See the Beauty?
CELEBRATING THE TEXTURES OF LIFE
I have always had an affinity for things weathered, worn, and distressed. Maybe there’s good reason since I am now “weathered, worn, and distressed” myself. Believe me, I DO appreciate and embrace many new things of life (technologies, medicines, media, other…). However, I admire the significant “value and grit” found in something or someone that has been challenged through time and seasons. A scarred existence proves that something/someone has survived or even thrived. There is always a deeper back story to the used/discarded things in life. These aged things and aged people curiously draw me in for a closer study.
One of the current series of art that I am doing is an exploration of these qualities that I mention above. “SEE THE BEAUTY?” is devoted to those crusty and rusty surfaces that exist around me in life—primarily life in Troy and Pike County. Whether it’s a person, place, or a thing—the raw grit that comes from age, tension, and stress are a haunting and beautiful mystery to me. Often, these worn elements of life are juxtaposed against something fresh, new, and tender. What a fantastic way to showcase the broad spectrum of life on earth!
“Even if I don’t know the back story, I know that one exists. And, I have grown to simply adore the patinas and scars of life. ”
Grandmother Johnson’s Favorite Blossom.
This first painting in the “See the Beauty” series was inspired by two things: 1) an old warehouse sliding door that I found somewhere in Pike County (for the life of me now, I can’t remember exactly where); and 2) Morning Glory flowers that were growing beside my daughter’s house. Morning Glories have a soft spot in my heart because they were my Grandmother Alma Johnson’s favorite flower.
I love textured surfaces and was delighted to see the visual bounce between rusted sheet metal, wood, stone, and brick—all juxtaposed into one plane. The door and wall are as I photographed but the Morning Glories, the rusted shears, and the metal pitcher were my artistic additions as I wanted to add some personal narrative to this rustic and seemingly lifeless composition. I can just imagine my Grandmother (or someone else) taking the time to trim these wildflowers as they were walking by or through that warehouse door. This perks the viewer’s imagination because there is now contemporaneous evidence of human activity in the place.
Below is a sampling of the finished artwork:
TITLE: “SEE THE BEAUTY: Morning Glory”
SIZE: 24”h x 48”w (includes the frame)
DATE: 2022
PRICE: If you are interested in purchasing the original painting or acquiring a digital print, go to the STORE page or contact the artist through the CONTACT page.
“In the morning, oh Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.”
—Psalm 5:3”
If you would like to see more works like this or even not like this, feel free to visit my studio by appointment at 113 North Three Notch, Troy, AL. Enjoy!