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30 Paintings in 30 Days - Day 29

1/29/2017

4 Comments

 
Picture
​"Culmination" - mixed media on paper, 15" x 22'.  Unframed.  Inquiries: [email protected].

[NARRATOR]
Deep within the woods, Cinderella had planted a branch at The grave of her Mother,
And she visited there so often and wept so much
That her tears watered it until it had become
a magnificent tree.
                   From "Cinderella at the Grave", Into the Woods


I do a lot of thinking on road trips.  Something about the solitude and being forced to sit still lets my brain wander pathways it otherwise might not.  Mostly I blame the music.  My travel playlists have some real sorrowful songs mixed in with the sing-a-longs.  There is nothing quite like the open highway and Patty Griffin singing "The Mountaintop" to make every hound dog in my heart raise its voice to the sky.  And I can't tell you how many times one of these mental byways on a road trip has inspired a painting.

Stan Kurth said it perfectly: "My work is the collective unconscious and conscious images, dreams, hopes, jubilations, elations, loves, blues, joys, biases, frustrations and thoughts of my life."   As much as I'd like to ignore the sad bits and heartaches, they are  a part of the creating like anything else.  And sometimes they are the best bits in a piece of art. 

During the workshop, Kurth's feedback on this piece encouraged me to look into the work of Rufino Tamayo. I've ordered a big hardcover book of his art so that I may study it thoroughly.  In the meantime, check him out here.  I think he is a kindred spirit.

My mom's birthday was this weekend.  She would have been 78.  As I hit the road tomorrow to travel back to the land of sunshine and humidity, I have a feeling she might be along for the ride.  You never know who you'll run into here in the woods.  

4 Comments
Dotty Seiter link
1/29/2017 08:34:47 am

Jen.

Jen.

Hello.

The road trip, the music, your words, "Culmination."

All stirring it up here at my end.

My mom died in Oct 2015 and, 8 months later, my daughter, two young granddaughters, and I went into the woods behind our cabin at family camp (a YMCA camp my mom went to as a camper and leader, a camp all my sisters and I went to as campers and leaders, a camp which my kids went to, a camp where I've gone to the family camp program forever, most recently with my daughter and her family), and buried a tablespoon or so of my mom's ashes beside a tree there.

Yup, art as the collective conscious and unconscious …

Way cool that Kurth made a connection between your art and Tamayo's.

Powerful, through and through.

Reply
jen
1/29/2017 10:55:35 am

oh gosh....more synchronicity. What a perfect way to honor your mom and her legacy by leaving a little of her in that special place. We still have my mom's ashes. She and my dad asked us to take them to the Grand Canyon one day. Thankfully, my dad is still here. But one day, my sisters and I will stand above the canyon and let them fly...

Thank you for sharing your story - you touched my heart today.

Reply
Carol Edan link
1/31/2017 01:17:53 am

Growth that is what we are seeking. A fine and glorious tree. The strong upward movement. We have a special day for trees.. Tu B'Shevat New Year for Trees
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tu_BiShvat . I lost my mom when I was 14 under tragic circumstances, our moms are always close to our hearts.

Reply
jen
1/31/2017 07:51:37 am

A special day for trees! How perfect! Thank you for sharing the link. "A fine and glorious tree" - the perfect name for a painting. I am so sorry about your mom...and yet, not surprised that we are drawn together as kindred spirits missing our mothers. The universe works that way. Sending you big hugs.

Reply



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