Everyone loves my Disney work. It’s sort of a given. There was a time when I put it front and center just to get a positive reaction—and hid my own work until I knew the viewer might be receptive. I understand, though. Disney makes people happy. It’s impossible not to grin when I come into my studio and see something like this on the easel:
Mrs. Beakley as Carlota Joaquina
But it's not all I do. For most of my career, I've balanced the cheerful, popular art with paintings like this:
"The Peace of the World Is In My Veins," 1994
I love both styles. My intense personal artwork helped me heal and become whole. It also moved others. Sometimes, when I showed my work in a gallery or in my home, a viewer would stop in front of a painting and burst out crying.
There’s a place for this type of imagery. It makes the viewer feel something deeper. It makes me go deeper, to face what scares me.
Now, my own work is changing. I no longer need to use my art to shine a light into the darkness. I’ve explored my inner terrain and repaired the broken pieces. My psyche may look like a kintsugi vessel, but the gold seams glow in the sunlight of my spirit—and I get to experience life with all its loves and losses, joys and disappointments. I’m not immune to the ups and downs, I’m just present.
I might start creating more paintings like this...
Speaking of which, I recently had a flash of inspiration and now have a title for a new series. This one is going to be very different for me. The images are just starting to float in. I'll keep you posted...
Art Heals
Käthe Kollwitz was known for her agonizing depictions of people hard at work, struggling against oppressive systems. Yet those very hands that labored became the most tender sources of comfort. I found this interesting article about her expressive renderings of hands--and saw this amazing drawing. I'm going to carry this with me for a long time.
