Jen Jovan Art Musings and Random Thoughts

Cup Water to Your Tired Face

6/4/2020

"Cup Water to Your Tired Face" - mixed media on gallery wrapped canvas, 20" x 20" x 1.25". Ready to hang. Available here and at Artfinder.

When exhausted from the seeming complexity of life and the demands of others, it makes a difference to know that when you cup water to your tired face, it is from one magnificent and nameless sea. And when you feel the pain of love --mis-given or mis-received -- break your heart, it helps to know what what breaks open is the covering to your soul. - MARK NEPO, The Exquisite Risk

Life seems super complicated lately. And messy. And painful.

There are bright spots...a spontaneous movie day at home with family. Two friends on Facebook having a difficult but very successful conversation about racial justice (so proud of these women), Wonder Mike getting the hang of "sit - stay". Crisp, clean sheets on the bed. And cupping water to my face at the end of the day.

Cup Water to Your Tired Face

Sometimes that's all you get.

Sometimes that's all you need.

And you know what? That'll do.

About the painting: inspired by the wild Atlantic sea off the coast of Ireland, this piece began as a drawing with Artgraf and gesso. Many layers of acrylic paint and more Artgraf, my trusty water sprayer bottle and a big shower squeegee. The final layer is a coat of teal glaze loosely applied and scraped with a rubber shaper. Vertical lines created with a chopstick through wet paint alternating with the edge of the rubber shaper.

9 Comments

Carl Stoveland

6/4/2020 09:58:01 am

Nepo always seems to have the right words for any situation. Thanks for turning me on to him. I hope to be reading and rereading lots of his work on an island in September! Sorry for the complicated times and messy times. We are all affected on such different levels but the stress of the outside world keeps banging on the door.
On to the painting. That blue!! it just sings and is amplified by the rest of the painting. You are a genius with abstracts!

jen

6/4/2020 05:23:58 pm

Carl! Reading Nepo on an island.....omg perfection! Though I suppose we are kind of on mini islands right now? I have decided to remove the door knocker so stress can't come calling. I wonder if that will work????

And thank you...I feel like each successful abstract is a complete accident. But I'll take it!

6/4/2020 07:39:13 pm

I’m not sure a month on a desert island will remove all the stress in today’s world. But I’m sure hoping to try.

Dotty Seiter link

6/4/2020 10:11:37 am

Lovin' every single everything in this post—the drawing with Artgraf and gesso, the finished painting, the painting's title, Nepo's words, your words, all les mots justes, the video clip juste, and YOU shining through all, Jen!

6/4/2020 05:26:06 pm

Dotty! Thank you, friend. Basking in your lovely words, cupping them like water to my face. :)

Carolyn Laudati

6/4/2020 02:32:34 pm

I absolutely love this! The colors, the marks, the glazing, the scraping, oh, just everything. I am looking at art with a more discerning eye! I guess I really did learn something in CVP! Xoxo Hang in there kid, there are better days coming....and hopefully systemic injustices will to. We can't back down.

6/4/2020 05:27:55 pm

Carolyn! That class absolutely imprinted on your artist brain - yay! Thank you...learning to control less and emote more in the paint.

Better days for all, please! And you are right - no backing down.

Carol Edan link

6/5/2020 04:13:36 am

I have to read more of Nepo! Brilliant! Your strong spirit show though your words and painting. A shining light! In the end we do have all we need. We just need to listen.

6/5/2020 01:49:25 pm

Carol! Nepo always has the right words. :) The shining light in the painting is a soft reminder of the "magnificent and nameless sea" that connects us all. xo

Cup Water to Your Tired Face

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