Searching For Wild Mustangs
Did you think Fresh Horses had galloped away for good? At times, even I thought so. Hear the approaching hoof beats? After a year, Fresh Horses has become — a BLOG!!!
Searching for Wild Mustangs
“If I’d asked people what they wanted they’d have said faster horses” – Henry Ford.
We don’t always know what we want or need until we stumble onto it. Even our imagination can’t possibly dream up all the amazing possibilities. After a few years without time to paint, and my life as I’d known it turned upside down, I’m now ripe for inspiration.
After seeing the evolution of artist friends at their yearly show, I was itching to paint again. But where to find Fresh Horses when you need them?
Look out in a field where mustangs roam.
First I “googled” Mark Rothko and abstract landscape painting, art which has always inspired me. Certain images jumped out and grabbed me. Out loud I said to nobody: “I could do that.”
Of course I could try, but it wouldn’t be me. Yet, repeating my usual approach now seems like riding tamed horses. I long for wild mustangs and a looser expression of my emerging new self.
“The more you focus on what you want, the further away you are from that which brings it.” Sheikh As-Sakandari
So I decided to sneak up on this looser approach by getting my brushes wet. My first one was: Launching Happiness, 20″ X 30″
This is not abstract; it’s a reflection of the bow of a sailboat. Looser is a relative term. So is abstract. Sometimes representational art looks quite abstract, and sometimes abstract art looks rather realistic.
Fragile Trust, 36″ X 20″
The more we try to change, the more we remain the same.
The notion of riding wild mustangs was positively scary, though it promised to “loosen me up”. So I talked with a friend who’d been a client of mine.
Catherine said: “That’s what you taught me! You should take your own courses, Celeste.” She was right. So I did.
I get it now. Being a beginning artist again is indeed an opportunity — a time of preparation, anticipation and excitement of the possibility that exists if we allow ourselves to re-frame our concept of making art.
In his book “Horse Sense for People”, Monty Roberts tells how he watched the body language of wild horses, seeing how they’d flee from a predator but return later to check out this new being. Watching the body language of my own wild horses, I can see my first lessons are: Slow down and Don’t panic.
So what is this fear all about?
I’ve stayed curious about wild mustangs in my personal life over the last 2 years. To my surprise, I found that when you finally find your heart’s truth, you don’t have to puzzle over it; it’s astoundingly obvious. I hardly recognize myself, I’m that happy.
But – What if I don’t see any new found freedom expressed in my art?
Even worse – What if I do?
Though this feels like psychic sky diving, the fact is: it’s out of my hands.
When you come to the end of your resistence, let go.
So, how did I find a looser approach when my habitual brain kept rushing for the safety of the known? It’s not rocket science. Once tuned in to my inner instincts, I sensed how to start. Just say “No!” to the illusion of fear.
“It doesn’t make much difference how the paint is put on as long as something has been said. Technique is just a means of arriving at a statement. Nobody is bored when he is trying to make something that is beautiful or to discover something that is true.” Barnett Newman
In our local thrift shop, I found a handful of tiny wooden photo frames for $1 each. I took out the glass, stretched a piece of raw canvas over the backing board, and stained the canvas with acrylic paint to find an abstract landscape in miniature. Then, I wedged it back into the frame.
So out of humility come my first tentative little loose paintings, a lot like when I started 30 years ago. Miniature abstract landscapes are such easy play, and oh, so satisfying. Abstracts reveal hidden insights into the real world.
“Down to Earth”, 3″ X 5″
“September Field”, 4″ X 6″
The brand new idea I’m investigating
If we can see something real in an abstract image, then could loosening up a realistic image reveal some hidden truth or beauty?
Just as a curious mustang goes back to check out a predator, I keep going back to discover my newly emerging approach. The fear is still there, but continuing to go check it out slows me down and adds to the excitement.
“No! There is nothing but Oneness.” ***
Saying “No! to the illusion of fear helps me stay open to hearing the clear call of “Yes!”.
Yes, my new way to growing freedom is coming clear.
Yes, I will bring back the results, and bravely post them right here for all to see on the Fresh Horses Blog.
Now let’s hear your comments. What have you experienced? Wanna join me in messing about; stirring things up in your studio?
*** Quote from “Six Sufi Teachings That Give Shelter in the Storm”
Article ©2010 Mark Silver http://www.heartofbusiness.com
12 Comments so far
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Congratulations on launching your blog, Celeste! I really enjoyed your first offering. It’s great to see your new work and the thinking/feeling behind it.
