WISDOM AT THE CROSSROADS PODCAST.

The Synopsis…

Tis the season for new growth with spring on the horizon at last. A new season on the paint wall is allowing for experimentation, discovery and dependably, colour.
Preparations for a “Spring Fling” at THE PULSE GALLERY in Winnipeg are shaping up to be the beginnings of a refreshingly colourful new chapter. Locals can join your host at The Forks April First, 2-4 pm. You’d be April foolish to miss it. NO JOKE!
The show continues until the end of the month.

The Mandart meditation that concludes this episode continues the theme of growth and discovery. We take in a little forest bathing without the need for travel or passports. This self care practice can refresh your senses and help you to soar whatever the weather.

Fresh off the paintball.. “GROWTH: WISDOM/ INNER RESOURCE”, Acrylic on Panel Diptych, Each panel 36” x 48”, 2023

At the studio…

At the studio recently as a new season begins to emerge, the snow begins to melt and the residue of winters weight begins to lift I have been painting a lot of references to the natural world. Painting with colour has long been my antidote to winters length but the winter is also a gift in that It allows for time to work with focus at my studio practice.

First marks on a new triptych are made in gesso without a plan or an intention. They are a physical response to the materials at hand and the surface that receives those marks. I stand to paint and this size 20” x 40” x 3 canvases is a comfortable and generous space to work on from that perspective.

A new audience at the PULSE GALLERY …

Preparation for a exhibit gets me excited and I will paint till I literally run out of time. Above are the beginnings of a new trio I am undertaking just a week ahead of my show. I don’t intend to show them then but I will continue to work on them as my creative energy flows.

There is something about a deadline that lights a literal fire under me and keeps me in flow. It can actually be a little exhausting but also a lot of problem solving fun. If you have been following along you will be aware that black has not been part of my studio practice for a very long time. Instead of saying never I am embracing change and taking opportunities to play and experiment. An accidental purchase of black gesso instead of my usual white has proven to be an opportunity to change things up and to try new things.

And why not? Each studio session takes its own form. I am trying to trust my experience in the painting process and allow the conversation between materials and a surface to begin with the gesso. Gesso is the sealant that prepares the surface to accept the paint without diffusing it. In the recording I say I don’t care about adhering to the criticism of my inner voice, and while that is what I am striving to do of course some days that is easier than others. Of course I care about my work and the execution of the process and the end product. I care about the perceptions of all who have invested in my work over the last 25 years or so, what I don’t care to do any more is to hold myself to a rigid scale. I am working at ditching perfectionism and embracing the materiality of the media I choose to work in. I’m a painter not a photographer or a graphic artist and I am embracing the intrinsic actions as they appear on a surface… for me that is definitely growth.

How do you see yourself embracing growth in your daily actions?

This trio of 20” x 40” panels are developing.
I have included this image as an illustration of a second or third pass across the surface of this evolving triptych. I am still concentrating on covering the entire substrate with gesso, only in this group, I am inviting those earliest marks into the creative conversation.
Green seems to be a colour I am drawn to lately. That might be because spring is in the air? Or it just might be part of my evolution as a painter? Friends have commented that previous bodies of work have a noticeable focus on a particular colour. Could the current green trend be related to the heart chakra? Who knows? I guess hindsight will offer a clearer perspective down the road. Stay tuned to see how this trio evolves.

Here is another swath of green as it appears on a recent canvas. I employ a lot of contrasts in my work. This hint of pink, which I love in the mix of this particular painting helps to give the composition energy. In much of my work the reactivity of contrasting colours often becomes a compositional devise that helps me to direct the viewer within the visual story of the composition.

Embracing change, trying new things…

And why not? Each studio session takes its own form. I am trying to trust my experience in the painting process and allow the conversation between materials and a surface to begin with the gesso. Gesso is the sealant that prepares the surface to accept the paint without diffusing it. In the recording I say I don’t care about adhering to the criticism of my inner voice, and while that is what I am striving to do of course some days that is easier than others. Of course I care about my work and the execution of the process and the end product. I care about the perceptions of all who have invested in my work over the last 25 years or so, what I don’t care to do any more is to hold myself to a rigid scale. I am working at ditching perfectionism and embracing the materiality if the media I choose to work in. I’m a painter not a photographer or a graphic artist and I am embracing the intrinsic actions as they appear on a surface and for me that is definitely growth.

