I made this relief painting to capture my memories of past silent nights. This required a journey back to my childhood. It required me to remember where it all happened and to imagine how it looked, felt, and influenced me. The tree, the star, and the songs are worked into this piece because they were the strongest memories of the beauty of my past Christmases. I am so glad I took this journey to the past. I have returned with peace, joy, and a sense of gratitude. How lucky I was to experience such joy. How lucky I am to recreate that joy through my “Epiphany Art” at Christmas. It lets me bring that joy into the present moment.
Tag: spiritual experience
Journey Outside the Box
I made a sculpture titled “Outside the Box,” and it started with a small, wooden box. The pieces of curled paper that are spilling out of the box have words on them: misfit, outlier, dissenter, and deviant. They are words that express thoughts I had when I first considered “the outside.” I could have kept the box closed, folded all the simmering thoughts away, and locked the box tight. Instead, I let it open, and I let myself take a turn on my journey. I tried life outside of it.
Dancing in the Doghouse
I see hope in my life story. I can see the hope because I have kept an account of it: on papers with a pencil, upon canvases with a paintbrush, using torn papers, pastels, glitter and ink. “Dancing in the Doghouse” is my story of hope shared so others might see the hope, too.
Painting My Journey in 3D
The flaps and doors that open and close let the viewer move through many moments on my journey: moments that have happened, are happening, and are to come. Doing this three dimensionally creates an awareness of time shifting and changing: a liminal experience.