Wintering

Who lives here?

Winter came early this year. In early December, and it was well below zero most days.  Now, in the heart of winter, I respond to the season: time to draw with, time to reflect, time to nurture creative seeds.

While January is the deepest part of the gestation season, it is also the beginning of a new year. I feel myself pulled in two directions: the instinct to retreat from the cold to create, and the desire to initiate new projects in the brand new year. A year one (2+0+2+6), it is said to bring the energy of change and beginnings. How can I integrate the two?

Perhaps this January is indeed a time to prepare for new beginnings, but all new projects need preparation.  So, it is time to lay the groundwork.

Recently,  I have been working on what I think will be a large series on pieces exploring the generosity of trees. From the initial sketches I have begun a series of drawings with pencil and markers on paper that map the life harboured by trees. I used the design of the sketches to outline different possible inhabitants from the same series of lines. I use colour blocking to reveal several possible maps for each original design.

This work is still not completed, but I have also begun to work on canvas using the original designs. Using textures from paste and recycled materials, I will develop a series of paintings inspired by the same sketches. One of these is under way, but it is still in the experimental phase. I am not sure yet if the others will be similar. I am allowing the process to evolve organically.

This project feels like a weaving of everything that inspires me: the spirit of nature, the lessons of its cyclical essence, and the possibilities these provide for both writing and art.

As the work evolves, I am sure it will lead to a large body of work. The year’s unfolding will see where this leads.