Lola Jovan Art Musings and Random Thoughts

The Way We Look To Us All

4/14/2025

The Way We Look To Us All

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The Way We Look To Us All
oil on copper panel
11 x 14 inches
This item is unframed
(click on the image to purchase)

And I believe
These are the days of lasers in the jungle
Lasers in the jungle somewhere
Staccato signals of constant information
A loose affiliation of millionaires
And billionaires and baby

These are the days of miracle and wonder
This is the long distance call
The way the camera follows us in slo-mo
The way we look to us all
The way we look to a distant constellation
That's dying in a corner of the sky
These are the days of miracle and wonder
And don't cry baby, don't cry
Don't cry. - PAUL SIMON

Staccato signals of constant information are overloading my brain. Keeping up with the daily chaos and search for good news, places to take action, things to be aware of, ways to protect ourselves, our finances, our friends, our neighbors, our freedoms....it is a big bundle of download complicated by a loose affiliation of millionaires and billionaires. Though Simon's song was intended to communicate other issues of the time, it applies now. Timeless, in a way, as so many great songs, books and works of art can be.

The art of seeing one another through this miasma of information is key, I think. We have our public, social media faces and our private thoughts, sufferings and celebrations. Seeing one another, seeing past the movie versions, connecting in an authentic way whenever and wherever we safely can will help us through this.

My brain is more and more often like that of a simple goldfish trapped in a helmet bowl. It is the overwhelm, the chaos, the mis- and dis-information. I'd love to hear how you're handling the information of the world, dear reader!

About the art: oh, copper panel, it's so lovely, so dreamy, such a warm undertone to every new painting. This one began with a simple sketch with very thinned oil paint and a brush. I painted away the surroundings from the figure knowing the red would require many layers to achieve the depth I wanted. I then moved to the inside, spending the most time on that unknowable fish - the details, the layers, those subtle soft shadows of blue/violet. By placing the details largely in the center of the fish bowl, the eye is drawn into the painting. Helmet and figure painted more abstractly, allowing the eye to complete those details all on its own. This piece is actually a very limited color palette painting, using green, red and white to create the bulk of the colors. A bit of Gamblin Radiant Blue and a bit of Indian Yellow were added to finish out the details.

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11 Comments

Author

Lola Jovan

Dotty Seiter

4/13/2025 07:34:09 pm

Lola:

BRILLIANT! I opened up your blog and just SMILED.

BRILLIANT!

That simple goldfish trapped in a helmet bowl. oh, oh, OH!

And Paul Simon, with his unbelievably apt words--
Staccato signals of constant information .
A loose affiliation of millionaires
And billionaires.

HOLY MOLY.

lola

4/14/2025 03:51:29 pm

Dotty!!!! YAHOOOO! I just opened your comment and SMILED! Thank you hugely! I am so happy! xoxo

Carl Stoveland

4/14/2025 09:36:05 am

I love this painting the idea is both silly and accurate. That’s a high wire painting act you have going on. Simon’s lyrics are just as powerful and apt today as for the times they came from.

Best
Carl

4/14/2025 03:52:10 pm

Carl!!! Thank you! There is room for oddity and peculiarity in today's visual world, I think! And yep, Simon's lyrics are so timeless.... xo

Julie

4/16/2025 11:00:38 pm

I wanted to comment here as well, Lola. Quite a few years back in speaking with a trusted one, I expressed how I felt like I worked in a fishbowl - all eyes on me, looking inward. Such a toxic workplace. It was disconcerting and unsettling, especially as an introvert.

While that was true then, I appreciate how your painting helps to flip that script. There is indeed so much of the world looking inwards, but what do we see? "What do I want, what do I need, what's best for me?"

I try to live and connect as authentically as possible. One thing I think this painting captures for me (among many things) is how one can possibly navigate this topsy-turvy world: to be OK in the safety of our fishbowl, having a protective bubble of glass filtering out mis- and disinformation from floating too close.

Namaste ☮

(@mightyathena on BSky)

4/17/2025 02:26:34 pm

Julie!!! I am so delighted to see your comment here. As a fellow introvert, I so empathize with your description of the workplace - I felt similarly when I worked in corporate banking years ago.

Your questions are so important: what do I want, need, what's best for ME? If you're like me, it isn't a habit to ask that. But it is a habit I need to develop. And I will!

Curating our own safe space, our protective bubble, acknowledging the overwhelm of venturing out too much is so important. Thank you for sharing your insight and wisdom! xoxoxo

4/18/2025 04:16:05 am

Corporate work is soul-crushing. Even though I'd picked up extraverted behaviours along the way to help me survive in those old work environments, it sure didn't mean I enjoyed it. It's not what fills my cup.

I hadn't expressed that set of questions in a while, so the Universe must have conspired to spontaneously share here (and also as a good reminder for me, too) : ) I'm glad to know they resonate with you xoxoxo

4/19/2025 03:55:42 pm

Oh lordy, are you ever right about corporate work being soul crushing! And, like you, I was able to "swashbuckle" my way through it. But it drains me.

I am so delighted to be connected with you! A little bright sparkle in the world! xo

4/21/2025 02:04:15 am

The use of "swashbuckle" for what we had to do just to cut a path through corporate life is so apropos! I don't miss those days.

And thank you for saying what you did. You brought a much-needed smile to my face. I'm really pleased to have made a connection with you too, Lola. Keep shining as you do - xoxo✨

Carol Edan link

4/24/2025 02:29:06 am

These days my studio is my "fishbowl" and I feel safe. I try very hard not to watch/listen to the news..... maybe I am hiding.... my survival technique,
My work/art and family are my priorities!
Was not familiar with Simon's poem, on the second read I connected.
Your painting painting is strong with the use of the reds and greens.
I see you in there, do you see me?

4/25/2025 03:06:29 pm

Carol!!! The news is difficult. I have to digest it in small bites. And work/art family is the perfect priority! Thank you for reminding us of what truly matters in a world of distractions.

Thanks for your feedback on the painting. I shy away from green generally, so just like self-portraits, shying away means I should GO THAT DIRECTION! ha ha! xoxoxo

The Way We Look To Us All

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