Birthdays

June 28, 2010

Another year has gone by and it’s my birthday again. June 28th. I did find out that I do share my birthday with not only King Henry VIII, but a famous artist as well. Peter Paul Rubens. What is so interesting is that he was a Flemish Painter, from Antwerp, Belgium. My grandmother is also Belgian. Peter Paul Rubens has some amazing work from the seventeenth century, during the Baroque time period. His greatest works were probably his religious pieces, such as Raising of the Cross. I enjoy Ruben’s work. The use of movement and chiaroscuro in his paintings really make them exciting, one can really sense the anticipation of the moment. If you’re reading this you should really check him out for your dose of art history.

Artichokes

June 27, 2010

I was thinking today about Teresa d’Avila’s Interior Castle. I took a class in Christian Mysticism while I was in college and I surprisingly enjoyed it. Teresa d’Avila in her writing describes the human soul metaphorically as an artichoke when traveling down a spiritual journey. The exterior leaves of an artichoke are rough, prickly and dirty, much how humans are on the exterior when dealing with each other on a daily basis. They are made like this to protect the plant from danger from the outside environment. As one peels away the exterior leaves, the leaves begin to become softer, smoother, thinner, and more transparent. Teresa d’Avila compares the human soul in the same way. The more honest and open we are with each other in an intimate relationship with other people or with God, the more vulnerable we become similar to the interior of the artichoke. The artichoke cannot survive without its protective exterior leaves, it will become bruised and damaged. It isn’t until we get to the very center of the artichoke that we are able to receive others, and God; it is the place we are most vulnerable, and the psychological battle we must face within ourselves.

It is unfortunate that most of us will never get there, and most of us will be unable to really know who we are, for the center of the artichoke is a very beautiful place. However, it does take a lot of work, dedication, and commitment to reach such an oasis.

My New Site

June 4, 2010

I’m incredibly excited about my new site! I’m really happy with how Adam set it up and it’s very user friendly. I’ve never been a big blogger, hopefully I can get into it and do some really cool stuff with mine on my site. I am going to be adding more work on here soon, I have all new work that I’ve worked on within the last year, please look at it and feel free to leave feedback under the blog. I’m very open to comments and suggestions! We cannot sustain through life without working together. I want to thank everyone in my family for all of their continual support it is very much appreciated. I couldn’t do all that I’ve been able to without them. Enjoy the photos!

Jen