How do you see yourself embracing growth in your daily actions?

“GROWTH:WISDOM” is the Left side of the diptych shown at the top of this blog. This duo are the last pair painted ( and completed) for the “SPRING FLING” exhibit Pulse Gallery in Winnipeg are hosting. The show runs from April 1-30, 2023.
After many years of wearing all the hats I am accepting the invitation to be supported with gallery representation. I hope if you are in Winnipeg at the Forks in the month of April that you will stop in to JOHNSTON TERMINAL, 25 Forks Market Road, Winnipeg, to accept a refreshing dose of colour into your soul.

“We grow when it rains”.

“GROWTH:INNER RESOURCE” Right side of Diptych, Acrylic on Panel, 36”x 48”, 2023.

Mindful Moments within a Prairie forest…

Inspiration is everywhere and I find the real world and my studio world flow together. Thoughts of a new season are bringing a new colour palette into my work and also inviting thoughts of being outside experiencing the natural world into focus.

Those thoughts got me thinking about friends of mine who recently purchased a new property in the countryside. They have spent a few summers now getting acquainted with their woodland home and as they have gotten more familiar with the landscape and its inhabitants they noticed the tops of trees reaching through the dense tangle of generations of overgrowth.

With an exploratory mindset they began to excavate some of the organic debris, to decommission the residue of past seasons and to make way for what could be new.

As they worked to clear to rubble of untamed growth, they unearthed a pair of boulders set about six feet apart. I’m told these large, round, time worn stones, felt like markers that defined an entry point or a gateway to an intentional place.

As the clutter of undergrowth was gradually cleared through their actions and intentions they came to realise their land was host to a small henge or copse, a ring of pine trees growing in a supportive community.

What a lovely analogy their industrious experience of landscape provides.

I adopted that exploratory mindset as I developed this episode’s “Mindful Mandart Meditation”.

Settling in to our meditation with an exploratory mindset…

In our self-care practice in this episode a real time story of growth and refreshment inspires a refreshing pause.

When I begin my practice I like to close my eyes to get in touch with the idea of being still. Closing my eyes also helps me to tamper my curiosity and bring my focus within, to be where I am.

When you listen in on the recording you ‘ll notice we combine our personal visual with the international breath. As we notice the inhale we imagine the refreshing scent of the evergreen forest, warmed now beyond a hint of spring, to fill the air with its exhilarating fresh scent.

We invite that refreshment in on the breath and might also welcome the wisdom the pine forest is thought to shelter within.

We take a moment to appreciate the grounding effect of these living totems that form a physical bridge connecting to the earth to the sky, and Invite and accept this natural refreshment .

Press the arrow in the player at the top of this blog to listen in to the complete episode or you can access the show and listen in on your preferred platform. I hope the time spent will help you to feel refreshed and ready to personally grow.

Green in the details in recent work. I am attracted to contrasts and this quinacridone red smeared in a blend with clear gesso makes for a lovely “popper”. It illustrates one of my effects, that of remnants from an under layer peaking throughout to the surface. Those “poppers” are often my favourite features within any painting. They become compositional details that help to lead the eye of the viewer into and through a composition.

Thoughts for your journal…

Taking to a journal or giving ourselves an opportunity for a little reflection after a meditation is a lovely activity if time allows. Here are a few questions you might like to contemplate.

What might we have hidden in plain sight?

What we can invite to melt away with the new season?

What might we be able to work through to provide room for expansion within us?

I hope you have enjoyed a restorative pause.

Our time together is coming to an end for the time being. If you have enjoyed our time together or have found something that resonates for you within my stories I hope you will return to your favourite episodes regularly. I also hope you will also consider sharing this podcast and this blog with a friend.

I appreciate you listening in to this podcast and joining in on the visual journey with me here on the blog. I hope the images are helpful and that you are finding something of your story within mine.

So, until next time, be you and be well.

With gratitude as always,

Amanda

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