Making the Old New

 

Making the Old New -  In 2009, I painted this crying woman. She was never framed or kept in a special place in my home. This painting was simply a reflection of how I was feeling at the time. I had clung to a promise that the tears I shed were not in vain. They were remembered and stored up. Held. Counted. Not to haunt me, or to torture me for past trauma, poor decisions, or judgement, but to replace the old with something new. A creative and spiritual opportunity to heal. 

In January of 2018, I excavated this small canvas board from a moving box. As I looked at it with fresh eyes, I reflected on how much I had grown since I painted it. As a symbol of making the old new, I decided to cover the canvas with Gesso. Lots of layers of Gesso. The Gesso successfully covered up the crying woman; however, I had no definitive plan as to what I would create to replace it the old painting. I trusted it would eventually come to me in perfect timing. So, the Gessoed canvas board laid untouched and I forgot about it. 

A few months later, I was contacted by a friend from college who is now working as an Art Therapist in Wisconsin. She was looking for artists to donate their art for a silent auction. My college friend was hosting an exhibition in an art gallery for a themed event called Self-Acceptance, which raised money for the Emily Klopotek Angel Fund. I was so honored that my friend thought of me. Of course, I accepted and knew that this would be my opportunity to paint over the crying woman. It was such a humbling and fulfilling creative expression. A healing journey. My friend asked me to add an artist statement along with my painted contribution for the gallery fundraiser. 

Below was my submission.

Karrie Brewer

Love is Heartwork

Mixed Media on canvas panel

7”x9”

 

Love is Heartwork is the marriage of creative discovery and spiritual growth through layers. Healing is part of the heartwork, a process that requires patience to peel back the emotional layers to expose what needs to be brought to light. My personal heartwork of peeling away layers is creatively juxtaposed by adding many layers to the canvas using blocks of color, paper, pastel sketches and acrylic paint.