A Story of the Heart's Desire, Watchful Eyes and Soulful Song in the Forest of Paradise
“I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge. That myth is more potent than history. That dreams are more powerful than facts. That hope always triumphs over experience. That laughter is the only cure for grief. And I believe that love is stronger than death.” - Robert Fulghum
Fairytales, myths and legends inspire my art and each one of my paintings tell a story. So I was very excited when the opportunity arose to both write and illustrate a story for a recent art exhibition, "Postcards from...". Curator Sharon Mason describes the show as "an intimate encounter with memories of people, places, events, and the mystical journey of the heart." Six artists expressed this theme through the creation of a series of original postcards. Fellow artists were Mary B. Allen, Wayne Guenther, Deborah Hoeper, Marni Maree and John Skain Mason. The exhibit took place last month at the Verizon Gallery in the Ernst Community Center, Northern Virginia Community College.
Thinking about what my concept might be, the image of a golden feather kept coming to mind, appearing and then disappearing into the darkness. As I tried to understand its significance, my story began to take shape. For me, the feather symbolizes freedom and unlimited possibility, a bridge between heaven ad earth. After my story was complete, I realized that it had been inside of me all along, just waiting for chance to be given wings and fly.
There are so many stories that each of us has waiting to be shared with others. The National Storytelling Network is an invaluable resource. Its mission is to bring together and support individuals and organizations "that use the power of story in all its forms." There are many regional associations, including the Virginia Storytelling Alliance which promotes the art of storytelling throughout the state of Virginia. They will be holding a Saturday Storytelling Series in September at the Workhouse Arts Centerin Lorton, VA.
A Story of the Heart's Desire, Watchful Eyes and Soulful Song in the Forest of Paradise.