'Pomegranates' Oil on canvas - painted 2000
I read some years ago that it was a greek custom to scatter pomegranate seeds in one's house on new years day to celebrate fertility and prosperity for the coming year. Well... we did share a pomegranate on Boxing Day at a lovely lunch with some of the family.... and certainly the feeling of well being was present!
Fertility and prosperity are both interesting words - prosperus being Latin for 'doing well' which encapsulates health and happiness along with more material comforts.... I also noticed the biblical image of 'milk and honey' in the thesaurus under prosperity! Fertility - the natural capability for giving life can come in many forms and is worth thinking on. One important facet of creative life would be this capability which is called into play repeatedly in the micro and macro concerns of daily life. Over a lifetime we are called to reckon with what is fertile and what is not in many parts of life.... especially in our creative lives. The wisdom to face what has ceased to bear fruit for us and to find new soil to cultivate is the stuff of a courageous creative life even though that will of course mean completely different things for each individual and varying degrees of discomfort at times. New life is not always about new things, new places and new inspirations - but rather new seeing, re-arranging and re-assembling whats already there, going deeper, rethinking, reworking perhaps.
This past year - 2009 - through blogging I have discovered individuals finding and sharing extraordinary ways to continue to deepen their engagement with the matter at their fingertips.
In 2010 I look forward to further engagement with the wonderful people I have met this year... and to coming across the ideas, images and insights of others out there in the Blogosphere!
Fertility and prosperity to all in 2010!
from a lovely candle-lit pre-xmas dinner with friends
"Want to ride with me?" William... the youngest member of my clan - photo courtesy of RM
12 comments:
I love the pomegranate painting; it's so full of life.
Thanks for the good wishes and all the best to you in the new year.
I agree... new seeing! and here is to the pomegranate, fruit of the goddess...
ps what an adorable baby!!!
nice painting, and boy the pomegranite has been all over the blogs I'm reading; in peoples poetry, artwork, recipes. As a fabric artist, I've been saving the skins for dyeing- yes they use the skins not the seeds which I thought was odd but making use of the whole fruit. Nice post
I was thinking about Ms. Sophie's blog, thinking I needed to visit and... pop, a comment from you came up on my blog! We are sending and receiving messages :)
Happy New Year Dear Sophie ... wishing you continued creative flow and light in the New Year!
Thank you for visiting Altoon!
Its lovely to get a compliment from such a wonderful painter as yourself!
Love the story about the winter and summer studios... makes so much sense...
S
La DV,
I appreciate your warm comments...always. The pomegranate is so bounteous and so deserves its mythological associations you intimate.
Adorable...yes!
ciao,
S
Hi Lorena,
Interesting to know about the skins being used. I'm thinking pomegranates would feature in your Armenian heritage...what about the Mexican side?
I went through a stage of painting pomegranates in 2000-2001. I'm really sorry I sold all those ones as I was using oils at the time and was so passionate that the works were a labour of love.
They seem to inspire many people...love to see the colour you achieve for the dying of the skins!
Thanks for the lovely comment!
S
ps Loved your xmas cooking story!
Dear Janis,
Funny that! Syncronicity! Not surprising with you!
Hope its been the loveliest holiday season for you!
May 2010 open doors to delight and many good things!
S
Dear Sophie,
let me wish you an happy new year 2010, full of inspiration and creation !
I hope you enjoy your summer sun as I do with our snow (about 20cm height for the moment !)
Lovely to hear from you Fanny!
Thank you for the NY message and I hope you are keeping very warm in all that snow! I'm just in from a swim and plan to have a lazy read before getting back to painting!
Ciao,
S
sophia, looks great, what was for dinner?
Hi Em...
we were celebrating my mother's recent trip to Nth-Eastern Europe - so I served Schnitzel, potato salad and slaw after a little smoked salmon entree, and completed the evening with a delicious nectarine and blueberry cake that was a substitute to a blood plum cake recipe a darling elderly Polish friend gave me years ago.
Great company and lovely night - the slideshow after dinner was well-received as well!
S
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