I have been quite amazed at how fun un-distracted painting can be. I like to close my eyes and think of the first sensation that comes to my mind's eye. It is light, pure light. It glows and burns away the dross of life. This morning I had another reminder of new life when I stepped outside. In our part of the world, a robin's breast is the first sign of spring.There the Robin was.
Nigeria Alerts Me
But I have been thinking about Nigeria...the ongoing genocide. What do Nigerian mothers wake up to each day? Is there a sense of gloom that hangs over them, as they wonder if they will be the next target? Because of that, I am thinking about figures again in my landscapes.Figures as living souls, how do they rest in a world shaped by dichotomies?
These three paintings kept me dreaming during my weekend fever with the flu. I am happy to make them into a reality.
Ok, I have a joke.
An artist asked the gallery owner if there had been any interest in his paintings on display at that time.
"I have good news and bad news," the owner replied. "The good news is that a gentleman inquired about your work and wondered if it would appreciate in value after your death. When I told him it would, he bought all 15 of your paintings."
"That's wonderful," the artist exclaimed. "What's the bad news?"
"The guy was your doctor..."
I began in the previous post...."As I have explored the effects of light burning away the mists, I have considered what it is in the imagery that has fascinated me..."
but that was not it.
Hearingthose rattling cages, I gather my recent work in my “From dust to Dust” series has created quite a stirring reaction from many of you, .Good!
I have been stirred up and the work is a bi-product….but the motivation behind the work may not be what you may think.I am passionate about the stunning reality of the transformations and troubles of the unsettled dust of the past several months because…
“She held out her arms and pulled me toward her…. “
In mid- December a woman arrived to be a guest in my home for the holidays.She is an unbelievable delight..always an encouragement.For one she has always been the one who said I could do anything.She was my first art patron.Everyone has a mother, even artists.
At the time of her recent arrival, she seemed more unsteady on her feet than at her last visit.As the month past, her ability to walk declined rapidly, until now her walker is her constant companion.
Her falls began daily as she would attempt to rise or sit or turn, until I stood guard spotting for her at each step.When she collapsed in my arms, I then understood I could not support her with my strength nor was I capable of being her main and only guard.
I saw time and strength slip through our fingers.
It is out of this context and the ensuing struggle that my new series “From Dust to Dust” took shape.As I wrapped my arms around her frail body and bathed her back while she clawed herself through the day in and out of her bed or chair, I saw time and strength slip through our fingers.
I ask why.I hear reasons, but they are not fitting into our Madison Avenue view of life.They are not tidy.My religious conviction prepared me, but only the reality of being with her gave me understanding.
Atnight, I tucked her into her covers, she held out her arms and pulled me toward her to gently kiss me with her quivering lips, holding me so tightly for ever so long … then whispering, “Thank you, Judy;… I love you.”
Yes from dust we came yet, most assuredly to dust we will return.While “From Dust” may declare the glory of our bodies, “Fallen Again,” returns us to the troubles of living in a world gone awry.
My mother had to move to a place where she could be assisted with every task and where staff were prepared to carry her.
As I have explored the effects of light burning away the mists, I have considered what it is in the imagery that has fascinated me. Why was I so drawn to the light and the void of darkness burning away by the light. At the same time I began drawing the people around me. I especially enjoyed doing line drawings of my mother, catching her sighs and her groans and joys in the lines on her face and in her hands and arms.I felt the imagery of real people and the landscapes needed to be brought together as they are in life. I began seeing the human bodies rising out of the earth as new landscapes approached by light, yet oblivious to the light.I have more to consider and discover in this new direction.
I hope you will join me on this adventure. See the new work at the Wisconsin Pastel Artists Exhibition "Falling for You" at the Art Bar.
Apparently the readers of this blog do not read books, except one person, who shared their book interests. I will share the titles with you tomorrow, because I will need to look them up and am too tired to do so now.
A slight breeze brushes the green leaves, a reminder of summer’s crossing, the green lobes of the oak leaf polished and glistening liked waxed fruit will crinkle from water loss like the rest of nature aging, no tarted up polyurethane for you, later gawkers at your colors, leaf peepers, and you blind to adulation, knowing no one can re-live what isn’t known. But we know lost passion. It remarks on wrinkles like withering strawberries ripe and red, losing taste and succulence, not a single mouth wants you. A season can be enough to rage the soul. Memories tied to a face tattooed with mold but those are hard to understand, when words for you are the mist of warmth–– breath to push away the fate of winter.
