The Mind of Agnes Martin: Abstract Expressionist

Agnes Martin

By Dana Gee McClellan

At first, the decision to write about Agnes Martin came out of a desire to show respect for an old female artist who seemed to be in absolute agony. You see, after the first night of watching her on video in our Art Appreciation class, with all of her grunting, lip-smacking and issues of old age, I doubted that anyone else would choose her for their final paper. This isn’t meant to be a put down to her; it’s just that Martin was SO real in her interviews and so unconcerned with self and the outer shell, my first impression was that she was a man. Agnes Martin is a woman whose beauty comes from the inside, but once her beauty has been experienced, it’s hard to turn away. It’s not just the beauty of her art, but also of her wisdom. It is this essence of her that I will attempt to capture in this paper.

A Snapshot of Her Background

Agnes Martin was born in Saskatchewan, Canada in 1912. She moved to the United States in 1931, and began her college education at the Western Washington College of Education, Bellingham, Washington. She attended three other colleges while teaching art and eventually earning her B.S. in 1942. She became an American citizen in 1950 and received her M. A. in 1952. Both of her degrees are from the Teachers College, Columbia University, New York. In 1954 she moved to Taos, New Mexico and lived there for three years while teaching art and developing her painting skills. Very little art was sold back in those days, but in 1957 Betty Parsons of the well-known Betty Parsons Gallery took notice of her. After helping Martin to sell a few of her paintings, Parsons offered her a solo exhibition, conditional upon a move back to New York. Martin agreed, and was soon living in the Coentis Slip, which was a community of struggling artists—many of whom would later go on to become commercial successes.

Inspired by abstract expressionism, Martin moved away from painting the usual landscapes and portraits, to an abstract style. It wasn’t long before she came into her own, and according to London’s Times (quoted from notablebiographies.com/newsmakers2/2006-Le-Ra/Martin-Agnes), it was about 1960 when she reached her artistic maturity. The Times described her work as “a square format; canvas primed with two layer of gesso; hand-drawn pencil lines; thin layers of paint, first in oils, then in acrylic which she preferred because it was much quicker to dry.” It was this work that distinguished her and her style from the other artists in her genre, giving her the ability to command a pretty penny for her works.

Martin grew weary of the attention of the art world and longed for a much more secluded lifestyle. Eventually, in 1967 she made her way back to Taos, New Mexico and put her paint brush down for awhile. The Gale Encyclopedia of Biography (quoted from answers.com) states that, “Her refusal to paint for seven years at the height of her professional success added to her enigma, as though she were choosing spirit over matter.” It was during this time she began to write; giving the world access to her thought process and helping us to better grasp her work. After reading some of her writings, her paintings made much more sense.

Studying an artist a little bit before viewing their work is a good idea if time allows, because art can be hard to understand. An example of this would be one of Martin’s paintings, The Desert (which was expected to bring in somewhere between $4,000,000 and $6,000,000 at Sothesby’s).

The Desert

Completion Date: 1965

Style: Minimalism

Genre: abstract expressionism

Source: www.WikiPaintings.org

I tried REALLY, REALLY hard to see what the art critics were talking about with this piece, but I just didn’t “get it.” It could’ve been the fact that the computer screen was not picking it up the detail in the way that it should be viewed, but I couldn’t see where that would’ve made that much of a difference—not for 4 to 6 mil. What I could see was the color. It was, in fact, very representative of the luminescent coloring of a desert sunset. I can appreciate that very much. Martin had the luxury of being able to sit and soak up her environment, which included all those beautiful pastels and sandy colors we see on desert evening. Not only that, but it’s easy to imagine the feeling that goes along with it; peaceful, contemplative, and Zen-like. This is what she captured in this work.

What is hard to understand is the valuation of the piece. It seems obvious to me there is much more involved here than the artist’s talent. It’s seems more of an attempt to jack up the price of a work so that others can get rich on the backs of the artists, ultimately having the power to taint our perspective. We, the audience, need to appreciate a piece of work not for the amount of money it may command, but rather, for the value of our individual perception. Some of us may need a little help from the artist in order to understand the work, but once we do, it makes the art much more enjoyable.

Philosophy of Her Work

“All artwork is about beauty; all positive work represents it and celebrates it. All negative art protests the lack of beauty in our lives. When a beautiful rose dies, beauty does not die because it is not really in the rose. Beauty is an awareness in the mind. It is a mental and emotional response that we make” (Agnes Martin). It became clear to me after further research, that Martin had a way of stripping the illusion away from reality as she spoke in plain terms and revealed to us a much more profound way of thinking. In fact, I feel stupid for having been so superficial in the beginning. This beautiful soul didn’t need anyone’s approval; not mine and not the rest of humanity’s. She had evolved far beyond that. It was her mind, as much as her art, which attracted the appreciation of her followers. While Martin’s uncluttered perspective of life may seem out of the ordinary to the average person, to an artist, it’s about as close as one could get to Nirvana.

