Shadows, Dancing

Title: Edge of Light, acryic, collage, rice papers, clay crows

It comes blundering over the
Boulders at night, it stays
Frightened outside the
Range of my campfire
I go to meet it at the
Edge of the light.
---Gary Snyder, How Poetry Comes to me



"Such is our way of thinking--we find beauty not in the thing itself but in the pattern of shadows, the light and darkness, that one thing against another creates." Jun"ichiro Tanizaki, In Praise of Shadows


"The quality that we call beauty, however, must always grow from the realities of life, and our ancestors, forced to live in dark rooms, presently came to discover beauty in shadows, ultimately to guide shadows towards beauty's end."
------- Jun'ichiro Tanizaki, In Praise of Shadows

The Quebec Canada artist, Linda, whose work can be found here, uses delightful light and shadow to stage and compliment her imagery of text and books.
When new artists begin, they often see shadows as dark gray or black. As they develop their observations and gain insight they come to realize that shadows have color or reflected light. Something seems to be flickering and shimmering in the dim half light. As artists become more attuned to observing nature, and light, the mysteries and secrets of shadows are revealed. As an artist myself, who loves contrast and black and white, shadows can soften the edge between light and dark and be a transition. This "visible darkness" brings balance and harmony to the work. Do you lean towards the light, dwell in darkness, or dance in the shadows in between?

How to Read a Stone

Title: ZEN, acrylic, Japanese scroll, rice papers, metal

"Another fact of prime importance to remember is that, in order to comprehend the beauty of a Japanese garden, it is necessary to understand---or at least to learn to understand---the beauty of stones. Not of stones quarried by the hand of man, but of stones shaped by nature only. Until you can feel, and keenly feel, that stones have character, that stones have tones and values, the whole artistic meaning of a Japanese garden cannot be revealed to you."
--------------------Lafcadio Hearn, Writings from Japan



"When stones are moved and rearranged, they speak to other worlds."
-------------- Ellen Meloy, The Anthology of Turquoise

My aesthetics---what I like---extends beyond my studio. I don't think artists can separate themselves from their surroundings. In my search for my identity in my work, I look inside my closet. I look at my home decor, the books I read, and outside at my gardens. Like the elements in my paintings and assemblages, the stones, plants, and Buddha outside are planned and arranged until they are pleasing to my eye. The smooth stones may be stacked or flat, but they are an integral part of my gardens. A rock garden next to the pond creates harmony. Balance. Peace. Tranquility. Meditation.
Can you hear the waterfall splashing against the rocks above the koi? Your outer world reflects your inner world. My studio is where I do my work, but my gardens become my sanctuary and my inspiration. Where do you get your inspiration?