Wheat Field With Crows

Everyone is always trying to analyze Van Gogh's Wheat Field With Crows. It is an amazing painting that I got to see in person years ago in New York City. There was this spectacular exhibit documenting the last fifteen months of his life through paintings, sketches and letters to his brother. I was there when it opened that morning, and I was one of the last to leave when they closed it for the night. This was one of the paintings that I spent probably an hour, maybe more, gazing at. So many feelings come up as I look at this painting. The colors and movement are fabulous...and yes, there is the dark and stormy sky with the crows flying over an illuminated wheat field. Many say that this was his suicide note, or the painting that showed us that he was contemplating suicide. Yes, it is definitely a possibility.

However, why do we have to analyze things to death? Why can't we just "be" with a painting? Maybe Van Gogh wasn't trying to send us a message about his feelings at all. Maybe he was simply in awe of what he saw. Today I was driving through a snowstorm, and when I got down to the lowlands, the sun peaked out from behind the clouds. I was driving by a wheat field, and the sun brought that field to a blaze. The sky was a purplish blue, and crows were flying on the wind currents just above the field. It was an amazing sight to see. That natural compliments of the yellow and the purples of the impending storm were spectacular. I pulled over to the side of the road and just watched. I felt uplifted from the redundancy of my daily routine. I saw the magic that emerged from a simple glimmer of light that founds its way between a few clouds. The darkness of the crows perfectly accented the scene.

As I look at the painting right now I could say that he saw the light on the other side of the storm that he felt trapped within. Yes, maybe he made his choice as he painted this. However, I also see a gift of beauty that he gave to all of us. I see the awe he felt, as I felt today, witnessing this moment. He felt the power of nature, and he was hoping, maybe, that we would pull over to the side of the road and see it. Remember, the Industrial Age was underway when he was alive. He saw the pace of life quickening. He saw how people were in awe of the machine instead of the sunflower. Maybe this was his note to us to remember, to slow down, to enjoy, to celebrate, and to not miss out on the gifts of Mother Nature all around us.

Mitakuye Oyasin

Colors

So often while I am at an art walk or doing a show I am told, "You must be so brave to paint like that." I am never sure if that is a compliment or not. I rather doubt it. The truth is I'm not brave at all. I am simply painting as I see it.

Ever since I can remember, when the lights go out at night, I see colors swirling through the darkness taking on all sorts of shapes. They then blend back into the swirling colors only to take on new shapes. Everything I look at has these bright and vivid colors swirling through it. I dream in color. Never do I dream in black and white, and for me, I can't even imagine that anybody does.

I'm not sure why I see things the way I do, and I never ask or try to figure it out. I simply accept it and I paint it. I usually start off with a sketch that is in black and white. I have sketched since I was eight or nine years old. I love to work with the pencil and explore all the ways to create texture, depth, contrast, and values. I then stand my notebook up somewhere, and I look at it over several days or months. I let it seep into my subconscious or my Spirit I guess, and then when it is ready, the subject lets me know.

I then go up to the studio and start working. I never choose the colors. They choose themselves. I rarely even think during the process...it is very instinctual and comes from another place that my mind is not allowed to go to. I am usually as surprised as anyone else by the finished result.

You can call me brave...I know what you mean..."Yikes!" I'm nothing of the sort though. I am simply painting how I see it and feel it.

Sprials Swirling Through

A lot of people write to me about feeling stuck with their artwork. They can't get themselves out to the studio, they never have enough time, or all they create comes out ugly.

Well, we have all had those ugly periods, and I believe that they are vital to artistic growth. Lee Krasner went through grey period...everything she did came out in greys. Before I even really worked with colors, I worked in black and white for 20 years. I loved to sketch, I loved to work with contrasts and values with a pencil and white paper. In my opinion, that is how I learned about color...through black and white.