While watching her in the video Agnes Martin: With My Back to the World, we witnessed her as she painted and talked about her work. She described a horizontal line in the painting she was working on at that moment, a line we don’t want to go below because going below that line would take us into the negative. We need to stay above the line in “positive thoughts.” While she was discussing this, I became emotional for some reason. I’m not quite sure what it was that did it. Perhaps it was because I was so into what she was teaching and so aware of the negative thoughts that I have been carrying around with me, that it struck a chord. I must have been thinking, ‘you mean that’s all I have to do is stay above that line?’ Isn’t that what art is supposed to do? Strike a chord with us to the very depths of our souls? Even if only for a moment? She made me want to meditate on her work, in hopes it would help me to rise above the meaningless crap. This woman has a way of mirroring the core of our being and making us aware of what’s possible.

Her artwork reflects a type of repetition and what appears to be a kind of “classicism.” It is in this repetition we can see a form of meditation. It is predictable and therefore soothing and easy to take in. When practicing Zen meditation, one must focus upon something that is infinite or unsolvable. It is in this visualization of one thing only which helps to free the mind of clutter and better enable us to receive inspiration. Not only was Martin helping us to experience the infinite from our own perspective, with the possibility of receiving inspiration of our own; she was also expressing her own internal philosophy. She was a teaching artist, and she wanted to give us all the gift of peace.

Considered a minimalist by some, she referred to herself as an abstract expressionist and rejected the minimalist tag. While it’s not hard to see where someone might perceive minimalism in Martin’s work, our interpretation doesn’t necessarily describe her style. Who are we to tell her what her style is? Maybe it’s the audience who hasn’t taken the time to get to know her that labels her a minimalist. They are not seeing her art the way she is expressing it, they are only judging the work from their own perspective. The audience that has taken the time to understand her and may have more of a feeling towards art, will appreciate the abstract expression.

Work depicting the horizontal line, representative of positive thoughts above the line, and negative thoughts below. Martin. Untitled #9. No date. Image Source: http://www.lost-painters.nl/know-your-classics-6-agnes-martin/

Then again, couldn’t it be both? It could be the minimalism in her mind (the emptying) that allows her to receive and then express her inspiration. She has so mastered the un-cluttering of her mind, that in her later years she said she didn’t even have to meditate or put effort into it anymore. Martin stated, “I used to meditate until I learned to stop thinking.” All she had to do was determine it, and her mind would remain “empty” and ready for inspiration. She started with minimalism by reducing her thoughts to nothing—a blank slate, which gave her the ability to receive inspiration and would manifest itself as abstract expression.

I’m going to take it even further. This was a cycle she was creating and I can see it now. After it left her and became art, the general public received it as minimalism. Then what? Once we got to know her we were able to move on to the clearing of our own minds by meditating on her work and giving us the gift of inspiration. It would be up to us to decide where to take it from there. This is a social construct.

Strong Ties to Modern Art

As we are able to see in her earlier works, Martin leaned heavily towards abstract expression. The Harwood Museum of Art states in an article entitled Agnes Martin: Before the Grid, “The biomorphic piece—involving abstract shapes that evoke living forms—was a serious effort to find a new language and visual vocabulary.” What is biomorphic? According to Encyclopedia.com, it is a “term applied to forms in abstract art that derive from or suggest organic (rather than geometric) shapes.” It is representative of surrealism, and a good example of this style can be seen in the works of Jean Arp, an associate of Kandinsky and exhibitor with the “Blue Rider” group. His painting Configuration would be a great example of this. As Martin began to move away from the biomorphic shapes she began to focus more on linear and grid-like designs in grey tones and other washed-out subtle colors. She eventually got to a point where she couldn’t stand her earlier work and even went as far as to destroy much of it.

Above, an example of Martin’s Biomorphic work. Untitled. 1953. 

Image Source: http://womentakingaction.wordpress.com/

With her strong ties to the Modern Art genre, she has definitely made her way into the world of Contemporary Art. It is her ability to transcend her audience into a deeper realm of thought. She moves us from the canvas and into the mind with both her philosophy and her paintings.

