Musing on Creative Process

Orbiting Seashells - Digital Art c 2016 Lynda Lehmann

I believe the "logic" of abstract art is purely an internal logic: a logic of the visual language. Some or many elements compete for various positions in the totality of the piece, and those elements can be compared to the elements of spoken language. Some areas are dominant, like the subject of a sentence. Some carry the "action," as a verb does. Other areas of the composition are transitional and create linkage between one area and another, kind of like a preposition. 

This is just my own perception. But in my thinking, I have run into this metaphor again and again. And I'm fascinated by the language comparison: in this case, with the analogous visual parts making up the analogous (visual) "whole." 

In what way do YOU regard abstraction?  Maybe you think of it in a musical or psychological or religious paradigm?

Lynda Lehmann c 2013 

from "Peripheral Vision: Inner Sights by Lynda Lehmann"

Note: You can click on each photo to see a larger version. All images and text on this blog are copyrighted material, and may be used only with written permission, except where syndication rights have been granted. All other rights reserved. Please visit my sites listed in my sidebar if you would like to see my paintings and more of my photography and digital art, or make a purchase. You can also find cool, artsy gifts at my Zazzle shops!

“Seashell Burst” and Other Archetypal Forms

I call this image "Shell Burst" because it reminds me of the proverbial "Sunburst."  The sun has been a metaphor on numerous levels for the human species since the beginning of time, so it seems to follow that any image resembling a sunburst might conjure subconscious archetypes.  This closeup of a gorgeous fluted conch in relation to an adjacent shell makes a meditative still life that to me, is a tribute to nature's gorgeous diversity.
I am impressed by the delicate ridges of shell that encircle the center, and I'm reminded of the repeating, self-mirroring forms in nature that are expressed in the mathematical algorithms of fractals as well as in so many natural forms.  The self-replicating forms of ferns and other plants are perfect examples of the impressive genetic codes that determine each species of life on earth, and the same majestic display of order within diversity goes on at the highest heights of mountains as well as in the depths of the oceans that comprise our globe.
What are some of your favorite examples of repeating forms?


Note: You can click on each photo to see a larger version. All images and text on this blog are copyrighted material, and may be used only with written permission, except where syndication rights have been granted. All other rights reserved. Please visit my sites listed in my sidebar if you would like to see my paintings and more of my photography and digital art, or make a purchase.

A Balanced Form of Self-Love

The Eloquence of Dreaming - Mixed Media - Image c Lynda Lehmann

Producing art gives us power. I see it as a power over ourselves, over our energy, perception, motivational systems. And perhaps most important, I view it as a supplanting of our need to achieve a social equilibrium (which in my mind is never really possible anyway), by a need to achieve harmony with ourselves in relation to the universe. 
The truth wear six billion faces, and each has different life circumstances, a different life script, if you will, and a different mode of being. For me, doing art takes me to a place from which I can accept all scripts and embrace the subjective and relative nature of truth. Because my own script is to me so engaging, at times enthralling, and always varied and full of mystery, it teaches me both tolerance and hope. It gives me confidence in the infinite potential of the universe, for hope, harmony, and healing. In short, it gives me joy. 
 I've heard it said that artists, in doing art, are participating in a God-like Creation process, and indeed it is true. While we are by no means transmuted into gods by the creative process, we at least become His humble hand-maidens. We see glimpses of beauty and wonder in places where other people may fail to look, unearthing it at every turn. We see new relationships, both visual and metaphoric, sociological and scientific. And this is our reward for moving away from the more petty power struggles that so often escalate into real and dangerous conflicts around the globe. 
I've heard it said, also, that we artists make art in order to find love and to be loved. I think the apex of this is that in the tender connections we make to the universe, we find some degree of self-love. I think this is a balanced form of self-love that perceives the relative and tenuous nature of things, including the subjective nature of our own lives. Therefore, in my opinion, it is a mature self-love, not to be confused with narcissism.

Note: You can click on each photo to see a larger version. All images and text on this blog are copyrighted material, and may be used only with written permission, except where syndication rights have been granted. All other rights reserved. Please visit my sites listed in my sidebar if you would like to see my paintings and more of my photography and digital art, or make a purchase.

