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Golden Sunday

I like the thought of a snowball rolling down the hill picking up layers of snow and growing.

I have a dear friend, Joanne, who is wonderfully artistic, and thru her I met new wonderfully artistic friends Nadine and Renee and Tammie, and a new challenge. The challenge to depict a word as an image.

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You know, sometimes I think it’s strange how some people link being creative to some mysterious, spiritual commodity. I mean like being somehow in tune with a god, or a muse or having some extraordinary genetics with which to paint, to write or dance. And I must admit it’s the first thing I thought of when I read the word “numen”. A divine creativity, a guiding force, a spirit guiding my hand on the paper.

But I don’t think that numen means anything like that to me. I like to think of it as a creative genius laying in wait inside all our hearts, whether we paint or dance or write or manage a mean turn of double Dutch with the skipping rope. (Don’t laugh, it’s hard)

I think it all hinges on every day rituals, repetition and quantity. It depends on the daily getting out there and dancing, or skipping or whatever takes your fancy and soon numen starts to manifest.

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The snowball is rolling right now and I’m really enjoying my work. The more I turned the word over in my mind the more I felt flight and freedom and gold and music, so I tried to put those elements together in one image.

I love the falling apart music note papers that I can break up and collage without feeling guilty for tearing them up. I also love vintage images for compositions; that’s where the idea for these swallows came from. (Because sometimes I get in the mood for immediate gratification and don’t want to look up what I want to draw and sketch it first and twist it around into positions and take all day about it.)
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But most of all, it’s so satisfying to paint something which means so much freedom to me. And I already love this image as much as I love Sanctuary.

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And, unlike most of the paintings which get stuck into a drawer somewhere, I think this one might hang around the house for a while. 🙂

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Art: 10″ X 14″ paper collage on sturdy card, painted in acrylics, with India ink, gold powder and postage stamps.

Comments: 34

  • January 19, 2014
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    so lovely to read your thoughts on the word and meaning of numen. it has touched us all in similar and unique ways. Such a wonderful exploration. I love your flight of birds, the freedom mixed with golden hues.

    Thank you for joining us!

  • January 19, 2014
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    You are so right… words of wisdom! You should keep that art on display. Surround yourself in things you love and create! Be proud of what you do!

    Your house looks like a dream! Lucky cat!

    I love cats and birds. Thanks for mentioning me as a new artistic friend. I also love to use old music in my art! I have collected postage stamps since I was a little girl and am waiting for the right art piece to use them in.

    It is so nice to meet you!

  • Pondside

    January 19, 2014
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    Par Avion – how beautiful!

  • sus

    January 19, 2014
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    Such a free-flight of fancy collage, Veronica! I love the combination of the sheet music, the birds, the gold and the delicate balloon. Really nice!
    and nice to meet you, too!
    -sus

  • January 19, 2014
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    I love this composition! It is filled to the brim with light, air and a sense of freedom.
    It looks great in the gilded frame too!

  • January 20, 2014
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    Beautiful…. I feel your flight! You should hang it near a door to see as you leave the room or house! mx

  • January 20, 2014
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    I love your swallows!! What a beautiful collage and drawing that brings so many different associations to my mind! I can hear the sounds of music, wind, of the swallows and a letter to be opened…and the golden colour reminds me of a golden early morning sky… 🙂

      • January 20, 2014
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        Nick Bantock? Really?? I have three examples of the Griffin and Sabine Book Serial and you can’t imagine how much I love them!!! 🙂

  • January 20, 2014
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    I love the way you’ve expressed what numen means to you and I’ve learned a new word 🙂
    “It depends on the daily getting out there and dancing, or skipping or whatever takes your fancy and soon numen starts to manifest.” Keep on dancing and skipping cause I love what comes out of it!

  • Catherine Llewellyn

    January 20, 2014
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    This one struck me deeply Veronica – like someone shining a torch with a warm golden light into a deep and fragile and special part of me, and saying ‘hello you’re nice’ – thank you as I take this soft quiet feeling into my afternoon and approach it subtly differently because of you X

  • January 20, 2014
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    Daffodils! My favourite flower after we lived in the UK as they meant spring like no other.
    Lovely work, so elegant.

  • January 20, 2014
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    Veronica, thank you for the new word and the beautiful images! I have always loved swallows and to pair them with a hot air balloon is brilliant!! 🙂

  • January 20, 2014
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    yes Veronica,i believe i see what you mean, the need we feel to create, the challenge and rewarding it brings, i feel the happiness of creating in your work and also the freedom,keep it on that wall ! x

  • January 20, 2014
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    that is a beauty, infused with the very lightness you proclaim.
    wonderful composition, really.
    swallows are dear to my heart. i used to watch the ones in my auntie’s house, they were made of ceramics, and they hung in a trio from a through wall…
    your collage reminds me of that childhood memory, so cheers!
    n?

  • Diane

    January 20, 2014
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    This painting is unique and special and took my breath away. Never let it go.

  • January 20, 2014
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    The gold frame chosen really sets it off. As I sit here the golden glow of the afternoon sun is highlighting a corner of the room and so I am particularly enjoying golden glow, in the sun itself, and in your painting collage. Beautiful feeling behind this one. Norma 😀

  • Christie

    January 20, 2014
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    Numen – I like it! In fact, I’ve written your definition in my quote journal. And I love your painting! A perfect pairing.

  • January 22, 2014
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    I really enjoyed your thoughts about Numen and the result in this golden glowing collage is very tempting and I think it was a good descision to hang it.
    Nice to meet you!
    Barbara Bee

  • January 23, 2014
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    you are so talented … truly … i am envious .. i wish i could draw …

  • March 10, 2014
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