A Peak into the Mind of Martin

For the sake of representing Martin more accurately, I’ve gathered together some of her own words and will use this section to convey as much of her essence as is relevant to this paper. This came from an in­ter­view done with her at her stu­dio in Taos, NM in 1997 by Chuck Smith & Sono Kuwaya­ma.
She believes (paraphrased):
· Once she gets an inspiration she makes up her mind not to interfere.
· The artists of today have the inspiration, but before they can get it on canvas, they have about fifty ideas, and that is when the inspiration disappears.
· Ideas are separate from inspiration; i.e. inspiration comes from the universe and ideas come from us.
· The best art is music; that it is the highest form of art because of the emotion it invokes.
· Artists don’t deserve the credit for their work because the inspiration comes to them and tells them exactly what to do. Even when they’re painting it tells them exactly which strokes to make. She says they have to take the blame if they get shaken between the inspiration and the finished product.
· Competition clouds inspiration.
· The worst thing you can do when creating art is to think about one’s self.
· The happiest moment for her with her art is when they go out into the world.
· The pursuit of knowledge is futile and is not conducive to inspiration.

Summary: My Opinion

I’m going to be honest here and tell you that I haven’t quite grasped all of her work and maybe that is simply because I’m not in a position at this point in time to be able to really sit and meditate on it. I will say however, I understand her and her philosophy. I admire her for forcing me to think about what’s real. Life shouldn't be about all of the “stuff” we tend to get so entangled with. We need to take time out and go deep.

I believe her work is classical in its striving for mathematical perfection. It allows us to focus on what needs not be thought about too much, clearing the way for inspiration. After meditating on her gridlines we are overcome with a feeling of infinity, which is an integral part of Zen meditation. This helps me to understand that she is ultimately striving for truth in herself and what she presents to the world. I feel safe with her because of that.

Having grown up with a mind full of self my entire life, I feel almost ashamed at some of the stuff I continue to think about—over and over again; constantly allowing the negativity of this world to enter into my mind. I have lived a life “below the line” and she makes me more aware of it. I see her as a kind of guru, one that I want to study more.

Agnes Martin is the Nirvana of the art world.

A Gridline Piece

Figure 2. Agnes Martin, Wood I, 1963

Watercolor and graphite on paper, 15 x 15 1/2 inches (38.1 x 39.4 cm)

Gift of Sally and Wynn Kramarsky, The Museum of Modern Art, New York. © 2012 Estate of Agnes Martin / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Image Source: http://www.aboutdrawing.org/notations/agnes-martin/

Landscape Photography by Dana McClellan

Getting out there and taking pictures helps me to appreciate and really see the natural world. I'm obviously not a pro, I just like capturing the sky and beautiful landscapes :)
I think next time I'll try a different movie maker. This one didn't produce as high a quality video as I would have liked. The images should be much more crisp. If anyone knows how I can make this happen, please leave a comment. I would greatly appreciate the input!

Time Out for Gratitude

By Dana McClellan

Because this is my soapbox and a place for me to express myself, I feel I'm within my right to get personal on occasion. Today I would like to express gratitude to the Creator of all things for loving me enough to bring me forth into this world. I'm grateful for everything, both good and "bad," for it is suffering that molds, motivates and cheers me on. It is actually my best friend, making life richer and more meaningful. Discomfort helps guide me and I now realize that sometimes I must be uncomfortable. Awake, but uncomfortable.

I am grateful I have the eyes to see that this world of form is made up of thought hurled forth into the universe. Not only by the Creator of all things, but also human beings as co-creators. We are told in sacred texts that we are capable of miraculous things if we'd only believe; i.e.--"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe--it can achieve ~ W. Clement Stone. It is even said, we are created in the image of God. What do YOU think that means?

I believe when the Creator spoke forth the "word" and the word became flesh, it's actually an analogy to the power of sound, frequency and vibration, which is the glue that holds everything together. "Created in the image of God" doesn't mean we have the same physical appearance, it is more a spiritual likeness to the "Holy Spirit." It means we can speak forth and create as well, once we understand how to tap into the Source. Our words and the vibrations we as individuals produce, come from our thoughts. Therefore, thoughts eventually become things. Everything we set our eyes upon in this world was set forth into motion by a thought. We must take care of the thoughts we choose to entertain and choose our words wisely, because each thought and word produces a feeling. Those feelings create a vibration that ripples out to infinity and passes through everything around us. We can sense when someone is having bad feelings because it creates tension in the environment and acts as a repellent; just as we can sense when someone is emanating good feelings, which draws and attracts.

