Staying open to all possibilities….

One certainty of life is that there will always be change.     We go through good times, challenging times, the weather is wonderful or not so good, all depending on where we are and what we are doing. 

One of the many things I have learned in my 68 years is the importance of staying open to all possibilities, and so it was last weekend when I attended a seminar here in London.  

For me, it was one of those transformational moments, which I will write more about next week when I have had time to assimilate what I experienced.     

So much of my work is based on symbolism and so today I offer this peacock, which is a detail from a large oil painting I am currently working on.     The peacock symbolises, resurrection….and in this instance for me, yet another new beginning. 

 

Today I am off to see the work of one of my heroes, the great English painter Joseph Turner at the National Maritime Museum. 

I wish you all a beautiful weekend. 

http://www.janetweightreed.co.uk

A Bientôt

 

New Beginnings

‘Pull a thread here and you’ll find it’s attached to the rest of the world.’   Nadeem Aslam. 

I have been working on a large oil painting over the summer.    It’s 5′ x 4′  (152 x 122 cm) and for the first time, I am using Winsor & Newton water mixable oils.      They behave and work in much the same way as regular oils and the clean up is so much easier.   I give them an all round thumbs up.

I wanted to express through this painting the interconnectedness of all life.  

As humans we seem to be fixated with what can be seen and touched.    I am much more interested in the unseen magic and wonders of our world.   My goal is to achieve a sense of atmosphere and emotion, tapping into the intangible elements of life. 

Given that the painting incorporates the same symbolism I have been using in my work during the past forty years, it is also  a self portrait of my life as an artist.

The painting is still a work in progress.

I am a lover of all animals, and especially big and little cats.

The tigers symbolise passion, mystery, sensuality and patience.

The Peacock – nobility, guidance, immortality and renewal.

The Great White Egret – is known in many ancient cultures as the spirit messenger.

The hummingbirds – were believed to be messengers between the worlds, symbolising eternity, continuity and infinity.

The landscape in this painting is taken from the magnificent Amalfi Coast in Italy.    I stayed in Conca dei Marini last October and fell in love with the place…..and its exquisite light.

I found a beautiful little fountain with a stone cherub overlooking the bay where I painted watercolours, which I used as reference in this painting.

The Little cat in the bottom left hand corner of the painting, visited me there, and it felt as if she had brought a message to me from my beloved cat Cristeve.

The Morning Glory flowers, symbolise death and re-birth.    The seeds which have hallucinogenic properties were made into drinks by the Aztecs when communicating with the spirits.

The new moon – represents – new beginnings.

The following are some watercolours used as reference for this painting:-

Great White Egret.

The little visiting calico cat.

Conca dei Marini, Amalfi Coast.  

For anyone interested in my blogs over the past five years….Go into my website at http://www.janetweightreed.co.uk and click on the ‘Archive blog’ button.

For now I wish one and all a beautiful day filled with loving hummingbirds:)

A Bientôt