Butterfly Blossoms in Magenta Colorful Abstract Art Throw Pillows

Unfortunately, I've been absent from blogging for a long time.  And I do miss sharing experiences and perspectives with my blogging friends!
Life has a way of throwing us curves, but it's a good thing to return to our (neglected) passions.  I've been busy working on my stores at Zazzle, when I have a little time to myself.  Here are some new products in one of my favorite designs.  I hope you love color as much as I do!

 

Butterfly Blossoms in Magenta Throw Pillows by WaterSky
Check out more Jazzy Pillows at Zazzle

 

Butterfly Blossoms in Magenta Laptop Computer Sleeves by WaterSky
View more laptop computer sleeve.

 

Butterfly Blossoms in Magenta Messenger Bags by WaterSky
View more commuter bags.

 

Butterfly Blossoms in Magenta Business Card Template by WaterSky
See more Jazzy Business Cards

Note: You can click on each photo to see a larger version. All images and text on this blog are copyrighted material, and may be used only with written permission, except where syndication rights have been granted. All other rights reserved. Please visit my sites listed in my sidebar if you would like to see my paintings and more of my photography and digital art, or make a purchase.

Today's Thought On Art: Elements of The Visual Language

Untitled Gray - c Lynda Lehmann

I believe the "logic" of abstract art is purely an internal logic: a logic of the visual language. Some or many elements compete for various positions in the totality of the piece, and those elements can be compared to the elements of spoken language.  Some areas are dominant, like the subject of a sentence.  Some carry the "action," as a verb does.  Other areas of the composition are transitional and create linkage between one area and another, kind of like a preposition.  
This is just my own perception. But in my thinking, I have run into this metaphor again and again.  And I'm fascinated by the language comparison: in this case, with the analogous visual parts making up the analogous (visual) "whole."
Lynda Lehmann c 2013


Note: You can click on each photo to see a larger version. All images and text on this blog are copyrighted material, and may be used only with written permission, except where syndication rights have been granted. All other rights reserved. Please visit my sites listed in my sidebar if you would like to see my paintings and more of my photography and digital art, or make a purchase.

Today's Thought On Art: The "Logic" of Abstraction

Frantic Rooster c Lynda Lehmann 2013 - Acrylic on Canvas 

I believe there IS a logic in building the visual experience we refer to as "abstract art."  What is missing is a logical referent to any specific and time-bound element or phase of "reality."  For this reason, abstract art owns a freedom and flux unattainable in obedience to realism.    
Lynda Lehmann c 2013 
Note: You can click on each photo to see a larger version. All images and text on this blog are copyrighted material, and may be used only with written permission, except where syndication rights have been granted. All other rights reserved. Please visit my sites listed in my sidebar if you would like to see my paintings and more of my photography and digital art, or make a purchase.

Of Unknown Origin: The Mysteries of the Universe

Of Unknown Origin - Image c 2012 Lynda Lehmann

Nature cloaks herself in Mystery, not revealing "why." Perhaps She knows that telling, would destroy the quest. She gives us only inklings, some fragile, small glimpses, in order to preserve her Truths. And her message to us, another paradox, is: Protect to Partake.

Please note that you can click on each photo to see a larger version. All images and text on this blog are protected by copyright law, and may be used only with my permission, except where syndication rights have been granted. All other rights reserved.

Please visit Lynda Lehmann Painting and Photography or Lynda Lehmann at Imagekind to see more of my photography, digital art and paintings. You can find my art on great Zazzle products at my Watersky Store. My other sites and links are also listed in my blog sidebar. I hope you've enjoyed your visit!

Celebrating the Ubiquitous Beauties of the World: Artistic Impressions by Lynda Lehmann

Photo c Lynda Lehmann.

Here is the link to some of my articles on creative process, written awhile back and published at Creativity Portal.  I hope you enjoy them.  My favorite is "Art and Power".

Celebrating the Ubiquitous Beauties of the World: Artistic Impressions by Lynda Lehmann

NOTE: You can click on each photo to see a larger version.All images and text on this blog are copyrighted material, and may be used only with written permission, except where syndication rights have been granted. All other rights reserved. Please visit my sites at http://LyndaLehmann.imagekind.com/ or http://www.absolutearts.com/lyndalehmann/ if you would like to see my acrylic paintings and more of my photography and digital art. You can find a list of my other sites and links in my blog's sidebar. Or google my name for more links. I hope you enjoyed your visit!

Art Creates Hope

Art Creates Hope - Image and Text c Lynda Lehmann

I dedicate these words and this image to all the creative people 

I know, who keep hope and love alive in their hearts!

