Week 4 (part 2): Day - To - Day Painting Meeting Change with an Open Heart
This blog is a continuation of the blog posted on Wednesday, which looks at pieces I created using memories of works by Pierre Bonnard where the interior of a room is in the foreground and the exterior is seen through an open window and door. I started this series during a very hot and sunny July, when I was unable to get up and out of my room. I was working on artwork and working on my responses to being physically stuck due to an injury. I know it is a common experience to be unable to do what one wants to because of circumstances. I hope sharing my approach helps someone else.
Anahata or heart chakra is the fourth primary chakra, according to Hindu Yogic, Shakta and Buddhist Tantric traditions. In Sanskrit, anahata means "unhurt, unstruck, and unbeaten". Anahata Nad refers to the Vedic concept of unstruck sound. Anahata is associated with balance, calmness, and serenity.
When I am in the flow, I respond to life ups and downs from a spiritual perspective. If I can turn my focus to the present moment I am able to allow what "is" to be "as it is" I found that in remaining open to change I was enabled to be "unhurt, unstruck, and unbeaten". I used the exploration of my memories of Bonnard's depiction of everyday beauty, to occupy my thoughts. I could not go out and enjoy the weather or the summer time fun, that it was easy to imagine other people having. I was/am aware that emotional reactions were natural and that if I judged myself against some impossible ideal of how I “should” be feeling, I’d only make myself miserable. There was no point in denying those feelings. To save my emotional health, I acknowledged my feelings and then stayed in the present moment of my work, exploring my understanding of how Bonnard created space and temperature in his work .
It took a few sessions to complete this piece, here is the development of the piece 7/18- 7/20.
For the next piece, I worked on a 10 x 10" canvas on 7/22 & 7/23/19., The tooth of the canvas held onto the paint more than the paper did, I was not able to smooth the paint to a stain, instead I scraped back the paint in some areas to allow the canvas to show and contrast that with the thick edges left by the palette knife. For the composition, I concentrated on the basic forms in Bonnard's composition: circles, rectangles, squares, triangles, and Bonnard’s manner of energizing those basic forms through mark making and color. Remembering his method of juxtaposing complementary colors and breaking the fields up with secondary and tertiary colors.
Joy is of the will which labours, which overcomes obstacles, which knows triumph. William Butler Yeats
A friend of mine shared this quote with me, saying " the same could be said of grace". I agree, I think we all open ourselves to grace when we pause and breath and while not denying our thoughts and emotions turn inward to the space within. Thoughts pass. Emotions pass, If we allow them to rise and fall away again. Then starting from the "centered" position we can labor, and overcome obstacles. I was starting to feel hopeful about my progress, I had much less pain at this point and I was getting stronger. I could foresee walking without being reliant on a walker, and being able to walk with a cane, only. The next installment will cover the last paintings in this series. Please let me know if you like these shorter blogs.