Stillness

There is a point where in the mystery of existence contradictions meet; where movement is not all movement and stillness is not all stillness; where the idea and the form, the within and the without, are united; where infinite becomes finite, yet not ~ Rabindranath Tagore

  

In the midst of a very full, activity laden day, I encountered stillness at the

side of this small lake. My whole being expanded and became still with the lake.

It was remarkable to feel this enormous stillness as

part of all the movement within me.

 

Time spent steeped in forest spirit
soothes the flesh though soul is bared,
in the stillness is remembrance
of how vast and loved we are.

~J Brehmner

 Gratitude to my friend, Dominique Normand for sharing her stillness of place with me today.

 

When I lived among the roots...

...When I lived amongst the roots
they pleased me more than flowers did,
and when I spoke to a stone
it rang like a bell.
~Pablo Neruda

Weaving Roots of Time, triptych 48" x 72" acrylic on canvas

Tree Poems 1 / 12" x 9" acrylic

Tree Poems 2 / 12" x 9" acrylic

Tree Poems 3 / 9" x 12" acrylic

Tree Poems 4 / 12" x 9" acrylic

Tree Poems 5 / 12" x 9" acrylic

El Duende, 48" x 24" acrylic

Lover's Limbs, 36" x 48" acrylic

Revisitng the Rocks

Singing Rocks, Howling Wolves / 54" x 72" / acrylic on canvas

Alchemical Nature / 54" x 72" / acrylic on canvas

These two paintings were done about a year ago but I was never completely satisfied with them. They got put back in the racks and have sat there "simmering" all this time. I pulled one of them out with the intention of covering it with gesso and beginning a new piece. However when I saw it again I realized how much I have learned about painting in the last year and I wanted to work with this old friend again. All the problems that had remained unresolved were no longer problems but a joy to "let go into". Painting is like that, so much is learned through living life and soon all that we are, and all that we become flows into the work.

As the artist Judy Cheng says, "You begin to see beyond the subject and color, and eventually you just allow the paint to move you.  Painting has given me a different perspective of looking at your surroundings. I see art in everything and it inspires me to continue to create, experience and enjoy."

I couldn't agree more, painting opens my heart and mind to realms that I would never have accessed on my own.

In Honor of the Earth Today ~ 3 Rock Paintings

Feminine Cocoon / 40" x 60" / oil on canvas                                                                               Buy This Painting

Forest Qualia / diptych 72" x 48" / acrylic on canvas       Buy This Painting

Green Man, Earth Angel / 48" x 60" / acrylic on panel board                                                   Buy this painting

Two New Spring Paintings

Spring Forest / 30" x 24" / acrylic on panel board / $1600
Purchase Here

Nestled / 30" x 24" / acrylic on panel board / $1600
Purchase Here

Spring Newsletter

Spring News from Holly Friesen Studios

Walkin' the woods of Connecticut

 

After all the hustle and bustle of The Artist Project in Toronto, I headed for the hills of Connecticut to spend time with Walt. He introduced me to the gentle, rolling forested landscape of that region and I fell in love with it. We walked through the quiet of the forest every day and fed our senses from head to toe which nourished our souls deeply. In particular, we walked the many trails of White's Woods, a 4,000 acre nature reserve that filled us both with a much needed peace of mind and heart.

Soft, tender moss greens.

sleeping nature slowly awakening in the warmth of the rising temperatures.

This particular forest felt so friendly and alive that we couldn't help stopping to touch all the textures along the way.

 

Can you see the little turtle sitting atop the grasses? This was such a quiet, reflective spot of beauty.

Root Love.

One of the most beautiful monuments I have ever come across. What a remarkable gesture of love to leave behind these beautiful forests for the generations to come. If only more humans were such generous visionaries.

White quartz scattered throughout the woods would glisten and sparkle when the sunlight caught it's jewel like surfaces.

When we came across this pond, we were overwhelmed by a cacophony of sounds which we soon realized were the strange quacking sounds of hundreds of unthawing wood frogs! Most magnificent to witness this phenomena, we hung around the pond for quite a while just listening. We became enchanted with the place and found it most difficult to leave.

Curvilinear lines.

I am so in love with the trees, they seem to grow more beautiful with every passing day. They carry so much mystery, love and beauty within their textures and shapes that I almost can't contain myself when I am near them.

  

 
 

            

     
Walt pointed out this small beauty to me. I am convinced it is a fairy ladder.