NOTE: You can click on each photo to see a larger version. All images and text on this blog are copyrighted material, and may be used only with written permission, except where syndication rights have been granted. All other rights reserved. Please visit my sites at http://LyndaLehmann.imagekind.com/ or http://www.absolutearts.com/lyndalehmann/ if you would like to see my acrylic paintings and more of my photography and digital art. You can find a list of my other sites and links in my blog's sidebar. Or google my name for more links. I hope you enjoyed your visit!

Enchantment Before Twilight

Bathed in Evening Light - Lynda Lehmann c 2011

 
NOTE:  I have picked these two photos from my archives to post with this poem, as I could not shoot while paddling.  But they don't do justice to the beautiful play of light, water and sky I witnessed on this occasion.  Nor do my words suffice, but I write them in homage.

Enchantment

Thunderheads form and morph: vast cumulonimbus canyons turn from white to gray to orange or silver-rimmed.  They stand silent, at a distance.  Evening sunlight's warm caress, wraps a golden light over the emerald island: a jewel-like scene that seems to shimmer with benevolence and promise.  Verdant glowing hues band outward from the island's shore, reflected with sky tones and bands of gold and black in the flowing stream.

Pale violet clouds in cauliflower forms bifurcate and move higher, until they reach the towering nimbus state.  
So far beneath them, paddling the lake in my tiny blue kayak, I feel my smallness.  
Each dip of my paddle brings up droplets that make whirlpools as they fall back onto the water's surface.  A line of whirlpools ripples smaller as each moves forward from the first set of spreading circles.  I can hear each drop fall and watch it meld.  Ensconced in the drama of whirlpools and lace-like water doilies, my boat is couched in a pattern of of subtle movement: energy waves strong enough to be visible, yet insignificant to the larger universe.  Yet, with my persistent stroke, I have made them.  I watch the forms disperse as they merge back into the infinite and undulating sea. I do not have the power of nimbus clouds, but I make my own music, just the same.
I feel complete, ensconced in the luxury of light show and water symphony, while the sky plays its pastel counterpoint.  
It's hard for me to believe there's room for conflict, greed, and suffering in this world, while I am surrounded by all that seems holy.  
-- Poem c Lynda Lehmann 2011 

Enchantment - Image c 2010 Lynda Lehmann

All images and text on this blog are copyrighted material, and may be used only with written permission from me, except where syndication rights have been granted. All other rights reserved. Please visit my sites at http://www.absolutearts.com/lyndalehmann/ or http://LyndaLehmann.imagekind.com/ if you would like to see my acrylic paintings and more of my photography and digital art. Or you can Google my name to see my other sites and links. I hope you enjoyed your visit to my blog.

In Praise of Abstraction

Metrimorphic III -  c Lynda Lehmann 

If we are going to discuss the validation of art by virtue of "skill" or "meaning," we have to give abstraction a fair shake. To my way of thinking, abstract art is more interesting (if not more beautiful) than realism, because it presents a visual experience that has no precedent in reality. It presents something totally new and is its own reality. Realism refers to a single point in time and space even when it is arresting, compelling and speaks to universals.
But abstraction can be richly layered and full of ambiguity and mystery that yields fresh nuances of visual experience with each viewing. To me, abstract art comprises a rich, multi-dimensional experience because it doesn't cater to the constraints of time and place. The new visual experience it presents is of value in and of itself, and does not require a literal meaning in the usual sense. As a matter of fact, it may call on the viewer to be a more active participant in the viewing, because it reaches beyond our usual scope of perception and lends itself to the subjective reality of each viewer. Art does not need to refer to political or religious ideologies, or even the continuum of human emotions and experience, to garner its meaning. It simply is, and therein lies its meaning. And to me, abstraction is very compelling in its visual (and emotional) richness.
As for the "skills" part of the equation, Kandinsky (among others) manifested a high level of both imagination and skill that many realists don't possess. I wanted to post some of his images to illustrate the point of this post but because of copyright issues, had to use one of my own, instead.  Compelling abstraction is difficult to achieve, often involving both concept and great discipline that match or exceed many realist paintings.  

