ROUND 1
MrsDoubleA
It
was a dark and stormy night, but those were the best nights for creating art.
The pit-pat-patter of the largest drops on the roof calmed me, as did the
roaring, rising sound of the storm getting larger and closer. It seemed that
the more devastating the storm was to the surrounding area, the better my art
became. The resonating boom of thunder spread through me, reverberated inside
me, guided my motions. The lightning set the pace for my strokes. When it
stormed, I thought less, merely created more. It made me think of the ocean, of
cliffs, of mountains. The storm reminded me of the glory of nature, the beauty
surrounding us.
Like
lightning from the ground, I rose to meet the storm. The booms, claps, and
flashes that tomorrow would leave trees split and mailboxes uprooted inspired
me, sparked me to make good art. When I was a child, it started with
watercolors. When it stormed, I would gather a cup of rainwater and use it to
mix my paints. It felt like I had truly captured a piece of nature if I used
the water supplied by the sky. As I grew older, my techniques and materials
varied more - I branched out to acrylics, to oil paints, to ceramics and
pottery, but I still tried to include the materials supplied by Mother Earth as
often as I could.
ROUND 2
Moominbrooke
Tonight,
however, was special. The storm inspired me as had no other. I went up the
ladder to the top shelf of my supply cabinet and dug out a canister of a
material that I had been saving for years to try. It was fashioned from green
and yellow swirled glass, and organically asymmetrical. Inside were ground
particles of fulgurite- the crystal structure formed when lightening hits the
sand. I spilled a modest amount into a mixing bowl and watched it sparkle dully
like grey-blue crushed glass.
The
air crackled around me, and lightening leapt across the sky. Almost immediately
a peal of thunder boomed like it was inside my studio and wondered for a moment
if opening my bottled lightening strike had brought the storm closer.
I
went outside with my water bowl and it quickly filled with rain. Mixing it into
the bowl of ground fulgurite, I looked around the studio for an object to coat
with it. The ladder. Perfect.
ROUND 3
RooBaRoo
The fulgurite powder was special. It was lightning I could
touch. The outside lit up again, followed by ear-shattering rolls. It elated my
spirits. What a feeling. So much to feel, such an atmosphere to absorb into
myself, & into artwork! I had never made the phenomenon the subject of my
art, as I am humbled by the enormity of it. I just feel blessed to be able to
witness its raw energy. I love to be one with the creation, & thunderstorms
give me the feeling of blending into the universe.
I understand why the ancient cultures worshipped the forces of
nature. Not just because they were afraid of these, that too, but also because
it is such a liberating experience, to see the method in the madness, the
rhythm in the random, to be involved in it!
The ladder is old & sturdy, & trustworthy, all that you
expect the nature herself to be! & it is made of cedar, which makes me
think of the perfect motif for it, the Ke’et, the canoes of spirit of the Tlingit. I had not been to Alaska
personally, but I had seen Orcas, as a child, on a vacation trip. These
“Killer” whales mesmerized me. They are so intelligent, no wonder the ancient Tlingit
considered them human. They carve them in red and black, & the hypnotizing
black & white meandering curves on their bodies become other organisms,
animals & fish, & the Ke’et becomes many beings, all beings, the being!
But I’m not going to carve the wood, I have the petrified
lighting, in its beautiful blue-green. Will the rainwater hold it together? I
climbed my supply cabinet again to get some Pine resin I had personally sapped
a few years ago. There began a strange knocking on the main door of my house.
Strange as if someone was knocking. I
hated to be disturbed when I was painting. But this could either be the storm
itself, or someone needed shelter from it.
If it was the latter, I did need to go let them in.
ROUND 4
Apelser
As
I made my way to the front door, I looked in awe at the lovely dances and
shadows the lanterns in the hallway made against the walls. It looked so lovely
and it truly mesmerized me. There were so many things that started to edge on
the artist in me. The knocking on the main door started up again and I hurried
to the door.
As
I looked through the peep hole, I couldn’t see anything. Surely I was not
mistaken, but maybe it was my imagination. I turned around and started making
my way back to my sanctuary, but only gave two steps and then……… I turned my
head. Yes, yes I am sure of it………there was indeed a knock on the door. Once
again I looked through the peephole……nothing! Was I imagining this?? As I stood
there with my hand on the door, I could feel it…… I felt it through the door.
