The Mirror of Our Own Projections

The Mirror of Our Own Projections

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​The Mirror of Our Own Projections
oil on paper
18.5 x 18.5 inches
This item is unmounted and unframed.
(click on the image to purchase)

…for in the lifelong project of understanding ourselves, we are all reluctant visitors to the dusky and desolate haunts of our own nature, where shadows we do not want to meet dwell. But in any human association that has earned the right use the word love, we must be in relationship with both the light and the shadow in ourselves and each other. All authentic relationship is therefore a matter of clear sight — of seeing through the shining pane of the other’s self-concealment and removing the mirror of our own projections. - MARIA POPOVA

How to see others in a world of projection and shadow, self-concealment and desolate haunts - is there a manual for that?

I admit to struggling with this in recent days. My own humanity feels under attack. It becomes easier to be angry and reactive rather than contemplative and compassionate. 

A big sigh.
A deep breath.
A pause.

And so we have come to the time of relationship with shadow.  The shadow parts of ourselves growing monstrous as the light of the world dims, distorting our reflections. The elongated shadows of others make perceptions skewed. It is a funhouse out there, and therefore in here a bit, too. 

Thank goodness for you, dear reader. For art, for books, for singing and for love. Sending big hugs to anyone who needs them. Thank you for being here. xo

​About the art: This abstract is painted over top of a recently murdered portrait of the Queen of Hearts (see video for the beginning process). The underpainting provided a depth of color and texture to this piece which would have been difficult to attain without it.  The new painting is a color play - deep saturation against light and bright. 

the obliterated underpainting

And now it is time for the next exchange of questions with the incredibly talented Dotty Seiter!

My next question for Dotty: 
Dessert - what is the sweetest, most decadent and delicious part of your creative life?

dessert

dessert for the poet
as she walks rue saint-denis in montréal
is a mamie clafoutis oh mon dieu croissant,
a classic flaky buttery french pastry
filled with a substantial core
of rich chocolate ganache, 
drizzled with dark chocolate and dusted
with confectioner's sugar.

dessert for the poet 
as she listens to an audio novel while she walks 
her own massachusetts neighborhood
is the italian word fermata,
a word new to her that might never have caught her ear
had she not had a nearly finished draft of a poem
awaiting final tweaks for which fermata becomes
its oh mon dieu croissant!

--dotty seiter

​And (out of order, because that's the way I roll), here's Dotty's question for me:


​When and in what way did writing become a significant element in your life?

Really, I've always been a closeted creative writer, from grade school on. My banking career landed me squarely in concise, technical and analytical writing, which put out the creative fire for a couple of decades. Ugh! When I began painting, the words were a necessity - without them I did not fully inhabit the art. Rather, I kept it at arm's length by not infusing it with words.
​Writing about the art is another trust fall, which I also gleefully do

I've been following the monks who are walking for peace, and find this so comforting at thiis time.
​ And so I leave you today with their words:

When peace, compassion, and loving-kindness shine in our hearts,
all the barriers that seemed to divide us simply dissolve--
​and what remains is the beautiful truth we might have forgotten: we were never strangers,
only family and friends who hadn’t yet recognized each other.

May you and all beings be well, happy, and at peace.