NOTE: I first wrote this as a response to a discussion on Robert Genn's Painter's Keys site.  You can read his original letter and the responses, including mine, here.  While you'e there, you might want to sign up for Robert's thought-provoking newsletter.  
All images and text on this blog are copyrighted material, and may be used only with written permission, except where syndication rights have been granted. All other rights reserved. Please visit my primary site at http://www.lyndalehmann.com/gallery if you would like to see my acrylic paintings and more of my photography and digital art. I hope you enjoyed your visit to my blog!

Silver Linings Trim the Sea

Silver Linings Trim the Sea - Image c Lynda Lehmann

Some views of nature invoke powerful feelings and there's not a word or set of words that will do them justice.  We know when we are witnessing scenes that speak to mysterious powers beyond our comprehension.  
I took a series of photos the other day on a beach on the south shore of Long Island, facing into the sun.  Photographically speaking, this is a no-no, especially without a good polarizing filter.  Since I had only my Nikon 7000 with me, I had to settle for its built in neutral density filter.  I simply could not pass up taking shots of the clouds and beach lit up in bangles of silver.  
Even the seagulls couldn't get over the drama in the western sky.
When clouds obscure your horizon, I wish you bright silver linings!

Witness to Clouds and Sea - Lynda Lehmann c 2011

All images and text on this blog are copyrighted material, and may be used only with written permission, except where syndication rights have been granted. All other rights reserved. Please visit my primary site at http://www.lyndalehmann.com/gallery if you would like to see my acrylic paintings and more of my photography and digital art. I hope you enjoyed your visit to my blog!

New Abstract Painting: Byzantine Blues

Byzantine Blues - Lynda Lehmann c 2011

"Byzantine Blues" is one of my recent series of small paintings, just 11 x 14 inches.  It's one of those paintings whose name seemed to arise out of the ether as I finished it.  While my title does not really fit the definition of Byzantine, I still like it for this work.  Since it's my painting, I guess I can call it whatever I wish!  One of the added joys of making art is the freedom to associate ones image with words and name it thus. That is, to see an image in your own unique way.  

The viewer too, is called upon to see whatever he or she wishes, and that is the freedom that is inherent in the ambiguity and mystery of abstract art.  Although the bottom line is that titles are not at all necessary to the visual experience, especially of abstraction, and may even detract from the viewer's freedom to see it in his or her own way.
Dictionary.com defines "Byzantine" as follows:
4.  Fine Arts . pertaining to or designating the style of the fine or decorative arts developed and elaborated in the Byzantine Empire  and its provinces: characterized chiefly by an ecclesiastically prescribed iconography, highly formal structure, severe confinement of pictorial space to a shallow depth, and the use of rich, often sumptuous color.
You can see that this painting does not resemble the "ecclesiastically prescribed iconography," of Byzantine Art at all, although the confinement of pictorial space to a shallow depth and the use of rich color, may apply.  You can read more about the Byzantine Empire at Wiki.  
Why have I just written several paragraphs to outline why my title doesn't really fit my image? The answer is that creative process is messy.  It doesn't conform to the parameters of logic or conscious thought. It's not rational. And that's what makes the journey interesting.
Although I appreciate the beautifully rendered realism of masters such as Da Vinci or John Singer Sargent, my preferred style of painting is abstract.  What is your favorite style, when it comes to making or appreciating art?

All images and text on this blog are copyrighted material, and may be used only with written permission, except where syndication rights have been granted. All other rights reserved. Please visit my primary site at http://www.lyndalehmann.com/gallery if you would like to see my acrylic paintings and more of my photography and digital art. I hope you enjoyed your visit to my blog!

"Magic Lamp" Silk Scarf Designs

I'm excited to report that my "Magic Lamp" images will be among the designs made from my digital paintings, that will become available in the coming weeks for purchase at Designer Scarves by Marlena!


Many thanks to Marlena and Bob Burger for inviting me to add my designs to their catalog of fine wearable silk art!  I love color, so I can't wait to purchase one for myself and wear it.  I'll post the link when my designs go online, so you can see them and give me your opinion.  


These damp, gloomy autumn days can sure use some color, especially after the foliage has turned brown and no longer creates its seasonal magic! 

All images and text on this blog are copyrighted material, and may be used only with written permission by the author/artist, except where syndication rights have been granted. All other rights reserved. Please visit my primary art site www.lehmann.myexpose.com/ if you would like to see my paintings and more of my photography and digital art.