What about music? Melody creates an emotion. The passion or mindset of the producer can be felt by the listener/receiver. Music is one of the only things on this earth that will either support or change the mood you're in. It is a part of the "glue" I discussed earlier. Creating and appreciating this glue is just one of the ways we humans get by in this world of form and I have profound gratitude over the fact that we have been blessed with this ability! Each of us is equipped with various ways of creating our own music in SO many differing ways. We can reset our emotions simply by emanating our own tune or by tapping into someone else's, so how do you want to feel?

When you look at a tree do you see the word tree or do you see the essence of what it may be? Imagine a world without labels and immerse yourself in it. Learn to really SEE the things around you and appreciate them. Go for a walk outdoors and allow yourself to be a part of everything you see. All the color and the sound, as well as the moving shape of each thing. This is GRATITUDE.

I am grateful for abstract thought, because imagination is where it all begins. It is the point of origin for everything brought forth into the physical world. Our Creator has given us the ability to tap into this wellspring to expand good upon good upon good upon good to infinity. "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed" ~ Albert Einstein.

I am grateful for death because it can strengthen relationships. My uncle Mike passed away recently. He was a man's man. A strong provider for his family who developed Alzheimer's at the end of his life. Would he have chosen to die in that manner? NO. He died before the disease had a chance to completely incapacitate him, which was a blessing. After his death, I was reunited with a couple of cousins and a sister I hadn't seen in 25+ years. This was GOOD. There is good in every "bad" thing that happens. My uncle's death brought family together who would not have gotten together otherwise. There were some family members who I had never even met. I'm grateful for the time I spent with all of them, rekindling old relationships and creating new ones. It was all GOOD.

I use to look at people I thought were "successful" and "rich" and feel envious. I wanted what they had. It is the mindset that is continuously pumped into the crowds I was a part of at the time. I understand the wanting to be free part; I get that all to well, but what never felt right was the fact that I rarely appreciated the present moment. I was a miserable human being looking to the future for happiness. Now I understand that we have no guarantee of a future and no power over the past. We only ever have the present moment, which is the only place our power can be found. We must make it a practice to SEE and immerse ourselves in as much as the senses can take in RIGHT NOW. This is where we find our connection to what is real, both physical and spiritual. This is where we find the "Holy Spirit."

Highly suggested reading: "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle

Eckhart is the shiz!!!

I Am: The Observer Behind Thought

By Dana McClellan

Who am "I?" Undeniably the most persistent question we ask ourselves throughout the course of our lives. We all have glimpses at certain times where we realize we are far more than our thoughts. Moments where life becomes crystal clear with the revelation that the essence of us is something much bigger than our physical bodies. It's something that continuously lingers in the back of the mind of humanity. Individually, we go through phases where we are more tapped into that feeling of "knowing" than at other times. Although, some may try to resist or deny it.

The Observer

For most of my life, I've been a very vivid dreamer. I went through a phase at around age thirty, where I kept a journal beside my bed so when I awoke from a dream, I could immediately jot everything down before the details disintegrated from my memory. I wouldn't always remember everything of course, but at one point I was so into dream-journaling, I had the ability to be consciously present while in the dream. I had trained myself to where I could be inside the dream and made it a point to remember little details of the environment I was in; like what time it was, what it felt like, who was present, what they looked like--all the way down to what jewelry they were wearing. I would purposefully remember these details, just so I could write them down when I came out of the dream. I was inside the dream, knowing I was dreaming. It was pretty crazy.

One thing I remember about all of my dreams, there was always another consciousness present. One I could never identify. I didn't actually see another person, but it was definitely another consciousness that felt VERY familiar. That's the only way I can describe it. Now I know who that consciousness was. It was me! The REAL me. The awareness observing all of my thoughts. It use to bug me I couldn't figure out who this other entity was, because it felt much more than just familiar. It never said or did anything, nor did it give me a good or bad feeling; it was always just there "observing." I didn't put two and two together until I went to write this post, then for some reason, I remembered.

We all have that--ALL of the time. We may not be consciously aware of it, but the observer is always with us. It is the "I" in us which has the ability to view our individual thought-life from a objective point of view. It is the true essence of us that is at one with what I call the Holy Spirit. Others may call it consciousness, the universe, enlightenment, etc...

What is Thought?

One very important thing we all need to realize, is that our thoughts do not determine who we are. Initially, our thoughts are an unconscious physiological activity similar to breathing or digestion. We have no control over this unconscious thought-process. I don't know about you, but when I realized that it was quite a relief! We aren't completely off the hook though, we do have control over what we do with those thoughts and that's what determines the quality of our lives. If we are able to view these thoughts from the observer's perspective, we will be much more effective at taking our thoughts captive and bringing them to the obedience of God in us. The God in us is not selfish and fearful, and there is no ego. It wants the best for everyone and loves unconditionally. It is the spiritual root for our purpose on this earth and will not lead us astray.

