Art as Healer
I’ve found myself overwhelmed with the triad of trials these days. The Pandemic, Economy and Social Division.. The uncertainty from this chaos has disrupted my sense of peace. I’m finding comfort in working small as though I want to pick up the shattered pieces within and put them back together. In “The Fruit of their Labors” the women crocheted lace doilies and the men grew and harvested the many stone fruits of the Central Valley. The other day while making these fine lines of painted lace I listened to Van Morrison sing … “So Quiet in Here” Below is just one verse of the many wonderful lyrics in this song. In the letting go, there is peace.
“All my struggling in the world
And so many dreams that don’t come true
Step back, put it all away
It don’t matter, it don’t matter anymore
Oh this must be what paradise is like
This must be what paradise is like
It’s so quiet in here, so peaceful in here
It’s so quiet in here, so peaceful in here.”
There is something spiritual about creativity.
Each of us has our own unique path to that place of wholeness within. Painting for me takes me there. This “shelter in place” mandate has pulled me into a cocoon of sort while painting. I had to put all my equipment, paints, easels and brushes away last November as I began a studio remodel. Thankfully all was complete February10th. I had plans to begin a painting called The Reading, which I’ll blog about in the future but instead I’m working on something very different.