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 
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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.

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The Spark

Lake at Dawn - Image c Lynda Lehmann

THE SPARK
 Creativity is the tiny voice that sings "I am"  in the gloom of darkest night.   It's the song of the soul, revealing itself,  reveling in tiny moments of truth.
Creativity is the pulse that quivers with hope in the rubble of man's discontent,  and the flame of commitment in the rearing of a child.
It lays a gentle sheen on the tired world  on a moonless eve, filling  hollows and thickets and stark rooms  with murmurs of inspiration.
Creativity quells the thirst for empty pleasures  and rides the waves of painful days.  
It fills old wounds and heals them.
It lights and smooths the steepest path.
It is the balm of my soul, my intention, my purpose and passion.  
The Spark is the Light of my life.
- Poem c Lynda Lehmann 2011

Solitude - Image c Lynda Lehmann

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Cavern Watch: Turning Inward Toward Metaphor

Cavern Watch - Image c Lynda Lehmann

The owl with his huge eyes and prominent brow is seen as watchful.  Is his vigilance a metaphor for the subconscious mind, perhaps?  He is often seen as a symbol of wisdom or an incarnation of awareness.  But could he be seen also as a symbol or harbinger of things to come?  Or even of the ultimate?  We all face death at the end of our individual and collective life cycles, so it makes sense that we would project our thoughts about our mortality onto some external symbol, in order to deal with our apprehensions.   
Seeing the owl as metaphor is widespread among cultures. What is it in our human psyche that pushes us to recognize or attribute comparisons by way of metaphor?  Is it inherent in our need to clarify or find meaning in the human experience, to understand our world?
For me, a cavern also makes a good metaphor.  I see it as an apt symbol for the inner workings of the individual psyche and for the human body, which "contains" the elements i.e. organs and awareness that we need to be alive, and to live what we call a "life." 
Plato, a student of Socrates, used the cave metaphor differently, in a parable in which Socrates explains the nature of true knowledge being beyond that which can be ascertained by watching shadows move against a wall in a cave setting, which you can read about here if you are interested.  
On a recent trip to Luray Caverns in Virginia, I had the pleasure of photographing many of the cave's remarkable formations.  As you can see, they can resemble anything from practical everyday objects to objects of magic or incarnations from what some cultures believe is the "Spirit World."

Hall of the Ancient Spirits - Image c Lynda Lehmann

Lake of the Underworld - Image c Lynda Lehmann

Primordial Cascade - Image c Lynda Lehmann

Greek classical philosophers and children's fables and fairy tales aside, what's your idea of a good metaphor?  Do you find that a particular symbol is prominent in your conscious mind and has special meaning for you?
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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!

Life as Paradox

Into Shadow - Lynda Lehmann c 2011

Light Play - Lynda Lehmann c 2011

Day's Aftermath - Lynda Lehmann c 2011

Every ending is also a beginning, and every beginning eventually culminates in some state of change and fullness before moving to its finish and conclusion.  Hence the cycles and paradoxes of Life.  A sunset is beautiful and inspiring, yet reminds us of Life's transience.  So it becomes bittersweet, taking on a yin-yang of both positive and negative connotations.  Maybe the best metaphors are like that, ambiguous but meaningful on multiple levels.  To me, a beautiful sunset suggests the cycles of infinite Life moving through time and space, seeking more of itself.  And we ourselves, are reflected in both the glowing waters of sunset, and in the ebb and flow of Life. 
Peace and joy to you.  - Lynda 

Awesome Sky - Lynda Lehmann 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!

A Pale Beauty, Mindfulness, and Being

Pale Beauty - Image c Lynda Lehmann

 I love looking at this gorgeous, pale and delicate rose.  It's dainty and gossamer presence reminds us of the preciousness and transience of life.  It also reminds us that it is during tumultuous times such as we're living in now, times of great upheaval and change, that we need to turn inward to the peaceful core we each carry deep inside; it's only by permitting ourselves to situate at our most centered point on our psychic "fulcrum," if you will, that we will manage to weather the storms of destructive emotions and events.  
While I believe that organized religions often divide us, I believe that we each can find God at the deepest part of us; indeed, I believe God lives in the deepest part of us.  So rejoice in your Spirit, your Being-ness, your infinite Creativity.  Be whole and mindful, and create in the image of what YOU want the world to be.  And BE yourself. 

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!

In Silence Lies Beauty: Gesture and Lace in a Snowy Forest

Gesture and Lace - Image c 2011 Lynda Lehmann

Hermann Melville said, "God’s one and only voice is silence."  Somehow I agree.  It's only in moments of silence that we can even begin to grasp the magnitude of the beauty all around us and the profound miracle of every day.


