TIM HAWKINSON

I discovered the fascinating work of Tim Hawkinson via http://foundobject.squarespace.com/ .

This piece is called Sweet Tweet. Isn't it charming? But not all of his works are as innocent and whimsical as this one. There is also a tiny "Bird" which looks fascinating until you realize it is made of finger nail pairings. Very clever though.

To see more go to http://www.acegallery.net/artistmenu.php?pageNum_ACE=2&totalRows_ACE=99&Artist=1

HAPPINESS IS !

"To fill the hour and leave no crevice....that is happiness." - Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Aaahhhh, to get the weight off my feet for five minutes! I have been working like a trojan for the past three days and though I'm not finished yet I am beginning to feel bone weary. Nothing like sipping a mug of coffee on the step at the end of the day while contemplating my days achievements.


My yen for said cup of coffee came only a few minutes before a scheduled power outage, so off I went skidding into the kitchen to switch the kettle on. I beat the clock by the skin of my teeth and it was the best cup of coffee I've had in days!


We are having daily load shedding here in South Africa and it will probably continue until 2015....or so they say. Because there has been no maintenance for the past ten years, each time the power is switched on or off something blows (...like a power station....) which means the power is off for much longer than scheduled. Some areas in Durban have been out for five days.....so I shouldn't complain. Though we all feel like pulling our hair out it's something we have to get used to or end up going round the twist. In the mean time I celebrate making my cuppa in the nick of time!

Tomorrow I hope to put the finishing touches to my panels but it usually takes a few weeks of tinkering before I'm completely satisfied. By then there should be verdigris appearing on the brass fittings and a lot more rust on the bolts and arrowheads. My husband made them and presented them to me with a flourish...."See I can be useful when I apply myself!"

"Of the craftsmen it may be said that in the handiwork of their craft is their prayer". - Found inscribed over a doorway at Westminster Abbey.

DOGON CREATION MYTH

This is my interpretation of the Dogon creation myth. I carved the three panels several years ago and have repeated the theme many times over.

In Dogon mythology the world was likened to a granary, divided into compartments to hold the people, animals and seeds that God planned to send down to earth. The first granary came tumbling down from heaven on a rainbow, having been loosened from it's riggings by a bolt of lightening. It crashed to the earth, splitting open on impact and the contents scattered across the land. Seeds began to take root and man settled where the millet grew best. Thus, life on earth began.

There are many more details to this myth which I won't go into here because they would fill a book but I will share some of the background and symbolism in the panels that I've created.

The meaning behind the animals, colours, patterns and symbols differ slightly from country to country in Africa.

~The God on horseback (middle panel) is named Nomo. He is guardian of the earth and there are many stories told about him.

~The horse was the first animal to leave the granary and it signifies power and chieftanship.

~The leopard is equated with the ruler because both are dangerous and powerful.

~The hornbill which is perched on the roof in the end panel signifies the continuance of man. He is also mediator between heaven and earth and he will transfer the dead to the other side.

~The snake encircles the earth to keep the oceans from flowing away or the people from falling off.

~The union between God and Earth produced sacred twins. It is believed that gods are born in pairs.

~The black and white check pattern represents the separation of dark from light, good from evil, ignorance from knowledge and male from female.

~The zig zag patterns signify the path of the ancestors.

There's so much more to each image than meets the eye. African mythology is mysterious and exciting and gives me a reason to be passionate about what I do. 

This dogon granary is being filled with millet. A third person climbed through the top door and is inside stacking the millet. This photograph belongs to Hugo. See more of his photos on Flickr, here.

PHONEY SHEEP

Are these sheep spectacular or what?! I can't think of a better use for old phones....cords and all! They were created by Jean-Luc Cornec.
To see more go to http://www.cualquiera.com.ar/notas/arte.html

THE DIALOGUE BEGINS

My first thought when I wake in the morning is, what will I create today? Art is the way I express myself. It creates a mind space where I feel most like Me.

I carve tall, wooden totems which "speak" of ancient tribes living close to nature. Tribes guided by seasonal changes, the fauna and flora and ancient legends which are handed down from one generation to the next. Tribes from an unknown land or lost civilization. Almost African but not quite.

My hope for this blog is for it to be an oasis of all things arty. What inspires me to create and what inspires all artists to do what they do. Favourite artists, books, quotations, internet links, ideas, tips, themes and different types of art, different mediums.....you name it, as long as it is art propelled.