Again, we all have this in us and it can be tapped into at any given moment. There is nothing in the world of form that will make us feel as content as tapping into the force and "content" is such a lowly word for what I am trying to describe here. We all have the power of the universe at our fingertips. We all were created in the image of God. I for one, have only begun to understand what that means.
I do know this, I've never felt the peace I do now as an adult, and I know it's only going to get better. Knowing I have the ability to look at those negative, self-sabotaging thoughts from an objective perspective makes all the difference in the world. I know it's all conditioned thinking. I have the power to capture these thoughts and re-wire my own brain. That changes everything.

Changing the Physical Realm

#1 most effective way is by practicing mindfulness, which is to say, the act of being fully present in the moment and truly appreciating it. Not looking to the future for happiness or contentment, but grateful for everything you are now. When we are fully present in the moment, we become the conduit for which the Holy Spirit flows through and we see negative thoughts for what they really are--petty and meaningless in the grand scheme of things.

#2 Visualize positive action. Practice it in your mind over and over again to re-wire the brain. It may take some time to develop this muscle, but if you come at it from a conscious perspective, it will help immensely.

If you want to know more about re-wiring the brain, read my post on "Neuroplasticity": 

You May Be Addicted to Your Emotions! Learn About Neuroplasticity

The Internal Observer

Things to Meditate on When Life Gets a Little Crazy:

• There is a stillness which permeates everything and was there before anything.
• I am at one with this stillness, therefore I am at one with everything.
• I am eternal life. My body may pass away, but "I" will remain.
• God is always in the present moment, where time does not exist.
• I am at one with God, I have the Holy Spirit residing in me.
• "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

"Stillness is the Move" by the Dirty Projectors

"Stillness Is The Move"

When the child was just a child

It did not know what it was

Like a child it had no habits

No opinion about anything

Maybe I will get a job

Get a job as a waitress

Maybe waiting tables in a diner

In some remote city down the highway

After all that we've been through

I know we'll make it after the wait

The question is a truth

There is nothing we can't do

I'll see you along the way baby

The stillness is the move

On top of every mountain 

There was a great longing

For another even higher mountain

In each city longing for a bigger city

After all that we've been through

I know that I will always love you

From now until forever baby

I can't imagine anything better

Isn't life under the sun just a crazy, crazy, crazy dream?

Isn't life just a mirage of the world before the world, before the world?

Why am I here and not over, over, over there?

Where did time begin

Where does space end

Where do you and I, where do you and I begin?

“There is something in every one of you that waits and listens for the sound of the genuine in yourself. It is the only true guide you will ever have. And if you cannot hear it, you will all of your life spend your days on the ends of strings that somebody else pulls.”
~ Howard Thurman 

See more inspirational quotes at: 

http://www.living2inspire.com/p/quotes.html

1 LOVE!!!!!!!!

Dana

Living2Inspire’s First Featured Artist: Pierre-Paul Marchini

By Dana McClellan

First, an Introduction to “Featured Artists”

I never realized how art could evoke such a range of emotions out of me. I am not by any stretch of the imagination—an "art connoisseur" (is that even the appropriate term?). In fact, I only recently began learning about it through my Art Appreciation class in college. That class opened up a whole new world and revealed to me what I had been missing. My instructor showed me how to sit quietly with a piece and actually experience it instead of merely looking at it. I learned that it wasn’t important whether or not I fully understood the artist’s expression. Art isn’t about rules. It’s about expression and individual interpretation. That being said, I do tend to get more out of a piece when I take time to learn a little about the artist and his or her perspective. It helps me to see things (nature, beauty, people, the world) in ways I would have never thought of, thereby opening up whole new realms of thought.

Through this one class, I realized that I am partial to impressionist and expressionist work. I was assigned an artist to explore and write about for my final project, and that artist was Wassily Kandinsky. I came to love his use of color. The fact that he painted what he saw in his minds-eye, as related to sound and emotion was what really resonated with me.

My focus here in this blog is on what inspires the human mind. Personally, I tend to categorize inspiration as originating from two places; either from the source of all things (God, Holy Spirit, the universe, consciousness) or from the physical realm of form. Not that one is better than the other; I believe both are necessary. We have a need to seek experience and express both spiritual and physical realms. I’m interested—and I hope you are too—in what inspires other human beings to create. For that reason, I will ask the same question of every artist that I feature: “Where do you feel your inspiration comes from?” and I’m going to ask that they really give it some thought.

