Welcome
What is an Artist? Can I call myself one? —You are what you choose to bring into this world. Yes, but I know many artists— of one kind or another. I think of them as being fully human. They have worked passionately to bring meaningful work into the world. How can I compare myself to them? —I sense a struggle inside you relating to the authority of your will. I have struggled to say that I am a painter, because I am not just a painter, am I? —No, you are a maker, and you follow this road without an end. You go where you are called to go and sometimes there is no rest for you. You create and teach and animate the inspiration that is gifted to you. You feel and you write. At last, you dream of a world without end. Is that what an artist does? —Yes Ben Marder
Are paintings not tied to existence?
Could it be that a painting in its truest expression is not tied to a physical reality? I find myself pondering what a painting means to me. I think it means more than one’s adherence to an identity as an artist. I imagine it means something more, or why then would paintings be so precious to all different kinds of people?
I have been going through feelings of ambivalence when describing myself as a painter. I have been struggling with affirming that this is who I am in the world. I imagine this struggle will continue and I have not truly discovered the meaning of my work yet. In the meantime I marvel at the devotion of other artists I know, their commitment to their work and even sometimes their mastery.
Maybe a painting is not only a physical thing but something that evokes a spontaneous presence separate from existence. Have we considered that a painting might not be an object of possession, but rather a living thing not tied to this world? Maybe instead of filling the world with objects, we can fill the world with meaning. Certainly, that is what an artist is trying to do, yes? Even so, I sometimes feel the weight of what I am creating, as if I am weighed down by the identity of it all.
Here is an example of a painting I made which found a voice beyond what I had intended it for. A journey that felt spontaneous and surprising.
Off The Wall @ River Gallery School.
I work at the River Gallery School in Brattleboro, VT. To raise money for the school, many artists donate paintings for a lottery where every participant wins a work of art. There are many impressive paintings, and it is a no-brainer for only a $125 ticket. See the link below for more information.
Our Wonder
Poetry by Ben Marder Over the surface, we wander along the river where forgotten leaves rest in dark pools now stuck on the shoreline. It occurs to us that this may be an unpleasant reality. Yet here a bird is content by the base of this bush, feet in the dark mud. He is a child of this sullen stream. I notice the bird has a light tied to his legs and the making of it all. Beyond the banks, colors rise. I catch myself moving along the eddies wondering about these complexities. How a bird's thoughts can feel like goosebumps on a child's tender skin. The eyes beyond his beak, flicker with dark leaps. It has gained the insight of how to let go of the dark corners of the earth, for we are not the keepers or makers of it all. From all directions, life speaks not weighed out in the rights or the wrongs but simply brought to the surface. A light on a boat passes by our noticing. The sky settles into the earthen clay of brick homes, and we wonder about who lives there. All along the banks, we hold onto our wonder.
© Ben Marder
Spirit Bowers: A Celebration of Spring
A Spirit Bower is a home for a spirit. In spring, we observe that everything is changing. Mother earth is growing, and therefore, we can see the multitude of spirits in action. Making a spirit bower is a great way to tune into nature. Place a Spirit Bower somewhere on your walk or in your garden. This place is a small home filled with light. Return to it later in the season and notice everything in and around it has changed. Make Spirit Bowers with your family to celebrate spring, and bring your noticing to the natural world. ~~~ Sign up for my mailing list to receive an illustrated pdf on how to make a Spirit Bower. Or otherwise simply contact me and I will send it to you.
Little Eddaling
An Eddaling is a creature that begins its life in a seedpod on a tree. The Stars have brought this Eddaling to the Earth and now she must venture into the world to discover herself.