The Past and its relevance

A fellow quilter posted about her design process. I commented  on it mentioning that it reminded me of a time my Dad "did the seeing for me" on a painting.  I generally start a painting with a totally non-representational process. I add and layer paint building design and texture (??design and texture??- a lot like quilting when you think about it!).  Then if I happen to see a representational image in it one of two things happens.  I can either strengthen the image or change it. In this instance I strengthened it.  You can do the same with quilts by adding applique or creative piecing.

I am re-posting the following from 2006.  My Dad passed away in July of 2011.  I hope that this honors his memory.

I almost never purposely put a person in my paintings. I am "afraid" to paint people. (too hard you know) The most curious thing is that they continue to show up there and beg my attention. That is how Daughter of the Moon came about.

I had painted a very non-representational painting. (meaning it wasn't supposed to "look like" anything. ) I was showing it to my parents. We were trying to decide what to call it and which end went up. Yes, it is true,  I make no claims to understand what I paint.

Mom and I were turning it and chatting saying what elements we were seeing. (I should mention that neither of my parents are artists nor are they educated in art. I still consider their opinions highly valid.)

This is what mom and I were looking at. Dad said, "Hey, come over here. Don' t you see that woman sitting down?




And there she was...up close she was just blobs....but ....
Now I knew she was there and I had permission from the muse to paint her.

Daughter of the Moon

This is the finished (maybe?) work. Dad saw the magic in the picture and made me see it.
Mom had been seeing creatures in the ocean until we all saw the woman. So
Mom gave it me the idea for the name...she said - maybe it is Hiawatha* and I said, yes....by the shining big sea water. (I do know that Hiawatha was the son of Nokomis..but I did not correct her)

Here is an excerpt.
*By the shores of Gitche Gumee,
By the shining Big-Sea-Water,
Stood the wigwam of Nokomis,
Daughter of the Moon, Nokomis.
Dark behind it rose the forest,
Rose the black and gloomy pine-trees,
Rose the firs with cones upon them;
Bright before it beat the water,
Beat the clear and sunny water,
Beat the shining Big-Sea-Water.
           ----reposted from September 2006.
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