In this blog series I reveal some words behind the art of “Love Letters to Henry Miller”. For each of the nine, I start with a note from my journal that were inspired by his writing and watercolor paintings. This is followed by a quote by Miller.
Love Letter to Henry Miller 1
©Kathleen O’Brien, Love Letter to Henry Miller, 1
The first thing I notice when I gaze at the finished “Love Letters to Henry Miller 1” is the representation of the three basic shapes that I have included in my art for a long time. The Japanese call the circle, square and triangle the signs of the universe – and “interpret these three primordial and abstract signs as the graphic and spatial metaphor of the three elements: earth, fire, water. Earth fits into the square, fire burns in a triangle and water tends to roundness.” ~ from Traces of the Brush by Louise Boudonnat and Harumi Kushizaki
“What I am trying to say in my offhand way is that, come fair weather or foul, the ones who make the least fuss do more to save the world – how much is worth saving, do you ever stop to think? – than those who order us about in the vain belief that they have answer to all our woes. When you put your mind to such a simple, innocent thing as the making of a watercolor you lose some of the anguish which derives from being a member of a world gone mad. Whether you paint flowers, stars, horses, or angels, you acquire respect and admiration for all the elements that go to make up our universe.” ~ Henry Miller, forward to “The Angel is My Watermark!” by Henry Miller, Big Sur, California, April 7, 1960
Love Letter to Henry Miller 2
©Kathleen O’Brien, Love Letter to Henry Miller, 2
I create art that is destined to be near you for comfort and relief from that which is heavy or hurtful, ugly or hateful, to remind you of the realms just beyond vision that connect you to the source of all life – the divine.
“With every work of art which is produced the same eternal question arises: “is there more to what we see that meets the eye?” the answer, of course, is yes. In the humblest object we can find whatever it is we seek, be it beauty, truth, reality, divinity. The artist does not create these qualities, he discovers them, or uncovers them, the process of doing.” ~ Henry Miller, forward to “The Angel is My Watermark!” by Henry Miller, Big Sur, California, April 7, 1960
Love Letter to Henry Miller 3
©Kathleen O’Brien, Love Letter to Henry Miller, 3
My daring innocent dream from 1979 to develop a farm to grow food, catch water, create a life of building and art has allowed all that is present today at Sunwise Farm and Sanctuary come to be. The dream and spiritual help have supported me through all the years of struggle.
“The one thing I am certain of, now that my dream has been realized, is that I shall enjoy whatever I do henceforth more than I ever did before. I have no desire to become a masterful painter. As a matter of fact, the older I grow the less ambitious I become. I want simply to go on painting, to paint more and more, if not better and better, even though in doing so I may be committing a sin against the Holy Ghost. One of the paradoxes of life is that the nearer one draws to the grave the more time one has to waste. Nothing has the grave importance it once had.” ~ Henry Miller, forward to “The Angel is My Watermark!” by Henry Miller, Big Sur, California, April 7, 1960
to be continued….