MURANO RHAPSODY is part of a
series of paintings called "Alchemy: The Transformative Power of
Creativity & Love & The Honoring
of Loss." The series was created in honor of my late husband, Bob, whose
passionate avocation was buying, selling and collecting perfume bottles and
powder boxes from Murano, Italy from the 1940s-1970s. Bob became one of the
foremost experts in this niche market having full knowledge of how they are
made, from sand to the blowing of the glass to studying the incredible glass
blowers and creators of the time. In 2001, on our honeymoon, we experienced the glass blowing on Murano and the many wonders, tastes and charms of Venice and the islands. A dream come true for both of us.
When I first saw Bob's
breathtaking collection of glass pieces, they were displayed and reflected in
mirrored and lit glass cases. All the colors, shapes and textures were
beautiful and so unique. I was in awe!
After Bob's passing, my inner voice told me to paint a
series representing this glass in his honor. Little did I know that 'alchemy' would be ever
present while creating these paintings. There was the more obvious alchemy that
happened in the making of the bottles from sand to glass. But there was much
more. In the process of painting, I witnessed other transformations/alchemy: I
became more aware of my creative process of writing down my intentions for each
piece and saw how each painting informed and transformed into the next. From
one painting to the next, there were, also, changes in style, color and
technique. MURANO MAGIC was created with a palette knife allowing me to feel the laying on colors and my emotions more viscerally. In the right forefront, there is, somewhat, of an outline of a large perfume bottle. In the background, you can catch glimpses of houses on Murano. The yellow/gold colors represent the sand from which the glass is made, the sun reflecting the glass, and the overall magic of Murano. The blues are the waters around Murano. There has been a sweet, healing/alchemy on a spiritual level. The
creation of this series allowed me to heal more deeply from Bob's loss and
continue to honor him as a bright, gifted, generous, soul and renaissance
man.
I am deeply grateful for Bob and
the opportunity to experience my own alchemy, inside and out, while creating
this series of paintings that represent a celebration of life, the transformative
power of creativity and love and an honoring of loss.