There was someone there…I peeked through the peephole again……no one, but how??
There
was someone there but I couldn’t see them……Was I loosing my mind? Was things
getting to me that I was imagining sounds and feelings? Any sane person would
ignore it, turn around and walk away. They would wipe this out of their mind,
but I couldn’t…something was edging me on to open the door. The next moment I
was unbolting the latches and started turning the keys - when did I pick up the
door keys? I cannot remember, but somehow I did it without another thought. I
turned the door knob and opened the door……
As
I opened the door, the was a loud thunder crack sounding if it was right in
front of the door, trying to come in. strangely it didn’t scare me. I opened
the door wider and then a movement from lower pulled my eyes down to the porch
floor. Could I truly be seeing what I was seeing? Or was I imagining
things……How? What? Where? Who? Why? All the questions popped into my head at
once as I stared down and saw the most beautiful, loving eyes looking up at me.
ROUND 5
Rottifan4
They were a mesmerizing ocean blue. It wasn't unusual to
occassionally see a dog wandering around the forest, but that was usually
during open hunting season or when vacationers were in town. But, this dog was
different. He was mostly black with a white belly and small white patches near
each eye. Of course he was drenched but he appeared to be smiling. I looked
around outside for a possible owner who had maybe gotten lost on a hike. My
only glimpses of anything were during bouts of lightening but I only saw thick
rows of trees. I called out for someone but got no response.
"Well, what do I do with you?" I asked my visitor
whose tail began to wag. He remained seated at the door politely while I
grabbed a towel from the hall closet. I invited him in and dried him off.
Perhaps someone will come looking for him tomorrow after the storm lets up I
thought. "Until then," I addressed the content canine at my feet
"I'm going to get back to work. You can come along if you'd like." I gave him a welcoming smile
and headed back to my waiting studio.
Stepping up to my muse I tried to get back into my zone. The
ladder was waiting for me. I pictured in my mind where I would begin. I reached
for my materials but caught something out of the corner of my eye. I turned
just in time to discover that this was no ordinary dog.
ROUND ??
RooBaRoo
It must have been some kind of illusion, a trick my eyesight
played in this darkness seasoned with lightning. The strange visitor seemed
suddenly luminescent. Had somebody painted him in Phosphorescence like the
Hound of the Baskervilles? For the first time tonight, I was truly afraid. He
was cocking his head to one side, his eyes closed in luxurious comfort. He
stretched & yawned, & it happened again. He lit up! & by some
coincidence, the sky lit up too! I was now not sure whether I was scared or
excited! It’s cats which have mainly been linked to the extraordinary, the
supernatural. & yet, here was a proud beauty, who seemed to be able to
“sync” to the skies, he was truly electrifying!
I was wishing more and
more that no one came to claim him the next day! He seemed to enjoy the wild
ecstasy of the weather as much as I, & he did not particularly mind being
wet either, he had dried up as a gesture of courtesy to me! He seemed like an
ideal companion for me, who had never felt the need for one, human or animal,
before.
But more than anything, I was dying with curiosity, was the
lightning really sympathetic to him? Was it even possible? As if on cue, my new
companion made himself more comfortable, gurgled, & I witnessed the same
strange “glowing dog” effect & a low
rumbling thunder swept across the sky which blinked several times! I was
delighted at the possibility! If what I think is true, we will have many, &
frequent “nights of the lightning”! What a night, I suddenly shivered. I
realized that the heightened sense of creativity, & one-ness with the
nature outdoors, had been in preparation to receive this new phenomenon in my
life.
There would now be many, many, arty nights, & endless
inspiration. I wondered what he would be like on a bright warm morning. I
wondered what had led him to me. It gladdened my heart to think that he had
claimed my home as his. As he had
settled himself comfortably, & appeared to have no further demands as of
now, I turned back to the masterpiece which was now impatiently waiting for me
to release it, searching my mind for the perfect name for my art-mood-bringer.
No comments:
Post a Comment