This mixed media drawing is called “Storm Moon,” named after
this month’s full moon. I observed her
in her full glory and saw a halo of multi-colored lights around her giving
Storm Moon an eerie glow. True to her name,
it has been a stormy time, punctuated by deadly tornadoes and storms; some
hitting portions of Illinois and surrounding regions. I have been watching the footage of the
destruction from the tornadoes and I’m pretty sure it is the source of this
abstracted imagery in this drawing.
There is a feeling of arrested movement to this piece and while many
things are topsy-turvy, there are also peaceful sanctuaries where there is
safety yet it is all unpredictable. In the drawing, there is structure within
the destruction that offers hope. I am
not fond of drastic changes and I can only imagine and empathize with those who
were victimized by the storms. I am relating to this Storm Moon heavily because
I feel big changes afoot in the weather and in my life.
Gran Bwa is a lwa that helps you connect to ancestral roots or the spiritual home of Vodou. A friend of mine, who is an expert on Haitian Vodou, who has spent a lot of time in Haiti with the artists there, told me I had painted Gran Bwa when I made this spontaneous work out of walnut ink and sumi-ink on handmade paper. I had considered this painting a self-portrait. She now holds this piece in her private collection: Quite a few people are afraid of Vodou but it is an awe-inspiring tradition of bringing together plant energy with divinity, spiritual and personal energy. My friend who is very involved with Vodou, especially the art that surrounds it, is from European ancestry. She is light in spirit and bubbly, with a close relationship to nature and her garden. Vodou affirms the relationships between cycles of life, trees of knowledge and spirit. The Vodou vision of lwa , understands them as the intelligence of energy present in humans, nature and thoughts. Mysteries ca
Storm moon....yes... Big changes are afoot for many of us, i think. Hoping they are good changes for you, and if not, wishing you strength and trust to carry you through the storm. xoxo
ReplyDeleteHi Pauline. So, you can feel it too? I'm expecting changes for the better and feeling optimistic about Spring. It's so warm already!!
ReplyDelete