Snake-Bird

Comment

Comment by alchemistra on April 5, 2009 at 11:30am

"I think the person becomes one with the event and is sort of taken over by it."

Yes, that perfect "zen" moment. We can, I think, experience that in so many ways, in making art, in doing sports, and what of those people who in times of extreme stress or danger are able to pick up a car or move something of enormous size to save a life. Maybe that operates then too.
The "zen moment" happens. A friend described herself painting a portrait of a nude woman bathing and making a long green streak down one of her legs, her husband was perplexed at the time of where she was going with it. The painting, which I have seen, is so wonderful and the colours are just right. Wonderful colour in a nude, a lively and robust woman, it's just great.

Comment by Zetetic0void on April 4, 2009 at 4:12pm

"always says her best work comes through "when I get out of the way"."
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Yeah the "you" that "you" are always thinking about is preventing "you" from really being "You" haha.

It seems from reading about certain famous artists that allegedly had huge egos... Picasso, Dali (perhaps that was partially marketting an 'image' by the art world)..... perhaps that's why they needed to paint - to extinguish that. So even if some artists (musicians, sports people, writers, or just anybody) have some huge ego in normal life, I feel the ego can't be there whilst painting (or archery, meditating, writing or whatever) ... it gets in the way... it blocks, inhibits, ruins, destroys authenticity of the moment BUT the presence of the huge ego may be useful as energy to be depleated through the forgetting of the ego which drives the focus onto the moment (perhaps this could be viewed as some alchemical process by some with any knowledge of those things that sounds similar to that). I think painting is a way of depleting the ego. Even in some perfect "Zen"moment in sports (I actually had one of these as a kid in street ball hockey... and also in junior softball haha although I'm not really into sports now)), I think the person becomes one with the event and is sort of taken over by it. Of course, afterwards they may claim it was all 'themselves' but I think at those moments that "self" they are referring to melds with the flow of Reality and to really take credit for it is like taking credit for the Universe ;-)

I love the forgetting about the "self", forgetting about judegment between dualities (ie, so in painting, maybe some so-called "mistake like dropping a paint-laden brush on the painting may just affect the flow to go in another direction instead of complaining about this alleged "mistake") and forgetting time exists.

Comment by alchemistra on April 4, 2009 at 12:45pm

Perhaps it would have be better to say lunar consciousness:
Imaginative, reflective, aesthetic, sensual, and intuitive are qualities of lunar consciousness.
It's what functions when making a piece of art. A friend of mine (a dancer) always says her best work comes through "when I get out of the way".

What you have said yourself describes it pretty well:

"...some of these things I just made up because 'they felt right'..."

and

"With many paintings, the subconscious elements come through if you don't think too much."

Comment by Zetetic0void on April 3, 2009 at 5:35pm

Thanks... I haven't really read a lot of historical symbolism so some of these things I just made up because 'they felt right' so I'm not really sure what lunar illumination might intellectually mean. From my feeling, becasue the moon recieves light and reflects it, I think of it as more of a thoughtful light ... whereas the SUn's light is just pre action

This creature is a snake bird which I thought of at the time ... I did find some references to similar thing afterwards.

I guess maybe the combination of snake and bird are like a combination of extremes (crawling at the lowest level and flying above the Earth. Maybe it could symbolize an eventual elevation to great height of understanding only after having spent time at the lowest level.

Well, people can make up there own interpretation ... I never intentionally planned anything specific about it. With many paintings, the subconscious elements come through if you don't think too much.

Comment by alchemistra on April 3, 2009 at 4:11pm

I love this use of the moon in your paintings, it's everywhere. Your paintings suggest lunar illuminism strongly, which when viewing your art work comes through whereever it appears.