I always started my art history classes with a slide of one of the hands from cave paintings. The import of these images, from the earliest days of humanity, still astounds me. We will never know for sure why these works were done but the idea that the artist had enough self-awareness of her endeavor to include a "portrait" of her hand just rocks me to my core. The paintings in general are thought to be spiritual in nature - possibly an attempt to capture the spirits of the animals in preparation for a hunt, or to celebrate a successful one, or an effort to appease or to appeal to the gods that provided the bounty of nature.
When I am in the studio, deep within "the zone,"I too am in a spiritual place, sometimes clearing the path in preparation for a new direction, or in celebratory mode for the bounty of the seasons, or just feeling thankful for all that is - this day, this place, this life - but always streaming the energy from deep within.
A wise artist-friend once said that periodically cleaning the studio is as much a part of the creative process as any other activity we do there. I think she meant that we are also clearing out old energies, gathering new ones, preparing for new work and new insights. I gather in-spiration (taking in spirit?) from the bits and pieces of previous work, from a bit of painted paper, from a pile of painted sticks, until I am so filled with the need to create that I can hardly force myself to finish up the cleaning-up before I start again.
And so it goes as I feel the link to that Mother Artist of the Cave. Hmmm, an image for my next Dreaming House...
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