Story of The Field

Banana Flower went through such a transformation.

Another example of work which finds itself back in the creative process, is one which transverses the course of time and tells story, carrying-on the past, present, and the future– a spiritual journey encapsulated in a picture.

Allow me to walk this out for you… my painting style is intuitively inspired and inter-reflective; meaning I stand back and draw from within, forming color and shape as I am nudged. Not very often do I have in view an object that I follow. Aspects of the picture surfaces layer by layer. I could go into and on and on about that process, but I'll save it for another time. In the end– wink wink– when I add my signature, the piece has arrived at a state where I am content, and find it balanced and pleasing. Of course this leaves room for me to enjoy it for a lifetime, or to put it back in the creative cycle to continue its journey. The Field, is this sort of work, having gone through the cycle many many times since the first completed piece.

Here begins a bit of the journey, unnamed, yet rightfully "journey to The Field".

I began this one in my early to mid 30's, along side pushing through busy days as a single mom, running around with 4 young children. We endured some really rough trials, yet in retrospect, it was a beautiful time spent being creative with my kids. They learned how to make a mess out of sheer curiosity to discover something, how to cook and to bake. They made crafts, played games, and scavenger hunted. They explored nature. Together, we made a house a home. Those are the sorts of moments I prefer to remember, in abundance.

It wasn't but a few years later that I cycled it through the creative journey, again. Experiences in my late 30's brought about such a lack of peace within me, so that the glorious green mountainside was no longer a reflection of the mood emanating the image. Though we go through trials and tribulations, we can often look back and see we were also provided plateau's of which to rest and reset. We're all conquering a mountain– often times it feels more like a mountain range.

This is where the quest for my purpose intensified and began to take shape, out of a desire to avoid the pitfalls of leaning on my own understanding and ways, and out of desperation, to beat the enemy pressing in on all sides. I was climbing a mountain, and it loomed before me. It was, "My Mountain".

A few years later and stretching a season, it made the cycle yet again, and lived out as a series of images and mood expressions. Most interesting to me is that these examples are far outside my typical style of work, from both before and since this season. Makes one contemplate the impact of what we suffer in our difficult times, and how it correlates to inter-respective expression. There was certainly a lot of variation in this season, something chaotic, and a fair picture of the setbacks and trials in my life, and yet also of my very perseverant nature.

It finally did rest on Lost At Sea for a stretch of time, a good seven years. It's a journey through the great storm– the near combustion of circumstances and stories– before the calmer seas.

The Field, seen here as a work in progress, layer by layer, is a field upon the top of The Mountain. It's a field promised to be there, and spectacular in the way that it is accentuating to your senses. I imagine it makes you want to push your hands with palm out, pressing in to push aside the stems, to peek through to the other side.

When finished –wink wink– I will share it again, just as soon as I reach that moment when I stand back, look at it, and can say that I am pleased and content. It will for sure be interesting to see where this one goes, considering where it's been.

Until then, let the journey continue.