Divided
December 5, 2007 · by Christine
This photo is of my grandmother on my mother’s side. The baby is my uncle and the little girl is my mother. My uncle is the only one left alive from this image.
I can see a theme developing in my art already — I used a wooden board as a base, adhered white tissue paper with gel medium (I really like the texture), then cut the image up in pieces — I wanted to experiment with dividing a photo into separate parts. This technique fits my grandmother well, as she was never a happy person. In this photo I almost detect a smile, but I never once saw her joyful while she was alive. I always wondered what made her feel so divided from herself.
I glued the images down with the gel medium and used it over the surface with a bit of pearl paint mixed in. I took some silver acrylic paint on the tip of a wide flat brush and dabbed it along the edges of the photo pieces. Finally, after it dried a little while, I carved another stamp to use as an accent.
As I worked on this piece I prayed a lot with my grandmother’s energy. I asked for blessings of joy on her now. I reflected on my own places where I feel divided. What are the commitments or choices I make that keep me from wholeness? When I reach the end of Advent will I have moved away from habits of division and toward patterns of greater life?
-Christine Valters Paintner @ Abbey of the Arts
Posted in Advent Christmas Epiphany, Art and Spirituality |
December 5th, 2007 at 5:36 am
What a lovely idea, “to pray with my grandmothers energy”. I never thought of it that way. Just lovely.
December 5th, 2007 at 6:41 am
I haven’t been by for a while, due to LIFE! Wow - you have been HIGHLY creative lately! Your work is so personal and I appreciate you opening up and sharing about it, Christine. I do love what you wrote about your prayer experience. And yes, please sign me up for email updates.
Moving toward patterns of greater life … I was just contemplating this, while out on my deck awaiting the promised snow. I have some things stirring within my soul, which will hopefully lead me in that direction.
December 5th, 2007 at 9:35 am
Thanks Dawn, I feel very connected to both of my grandmothers because of their unfulfilled longings that I feel like I carry within me, so it helps me to connect to them in this way sometimes.
Thanks eileen. I was just out on my deck admiring a small rainbow across the water from my hermitage (more on that later), how I wish it would snow here again soon.
December 5th, 2007 at 12:02 pm
Hi Christine,
I am still playing and praying with my art as well! Using this technique that you are exploring. I found the gel medium and was working with some pictures of my son that I had printed at home. The gel medium blurred the pictures which turned out in this case, to add to the process and help me to experience an aha about this piece. I will try to scan it when it dries and send it to you. However, in the future I probably won’t want things to blur. Any thoughts about why that doesn’t happen to yours?
Love, Beck
December 5th, 2007 at 12:40 pm
Great question Beck — I print my photos out on a color inkjet printer on photo paper and let them dry completely for at least a day or so. What kind of printer and paper are you using? Are you using the gel medium immediately after printing? Another thing to try that can help is spraying on a fixative, you can buy them at Michael’s and you need to spray outdoors as they smell pretty strong, but they do help keep things from smudging. Just to clarify though, I find I don’t need to on my photos if I let them dry thoroughly. I use it mostly when I am doing a technique with chalk pastels I will show sometime soon here, but it could help you if you find this keeps happening. Hope that helps and I am delighted you are trying this out yourself. I would LOVE to see how it turns out.
Love to you, Christine
December 5th, 2007 at 7:21 pm
Christine…
Searched all over town looking for Twinling H2O’s and finally found them at a nice scrapbook store. I was one happy, happy person!!!
I can’t wait to fool with them!
I also got some gel medium…so many new opportunities to buy supplies…haha!
Hugs,
Suz
December 5th, 2007 at 7:28 pm
What a beautiful piece of art….when in your life did you decide that it was safe to expose your work to “others?” It has always felt to me that doing the work is the joy but the showing of it always is for me the jelly-knees part - not good enough, not good enough. I don’t know that I’ll ever outgrow that lack of confidence.
December 5th, 2007 at 7:36 pm
Christine, have been exploring your site and can see for myself, as well as read, that you’ve been at these artistic adventures since a child. Very exciting work, am enjoying exploration of all the goodies available here. SS
December 5th, 2007 at 8:53 pm
Great Suz, can’t wait to see what unfolds!