Our gathering should provide an enriching and interesting evening this Saturday, October 17, 2009, at the Raven Gallery: the spot light being the reading of the poems by the poets and the presentation of the accompanying paintings.
I had some reflections on a wonderful discussion panel this past Friday evening at the Charles Allis Art Museum on which Graeme Reid, Michael Foster, Kattie Musloff and her dear 87 year model where members.
Though I have been a landscape painter most of my career as a painter, I have a fascination with figure work and portraiture for the very reasons they discussed that night.
Particularly, I was attracted to how Katie made her models part of her life. So often as painters we are loners who paint forms or respond to forms as if they were inanimate and we are the ones who give them life in our art. Perhaps, that is what Graeme was referring , when he asked about "objectivity" as a necessity for an artist.
I do at times appreciate when artists take a dis-interesting object and infuse it with life; i.e. paint something ugly beautifully. Nevertheless, while, I, as did the panel, recognize the need for an artist to have an objective technical understanding of the painting before him and in some measure an objective view of what painting is about in general, I often fail to be intrigued by the commonly clinical-like-view that is respected among my contemporary artists when discussing their work "objectively" or mechanically.
What appealed to me in Katie's work was the personal response and respect she maintains for and toward her models... who often become her friends. You may ask what does that have to do with painting or making great art.
In Katie's personal engagement with her models she is able sensitively to begin to connect with the humanity of her model/friends not through a mechanical process but through the her own body kinetically, perceptively and personally in drawing and painting responding to the humanity and life in her subjects before her.
I think that is what made Rembrandt great. Not only was his mind able to connect psychologically with the humanity or soul of his subject, his hand was able to kinetically capture not just the physical likeness but more significantly articulate/capture the soul or humanity before him. That is not objective, but subjective response at its best. His sensibilities matched by his skill, touch a chord that resonates over time and communicates only in the way great art does in truth. This phenomena is the attraction in making paintings and why painting and drawing will never die.
As for myself and my drawings of my mother, I found my line drawings to be very much a kinetic response to my feelings for her and about her. They go beyond a mere likeness. I felt a connection to her moods and her dilemma as an aging woman. I felt elegance and brokenness. I connected in my body with her in my physical response of making art.
What I like about my opportunity with the Lake Country Ten Artist Ten Poets One Vision Project is being able to share my painting “Leaves” based on my drawings of my mother in collaboration and response to my poet, Paula Anderson who has similar sensibilities in writing. In this project, I feel the joy and exhilaration of meaningful human connection as well as the pleasure of kinetic response in painting.
I hope you can join us this Saturday, October 17, at 7 pm at the Raven Gallery in Pewaukee, WI
I am currently part of a collaborative poet/painter program that began this summer. We are having our first presentation this October 17, at 7 pm, at the Raven Gallery outside of Pewaukee on Capitol. I would like to invite you to the poetry reading and the viewing of the artwork.
View today's further uncovering of the piece.
I liked working with my poet, Paula Anderson. I found a poem that she wrote expressed emotionally what I had sensed in making a drawing a few years ago. As she expressed sensibilities in her poetry, I was happy to develop my complementary idea further in making a painting. I found this to be one of the most emotionally honest pieces about being an aging woman; I would like to do more collaboration.
However, the idea is not very pretty, and therefore not appealing to those, which is most of us, who are hesitant to face reality. As an artist who attempts to be honest, I identify with the dilemma of the woman, who is aging. I realized that Paula and I had a common thought on the subject so the project did not seem like illustration, but a natural shared response to life. I liked the common bond it forged between Paula and I.
I would like to meet with other poets and artists and do more of this sort of thing.I hope you can come, perhaps you would like to be part of the next event sharing in our expressed experiences. Perhaps you have a poem or a creative exploration to share in the future. Let us know. Please don't be shy. I would love to see you.
Each day a square hiding the image will be removed until Judith Reidy's painting will be exposed.
click on the image below
See the painting in person at the event as well as hear Paul Anderson's inspiring poem read by the poet herself.
Judith Reidy and Paul Anderson invite you to Join us Saturday, October 17, at 7 PM at the Raven Gallery read the detailed description in Lake Country Living
