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Mandala for Courage


Lately THE single most important thing I am learning is about just BEING MYSELF!!!! I am mostly learning it through my art which seems to be my main learning path. For absolutely years I have been struggling with myself to develop “my style” it just seemed a really important mission to me, I always knew that my art journey was my soul journey but it seemed like the “style” issue was more being able to be “commercial” and have a market presence that was recognisable. But just lately I realised it is about knowing what I really want to say and NOT trying to prove anything. It is sort of hard to explain but I had this really really deep seated idea about what an artist actually is— and it all had to do with the ability to create illusion— you know “make it look real” and even though from the very beginning I did not want to do photo realism type stuff- I still had this really strong urge to see beauty outside myself and ‘copy’ it– and the challenge to do it well was exciting but the finished result never really deeply satisfied me….. so then I would say “I need to be FREE” and do really super free abstracts and I enjoyed the challenge of them too, but the final product didn’t deeply satisfy me. So I kept trying to blend them and have a lovely bunch of work gathered up representing all this work, but finally just lately I started really listening and valuing my own voice — and I realised that I can let go of the pure realism and the pure abstract and accept what comes, but even then– (I am doing this really amazing mandala work you can see it on my website if you want) there are deeper lessons, my urge to do realistic stuff seems like I am always trying to prove what a good artist I am somehow, but I think it is even deeper and something to do with the fact that reality is “an illusion” anyway and we can and are creating our realities all the time— and they are very individual and very original and if my art is really the art of my soul of course it will not look like anyone else’s art. AND so my deep dissatisfaction was in part just knowing that there was more to come— there is an original spark in all of us and we need to listen and watch for it and mostly we need to totally NURTURE it.
I have been telling everyone to “see the astonishing light of their own beings” for awhile, but really I was talking to myself!!!

Jul 082011
 

Oh, human consciousness is evolving quickly,  mine anyway.  I can see it in my art. Can you see yourself in your art?  It is a big question and an important one.  Why are you making art? What are you learning as you go? How much delight do you have in the process?  How free are you to be yourself?  By that I mean , how much are you worrying about what others are thinking of you and your art?  My art journey seems to be a spiral shape -ever upwards– but  circling around back to  vaguely familiar territory (oh, I’ve been here before- Oh, I see…) and these huge realisations come about what has happened  on the circuit around.  I am not sure if the details are important to anyone else?  All our stories are so similar at the deepest levels, but here is a little of mine….. I saw that my craving for body in my art–was at its deepest level my body wanting more attention, more recognition of it’s beauty and brilliance—actually it just wanted the inner critics to shut up and let it be,  be itself with out being constantly thought of in a negative way by it’s own mind.  I saw that my craving for bodies of couples in art was at it’s deepest level a craving for more intimacy with my husband– I saw clearly that our lives and our true work have no separation. So why have the craving to paint an idea/energy when you can actually experience the idea/energy in REAL LIFE…   I also had deep desires to paint goddesses and other symbols of women’s power. I have been spending alot of time exploring the Divine Feminine in ancient history, before the advent of the patriarchal religions. I grew up going to a traditional Methodist church and spent alot of time in Sunday school.  I ALWAYS have thought of God as MALE energy, and the women in the bible are either  a virgin, a mother or a prostitute. Where is the female power?  So what came to me (after studying and reading a lot) is that the energy of creation of course absolutely has to be 1/2 male and 1/2 female,   how could it be otherwise…… and we all know this at a deep level.  We all still say MOTHER EARTH, because we know this is a deep truth.  Well, for me this was a huge realisation, like my energy could be aligned with my source completely.  I feel stronger  and more powerful than I did before. I feel free. And this too, is now showing in my art. Back to the abstract–letting go of what is going, letting come what is coming…. totally delighted in the process, the intuitive edge that I ride on while I paint this way…. I have done three abstracts in a row… and my palette is changing in an exciting way— This painting is called “Soft Vision” and is full of mystery– in the colour and the texture and in the intuitive way it was painted.  But the evolution continues and I am already craving the “Goddess”  or an “Angel”  somehow the Divine needs to be more obvious in my work!!!!  I would be interested to hear from others about they handle the spiraling upwards of their creative energy.  And from anyone who has any intuitive flashes for me.


 

 

 

 

 

Dear Friends,

Well, after nearly 5 years of serious art practice I have decided it is time to get serious about the business of sharing my art with the world.  The sharing part is something that has to happen to complete the circle for me, to deeply satisfy me.  I know that the creative process in itself is enough as it heals and transforms the artist  and yet there seems to be another layer of communication, the deep transformative potential gets embedded in the art itself and can communicate to the viewer, but for this to happen the viewer has to ACTUALLY VIEW  it!!!  For some reason I have been hesitant about using the tools available on the web to create a wide spread audience for my art.  Sometimes I think it is just the “technology” that was holding me back, other times the inner critics taunting me with the “do you think you are good enough”  stuff.   Well, questions have been asked and answered and the time has come.

My art is inspired by the human mind/body as our gateway to the soul.  I explore the Divine Feminine, ancient wisdom and sacred geometry.  I believe that if nothing else art brings to the human spirit a sense of freedom and joy. I believe that we are only barely beginning to understand the true power of art and it’s ability to hold and echo the artists’ energy and intentions, to radiate indefinitely the energy and emotions the artist painted into the piece.     Love from, Cheryl


 

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