priddy on wed 7 feb 01
Generally:
I think that for those of us who love words and language, we think that t=
here
must be a way to actually SAY with words any thought worth having.
But it is not true. Some people are not wired up that way and their thou=
ghts
and feelings do not emerge from their words. For them, what they are "sa=
ying"
with their art is what others of us might be able to verbalize. =
The thoughts and feelings are manifest in the body of their work over tim=
e,
and sometimes peircingly clear in one particular piece. =
For those more comfortable with words, the ability to express what we hav=
e to
"say" without speaking is much harder, more unnatural. In fact, the cons=
cious
effort to express without words is just as hard as it is for others to ex=
press
with.
And so we are left with the fact that we have to let the words go and sim=
ply
work. And what there is for you to say will emerge. And the less you tr=
y to
do it consciously, the more eloquent you will be.
And very possibly, your thoughts and feelings that you can verbalize will=
for
a time become secondary, and feelings you were completely unaware of, one=
s
that you could not touch because you could not name or express, will spea=
k in
a voice you did not know you had, but that others have heard in you all y=
our
life.
Specific to me:
There are tender thoughts that I have as part of me that I have never
expressed to anyone, ever, that come through in my brush painting. I did =
not
think that I could ever express those feelings to anyone and still can't =
with
words. I have stopped trying and just let the paintings speak for themse=
lves.
Only people who really know me personally, would ever place me and my
paintings together. When that is the case, I think it is best to let it
alone.
When strangers/customers in my gallery notice my brush painting on the wa=
ll,
and I have been helping them as a gallery worker, just being my casual pu=
blic
self, they react (if I tell them I am the painter) typically with "YOU pa=
inted
THAT?!"...I have grown to take it as a compliment, but the surprise still=
takes me off guard and is a little unsettling, making me wonder what the =
hell
kind of split personality I must have lurking...
My teacher, on the other hand, seems like her paintings look. They and s=
he
are quite beautiful.
I have decided that it is good to be able to communicate without words,
sometimes.
Elizabeth
still respectfully submitted,
elizabeth priddy, as is
priddy-clay@usa.net
http://www.angelfire.com/nc/clayworkshop
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1
Connie Christensen on fri 9 feb 01
Elizabeth wrote:
....Some people are not wired up that way and their thoughts
and feelings do not emerge from their words. For them, what they are
"saying" with their art is what others of us might be able to
verbalize...
I can really relate to this - sometimes I think I speak through my
fingertips. At least I hope that's what's happening because I'm
certainly not very verbal.
Connie
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