"I found I could say things with color
and shape
that I couldn't say any other way
- things I had no words for."
~ Georgia O'Keeffe
I understand this quote, and this profound feeling about certain colors and shapes, completely. Reading this quote again this year, I can see that what I expect from myself artistically has evolved a great deal over the last year. I'm expecting much more of myself now, and I know I'm capable of much more than I ever thought possible.
There is nothing that pleases my eye and feeds my soul as much as certain combinations of color, shape and texture.
And I would never limit myself to paint on canvas. Art comes in so many more forms! The architecture and mosaics of Antoni Gaudi are a terrific example of what I mean. I simply can't get enough of his functional art, much of which is found in Barcelona, Spain.
And then there's Friedensreich Hundertwasser, one of my absolute favorites.
His artistic influences went beyond paint to architecture, as well.
Many of his creations also reflected his strong feeling toward respecting and embracing the natural world, too. He was famous for his environmental posters, inventing an evironmentally-friendly humus toilet, and incorporating gardens and green spaces into urban mixed-use buildings.
"Anyone who says
you can't see a thought
simply doesn't know art."
~ Wynetka Ann Reynolds
Knowing that people like this have lived, and being able to see what they have created - these are the things that feed my soul.
Knowing that I have the opportunity to create something that pleases my eyes and makes me feel something, as well - that's what feeds my soul.
"Life beats down
and crushes the soul
and art reminds you
that you have one."
~ Stella Adler
"Art washes away from the soul
the dust of everyday living."
~Pablo Picasso
"All art
requires courage."
~ Anne Tucker
Right now I'm working on several canvases, but family responsibilities are taking up so much of my free time. One canvas, in particular, seems to have a personality of its own, and I can almost hear it arguing with me whenever I start to think about what colors I should play with. I'm putting it aside until I can create from my heart, not my head.
"Every creator painfully experiences
the chasm
between his inner vision
and its ultimate expression."
~ Isaac Beshevis Singer
The more I know about art and various techniques, the more I realize I don't know.
"Painting is easy
when you don't know how,
but very difficult when you do."
~ Edgar Degas
Thanks to my love of art, everything I do and see and hear is opening new doors for me. I'm seeing things I've never seen before and never even imagined existed. And I'm seeing familiar things in a new way.
I'll be back soon, but first I'll need to nurse my *baby* boy (just short of 19, and 6'4" tall) one last time. He's going to have all four of his wisdom teeth pulled next week.
Doing loving things for those I love - that feeds my soul, too.
Doing loving things for those I love - that feeds my soul, too.
