Regurgitating Stress

While I love my job, (like I mentioned in my last blog) it can certainly deal it's own handful of stress, and last week was a doozey. I didn't know how much I had been holding until the weekend began. I know that I paint to release stress, but this weekend I couldn't stop - it was like a very urgent regurgitation of everything inside me - all at once!

Saturday started as usual. One painting was finished by mid afternoon (The Cleansing). After dinner, I was driven to the canvas with another idea that was knocking on my brain cells. Luckily, Darl was busy with some shelving renos, so I didn't feel like I was neglecting him. The second painting was finished in two hours (The Firmament).

Sunday I woke early and started the third painting. I tried to stay away from the canvas for the afternoon and evening, but it was really hard! (Really, I tried - only sneaked in an hour).

Thankfully, Monday's Louis Riel holiday afforded me a few more hours to finish this last piece.
Originally called "The Tree", I have to update the name to "Keening for the Dawn". I hope Steve Bell won't mind my using the same name as his new advent album, but there is no other name that can adequately explain this painting.

I have been thinking a lot about Good Friday and Easter lately - and this painting is in honor of Good Friday. I represents the moments before dawn of Easter morning. The tree is ugly and thorny, the mood is raw and painful, but there is a sign of life on the side nearest the rising of the sun.

I finally feel like everything inside of me is emptied and I can rest.

Special thanks to inspiring photos by Tara Craigon (sunset) and Meggie Kornelsen (gnarly tree from Texas).

A Valentine Song

It was a very good day at work today. Steve Bell came into the office for the afternoon and asked us if we'd like to hear a new Valentine song that he wrote for his wife.... ;) My new assistant Sabrina, Dave and I listened as Steve sat down with his guitar and played the poetic, reminiscent and slightly cheeky tune. Have I mentioned that I love my job?

One of the best perks of working at the Signpost Music office are these moments where we sit, listen to new music with virgin ears, and later watch the process of a raw song develop into a polished and layered recorded composition. Steve was explaining to us how a new melody usually has a word or note sequence that will at first make us question if we like the song, and then after listening a few more times, we get used to it and either decide we like it or not.  It's the same thing with a painting - we will look at it for the first time and see one thing that may irritate us at first, and then as we take a longer look, we see the "whole" and perhaps see a bit of what the artist is communicating through the piece.

Steve explained that a song is like a "journal entry" to the artist - an expression of something very personal. Whether one writes, sculpts, paints or sings his or her journal entry, it resonates personally and therefore fulfils its purpose.

I could identify clearly with this explanation, as an artist who is discovering the art of journaling on canvas. He went on to say that sometimes the work of art becomes meaningful for others who are in relationship with the artist, and occasionally the work will go on to resonate with a wider community. This happens if the theme of the art is universal enough and leaves enough space to "insert self here".

It is at this third level that the piece "gives voice" to a general audience and takes it's place as part of the larger cultural landscape.

I have discovered this joy of learning that someone else "inserted" themselves into the meaning of one of my paintings.  Don't you think that it's time that the work of more Christian artists should emerge and become part of our cultural landscape?

*Thank you to Steve Bell for waxing philosophic once more.