A snow-shrouded forest is a great place to experience the joy and fullness of silence.  Why is silence full?  Because silence allows us the space to let go of conscious thoughts, goals, and all the usual preoccupations that we carry around with us from day to day.  Silence gives us a moment of pause in which we may become aware of our own Being.  In silence, we own ourselves; we own the moment.  Silence lets us "be," if Being is what we want.
Silence asks nothing of us but to befriend her.  Silence will not ask us to defend ourselves.  Silence is forgiving.  She is a balm to our souls.  
Silence is not Golden, but she is buoyant, transparent and transforming.  Listen to Silence if you want to find your Heart.
I was astounded with the beauty of the forest on this bone-chilling day when I walked with my husband at a nearby state park. The landscape was frozen and rigid in the vice-grip of winter.  Yet the trees maintained their winding and undulating forms, held on to their grace under the assault of bitter cold and high winds.  Because the temperature has been so low this week, little melting has taken place, even on the blacktop that usually warms in the midday sun.  

Snow Berries - Image c 2011 Lynda Lehmann

There was so much to see in this transformed land of delicate lace-work and graceful forms: the rolling hills, the frosted berries and dancing trees.  The contrast of bright white snow clinging to twigs, trunks and branches against a background of afternoon shadows, really brought out the beauty of the arbor.  When we left I was again replete again with nature's beauty, though my toes were nearly frozen.
I love silence.  But I know some folks find silence tedious or even frightening.  Do you look forward to moments of silence or do you find yourself avoiding it?

Together in Beauty - Image c 2011 Lynda Lehmann

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!

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Wishing You A Clear Path...

Wishing you a clear path,
the courage of conviction,
sureness of your own integrity...
and still waters.

Wishing you wonders of the forest 
in dazzling light 
and nature's solace when you need it.

Wishing blessings for you and your loved ones
at holiday time and always....
Wishing you Peace.



Happy Holidays and Peace to All.

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 art 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!

Leaf Aglow

Leaf Aglow - Image c Lynda Lehmann

A single leaf on the road is brilliant in color, almost to the point of iridescence.  The seasons move fast past the windows of our lives, replete with change and dynamism.  I like to look closely, to fill my cup of beauty with the nuances I see every day.
What have you seen today, that gave you joy and inspired your love of life? 

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

The Monastery Within

The Monastery Within

Fading into the distance, the arches of the monastery at Imperia Vecchia seem to connote the passage of time. The tiny figure staring out at the far end might symbolize the smallness (or perhaps the significance) of the individual, in the stream of human history.

How do you think about your life?  Do you regard each human life as significant or as just a grain of sand blowing in the wind of the cosmos?  How do you reconcile your own smallness and subjectivity with the vastness and competing interests in the universe? 

My particular accommodation is to look for beauty every day, in nature and in the people I know.  What works for you?  What activities, goals, or values do you turn to when you get the existential "blues"?

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

The Sacred Energy of Wild Places

There is an energy at the core of Life, a sacred energy felt most apparently and keenly in those places we may refer to as "wild." For some of us, that place may truly be in a remote wilderness area. More likely it will be a place that is just a bit out of the way. But it seems to me that the place, whether near or far from the beaten track, will be a place that is as yet unexploited and unspoiled by the touch of man.

My husband and I discovered such a place about two weeks ago. One of our mini-excursions into the Maine countryside brought us unexpectedly to a wooded marshland. It was just a tad off of a main road that was not quite a highway, but a two-lane road well-traveled by local traffic.

We made a right turn on a street whose name I can't remember. What I do remember is that it was indeed, a "proper" town street-sign in white and green with a name bestowed on this road. But it was not in any sense your typical suburban or even country road.


I was stricken with my first view of the marsh. Forest encroached on all sides, rising above the area on gentle hills. The trees still retained some of their autumn splendor but were at least partly given over to the stark winter nakedness that makes their skeletons so much more gestural and poignant than their leafy summer counterparts.



I got out of the car and scanned the near distance. Woods, woods, and more woods, with a wetland in the middle that coalesced into a quiet stream that wound its way through the thicket.


At the side of the road, cattails abounded, rich in their brown fur and contrasting the more sparse occurrence of milkweed pod. Some of the pods were open to the skyward flurry of their gossamer white fuzz, while others remained closed and pregnant with the seed loads of future plants.



A huge beaver lodge graced the middle of the watery pool on the right side of the road, commanding the eye's attention, as would a mansion on the vast grounds of a manicured estate.


