"Poena" and "The Art within me" and why I called it so...

The seed of an idea began to germinate in my mind in a very small voice about a year ago …
The voice suggested quietly that perhaps my experience as a professional woman, a mother and a female in our culture might help me to identify with the feelings of others also frustrated with the conflict as they juggle nurturing a family and expressing their independent personal identities.

*Multiple personality??*

The voice then asked a little louder if perhaps I might just have something (in)valuable, individual to contribute in a unique way; something interesting to say about this struggle and maybe in a way that I can participate that is different from anything anyone else has done? I wondered myself if, in our booming idea age, it is even possible; sort of like when they closed the patent office in the 20’s as they figured that everything that would be invented had already been invented… Could I possibly do something not only different but that might have a meaningful and lasting effect?

*Mid life crisis??*

Record the ebb and sway of the tide of our modern life and my experience as woman in it? Record a time of very real beginnings felted with the textile and fiber of old onto the tissue of new? Could I paint things that are meaningful to the daughters of our daughters and their daughters friends, to shed some light on the lives of women in our new age? The thought is exhilarating to me … Could I possibly participate and comment on the tide that is the moving of “us” into the “something else” that is new and to be; but through art?? More than just pretty pictures…

*Frustrated house wife??*

And so the germinating seed of an idea that began as a very small voice has swollen, split and sprung into a vigorous green shoot, lifting upwards towards the air and the sun, flowering perhaps or maybe becoming a tree but certainly becoming something tall and robust, with much depth and many secrets that will take their time to be revealed, like a magical nut tree bearing multiples of varied fruit depending on the season. Though I am not yet certain which type of plant I harbor and with which leaves, or which fruit or coverings will spring forth, I am certain that I am delighted to be near to harvest and savor the ripe fruit. I am also certain there are many secrets to be glimpsed beneath the leafy green foliage, and then finally to be laid bare when the winter wind finally strips her at the end of it all. Of all of this I am delighted.

*Bad poetical wannabe??*

Could I record and express all of this growth, exploration and angst visually…for others to share?? Could I possibly paint??

*Dreamer??*

So the idea to paint has become larger and larger, my creative ideas evolving from the practical to the more esoteric. As the blogging community is such a wonderful way to share ideas it seemed only natural to keep record of what I have done and to see how my ideas evolve, connect with others and more importantly state my intentions. Since I have been so smitten with classical works and have been so fortunate to see so may of them here in Europe and since I have such a desire to emulate the skill and technique of the masters it seemed only fitting to find Blog title emulating that a name in a classical language.

*Pathological blogger??*

Poena translates to “Paint” in Latin, when I checked back though I also discovered that it translates to the word “Pain“. I found that interesting. Since art is often an expression of angst, growth or just plain old lots of work it seemed to fit. I also, being the obscenely visual person I am, liked the look of the word, and the fact that it sounds a bit like “Peony” and I also just liked the lyrical nature of the word, the roll of it of the tip of the tongue.

*Freak??*

NO….

*Optimist, never quits; go hard go home girl!*

YES!!

So there you go…Poena!!