My new series of paintings pushes at the frontier of inter-being.
Each canvas evolves from a space beyond rational understanding. It is a space beyond words. It is a space of associative connection.
Beginning with intuitive mark making the process allows me to step out of my head, beyond rational understanding. The materials, in a like-to-like magnetism, connect me to my material body. The painting begins to make demands. It is imperative to enter into an associative dance with colours, textures, lines and shapes. Insisting on my conscious will causes disorder and discomfort. The paint will fight with me. Dropping into the space that opens with intuitive expression opens a holographic microcosm that is held grounded in the art materials.
I have explored this space for decades. My art from this void has been intimate and private. It felt too vulnerable to share. This strange year has pushed me into new interpersonal spaces. I joined a meditative healing group. A transitional space unfolded as I began to paint for another. I asked through the paint ‘What is it like to be you?’ This compassionate space created a psychological bridge. It is a place of deep trust.
In this transformative space it feels as if it is no longer ‘me’ that is painting. My heart opens to something beyond the personal. I paint as an act of love. The painting takes on a life of its own. There is no longer you and me but an ‘us’ embodied in the matter.
Relinquishing control is a risky way to paint. It is exploratory, wild and surprising. I am learning to be comfortable with unfinished gaps. These areas become entry points. The viewer as well as the subject of my inspiration is invited into them with their own perceptions.
This painting is about the group, interconnection, mining my heart for gold, and inter-being.
Take some time and sit with each image. Every image contains a tender space for you to recognise yourself here too. Welcome.