“Chrysalid II”, inks, gesso, pencil, collage on canvas 24″X24″
In his book Wabi Sabi: Further Thoughts, Leonard Koren shares the quest for beauty that led him to explore more deeply the wabi-sabi way. In his definition of beauty he writes:
By “beauty” I mean that complex of exciting, pleasurable sensations-ostensibly emanating from things – that makes us feel more alive and connected to the world. Often these feelings are accompanied by a compelling sense of truth, goodness, and/or love.
I can’t think of a better explanation for why I paint! But it goes beyond that to an honoring of life, with all its natural processes. Wabi sabi is a celebration of the roughness and unevenness of life as it unfolds in bumps and starts, one forward and two steps back. I imagine the gnarled old apple tree in my garden that wears its age with the grace and originality as I aspire to. The rusty garden implements, the grasses draping over my walkway, and in my studio – the torn paper and textured surfaces I love to paint on.
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