Majahual

After many months of summer travel and exploration it gives me great pleasure to once again reach out to my virtual community.

Seasonal shifts bring with them new possibilities and growth, and richly varied experience provides tinder for the creative furnace.

One of my summer highlights presented itself in the form of an unexpected opportunity to visit a small and friendly fishing village on the Caribbean coast of Mexico. Mahajual (pronounced mah-hah-WAHL) is raw and primitive and unspoiled by excess commercialism. In this place I sensed no defined distinction between myself and Nature. With sand between my toes, salt air whipping my hair and electrical storms raging overhead, my soul essence was enlivened and refreshed.

Energies restored, my daily practice has also been reinstated.  At the moment I'm investigating the possibilities of color as subject by playing a form of color bingo.  In a future posting I will explain my method further.

Note: Adobe Flash Player 10.2 is required to enjoy the video and is available online as a free download.

Emporium

Cecil (Romance Ranger)

8.25 X 8.75"

Pen and Ink on Arches Textwove

Matted and Framed

$170

Today I am introducing yet another page to my blog.  Emporium features works for sale in varied media, style and subject matter. 

As it is generally understood that one must view a work of art to fully appreciate it, I invite interested parties requiring further information to consider contacting me at deevadip@telus.net to set up an appointment for a stroll through my home gallery.

Creme de la Musika

Music in the role of language makes no attempt to champion the welfare or interests of individuals nor does it rally itself round issues of dispute. However, music functioning as a tool can possess a weighty and controlling influence.

In my experience, music also carries the ability to transport. Through an invisible membrane I am allowed safe passage to exotic worlds, alien culture and divergent dialects. Strangely, I find myself most exhilarated by the unfamiliar. From the backwaters of the Niger River to the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, I am permitted unlimited movement as if I were a naturalized citizen. Traversing these extraordinary landscapes, I inhale the rich and sticky scent of heady rhythms, dizzying pattern, raucous hues and the texture of tongues that require no translation.

So that readers might have the opportunity to journey alongside me, I’ve created a new blog page titled Crème de la Musika. Here, I offer a smorgy of favoured video selections featuring artists who have deeply influenced my emotions, my consciousness and the direction of my artwork.

Note: Adobe Flash Player 10.2 is required to enjoy the videos and is available online as a free download.

Taking Symbols Further

The symbol work continues to cycle through flow and ebb states. Where this will take me is unclear, but I am certain that the symbols have their purpose. They are meant to be shared and perhaps even meditated upon.

My predicament lies in how I might go about presenting the symbols as art. I have no guide, no navigation system, no school or movement to fall in line with. So for the moment I must rely on instinct and allow myself to drift naturally.

Included in this slideshow are a few of the symbols that have made the jump from raw birthing to more expressive renderings. This is all quite experimental but I am pleased with the results and will continue along this thread.

When the slideshow completes its rotation you can click on the icon located on the lower right-hand corner of the screen. This will open up another web page in Picasa Web Albums where the symbols may be viewed in an enlarged format with captions and tags.

Symbols

Presented here is a small sampling of an inventory of symbols I have been creating since the spring of last year. Prompted by music, these symbols arrive from a place outside of myself but manifest through my hand. Perhaps viewers might now fully appreciate the driving rationale behind my decision to study with master calligrapher Massimo Polello.

When the slide show completes its rotation you have the option of clicking on the large arrow. This will open up another web page in Picasa Web Albums for viewing the slideshow in an expanded format.

Note: Adobe Flash Player 10.2 is required to view the slideshow.

Massimo Polello - Latest Works 2010

For five full days this coming July I am taking part in the summer series art program at Red Deer College where I will study with internationally acclaimed calligrapher and designer Massimo Polello of Turin, Italy. My course is titled The Invention of the Alphabet. In this course, students will create an entirely new alphabet from personally inspired shapes and forms.

I scooped this elegant and expressive video off of YouTube hoping it will give viewers insight into this artist's dynamic approach to mark making and symbols.

To view this video one requires a minimum of Adobe Flash Player 10.2, available on-line as a free download.

www.lacalligrafia.com
www.rdc.ab.ca/continuing_education

My Sketchbook

In this post I will attempt to offer you a glimpse of the raw material that will formulate the underpinnings for a new series that currently occupies my attention. These works will feature fascinations found in and around the grounds just outside the door of my home.

Sketching affords me the opportunity to freely explore, compose and doodle and is an integral part of my daily practice. This slideshow will illustrate the possibilities of subject, pattern, design and composition through sampling of detail images from one of my sketchbooks.

When the slideshow completes its rotation you may wish to click on the large arrow. This will open up another web page in Picasa Web Albums for viewing the slideshow in an expanded format with captions and labels.

Highlights From Daily Meditations of Music and Form

Can it truly be that six months have passed since that glorious day we all gathered under one roof to celebrate our connectedness to creativity?  The exhibit of my work, Daily Meditations of Music and Form, was warmly and enthusiastically received by scores of friends and family members.  My eternal gratitude goes out to all those who made this day an exhilarating success. 

In an effort to keep my work fresh in the minds of the curious and to offer an over-the-shoulder perspective of my work habits, I've developed this blog.  I do hope you enjoy this post and many future posts to come. 

Diane