My daughter recently asked if I collect images for paintings. She was describing how she collects phrases or groups of words for poems. Sometimes she won’t know how the words will appear in her writing, but she’ll save them in a notebook knowing that they’ll someday reemerge in a song or poem
This idea of collecting was on my mind, when I recently went to see my friend, Lei-Sanne Doo’s two-person exhibit with Mary Tinker Hatch at Wheelock College. It’s clear that Lei-Sanne has been busy collecting beautiful imagery over the years. A lot of her paintings in the show contain layers of airy colors paired with delicately painted shapes reminiscent of flowers that float across the surface of the canvas. I was reminded of a water strider’s legs making marks across the surface of pond water. In fact, one of the paintings is called “Floating Garden”.
Yes, I think many artists and writers are collectors. We are looking, listening, finding the images that speak to us and will become the story for the viewer or reader. But besides collecting the imagery, the creative work is in putting it all together. I think, too often, I can censor or edit the images before I’ve given them “room to breathe”. Seeing Lei-Sanne’s work reminded me of the importance of a delicate hand and respectful approach to the images. Notes to myself: collect with an open mind, compose respectfully, and, occasionally, dance across the canvas like a water strider.
See Lei-Sanne Doo’s art here.
This idea of collecting was on my mind, when I recently went to see my friend, Lei-Sanne Doo’s two-person exhibit with Mary Tinker Hatch at Wheelock College. It’s clear that Lei-Sanne has been busy collecting beautiful imagery over the years. A lot of her paintings in the show contain layers of airy colors paired with delicately painted shapes reminiscent of flowers that float across the surface of the canvas. I was reminded of a water strider’s legs making marks across the surface of pond water. In fact, one of the paintings is called “Floating Garden”.
Yes, I think many artists and writers are collectors. We are looking, listening, finding the images that speak to us and will become the story for the viewer or reader. But besides collecting the imagery, the creative work is in putting it all together. I think, too often, I can censor or edit the images before I’ve given them “room to breathe”. Seeing Lei-Sanne’s work reminded me of the importance of a delicate hand and respectful approach to the images. Notes to myself: collect with an open mind, compose respectfully, and, occasionally, dance across the canvas like a water strider.
See Lei-Sanne Doo’s art here.
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