Kaleidoscope Curtain
Eyes closed, vision unimpaired
Inward glancing connecting two
Paired by trials and stories unfold
Exchanged a lifetime, fragile and bold
Left on canvas or in words
Whispering ghosts of wisdom heard
Begging for another chance
But, first a glance, first a glance
Revealing desires of the soul
Listening finally to what is told
Always wanting to be revealed
Taking the armor off, dissolving the shield.
As Artists, we help others see. The world is waiting for our vision. It isn’t obtained by just painting pictures, as much as bringing this depth from within our self and helping others see beyond what the viewer already sees. If we allow our self to go deeper and express in such a way, the viewer will believe they have seen it as well. Our job is to be the poet, the preacher, to enhance the vibration of the world by our creations. We are the interpreters.
An artist asked me, “what inspires you to paint?” It is beauty of nature for sure, but as artists we have the opportunity to see beauty in the mundane. As Hawthorne says “it is so much greater to make much out of little than to make little out of much-better to make a big thing out of a little subject than to make a little thing out of a big one”.
Learning does not make the artist as much as practice and getting in tune with your voice and expression. The teacher is there to inspire. Be yourself, be true to yourself as you paint. Don’t be in competition with others. Listen to your voice. When you are free with no thoughts and lost all concept of time, you are one with the painting and are connecting to a deeper level of expression. We are always students. I will always be a student. It is important to always be instilled with curiosity and wonder. The more I learn to see, the better artist I will be. It is important, when you learn from others, to keep your originality, to not be clones of your teacher, but to find your inner voice, notice your assets and allow yourself to shine in your own way.
What is unique about your Artist voice, how is it expressed in your creating?
Melodies, melodic notes
No one needs to know the depth in which I feel you
Privacy for you and me alone
Carry me away on tips of eagle wings my love
Not close to the sun
But bring me to the stars
So I may see the stars in me and others
I speak with simplicity
To explain the most complicated measure of all.
I sit in the dark
Lit up by my soul
Making friends with my past
As well, with my maker
Feeling all in one
One in all
Beauty found in unexpected places
In that place of being
Discovered and discovering
I AM the sand
That becomes the pearl
I can be anything
Columns and alabaster stairs
The crowd emerges to praise the king
A box containing crowning glory
To be worn by only him
Nothing for the woman to adorn
Not even a flower for her hair
How can this be?
Is her worthiness reflected?
Authority and ritual of the norm
All is left are ruins found
Each piece dissolves within her hand
Entropy of the form revealing formless once again
Illusions of others have no power
She creates the life that she has now
This is the 6th painting of my CityScape Series. Although, this was a painting inspired by photos taken from San Francisco, it also was inspired subliminally from Twitter. When choosing subject matter to paint, I often just rely on my gut feeling, definitely not the head, until it gets to the critical aspects of the creating. But at first, I listen to the intuitive messages I am receiving from the initial choice of subject. As a result, many times I don’t realize what the painting is saying to me, until I start painting it. Color, scale and composition all play an important part of the process. So for me, this was quite a surprise, when I realized that I might be painting pieces of Twitter. I was painting my own little Twitterville, having the same characteristics of Twitter in many ways, large city, large venue, yet close up in nature, noticing many layers and depths of the scene as Twitter has. Many things happening at once, others ignored, many on their own journey passing others, some dreaming about their future, some barely making it, some deep in thought, philosophical, symbolic nature, some seeking and searching, while others are satisfied with day to day acquaintances . There is no right or wrong way to use Twitter, each person definitely has their own style, their own way, their own canvas.
Painting Oil on Canvas: 24″ X 48″
Oh God you pierce my heart
Your love poureth through me
making highways for others to travel
You have taken down my defenses
You have let others follow with love
You’ve made me see the depth
of which I can love and be loved.
You have taken me into spiritual time
where all grievances are forgotten.
You call me to love and be loved
You are love
Her profile
How strong it is
Reflecting the light
Silhouetted by shadow
A cigarette hung from her mouth
Red
Who are you?
Why does this passion stir you?
“I AM alive you see, for the first time.”
“I know who I AM, thanks to the one who knows,
the butterfly of coolness”.
Coolness no longer in her heart
She was taught and also remembered who she was meant to be.
Forget no more
She is on Fire
And will no longer feel the coolness of indifference
No worries
No memory
I AM.
Coincidence of smiles
Advance intuition
No need to talk
Or even write
All understood
Other ways of communicating
Only for a few
Chosen ones because of belief
Not imagination
But it plays a part
On a boat flowing down the river
Not a destination
Being
Copyright 2009 Janet Vanderhoof