I totally understand about procrastination with regards to getting out to the studio. The studio, which is wherever you create, can be daunting. It is the place where we come face to face with ourselves each time. We look into the proverbial mirror and even if we are painting a landscape, there is something within that painting that contains something about ourselves that we are trying to express to the world. A painting is never just a painting...Art is the most ancient form of communication, and because of art, we can learn from the Ancient Ones that once lived in the same locations we live now. When we paint, or sculpt or create digital art, we are exposing something about our lives or our souls to the world.

Picasso had a very difficult time getting out to the studio. He learned to create excuses to get himself out there. His studio was VERY messy to say the least, so sometimes he would make the excuse that he was going out to the studio to clean it or to clean his brushes. Once he got out there, he would see his paintings and immediately get to work.

I hear a lot of people saying, "I just don't have the time." I know that one very well, because I used to use it all the time. A friend of mine told me to work ten minutes each day and see what happened. I committed to those ten minutes, and as time went by it grew and grew to where it is now my profession! I challenge you to work for ten minutes a day on something of your own...just ten minutes, and see where it takes you.

This past week has been very difficult for me. A friendship came to an end, and this can be the worst time to work on an existing painting. Of course I did, and I turned this beautiful work of a baby deer into a baby deer that looks like it wants to eat humans. If you are upset, pull out an entirely new piece of paper or canvas, and let your emotions out on that....not always a good idea to unleash painful emotions upon a work in progress. However, you never know...it may help.

I was so locked up inside that I couldn't break free. When I get like this, I often do a painting that is simply for me, nobody else, and is my way of breaking loose. It usually is of absolutely no subject matter and is a way to loosen my hand and my eye. I always see swirling spirals before I fall to sleep each night, so I decided that would be a great thing to paint and to loosen up my hand...so this is what I did, and now I am back to painting and creating....

Finding Buddha

I used to live in a small village in Northern New Mexico. It was nestled in the Sangre de Cristo mountains, and it was plagued with heroine. Our small village sat between two communities that were often raided by the police in the middle of the night.Several Buddhist Monks that I knew fromThailand were on a road trip, and they decided to come visit me.

When they arrived, it was wonderful. We talked,laughed and did Yoga. They then blessed my house, and the chanting vibrated through the entire village.

The next morning I decided to take them for a walk. I wanted to take them to the Post Office to visit my friend, but I knew they needed to go to the Plaza. I knew that could get me into a lot of trouble, so I looked towards the Post Office and walked towards the Plaza. At the Plaza, all of the villagers were watching us, and whenever I would turn towards them, they would hide in an alley or behind an adobe house. We started playing a game with a bamboo ball, and I of course got hurt. I started to bleed, andall of the monks started to laugh. They said that they do this so you don't become attached to your pain, to your suffering. We then started playing again when I noticed one of the major drug dealers from Truchas standing in the corner of the Plaza. He was glaring at me with such fury that I began to tremble. I backed up as I felt him hitting me with his rage, and in my head I kept hearing him yell at me, "That is my church!" Finally he said it out loud, and Phra Ajahn said, "Yes, it is! It is such a beautiful Church. I wish I could go in and see it. Please tell me about it," and with that the entire energy of the Plaza changed. The monks were sharing fruit from Thailand with everyone, exchanging addresses , and everyone was out in the Plaza talking and laughing...the way a Plaza is meant to be....

This is the day I caught a glimpse of who Buddha is.

Buddha was within the drug dealer...because his fury opened the door for loving kindness to enter.

Gateway and the Rocks

I love living in the Southwest. Everywhere you go, there are dramatic changes and formations and forests. It is an amazing landscape that I roam through every single day.

Today we went through Gateway, Colorado on the way back from Grand Junction. Gateway has the lowest elevation of anywhere else in the state, and it is amazingly beautiful. Steep red rock cliffs reach towards the sky while forming narrow canyons along the Dolores River. It is lushly green right now. Is lushly a word? No, but it should be!

