charcoal. This piece is a charcoal drawing which uses the installation space to create and environment within the piece. This creation of an environment as well as the large scale charcoal drawing are element i am incorporating in my own work. I'm planing on drawing a waterfall for my next piece, I think the dark rock and contrast in this image will work well for a charcoal drawing! Work in progress...InspirationThis week I was captivated by a collection of articles by Google Arts and Culture about discovering 8 fascinating communities from around the world. Each of these communities have beautiful and unique cultures and traditions. It is beautiful to see the lives and loves of other people that I would otherwise never have known about. https://artsandculture.google.com/theme/xgICrBEHOfKiLw Another inspiration is the artwork of the Maio women from China they were featured on one of the articles. They use embroidery to preserve their history and culture making books of patterns and garments which they hand down for centuries adding on to it. The article and pictures can be seen at the link below. https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/WgICcd0xLHcsKg I have also been inspired by the work of John Singer Sargent I aspire to have a similar skill and touch with the paint. Work in Progress...Inspiration The song "Stubborn Love" by the Lumineers has been on my mind this week there is a line in the song that says "the opposite of love is indifference". This is an intriguing thought to me, it is precisely this indifference that I'm trying to effect through my work. Another line in the song is, "it's better to feel pain than nothing at all" I think this is why there is so much negativity in the news and elsewhere it is easier to evoke. Link to the song on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGewQB3mDv4 Another form of inspiration like the aforementioned song deals with indifference is a Lenten message from Pope Francis of which the theme is the "Globalization of Indifference". http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2015/01/27/pope_warns_of_globalization_of_indifference_in_lenten_messag/1120128 Irena Sendler is a woman who's story has inspired me in countless ways at different points in my life. She was a Polish social worker who risked her life traveling in and out of the Warsaw ghetto during WWII to smuggle out over 200 children. She is a little known hero who changed the world. If you are not familiar with her check out irenasendler.org there are you will find interviews and stories that you will never forget. There is a quote by her which says; "He who changes one person changes the world entire." This to me is reminder of the opportunity each of us has to effect change, it means so much coming from a woman who truly and undeniably changed the world. Work in Progress... |
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