Pierre-Paul Marchini 

www.marchiniart.com

When I first came up with this idea, it was after befriending hundreds of artists from various industries in the Google+ social media platform. My home page had instantly become much more beautiful and interesting because of all of these new acquaintances. I had been thinking of ways to make my blog a more interesting read, while at the same time adding value to other people, so I decided to post a request though both Facebook and Google+ for artists who would be interested in more exposure. I was extremely excited when I received a response from Pierre-Paul Marchini.

While we do have a little bit of a language barrier (he speaks French; I speak English) we have been able to communicate with the help of the Google translator app. It’s not perfect, but we’ve managed pretty well. When I first saw Marchini’s work, I knew it was exactly what I wanted to start with. As with Kandinsky, I was impressed with Marchini’s use of color, as well as the captivating scenes he portrays. I am mesmerized by his paintings.

When I asked Pierre-Paul Marchini where he felt his inspiration came from he said,

“Je trouve mon inspiration dans les éléments qui m'entoure , paysages,mer, montagne , l'interprétation est personnel bien sur . J'utilise le couteau qui procure des effets de masse et de de légèreté tout à la fois.”

English translation, “I find my inspiration in what surrounds me, landscapes, sea, mountain, the interpretation is personal. I use the knife which provides mass effects and lightness at the same time.”

Biography

This is translated from French and although it is not a perfect translation, I cannot presume to provide a better one. I think for the most part it is easily understood,

[T]he art of the light flow darkness to silence the encounter with the work of the artist is at once surprising, because it occurs while surfing the web. Three words suffice then to show the virtual gallery of the painter: "Peter Paul Marchini." Thus, the pictorial journey into the world can start or turn into a ballad where a real sense know upheaval. "The work of the artist expresses forcefully the color and light (...) as the last bastion of a sinking black seems imminent, or as an expression of love and poetry," Pierre Squarcini analysis, poet and friend the creator's paintings of Pierre-Paul Marchini therefore they are a message of hope. Invoking the light, they conjure up the darkness and leave in effect a frenzy of colors. More precisely landscapes of Corsica South made ​​with oil. "Oil is my favorite material. It is a substance that can better express what we feel. Especially since you can try various tests before obtaining the desired result, an impossible exercise with acrylic dries too quickly especially, "says the artist's eyes Pierre-Paul Marchini, acquisition that freedom of expression has always been a necessity."This is a difficult one to overcome. For years, I have experienced the feeling of being limited in my art. My paintings do not satisfy me fully. This is why I decided to take a break 3 years ago. I had doubts about my abilities as an artist. This judgment was beneficial and crucial for my career," he says. Indeed, the painter, self-taught, was in the habit of exercising his passion by borrowing classic traditional techniques: brush and small sizes. But constantly questioning and fascinated by the Impressionist period, inspired by Monet or Pissaro, he could not bring himself to part reducer. place is now done and the very large sizes, with eg 100x70 cm canvas but also the use of the knife. A change which ensures a significant change, both in form and in substance. "Now my paintings reflect my desires. I finally feel able to express my painting as I see fit. This work remains close to impressionism, forms are less accurate, yet they are highlighted with color, mixing 100% handmade," says Pierre-Paul Marchini. A man paints what he sees, without stage as the expression of an experience. However, he sometimes returning to a place immortalized without realizing. "These are landscapes that do not necessarily exist, snippets of memories that have been recorded and recreated. However, it is never a work from photographs or specific models. I paint mainly felt, "he says works of Pierre-Paul Marchini are moving, vibrating. Member Drouot Quotation of Artists and registered with the Maison des Artistes Professionals, soon he exhibited in a gallery in Montmartre, then rotate throughout the year at galleries Corsica, Paris, Swiss, Italian and German. A small tour of Europe which confirms already known to the painter, who holds the secret to the light flow on the canvas. "Given the artistic research, the philosophical view, view of the strength and quality of his work The Jury awarded Pierre Paul MARCHINI, Grade of Chevalier Academic and awarded him the Medal of Arts section BRONZE" LM

Here is a presentation by a French writer, which will lead us into some images of Marchini’s art:

Translated…

Enter the world aflame Marchini Pierre-Paul is walking on fire, being dazzled by his paintings subdued mystery and beauty burned. This is follow him on bridges of gold and blood, the blue and the shadows of his wanderings sublime. Which artist! Everything about him is that blazing light creeks, waterfalls fire, scratched shadows of twilight ... In this conflagration emerge according to our imagination shapes and silhouettes that the painter has created or maybe not ... [His] paintings [are] the projection of our own imagination. Each painting is an appointment with our dreams. ~ Jean Paul Sermonte Writer Poet.