An elder that I knew for years always told me to read the stories in the rocks. The rocks hold our history, our emotions, our prayers from the past....look to the rocks, and you will know. I did today, as I do everytime I go through this canyon, and there are stories everywhere. Water is the paint...the rocks are the canvas, and together they create the most amazing art. There is this one rock formation in particular...it is of a Spirit walking the earth...watching over it, and protecting it. I have been told many stories by many elders from all tribes how there are Guardian Spirits at powerful areas protecting them from harm. I have already done a painting similar to this, (which is above and called Guardian Spirit) but I think I want to head out there and do another painting....she has more to say....:)

If you want to look at this painting or others, please go to my webpage at http://www.reenchantedearth.com

Hope this finds you well.

Starting Over

Well, I need to restart my blog I guess. I was blogging on Yahoo 360 for a couple of years, and now they are closing it. I exported it, but not one blogger will except the file...so I guess it is time to let it go and start with the new. I just recreated this webpage, so I guess it is time to recreate this blog. If you want to read the old blogs, for now you can still read them. Simply click on the link below that says "Read More".

Reenchanted Earth is a company I created to sell my artwork several years ago. Many try to put a label on my work, and that is something I have tried to distance myself from. After being pressed by people for several years, I guess you could call my work Shamanic. I always have loved hiking in the woods...since I was a little girl. There was a canyon behind our local school, and I often would go hiking all over it with friends or by myself. Being outdoors was mystical to me, and I always saw colors swirling through everything. After my divorce, I decided to break some rules, and I let my two loves begin to express themselves through my artwork. My blog often discusses the inspirations for my art, the stories that come through as I paint, and some of the lessons I learn along the way.

Things have been changing whether I want it to or not. A fellow friend that is well loved in this town, Randy, passed away while we were in Moab for the art festival. He was the biggest teddy bear with the biggest heart that just couldn't hold out any longer. We are so going to miss you.

Then I was sure our 11 month old puppy was going to die. It seems that while Bill was walking him, he let him go running through the irrigation ditches like he always does, and Grizz ate a bunch of grass. Well, our local weed killers just sprayed the ditches without our knowing, and Grizzy Bear was poisoned by it. After three horrible nights, he is back to normal. He is bouncing off the walls, and chasing the soccer ball over the place thank goodness!

Things have been busy. I did a show in Taos and in Moab, and both were good despite the economy. I love the chance to meet new people, see old friends, and make new friends. What I love the most is how kids react to my art. That is the best gift of all.....I start doing the Telluride Farmer's and Artisan's Market a week from today. I'm really looking forward to hanging out with my friends, laughing, and reconnecting with my customers and friends up in the east end of the county. The mountains are so beautiful up there.

I am currently going through a dry, artistic period. I feel like so many issues in my life are draining me of all of my creative energy. However, the great thing is I did completely revamp my webpage. I think it has a much more professional look to it, and I am quite happy with it. Check it out at www.reenchantedearth.com.

I know these dry spells are important to the creative process. Sometimes you need to completely empty yourself of everything to make room for something new, but it sure drives me nuts. Staring at the paper while holding a pastel and nothing flows...it is more than challenging. However, today while sleeping, an image came to me...so there is hope. A seedling is sprouting? I have been patinaing copper as well. I really want to paint on copper. I love the look and feel of it. Bill collects it for me at job sites...the stuff the guys are throwing away if you can believe that! I am creating some small pieces that you can hang in front of a window or hang on your rearview mirror. They will be hand painted and have some Tibetan Buddhist script written on them...some of my favorite chants...so ideas are there...I may need to go out to Lowry next week and recharge myself. I will write more about that later if I go.

At least everything around me is blooming. Maybe I just haven't come out of winter yet! hahahaha. It is time for this bear to wake up!

Well, until later, check out my webpage at www.reenchantedearth.com and let me know what you think. I would love to hear your thoughts!