Tag Archives: philosophy

Art and Healing

Art and Healing


“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is a symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of the birds, the ebb and flow of the tides, the folded bud ready for the spring.
There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature–the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after the winter. The lasting pleasures of contact with the natural world…are available to anyone who will place himself under the influence of earth, sea and sky and their amazing life.”
~Rachel Carson (1907-1964)

HealingHealers healing artists … artists healing the world. Why do healers heal and why do artists paint? Empathic calling perhaps, a need for expression for the good of humankind.

Healers and artists share an affinity with beauty, and a desire for truth and happiness. Beauty is necessary to every culture, and in every culture is defined differently. Beauty inspires. Beauty heals.


ART & HEALING
… are One and the Same …”


Treating mind, body, and spirit holistically to achieve harmony is the goal of the healer. In the artist’s work, such harmony exists in the essence of the art, it’s elements of freshness in its originality. Unique expressions living entirely in the moment, aspects of a larger knowing. No two snowflakes, flower petals or tree trunk the same. Yet all are living organisms joined by a common thread, part of a larger plan.

Rose
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Destination Nirvana


Destination Nirvana

In a time of universal deceit …
telling the truth is
a revolutionary act.
~George Orwell

BuddhaWhy seek the truth? How is it that so many of the great minds have spent lifetimes looking for the answer to that eternal question? A universal set of truths and values are common to all peoples and cultures.

I believe that all religions are merely different roads to the same place. It doesn’t matter what you believe. When your belief is strong, then there is no need to to prove it is correct, nor to attempt to convert others to your beliefs. Conviction needs no justification.

Trying to convince others your way is the only way, is a futile pastime. Focus on yourself instead. What you believe is what you will become. Perhaps an important reason to seek the truth. Beliefs are only real to the one who holds them. From belief emerges truth. Truth is universal.

Rose

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Aspects of Reality

Aspects of Reality

citron fractalArt is concrete, while philosophy is abstract. My love of philosophy allows me to obtain some of my ideas from abstract thoughts. The challenge becomes creating work concretely & significantly in form, colour, all the elements of design. We have the facts, then we have the perception of what is real.

The artist observes, learning to see is crucial. Originality is not influenced by the judgments of others. The conclusions others tend to draw about a particular artist and their work, may or may not be true. What the viewer sees is only true for themselves. The artist has a different sense of what is. Synchronization exists when the communication has a value of truth for both the artist and the viewer.

Parallels can be drawn with subjective and concrete, with objective and abstract coinciding. Subjective is what the individual knows. Objectivity is the other side of the coin. We cannot say for sure that anything that exists beyond one’s own mind and self exists. How do we know if what we see is real, or merely illusion?

Rose

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Imagination

Imagination

Blue UmbrellaImagination is the ability to form mental images, and the source of creative mind power. It is all about images … images … images.

Inspiration and the stuff that dreams are made of, come from the imagination. On occasion, I have mentioned my experience of seeing images on the big screen in my mind’s eye.

Puzzled, some had no idea what I was talking about. Apparently this is not the experience of all. Georgia O’Keeffe, has been noted to say she remembers seeing images, as a tiny child in her crib, pictures in the shadows on the wall, shapes, colours, shadows, light. Where does this come from?

Rose

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Wonder of Phi

Wonder of Phi

sunflower-sqNew found knowledge of the golden mean, divine proportion, & the golden section based on the Greek number Phi began a new world of fascination for me.

If I could study this for more than one lifetime, I doubt I would ever understand the essence of it’s existence. Primarily, I was interested in how the concepts related to composition in visual art.

This led me to the Fibonacci series of numbers which have been around for a long time. You can read more about it here
The first awareness of this was recorded in Sanskrit somewhere between 450 and 200 BC. Yet they were named after the greatest mathematician of the middle ages, who first investigated this concept.

Rose

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Artistic Integrity

pink poppyThe world as we know it, appears to be in a state of decline. This is precisely when culture becomes important.

In times such as these, we must preserve the things which maintain a civilized society. Culture is the glue which holds our society together.

Looking for the similarities rather than the differences is a means to reach a common end. Without judgment we integrate, become equal regardless of background. A social structure that does not support culture and artistic integrity instead breeds adversity and alienation. Difficulties exist in pursuing artistic integrity in a climate of unrest, an environment is not conducive to creativity.

Your own value system, what you believe, is the framework you choose to live by. Knowing where you want to go does not necessarily light the path. Maintaining integrity in your work can sometimes mean making sacrifices. To develop credibility as an artist, you will need syncretic unification of your art, heart and soul.

Rose

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Art and Politics

Art and Politics

venus-moonArtists are political by being. Art is political by nature.

Movements of art can change the face of society. The art is a reflection of cultural and personal interpretations symbolic of when it was created. Take for example the earlier religious, and historical paintings.

Those were the issues of that time and place.

People are surprised when they see evidence of an artist being political. Yet it seems to follow naturally for some of us. The intensity of being an artist includes many facets. An artist searches for truth regardless of what they paint. We record our perceptions, & culture as it evolves. Writers reveal the truth, be it is fiction or non-fiction. Artists are the modern day visionaries.

Rose

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Purpose of Art

Purpose of Art

daisies-sepiaArt opens a new pathway to the soul. Creativity flows from the artist, to the art, then to the viewer, evoking a response. This fuels the artist to continue to create.

What is it about a piece of art that grabs you? Is it subject matter, colour or form? All of these have some bearing. Yet what really stands out in my mind, is how I feel when I look at a piece of art. I do not feel all of that when I look at a piece of art I am in the midst of creating.

As in musical performance, the applause gives back to the performer tenfold what they have exerted. The interaction between performing artist and the audience, confirms they have indeed touched the listener. Satisfaction lies in knowing the performance has touched people somehow.

Rose

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Creative Process

Creative Process
creative-abstract

What are the stages of the creative process? Many models exist to illustrate the process which goes on during the act of creativity.

The one I am most familiar with is the Wallas Model.

Preparation
Incubation
Illumination
Verification

Another model which expands further on the process is by Robert Fritz.

Conception
Vision
Current reality
Take action
Adjust, learn, evaluate, adjust
Building momentum
Completion
Living with your creation

Rose

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Non-Representational Art: An Inevitability?

Non-Representational Art: An Inevitability?

dance-finalI was subject to a certain chain of events recently, which has really jolted me into some sort of surreal reality. It seems as though in the upper echelon of art circles, non-representational art is considered to be the creme de la creme.

The people I spoke with, familiar with the art world, expressed the opinion that other forms of art, seem to be a stage that the artist is going through. I wonder if this means When my art matures, I too will be creating non-representational pieces?

Rose

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