Music to enjoy while you view the art

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After viewing these digital representations, I hope you will visit Marchini's site at: www.marchiniart.com

Art Appreciation #1 Tall Painting

Tall Painting

How cool is this?

Mindful Music #2 Debussy

I love how Debussy captured the impressionist era--so ethereal and mesmerizing.
I'm inserting a Monet to meditate on while you listen to the music (below the video).

Claude Monet , Saint - Georges majeur au crépuscule . jpg

Click image to enlarge

You May Be Addicted to Your Emotions: Learn About Neuroplasticity

By Dana McClellan

What is Emotional Addiction?

After experiencing some major setbacks in life, I had managed to get myself into an extremely dark place. In fact, I look back on that time and it's all kind of a blur. I became increasingly unsettled in my thought processes and decided it was time to do something about it, so I did a little research on "reprogramming the brain." This post will cover some of the important points I discovered through the study of "Mind-Science."

The first thing I became aware of is that I've been addicted to my negative emotions (as many people are). Scientifically, our emotional addictions have their roots in our past and the only way to dissolve those addictions is by recognizing them and establishing new patterns. Sounds logical right? Many of us already know this and may truly believe we have taken corrective action and moved on, so why is it that nothing is changing for the better in our lives? Recently, scientists are telling us it's because our brains have become physically wired into these negative patterns, so on a subconscious level, the only way to satisfy the addiction is by repeating the pattern. Many of us don't recognize the pattern or the addiction, so the cycle continues.

Back in the day, when I was living my old story, the love I had for my husband felt hopeful and exciting. We had so much we wanted to do and share with each other. It wasn't until years later, when life didn't go the way we both felt it should, that love began to feel painful. We spent years in that pain. Our brains had developed those connections and used the same pathways associated with that pain--constantly, over and over again. We weren't able to sustain our relationship and finally separated after many years together. 

If love is considered such a positive emotion, how can so many bad feelings come from it?
It's because we associate our love with the negative experiences that have occurred over a period of time, reinforcing those negative pathways. Our emotions, completely influenced by our ego, is what drives most of us to take action, fly off the handle, be hurtful, or have a need to be right. This action is triggered by the association of past events in our lives. Our own individual world is one long story created by the self (ego). This story isn't the truth of who we are at our core. It is the self that is separated from God and acting through conditional thinking; it functions at a superficial, unconscious level. However the ego may still capture glimpses of consciousness or awareness.

Have you ever experienced that? A moment where you are fully present and can see yourself objectively? A moment where you fully realize you are more than your thoughts or your physical body? It is a feeling of warmth and knowing and one-ness with our Creator. It is a moment that we realize our worry, resentment, anger, anxiety--mean nothing.

After doing some reading and watching a few videos on the subject (some of which are inserted below) I know that when it comes to the brain, "nerve cells that fire together--wire together" (Donald Hebb "Hebb's axiom"). If we are repeatedly practicing the same anger, frustration, or sadness--over the same type of situation, we are reinforcing the behavior that causes those connections to develop a long term relationship. It's called Neuroplasticty and it's not just theory anymore.

Some short videos that describe neuroplasticity in VERY simple terms.

Creating New Pathways

How do we reverse this negative way of thinking and acting? I'm just going to scratch the surface here by saying that one way to do it is by being fully present in the moment and practicing gratitude. When one is present, it is much easier to capture negative thoughts and see them for what they are. Another way is by visualizing what we want in the future and actually experiencing it. We must meditate on it as if it were real. What does it look like, feel like, smell like? How does it make you feel? What are the sounds and other sensations you are experiencing? Studies show that our subconscious mind can't tell the difference whether it's real or not.

Building New Pathways

“As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

- See more inspirational quotes at: http://www.living2inspire.com/p/quotes.html

I've written in previous posts about being "present in the moment" (mindfulness) and I plan to go much more into detail about this topic. Mindfulness gives us far better perspective. It helps us to be grateful for what we have and are--thereby, interrupting negative cycles. I believe it is the key to living a content and happy life. It is within us all, so we can always access it. No more "I'll be happy when..."

Gratitude Video (again because I love it)

One LOVE!

Dana

Get Rid of the Anger in Your Life!

By Dana McClellan

The Effects of Anger

I don't like putting too much focus on the negative aspects of life, but we all need to have an understanding of what is "bad" in order to move forward into what's "good." If you are a person who is holding onto anger, resentment or some type of grudge, you need to know what it's doing to your body and your life. We all have this in us at one time or another. I've known some people who spend their whole miserable lives directing this immobilizing energy towards one single person. 

