Jill Berry Blog

living the creative life

The Spirit of Hundertwasser

Posted on January 27, 2009 - Filed Under Being an Artist, Creative Exercises

I spent the weekend attempting to channel Friedensreich Hundertwasser, a brilliant Viennese artist and architect whose work makes me swoon. His spirit made a small, weak attempt to enter my body, but inadverantly I shoved it away. Too conceited maybe, closed to more that I had guessed. At any rate, I wanted to try working like he did, and I did try. My goal was to incorporate letters into drawings that would be then painted on silk. A bit ambitious, but then, why not? I was up at the YMCA of the Rockies at a retreat with Deedee Hampton and a room full of other lively and lovely ladies.

I drove from my house in the foothills, past the recent fire area. That was another story for the Inversion of the Dark Ages. This fire started in north Boulder during a huge, man-wind day. It raged all around, jumped the road, and stopped just at the edge of anything that mattered; as though Fate just raised it’s halting hand. 11,000 people were evacuated, and only one house burned. The fire area was much larger than I had imagined, and looking at all that black was creepy. Then I started the climb up the Rockies, and all that was black turned white. The frost perfectly coated the trees, and I got there before the warm sun did.

When I arrived, the sky was blue. I spent the day inside, calling up the spirit of Hundertwasser and making sketches of what I intended to do. At the end of the week I will get them from the steamer and post them.

At the end of the day I went up to my little cabin with my brie and arugula, and big stack of firewood. The snow fell between me and the valley the cabin overlooked, a lacey curtain obstructing the view.

For moms like me this is a huge treat, and day in the artisitic sisterhood, an evening alone with a book by the fire, and the snowy window. I stitched together a new journal, and made sketches of a project I am doing for Somerset Studio. I listened to the Avett Brothers who amaze me. I just love The Weight of Lies. Check out this video, made by a guy on youtube that was having a day that really looks like it compared to mine.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11eBpoAMUnE[/youtube]

Now go out and have a day like that yourself. Channel an artist, convene with intelligent talented people, fly a kite. Snuggle with your small boy who tells you “you make me shine”. Draw something in your journal. Appreciate two young talented musicians and a guy named Jason who took the time to share his day.

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