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"Snakes Nest/Isaiah 11:8", 2007
15"x11" watercolor on paper
 

“Fables” Artist Statement

The Fables Series of paintings are visual narratives exploring moral lessons about peace and conflict. In these works I examine the effects of critical choices in human relationships such as:

 listening to

or

closing one’s ears to the needs of the other

seeing the inner beauty of those who do things that provoke us

or

perceiving them as enemies

taking actions towards peace

or

resorting to emotional violence towards ourselves and others

The main sources of inspiration for these paintings are my personal intimate relationships (with my son, husband, parents and friends), the Biblical myths and my study of the works and writings of Gandhi, Marshal Rosenberg, the Nonviolent Communication movement and others.

The visual language of the Fables paintings is partially inspired by the Byzantine icon tradition as well as by Italian painters of the Early Renaissance such as Giotto, the Lorenzetti brothers and Simone Martini. I feel philosophical affinity with these artists because, like me, they were searching for the delicate balance between their spiritual and humanistic experiences as well as a balance between the trust in self and trust in divine loving energy.

I have been creating the Fables paintings with the intention to delight the vision while at the same time inspiring the viewer (myself included) to develop harmonious relationships with their own self and their fellows human beings.