I think the term "immobilizing energy" (I just made that up by the way) is a good one because that's exactly what it is. Our thoughts and our energy remain fixed on that resentment, keeping us from seeing or acknowledging anything good that might be trying to make it's way towards us. It's a curse. A curse that we place on ourselves. When we are unable to see anything good in our lives, we are unable to move forward, thereby becoming immobilized. Make sense?

Not only that, but let's tackle the other part of it; where does all of that festering anger-energy end up? It's got to go somewhere. We're all very aware where it goes for those Type-A personalities aren't we? They are the door-slammers, plate-throwers and wife-beaters. Type-A's are known for their risk of heart-attack and high blood pressure, as well as higher incidents of external injury. What about the more passive Type-B personalities? These are the people who allow negative emotions to simmer over long periods of time, slowly eating away at the body from the inside. These are emotions that create bad habits and bad stress in the body. This bad stress is linked to a whole host of diseases weakening the immune system. Cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, depression and chronic inflammation are just a few of the ailments caused by this type of stress. 

I don't think I need to site my sources here. If you are a human being living on this earth, you have been exposed to this information. NOW is the time to take head. If you want to learn more about how the body reacts to stress, just Google--stress and disease, effects of chronic inflammation or stress and cancer as keywords. There is a plethora of material out there, with a large percentage of it coming from reputable sources. 

Turning it Around 

Now that we've reacquainted ourselves with the ugly side of our negative emotions, how do we turn it around? I've written about it here on this blog in previous posts. We place ourselves into a setting that promotes giving, mindfulness and gratitude. I'm going to add one more thing and it's something that is covered in most of the major religions and philosophies; it's the act of taking our thoughts captive and bringing them into submission. It takes work. We can start out with the most debilitating of our thoughts and once we've gotten into the flow and built up our thought-capturing muscle, we will begin to apply it instinctively to all our negative thought-patterns.

It's pretty easy to see how this would release the flow of positive energy back into our lives isn't it? It's a basic principle. It's a biblical principle. It is a law of attraction.

3 things to put into practice NOW:

• Forgive the person and the circumstance, then go to work on forgiving yourself.
• Take the time to see where you may be of help to others. It will force your eyes off yourself and get you thinking from a better perspective. 
• Practice the art of prayer, meditation or mindfulness (or all three). It's good for turning your thoughts around and making the important things more clear. 

One Love!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dana

The Grand Illusion

The illusion is all around us. Do you take time to think for yourself? Or do you allow your government, culture, church, educational system, peers, parents, spouse, siblings or favorite news channel to do it for you?

Wake up sheeple! This is YOUR life.

One Love!
Dana

Breaking the Illusion of Limitation

God is an Artist #1

I'll always give the artist/photographer credit when the info is available. This one didn't come with any info.

Gratitude: The Art of Mindfulness

By Dana McClellan

I'll be happy when....

To most of us, happiness is conditional. It is a fleeting emotional state based on things, relationships or stations in life not yet attained. When it does make an appearance we are only ever able to get a glimpse of it because we have not yet mastered the art of mindfulness for any length of time. What is mindfulness? It is gratitude at it's best. It is being fully present in the now and holding it for as long as possible.

Here is one of the most beautiful videos you will ever see on the topic of genuine gratitude (mindfulness). Please watch. It's about ten minutes long and it is time well-spent.

I'm just learning this stuff, but I can tell you it has made a huge difference in my life. I find that when I take my camera out into nature, it's very easy to get myself into a state of mindfulness. Maybe that's why I crave nature so much, it brings more life to me. Other times are when I'm hanging out with my sons and I stand back for a moment and watch them interact with each other, or when I'm petting my dogs, or listening to a piece of music that moves me. I spend quite a bit of time in solitude during school breaks. During that time I immerse myself in books, music, writing, nature, and positive thinking as much as possible. All these things help me to be fully present.

Lately, I've been working hard at mindfulness with other people. I've had such a lack of confidence in myself all my life that when I've had an opportunity to meet someone, I'd be so focused on ME that it was extremely hard to remember the other person's name just ten seconds after hearing it. I'd be so caught up in how that other person might be judging me, I could barely retain the words coming out of their mouth. I don't want to be that kind of person anymore. When we truly love the person we are, that type of stuff is not an issue. We don't need that kind of approval from others, so we are free to include them into our sphere of mindfulness. I realize loving oneself isn't as easy as I make it sound. It takes a lot of work, but there are ways of obtaining this type of revelation. Louise Hay's books and videos are really good for this. Her exercises might seem silly at first but she's not a world-renowned author and healer for nothing. 

ONE LOVE!

Dana