I began this weekend Friday evening with a swim in the springs.
Late afternoon – after a thunderstorm had chased away most of the park residents, then cleared – just a beautiful empty pool before me. The late day sun and shadows in the water before me.
Looking Below The Surface – Art Quilt
I remembered the way water and Labor Day went together in my childhood. I lived in a community with a neighborhood pool. It was filled on Memorial Day. (All the local kids rode their bikes to stand with noses through the chain link fence, watching the water rise in the pool.) It was emptied the day after Labor Day. The gate was locked, the water receded.
That was always a day of loss for me. I loved going to the pool to jump in the water all summer.
As the water level went down, the big empty concrete pool was like a big blue scar.
I am drawn to water. It finds its way into my works.
Being in the water is transformative.
In the water, my body can do things it cannot do on land. In the water I have to think about breathing in ways I do not have to on land.
Even being near a body of water casts a spell.
Discerning What Is Real – Art Quilt _Detail
Still water is never completely still. Something small and alive bounces across the surface, or moves in shadow under the surface. I like to sit and look wondering what is underneath.
Running water casts a different spell. Its movements are healing. The surface patterns. The sounds. The flow of energy.
Revealing the Invisible – Art Quilt - Detail
I am reminded that incorporating water into an artwork can capture the meaning people attach to water.
I am reminded that I should handle its depiction with care. I want to get it right.
I have several works in my studio now that depict water. And several more in my head.
Work in Progress – Boat Reflections (Detail)
Work in Progress – Tree Reflections (Detail)
Work in Progress – Water Patterns (Detail)
I hope the sense of immersion – the strong pull of water I feel when I swim - will find its way into these works.
For all the artmakers: Happy creating
For all the art lovers: Happy appreciating
Thank you for reading. I always enjoy questions and comments.
--Bobbi
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