Thanks Sunrise Sister, it has been a long process of growing in confidence as an artist and writer. Blogging has certainly helped as there is an immediacy of feedback which is very encouraging. I still have lots of moments of self-doubt, but risk really is the first step to growing in courage. blessings to you, you have a fabulous sister.
December 5th, 2007 at 9:48 pm
OK, Christine–I must write you tonight! Have had so many end of semester projects, tests, papers haven’t been as able to post but….I have goosebumps and absolute connection with what you’re doing. Let me explain.
After my divorce was finalized in February, the choice to change my name was one I needed to make; I wasn’t ready then, but have been feeling it to the depth of my bones, every time I need to sign my name, that it isn’t me anymore. I picked up the name change info last week. I have been thinking and praying about this all year and I made the decision to keep my maiden name Flugel, (which means wing in German) and take my grandmother on my mother’s side maiden name, which is Colle (which means to glue, to bring together, in French and I’ve always loved collage as a medium). Then a few nights ago I had a dream of a little boy who was giving me a name. He said, “You shall be called Lady Gunting…” In the same night, I had another dream– I was looking at a black and white picture that my mother has of her class outside all sitting on the steps, except in the dream, it is me, as a 15 year old laughing with my head thrown back. I awakened feeling energy and rightness to my core. My playful adolescent is back, innocence is returning. I googled the word “gunting” and the meaning came back—scissors.
I told myself that during my month break between semesters I was going to devote myself to collaging…here it is from my unconscious and now from you—I can not wait!…..Your works of art are beautiful…I loved the top one that looked like a captured landscape. The work of your grandmother, mother and uncle is so poignant…Thank you, Christine.
December 5th, 2007 at 10:02 pm
Kathy, what a wonderful story! And how fun to know we are connected through our collage explorations. I’ve sometimes thought about taking my paternal grandmother’s maiden name — Von Bruckner! Lots of blessings on the playful time ahead.
December 6th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
Hi Christine,
Just to let you know that I will send my piece that I have been playing with soon. there is a holdup however. This whole art thing can be SO FUNNY for a newbie like me. I really am CLUELESS! It’s good that I think that it is funny though, instead of frustrating. : ) Any way, the hold up is that I wanted to paint around the border of the piece and we had an old art kit lying around with a bunch of tubes of paints in it. Well, I really liked a certain color but it turned out to be an oil paint. What a mess! It won’t dry! Does it ever dry? If it EVER does, I will try to send it to you. : )
December 6th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
Beck, so glad you are experimenting! That’s so great.
The oil paint will dry eventually… but it will take a few days to be thoroughly dry depending on how dry the air is.
December 6th, 2007 at 11:46 pm
love the textures and the act of praying for your grandmother while creating this. cutting the images like you did is interesting with how you saw her personality. i constantly wonder why someone doesn’t smile very often - lack of confidence or self love - bitterness - thinking its a sign of weakness - not wanting to reveal the true self. guess it could be a combination of things. but its sad to think someone might have a broken heart from even a young age. art can be so therapeutic.
December 7th, 2007 at 8:14 am
Yes, art is a great process. I have been having some conversations with my aunt about my grandmother (my aunt wasn’t born yet in this photo) and I am thinking of going to visit her in Maine in the spring to have her help me with the family tree and stories.
December 8th, 2007 at 9:45 pm
Have to respond to KATHY FLUGEL STONE - the name change thing is so huge. I didn’t do it when I had the opportunity - but it wasn’t the right thing for me to do …..
but congratulations that you did!
My daughter reverted to her maiden name (she was a single mom for 10 years) and even dropped a middle name when she was divorced. Her children have another name - her first husband’s name; her new and last husband has a different name - she is remaining with her maiden name. I admit it makes it difficult for correspondence to the new household of which we are so totally and joyfully into accepting but the naming business is a BIG thing. Be proud of it. Use it.
The connection to your grandmother’s name is wonderful. You’re doing it right because it’s you! Congratulations!
Sunrise Sister