Closed

This is a painting that I began in 2007, but completed in May, 2008. It was exhibited in May '08, and again at Duality this past May, 2010.

Closed
Acrylic and mixed media
on canvas, 24"x32", 2008

I do apologize that I haven't any photos of the piece as it progressed; as doing so has been recent practice. But as in most of my work, you can see many interesting layers of texture and depth pushed into the background.

My source of inspiration was yet another quote by Joseph Campbell from "The Power of Myth", where he writes, "Find a place (inside) where there is joy, and the joy will burn out the pain."

During the time that I began this painting, I was 5 or 6 months into my pregnancy. And for a short period before, and up until then, I honestly felt that I couldn't paint. I was trying to alleviate my anxiety by attempting to read every book I could find about pregnancy, motherhood, child-rearing...thinking that if I learned as much as I could biologically and psychologically about my child, everything would be okay. I mean, if one could simply stay a few chapters ahead in learning about different developmental stages, it would okay, right?

Needless to say, those were but some of the ideas and emotions fuelling the creation of this succulent, abstracted blossom. It does not appear to be a typical flower that may eventually bloom and open up; but rather one whose very petals and leaves themselves are soon to actually burst.