I once read that the best kind of rain is a “cozy rain”, where you could sleep in late, curl up with a good book, settle in by the fire with a cat on your lap and drink a cup of tea. The last of the cool silver rains of early spring soon fade into the showers that bring
Sometimes at night when I can’t sleep I have a cup of herbal tea formulated for nightime. There are many on the market to help you get some rest. They contain ingredients with naturally calming sedative herbs such as – Chamomile, Valerian, St. John’s Wort, Hops, Lemon Balm and Passion Flower. Also plant compounds such as Skullcap to help reduce anxiety. I find that these herbal teas are not the best tasting but they seem to do the trick. Silently and slowly sipping until sleepy.
I am sharing a spontaneous moment of brushy color in the form of a cup and saucer from my sketchbook. I wanted to experiment with this color combination. The warm and cool of complimentary colors – orange and blue against a black background. Orange is the color of warmth and energy (sounds like what a cup of tea gives me). Speaking of the color orange, I think of Orange Pekoe tea. Orange Pekoe is actually a black tea which is now known to have health benefits improving clogged arteries, helping treat diseases and making breathing easier for those with respiratory problems. So, tea has many benefits besides just focusing my mind. Orange as a tea flavoring is usually combined with spices. There are orange and herbal infusions, or those that have a black tea at the center with added orange-y and exotic flavors. But here, just a taste of something from my sketch book.
Like most artists, I get a vision of something in my head and if it lingers long enough I put it on paper or canvas, something to bring it to life and share. Line, form, shape, becomes design and color – tangible. My view from inside comes out to meet the rest of the world.
Tea and I go way back. When I was little, my mom would have tea with her friends and they would chat and I got to tag along. Even as a child, I had tea too – in a china cup. Tea tastes better in a china cup or at least a special cup. Coffee and tea are for slowing time, energizing the mind, being in the now, and for being together. It can aid in opening the self to another person or a meditative opening the self to the self. Fixing a cup of tea when I get to the studio is a ritual I have that helps me settle in and get focused on the task at hand (sometimes I have inadvertently dipped a brush in the cup...oops!).
Isn't it great when you get to benefit something you love by doing something you love? Classical music inspires me and I love violins — the way they sound and their sculptural form (you may have noticed that they frequently show up in my artwork). So when I was one of 24 artists invited to paint a violin to be auctioned to raise money for the Utah Symphony I said “Yes!” They gave me a violin that was no longer good for making music. I sanded it, painted it white with gesso and began my creative brainstorming. I wanted to create something colorful, cheerful, and harmonious with the shape of the violin.
My idea came to me out of the studio so I sketched it on the back of an envelope, then at the studio I refined my sketch and made some color studies. I did the drawing actual size and transfered it onto the violin.
It was a little challenging painting on an object that has no flat surfaces.
The violins were on display in various galleries and at Abravanel Hall before each symphony concert starting in December and ending at the Utah Symphony Guild’s fundraising auction event called “Heart Strings” that culminated on Valentine’s Day. All of the proceeds from the auction benefit the Utah Symphony and its outreach programs. I heard the event was a big success and raised lots of money...that's music to my ears.
I recently saw an inspiring and beautiful performance by the award-winning animator Miwa Matreyek at the Salt Lake Art Center’s “New Frontier” exhibition in conjunction with the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Miwa performs behind a large screen where her own shadow silhouette beautifully combines and interacts live with the projected animation of her wonderfully illustrated environment. You can see excerpts from the performance “Myth and Infrastructure” on vimeo and learn more about this fascinating artist on her website. I particularly loved the part where she becomes an island with fish swimming around her, and a camp is set up on her back, and birds swoop down to capture fish out of the sea. I found it enchanting and wanted to share it here with you.
