am often asked and have actually written before on what inspires my art. I have thought long and hard at a good answer to this question and the answer is always the same, I am inspired by my surroundings, my feelings, my thoughts. Normally by what I am experiencing at the moment. Events in the world news often filters into my art, but will be for another blog!
So many times when I stand before my easel with my brush and colors... what I am feeling takes over from my heart into my brush strokes. I thought for awhile at what word seems to express my inspiration and "feelings" seems to be more fitting than any other word. I have been told my many artists that they paint with an almost instructional mindset, letting the rules of art be their focus. While I understand that art that has rules hidden behind the meaning is more appealing to look at, for me as an artist, this has to be second nature and not the main focus.
When my mother was first diagnosed with Alzheimer's, losing my best friend was so hard. If I look back on my work of art for that period I have told many people that my art reflected how I thought she felt as she was going deeper into this tunnel. But now that she has passed, I know that much of my art was almost more of how I was feeling as I was losing her. I know this as I study my own art.
"Secrets of the Heart" (Feature Art) has deep emotions, color and passion. This piece has many layers of paint and the strokes are completed in many directions with an almost a chaotic emotional feeling. To me, deep emotions are not always sad, but give peace and relief. When I look at this piece of art, the eye is drawn to the hot pink that almost pops out initially and then wanders to the quiet blues that seem to be withdrawn but still present.
I love this piece as it evokes in me the way life is, highs and lows and many times, all at the same time!! Right?
"Tears On Her Cheek" (48" x 60") was one of the first pieces I painted after she passed. I look now and see an almost heavenly peek into the beyond with the yellows and transparency. When my mother was in her last hours, I felt her free and happy almost like a butterfly flying instead of bedridden and unable to walk. I know now that I was feeling her freedom from her earthly pain and hurt. So, in retrospect, is my art more about me? or my mother? I have always thought that my current inspiration was from my mother's illness and her death, but in reality, I feel it is so much more bout MY path of how I DEALT with her illness and death.
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