It takes a long time to grow young.
Pablo Picasso
My grandparents had a farm and when I was growing up it was where I would be. With a sense of adventure and imagination I’d wander their open fields of possibility in anticipation of what I might see. Even then I relished in being alone (excepting dogs) and loved the hidden feeling that the wild meadows provided.
My grandparents had a farm and when I was growing up it was where I would be. With a sense of adventure and imagination I’d wander their open fields of possibility in anticipation of what I might see. Even then I relished in being alone (excepting dogs) and loved the hidden feeling that the wild meadows provided.
And here I am more than forty years past yet only five miles from where it all began. wandering fields. with dogs. alone. I love it. But I can’t help wondering: are the field wanderings of my youth to blame for my ongoing obsession?
The location of the painting below is where I stop and meditate on daily walks and resonates with me on many levels.
December (greenbelt disaster)
Niagara Escarpment
mixed media on canvas
40x40in, 2011
*
There's nothing wrong with returning to your original home, wherever that is. This place speaks to you and shows in your paintings!
ReplyDeleteHi Jan
ReplyDeleteHow beautiful this painting is. It certainly exudes a pensive, inner-journey, zen-like quality. What a perfect place to walk and meditate. Your vision here invites me to breathe, meditate and know this space and myself. Thank you for this. To be one with nature is so gratifying. I will be visiting this painting again and again.
Steven
So much feeling wrapped into this painting, Jan! I love it for it's stand alone beauty, but also for the evocation of your love of the land and your memories of a childhood spent there.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the "greenbelt disaster" in your title?
Wow-thanks all for your response! i am still feeling a little unsure about the work as i have been pushing re materials and approach so your positive feedback really does mean a LOT
ReplyDelete*I also still can not seem to get the colours and contrast and nuances right with the digital image-will keep tweaking
Rhonda thank you for your affirmation re following my obsession
Steven WOW what a beautiful way you have with words-thank YOu!
Katherine thanks for visiting-I've been enjoying your recent blog posts but haven't had much time lately to comment-love the immediacy of your gesture drawings
*the 'Greenbelt disaster' title is from a series i have been working on for my upcoming group show -have pasted the blurb below:
This Land is OUR Land-the Greenbelt Dichotomy
STATEMENT
Like the majority of Ontario residents, I was pleased with the Greenbelt Legislation when it came into effect. It was implemented to protect our natural resources and to control urban sprawl. I was all for it but like most of Ontario’s population I wasn’t aware of its impact on our agricultural industry. I live on escarpment land protected by the Greenbelt policy. Although I don’t farm, my neighbours do, and they enlightened me as to the constraints of this legislation and how it has impacted their way of life and livelihood.
The ‘Greenbelt Disaster’ series transpired after I caught sight of a hand painted sign of the same name propped up on the back of a tractor. The tractor was parked on the service road near Niagara’s QEW for all to see and behind it was a smouldering vineyard. It was a protest from local growers, whose vineyards and orchards were destroyed or left to go fallow because they could no longer afford to farm them. Since, I have visited and interviewed some of these growers and organizations and this series of paintings is a culmination of that investigation.
Your beautiful painting is packed full of atmosphere, I really like this one a great deal Jan.
ReplyDeletelovely painting of a great looking spot--!
ReplyDelete