uncertain waters
mixed media
8×10 inches
For the past few years, since I received a very special email from the lovely Judy Wise, I have been painting little boats. Doodling boats when I’m on the phone. And, of coruse, I have also been creating paintings of boats. I have one that I started 2 years ago and it is still not finished. It moves around my studio every so often, just waiting for me to figure out what to do next. I actually thought it was done once, but it still sits there, waiting. And why haven’t I shared any of these boat images? Not sure. Felt too personal still to share.
But I’ve been working on this little mixed media painting for the past few weeks and today it told me that it is done and ready to be shared. It is based on a very powerful dream I had back in 1995. Do you ever have dreams that are so powerful and have such profound layers of meaning, that they stick with you forever? I have had two very powerful dreams in my life that helped shape my future. This dream about a little boat was one of them. And when I made my life altering decision back then, everything seemed so uncertain. But I knew I was headed in the right direction.
The palette is simple, keeping it to shades of black and white, with a little color thrown in. Maybe it’s because of Leslie Avon’s Miller’s post on Black and White: The Yin and Yang of Colors that I felt ready to share this little painting. I am honored to have been included in her post. Thank you Leslie!
I just realized that just last week marked the 5th anniversary of this little blog of mine! wow. I can’t believe it’s been 5 years since I started keeping track of my art journey online. Here is my first post: August 8, 2005. So much has happened since then- it seems like a lifetime ago, but really not that long either. Thank you to you all who have been on this journey with me!
Congrats on your five year milestone! The painting is marvelous! Definitely worth waiting for, no?
You have been painting my soul lately, my friend…….Even your prose about your dream and resulting decision…….and you are still here to tell and paint about it…….gives me hope for my own little boat right now…
Thanks for the gift…
“Hindsfeet”
What a lovely and succinct first entry. Happy anniversary month to you Bridgette!
This post about boats is personally meaningful as for many years I have been studying the ‘Mandorla’ birthing boat symbol and its many connotations throughout [art] history.
I too love this shape and found it fascinating that just yesterday I was reading in The Woman’s Encycopedia of Myths and Secrets by Barbara Walker this passage under Ships:
“…Both “navel” and “naval” once referred to the burial shrine likened to a ship and the Mother’s womb at the same time. The Norse death ship…was called ludr, meaning boat, coffin, and cradle. It took the dead back to their Mother-sea; the Norsemen’s expression for ‘death’ was “to return to the mother’s womb.”
…The vessel of death and rebirth was always feminine, which may be why a ship is still “she.”
A ‘boat’ may be a bit more intimate than a ‘ship’ yet I find the symbolism intriguing and transferrable.
Oh my goodness; what merci33 said … wow. The boat as a cradle, a vehicle, the vesica pisces of entering the world.
I love your boat, Bridgette. May we all experience the many stages of the boat, the journey, the vessel of spirit. xo
Thanks Bridgette. It was such a pleasure to have you join in the black and white post.
I particularly like this new piece of yours. Your boat is a powerful dream symbol indeed. Happy Anniversary!
I have a painting of an empty boathouse – maybe we should get them together and see what happens. 🙂 I love this.
Debi
A big congratulations on 5 years! And thanks for linking to your first post. It is always fun and exciting to look back.