Art and Power

Ancient History - Photo c Lynda Lehmann

Like most people, I'm fascinated by questions about the nature of life and our place in the cosmos. As a human being, I feel all the ageless and timeless doubts of the human condition. But there's one thing I know for certain: doing art lifts me above doubt and despair and gives me joy. Being involved in creative process has helped me to say "yes" to life. In my own creativity and in other's, as well, I see glimpses of something wonderful. It's what I like to think of as "the infinite potential of the universe." It manifests in all of us, especially when we create.

For me, the activity of creating art is an affirmation of life. Experiencing "the grand mystery" gives us a feeling of joy, based on the miracle of form and the complex web of life on our planet.

Night Rhythms - Photo c Lynda Lehmann

Here's a short article I wrote for my blog on Absolute Arts, that was later published at Creativity Portal and in a catalog for a large artist's exhibition in India. It addresses the idea of how art gives us power over ourselves.

ART and POWER

I think most of us would agree that producing art gives us power. I see it as a power over ourselves, as opposed to power over what is outside of ourselves. It is a personal power over our own energy, perception, and motivational systems. And perhaps more important, the making of art helps us transcend the need to achieve a social equilibrium (which in my opinion, is rarely possible anyway). Instead, we are involved in a process by which we may achieve a degree of harmony within ourselves, in relation to the universe. In the dynamic state of being committed to a creative process, we do not need to steal anyone's energy, or let them steal energy from us.

The truth wears six billion faces, each with different life circumstances, a different life script, and a different mode of emotional being. For me, doing art takes me to a place from which I can accept all scripts and embrace the subjective and relative nature of truth. (This is not to imply that morality is relative, however, because murder and extortion are always wrong, no matter whose script dictates it.)

Because my own script, when involved in creative process, is so engaging to me, always varied and full of mystery, it teaches me both tolerance and hope. The bounty of creative options available to me, gives me confidence in the infinite potential of the universe, for hope, harmony, and healing. In short, it gives me joy.

I have heard it said that artists, in doing art, are participating in a God-like creation process, and indeed it is true. While we are by no means transmuted into gods by making art, we at least become his humble hand-maidens. We see glimpses of beauty and wonder in places where other people may fail to look, unearthing it at every turn. We see new relationships, both visual and metaphoric, sociological and scientific. It becomes easier for us to step back or undercut the tendency to power struggles, that so often consumes people. (The last thing we need in this weary world is more conflict, personal or generalized, to spew hatred around the globe!)

I have heard it said, also, that we artists make art in order to find love and to be loved. I think the apex of this is that in the tender connections we make to the universe, we find some degree of self-love. I think this is a balanced form of self-love that perceives the relative and tenuous nature of things, including the subjective nature of our own lives. Therefore, in my opinion, it is a mature self-love, not to be confused with narcissism.

All text © 2006 Lynda Lehmann

NOTE: This is a repeat of my April 26, 2007 post, which was the first post I ever made! Since I had one comment (and probably one reader) for that first post, I thought I would share it again! "Art and Power" was originally an article I wrote for Creativity Portal a few months earlier. It was also published in India.

Enchanted Forest in Sierra Club's "Daily Ray of Hope" Feature

My photo "Enchanted Forest" is being used in today's Sierra Club "Daily Ray of Hope," along with the following quote from Sandra Day O'Connor:

We don't accomplish anything in this world alone... and whatever happens is the result of the whole tapestry of one's life and all the weavings of individual threads from one to another that creates something.

This beautiful ornamental kale caught my eye late one early-winter afternoon when my husband and I were on our way to meet friends for dinner. Since my husband cannot stand to be late, I had to hustle to take this shot. It was one of those lucky times when I just happened to have my camera with me.

The kale, in a planter outside a store downtown, was so delicate and just glowing in the afternoon light. I felt I HAD to move up close on it. Looking through its leafy arms was like looking into an enchanted forest.

My thanks to Cara at Sierra Club for using my image. I love nature and want to see it preserved, so I'm very happy with this kind of usage (with my permission) of my photos!

*********************

My thanks also to Cindy at Rosehaven Cottage for the gorgeous set of cards and envelopes she gifted me with! Here's the pomegranate photo she sent, which I had admired on one of her posts.

All her photos are beautiful, and her site looks just great. If you haven't visited Cindy, go on over for a look at her work and to read about her gardening and kitty escapades! Her love for nature and life come through in everything she does.