Finding Fresh Horses in my mail this morning after “a long time that knows no calendar or clock,” I felt confirmed I was not alone in feeling dimensions “of saddled and of unsaddled.” Like you, I am essentially a Sprit of the Wind, co-creating as I go. Unfortunately, I’ve been focusing on the aspects of the world that have reached, I now conclude, a monumental standstill! Perhaps in doing what you report a mustang does, I lingered too long in the “return investigation.” Or, as I wrote tis morning in a journal entry to my mother, “It’s not just my imagination–the air is foul and war-politics is shallow. Not to mention all the extraneous activity everywhere else. I stay out of the fray, even as I sit feeling within the power of my own living potential: I am holding back wild horses!”
If ever there has been a Time for Creating, this era is! But, creating has to be original–birthed in and of oneself. You mirror the process so well, Celeste, and I accept my own challenge.
Thank you for your honest heart, Celeste. Is that not freedom defined–indeed, the heart of the mustang!
Annie
Jocelyn, what a loyal friend you are! Thanks for the support.
Annie — Wow, did I say all that? Thanks for your rich thoughts! Reading your comments has given me another idea for a blog… but not just yet. Mustn’t get distracted from my painting already.
To everyone — You might get a different picture of my “creativity” or “wisdom” had you witnessed me trying to get the emails with this Fresh Horses sent out. It took me ALL morning; I lie not. As organized as I am, without an auto-distributor, anything to do with computers is a steep learning curve. That old fear came up again big time. But I practiced the wild mustang thing, and here we are. (Whinny!!!)
You write as beautifully as you paint, Celeste. Thank you for reminding me (again) that there is more to life than trying to save it … there is also creating it!
Julie
Thanks for the applaud, Julie. It’s good to have friends close by.
I saw a piece on Knowledge Network about Piet Mondrian. The commentator told how he also wrote a lot, about theosophy, concluding with this little gem: (my summary) “Many painters write too, but everything Mondrian wrote was pure hogwash. Nothing he painted was hogwash. You can’t be both; you’re either an artist or a writer.” I don’t know why, but this idea makes me chuckle.
I’ve been writing a lot lately; this piece, as well as a newspaper article for our choir. I’ll let you choose which one is hogwash in my case. I don’t remember who the commentator was, but he could have been an art commentator cum frustrated artist.
As to creating life, I don’t actually see that I’m creating anything. I’m just choosing and putting together in different patterns what’s already there. Or another way of looking at it: I’m not saving any life but my own. Nature seems to be doing a great job of resurrecting herself in spite of ‘our’ neglect and abuse.
Yeah Celeste! So glad to see you back and in fine form. I’m so excited to see what else you come up with!
All the best, Karen
So am I, Karen! So am I! Talk about putting myself on the spot, eh.
Thanks for the good wishes too.
Here’s a video of how tactile and visual cues can communicate better than words, just like relating to your inner wild mustang when making art.
This is a mute girl using tactile and visual cues only to ride a horse bareback with no saddle, bridle, or bit — just girl and horse. AND, it’s not even her horse. She’s training it for someone else. Watch her hands, feet and how the horse understands and wants to join with her.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdhdaNFGbro
Wow Celeste! You are riding ahead full of vitality, wit, confidence and your stunning and unique creativity. I’m looking forward to joining you on this journey. Love, Kathi
Hi there, Kathi! (Kathi has been a friend for about 35 years so she knows me pretty well.)
I’ve been sweating over my own challenge big time — to back into more abstract work. Kept getting stuck and thinking I’d really wrecked it.
Then yesterday I discovered a major breakthrough. Now I’m finally on the way to realizing a long-held dream of painting personally meaningful works which require drawing skills but are expressive and accessible to most everyone. When my first one is finished, I’ll write about it in the next Fresh Horses Blog. I’ll even show you the inspiration piece I found.
It’s really exciting being a guinea pig. I’ve become my own student.
Gotta go paint now.
Celeste, I just finally got round to reading this and WOW! What a beautiful offering. So rich and full. Congrats on starting your blog and thank you for sharing yourself with so much grace and generosity.
I am inspired!
Dear Tori, I’m chuffed you read this at all!
I understand you’re on your own “hiatus” at the moment so I’m happy to inspire you back.
Folks, Tori is one of my writing inspirations from her Living Wisdom Blog.