(click on image to enlarge)
Fruits of Labor (no more) acrylic on canvas
“Let me say to you and to myself in one breath……
cultivate the tree which you have found to bear the fruit in your soul.”
~Henry David Thoreau
Good afternoon “my little pretties”…I hope all had a pleasant weekend. I promise this will not be a long post today.
I love this quote, and after I selected it I realized I often return to Thoreau. Quite possibly I feel a connection to his hermit life..his deep love of nature. As I have said, nature is my temple..my sacred place of worship. If I could select a few people from the past to share a cup of tea or a woodland walk Thoreau would most certainly be on my list! :) Can you imagine…I can!
This piece no longer exists…only in the photo and in my mind for it is beneath another painting now. Strange but I like it better now than when it existed. Hmmm…for me, that can be so in life too. :)
Some may view Fruits of Labor (no more) and see only the darkness and others only the light. I see feel both…’tis as, I am. Those of you that have been coming here for a while know that about me. A lot of my work is about the stark contrast of darkness and light (that art term chiaroscuro again). It is also about reflections..did you notice how each fruit bears reflections of others. Such is life too…eh?
I promised this would be short so I leave you with a couple of pondering questions…
What are you cultivating..what bears the fruit in your soul? What reflections?
As for me…In the garden of my being, art is one of the trees that bears the fruit in my soul…both the darkness and the light.
Love to all, and ta ta for now,
…..forever seeking the light,
~gypsy-he♥rt
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Very nice as always. You know how to set up a good composition and I love the colorful shadows and reflections!
oh btw, I was booted off my high school newspaper after angering the local ‘right to life’ group in a comic strip I drew and the school published anyway. haha! If they could only see the gentle cheesiness I generally paint these days!
**Daz~ thank you so glad you liked it. :)
How interesting about your high school newspaper! You are right such a gentle energy from you now.
What bears the fruit in my soul? I never thought about it… I suppose it is my dreams, my hopes, my desires, my pondering, my thoughts, my questions, my faith… my deep down quest to find my heaven…
Thank You for this…
**enreal~ as usual your words are beautiful. Seems we are on the same quest! :)
Evening Dearest Gypsy-Heart~
Thank you for pointing out how the fruit is reflecting one another. How COOL!
I love the colors of this piece. Especially the purple in the center. I love purple. And the apple looks so damn good…I want to bite into it!
You often speak of sharing both light and dark. And for me it’s the same. The freedom to expose both.
For me, what bares fruit within my soul, is something that continually changes. It’s definitely the creative aspects of myself, however, I keep discovering new ways to be creative. Therefore, it seems to be whatever I’m doing at the moment. Right now, it’s writing. But who knows what’s in the future!?
But I do know (such as yourself) whatever it is…it will ALWAYS contain both light and dark.
Thank you once again, for always gving me something to REFLECT upon here.
It always feels so good!
**Ron~ thank you dearest!! I love how you talked about continually changing!! I am the same way..and isn’t it a grand way to live!!
May we continue to REFLECT! :)
Nicely put about the creative forces being both dark and light. Me? Plants and writing.
**Rosa~ Hello! Thank you for stopping by and leaving a note.
Plants and writing..two wonderful avenues to bear fruits!
I will skip over to see your blog soon!
I feel like every painting of yours I see, I have the same “I love this” response. But I have to say, I *really* love the fruit still life. The colors are magnificent. I wish I could replicate them, especially the green and purples and blues of the pear.
**Yb~ Ahh..you made my heart smile. Thank you!!
wow – the purple in the center – that BRIGHT purple piece drew me in and I was lost in it!
and abt how it’s gone and yet… not. fascinating…
**bkclubcare~ Hello! How nice for you to leave a note!
I love the way you put it “it’s gone and yet… not. fascinating…”
Thank you and I will be by to see you soon!
WOW I cant get past that picture…
**kaylee~ I so glad you like it dear heart!
I hope you are having a good day. I will by to see you later.
Healing energies to you!!
I’m like Enreal. I’ve never thought about it really. But, now that I’m thinking about it, I’d say my children, writing, and any form of self-creation. I’ll still be pondering though. Thanks for the enlightment.
Peace, Light and Love to you and yours . . .
CordieB.
**CordieB~ All good sources my dear!! “any form of self-creation” sounds good to me!!
Peace, Light and Love to you and yours too!
Now why can’t I do that? This is such an honest and unassuming image. This simplicity looks easy but it is very difficult. It has strength and power in its basic nature.
**nouveaufauves~ Thank you Sandra…as a fellow painter I value your words very much!
Seems to me your paintings have a lot of strength and power in them!! :)
I’ve read a book that says books have to be solid and juicy as plums. The character in the book read books and had plums at the same time; if the book was as juicy as the plum then it was a good book. Words are the fruit I try to bear (did I answer your question?)
**Indigo~ Yes you did answer my question…very creatively too! I feel that good book coming!! :)
Thank you!
I’ve begun planting my garden. That always fills my soul. Mind you, I’m still getting used to what will grow here and what won’t. Music fills my soul, too. And that deep sense of connection to others–that despite any outward differences in appearances or circumstances, we are all more alike than different. Writing fills my soul, too, and now teaching it. (I LOVE the internet for the ability we now have to connect with others far away that we never had before!) Hmmm, guess you can see your post got me thinking…..
**April~ ..and I love how you think!!
Gardens, music, writing, teaching, and the internet are all soul filling (feeling). :)
I paint with music…not sure I could paint without it!! :O
Thanks love!
Do I see new colors here (-: ????
**Henry~ one can never have too many colors..eh? :)
Thank you for your words of inspiration through here and emails!
Wonderful shades and shine. :)
**HMBT~ Thank you Heather!! :)
Hi Gypsy,
I’m intrigued by the thought of this painting now being underneath something else. There’s something very seductive about impermanence, like those (rare) composers who refuse to record, so that you have to catch them live. The only art work I ever did in public was a sculpture in fat. When it was finished, we melted it. I too have only the photos…
On the subject of fruit, no-one has yet mentioned forbidden fruit … I guess that one has a pedigree!
P.S. Have you ever painted Adam and Eve, complete with apple and snake?
**94S~ “There’s something very seductive about impermanence,” expressed so beautifully by you my friend..and so true!! The photographic image remains..and so does the image etched in my mind. I remember every stroke. :)
I wish you had an image of your sculpture!!
No I have not painted Adam and Eve with apple and snake. I have painted apples and snakes a lot..with the forbidden theme in mind! I have a collection of apples..wood, clay, etc.
Hmmm…maybe I will paint my version of that theme sometime. :)
As always thank you for you words!!
Love the painting, and the quote. I’m pondering the question you asked, and the first things that come to mind are writing, painting, nature, goodness in others, and the amazing interactions I have with other people. It all makes me feel incredibly grateful.
**MB~ How wonderful to see your words!
All of the things you mentioned are REFLECTED in your posts..and beautifully so!! We are grateful for you!
Thank you!!
I have told you how much I admire this painting. Thanks for the comment on my new piece.
**nouveaufauves~ Yes you did and I am most appreciative!!
Your new piece is wonderful…I love how free you were! :)
What a wonderful contemplative piece of art!! the caption that goes with it reaches the heart too. wonderful site!
mergingpoint~ Hello! How nice to find your kind and inspiring words here. :)
I’ll be by to see your site soon!
Thank you gypsy. It is always wonderful to read something that begins with a Thoreau quote. I consider him, along with Gandhi and MLK my mentors of civil disobedience.
Glenn~ We share some of the same mentors!! I am looking forward to reading your words! :)