But this was no manicured estate. Although fairly close to the town of Norway in southwest Maine, it had all the trappings of a true wilderness. Bird calls of all ilks met my ears, like beacons of a distant time in the annals of Creation. The milkweed seeds, picked up by an intermittent breeze, sailed into the blue dome that reflected on the water below. Everywhere there was life. Thorns, red winter berries, the milkweed, swaths of emerald moss and the texture of the slightly churned water. Sweet pungent air, sparkling with sunlight. The auburn of spent foliage rimming the swamp.


I could almost hear our dear Mother Earth inviting me in her mysterious tongues to partake. She wanted me to embrace her, smell her, feel her caress, hear her song. She wanted to delight me. She wanted to pay homage to herself for her dignity, sustained in the face of ages of exploitation and consumption, by her own stubborn Being.

Years ago, I wrote a young adult novel (one of four, actually) about a teenage girl who has to leave the lowland plain between Brazil and Peru, to climb deep into the Andes. She had to undertake this journey because her tribe was dying out, and their only chance was for her to try to retrieve the ancient medical secrets of the Incas, from whom she had descended. The Boutiquin, the ancient medicine chest of the forest floor was dying out and only she, Liana, with the tenacity of the vine for which she was named, could make her way into the highland to fetch the ancient wisdom.

Along the way, repeatedly, she bent her head to the Earth and heard the Hum of Being.

In my writing, the "Hum of Being" was a contrivance to enhance the plot, an embellishment in my manuscript to bring home the feminist and earth stewardship themes of my book.

But last week, in that patch of wild made of forest and river and swamp, filled with sunshine and seeds and berries and birdsong, I heard the Hum of Being for myself. Have you ever heard it? What is your experience with finding yourself surrounded by the magic of a sacred place? For me, it is the among the very best and most inspiring of life experiences.

All photos and text copyright Lynda Lehmann. All rights reserved.

If you would like to view 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.

Passages: The Road to Self-Knowledge

Masks

We hide behind our masks: our jobs, affiliations, and credentials. Each of us strives to live a good life. But we get caught up in the pursuit of creature comforts, entertainment, and ego-driven goals. These strivings obscure self-knowledge.

Only mindfulness is the path to the heart of your life.

Passages

The Yellow Door

The light is within you.

All images and text c Lynda Lehmann. 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.

Amber and The Matrix

The Matrix - Lynda Lehmann c 2008

Life grants us choices, but each choice carries a paradox. Like the stream and boulders in the photo above, we are called to a delicate and tenuous balance. For all humanity, reason must come to bear in creating this balance. Action without reasoned thought leads to disequilibrium, and chronic imbalance leads to destruction.

We must struggle to reach informed opinions. If we act only from "the gut" we will shut out reason. In the Age of Information, being adrift in a sea of conflicting viewpoints and alleged "facts" requires us to carry the compass of wise and reasoned thought. As the water flows eternally over the stones in the stream, we must find a solid core of reasoning to guide us through life's flux and uncertainty.

Amber - Lynda Lehmann c 2008

Images c Lynda Lehmann. 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 buy my prints plain or matted and framed.

Light Through Time

Time will not wait, but takes its toll.

Boughs break, rivers thin

and bend their banks,

our faces fade and line.

Seasons change with paradigms,

our knowledge never sure.

Yet sunlight melds through ages past

while seas still lick the shore.

Stories spill

in textured light,

paint peals past eon's

weather and woe,

while we seek answers

not attained.

So time's impassive

march must go.

Image and text c 2008 Lynda Lehmann. All rights reserved.

Thank you, Blogging Friends, for reading my poem. Though I know little of writing poetry, I'm attempting to compose pieces that relate to my images and at the same time have some meaning. I hope they will resonate on a tiny note of truth for my readers. I welcome your feedback and discussion!

Quiet Time

Another of my "Clock-Watch" Series that I photographed yesterday. Time is an enigma, except for the fact that a comprehension of it seems to evade us! When I ponder time, I think about the tragedies of the human condition, and how fast our lives fly by. Then I feel a little sad, until I look for beauty in the world by the experience of doing art, of making another image, either a painting or a photograph. That experience never fails to lift me up. What do the concept of time and your creativity mean to you?

If you're interested in ideas about time, space, and the universe, I recommend "The Mind of God" by Paul Davies or "Art and Physics: Parallel Visions in Space, Time, and Light" by Leonard Shlain.

"Quiet Time" is 8 x 10 inches, matted to 11 x 14 inches in an archival sleeve, ready for framing. I can also print it for you in a larger size if you like. Like all my photos, it's printed with archival inks on Canon Pro photo paper. You can find this image, along with many others, at http://www.lyndalehmann.com/ or www.absolutearts.com/lyndalehmann. Titles and image c 2007 Lynda Lehmann.