If you would like to view more of my art or make a purchase, please visit Lynda Lehmann Painting and Photography or my gallery at Imagekind, where you can choose from several sizes and paper types or buy my prints plain or matted and framed.

Stepping Through the Door: Perfection or Adventure?

"The Yellow Door" - Image c 2005 Lynda Lehmann

Alyson B. Stanfield in her recent post, "Deep Thought Thursday: Perfection and the artist" in ArtBiZ Blog, addresses the idea of perfection in art.

http://www.artbizblog.com/2007/12/deep-thought--1.html

My response to her post is that I gave up the idea of "perfection" long ago, both in my art and in my housekeeping!

For me, making art is an ongoing and infinite experience, and "perfection" implies stasis or an "end point," as in the idea of a fixed and specific goal. To me, art is neither. Making art is a dynamic and joyous experience, a process of discovery in which passion is balanced with restraint, to create something that didn't exist before. Take the discovery out of it, and you might as well be folding laundry!

Every work, whether it be painting, writing, or music, can be taken in a thousand directions. So nothing can really be called "finished," let alone "perfect." Living is not absolute; neither is making art.

Thanks, Alyson, for stimulating my thinking on this!

How do you, my blogging friends, experience your own creativity? Do you equate it with some pinnacle of achievement or finite definition of perfection, or do you look forward to stepping through the door into an adventure, and welcome the uncertainty that accompanies artistic exploration?

If you would like to see more of my Italy shots, please visit my primary site at www.lyndalehmann.com. Image and text c Lynda Lehmann.

IN PRAISE OF PROCESS

Back in the 60s, I read the humanist psychologists. Seems they all talked about one kind of process or another. The process of learning, the process of rebelling, the process of creating, the process of loving. I read Abraham Maslow, Karl Rogers, Alan Watts, Rollo May, to name a few. There were so many, I can't remember them. No matter what their particular slant, the emphasis in those years seemed to be on either "Being" or "Becoming." At the tender age of 19 or 20, I knew I was nowhere near the mark. All the concepts made sense, but it was intellectual sense, not the kind that resonates deep inside.

Now, many decades later, I look back in awe at how much "Becoming" I missed. Living in the suburbs, raising a child and participating in all the cooperative functions that mostly mothers ran, even while they juggled jobs, homemaking and child-rearing, had its satisfactions. But my creativity was relegated to the sidelines of my experience, for sure.

I always wrote during the toddler nap years, and through nursery school, as well. During the elementary and later years of our daughter's schooling I penned four novels and a bunch of stories--mostly soft, sociological science fiction for young adults. So I always played around with ideas, and have two of four novels that I hold dear because they embrace my deepest values. The other two novels were fun but were more "entertainment" than value-driven. I finally gave up writing to pursue my art, which had for years been on the back burner even though I took an occasional painting class at the local art league, to keep my hand in it. One day I may pick up those manuscripts and send them out again. But right now I'll "settle" for the art. For me, both art and writing are consuming processes that require total commitment, and I'm not one of those people who can do everything. I'm not willing to sacrifice quality (or what I perceive as quality) for quantity.

I find that now, at my seasoned age, I have the time and wherewithal to devote myself to creative process. Finally, it is a process, and I'm grasping the "Being-ness" that everyone was talking about in the 60s. In the past year, I have fallen in love with painting. I could eat and sleep, walk and talk, painting. As a matter of fact, I awaken with too many ideas to get up and make notes on, for fear that my adrenaline will then keep me up all night.

The process has taken over and finally, it's not being truncated by other concerns. I'm still delinquent on gardening and as domestically challenged as ever, but I don't mind defaulting on some of those obligations. And if dinner is late, well, everyone knows where the frig is.

It's not as if I don't have any problems. I do, like every other human being. But the overriding feeling, as I delve more and more into the feel and character of the paint, is bliss. I feel so fortunate to be experiencing this joy. One thing leads to another--each image calls for a dozen or a thousand variations. The bounty is overwhelming, the color and rhythm and flow of it the most satisfying experience I have had in this life. I thank the powers that be for this creative impulse that is at once a joy and a burden. But if I have to have a burden, creativity is the burden I want.

The only real difference between then and now, is that I finally have continuity, the time to BE in the experience. I have process. Thank goodness for process.

Text and Photo c 2007 Lynda Lehmann. Please visit www.lyndalehmann.com to see more of my art or read some of my ideas about art. You can purchase "Straight to Heaven" at my site.