YIN AND YANG OF ART
Chinese philosophy relates when there is too great an imbalance between yin and yang, catastrophes can occur such as floods, droughts and plagues. In this crazy world right now, I am concentrating on the positive balanced forces of Yin & Yang.
This year my theme continues to be earth and sky and the connections between us and the natural world. Cold wax and oil affords the opportunity to bring texture into my paintings. It also shows a history of the painting by building up layers, obscuring what’s beneath, and removing layers to reveal bits of past layers. It represents the history of a life that becomes the compilation of bits and pieces of it’s past experiences.
But my attraction to textures is moving me to add more textile to my art. Thus I am adding rusted silk to my mediums. In these new pieces I am combining the coldness of rusted iron with the warmth of heated forged copper, seemingly opposite forces. Two opposites actually attract and complement each other, existing in harmony, and they are interconnected in the natural world symbolized by the yin and yang.
My love of texture gre
w as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the 70’s. I worked with people in the cottage industry of weaving. Weaving was and is an important part of the Filipino culture. The material I became familiar with in the lowlands of Luzon was grasses. In the uplands, cotton was used in backstrap weaving and in the island of Mindanao, the T’boli weavings are of abaca.
One of my wall hangings woven on a backstrap loom.>
After learning weaving by the Igorots in Bagio, I came home with my personal backstrap loom enthralled with weaving. My apartment quickly became filled with wools of many wonderful hand-dyed colors. But my time was limited and I soon became satiated just by having the beautifully colored yarns all around me.
After working as a graphic designer, raising two beautiful children, many years now ago, I decided to work as a full-time visual artist. Now as a full-time artist, the textures are calling me back. I look forward to this coming year in my studio and incorporating fiber into my art.