Eco Warrior

Paintings tell a story. I usually have a plan at the beginning when I start a painting, but sometimes I just want to hear what someone else thinks the story is. This is one of those paintings! So instead of rattling on about what I think or want it to mean I’ll say just a little about the process. This was more about playing with materials. I covered the blank canvas with little portraits of a variety of insects and used some lovely collage material that had bug images on it. Using rubber cement I painted the larger images on top and spray painted over the entire canvas. Removing the rubber cement revealed the warrior image and the hand.

When I showed the painting to Robert, he wouldn’t let me get away without telling the story so here it is: I have a distaste for some bugs. Who doesn’t right? In this painting I created portraits of the one’s I find icky, creepy, mean and dangerous, hoping to overcome my fears and repulsion. It reminded me of an experience I had 10 years ago in Ojai California. I went to an animal communicator class and the instructor told us to close our eyes and imagine our spirit animal – just let it come to you she said. All of a sudden I heard distant screaming and wondered what was making the noise. Oh no, please don’t let it be! My spirit animal was not turning into a lion or something cool, it was turning into a cockroach. I forced myself to go with the imagination and followed the screams to the masses of cockroaches. As I got closer they weren’t really screaming, they were saying cleaning, we’re cleaning, we’re cleaning. I realized I shouldn’t really hate them for doing their job. They were cleaning the eco system, breaking down organic debris and in the process adding nutrients to the soil . 

Sometimes I consciously practice the non-killing beliefs of the Buddhists and move bugs that are in my house to the outside, or move a worm to the grass if it’s struggling in the burning sun and I use peppermint spray to distract wasps from building nests on my porch. I know that mother nature is always on the sidelines of our neighborhoods ready to overgrow and take back their world uninhabited by people. Thus Eco Warrior is finding a more understanding place between us and them.

‘Eco Warrior’ has been accepted into The Art League’s September Show, titled Zeitgeist, at the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, Virginia. The Opening Reception will be on Thursday, September 12, 2029. Love to see you there and thank you for following my posts.