Sunday, December 28, 2008

Sometimes It Takes Me A Long Time...

I know many of you have seen these paintings before. I have been doing this Horizon Series for several years now. You can see others here.This is one I call "It's About Time". It has a lot of my clear glazes applied.
This one I call "Pondering The Light".
This one is only known as "Horizon 3". It was painted when we still lived in England and that is when this series began.

Now, until yesterday when I was organizing some photographs, I never really understood where this fascination with horizons came from. I have felt as though I truly began to contemplate what was beyond the horizon when we moved to England, but I was not sure I fully understood why. Then I ran across these:
This was taken early one cold morning on Omaha Beach when we were visiting Normandy, France. Isn't the horizon beautiful? I am completely drawn into the area where the sky and the sea meet. What does lie beyond? In this case it is England and I was becoming familiar with life there.
This photograph was taken just a few moments earlier. When I saw these photos I realized the catalyst for my obsession.

Does this kind of thing happen to you? Does it sometimes take you a long time to understand why you have to continue to explore a particular image? My obsession has changed, but I have continued to explore this idea of the horizon in my life. I hope this does not change, because I really like exploring this subject and hope to continue. I think now, I just want to make it bigger! I am so glad I found these photos...

I would love to hear your thoughts on this and how this works for you, too.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

I,too have been fascinated with horizon lines. There is something mysterious about this meeting of sky and earth, or earth and sea. My favorite is when you can stand on the seashore and see the horizon as it curves to meet the earth. I've seen that commonly in Oregon -- not so much other places. I cannot paint it though. It is mysterious, powerful, and the truth, all at once.
Olivia

Andrea and Kim said...

Hello 4, I am glad to meet someone who is also attracted to the horizon. You are right about the mysterious nature of that particular line in nature. Obviously, I also cannot paint it enough. Interestingly, it was the sea/sky relationship which which caught my attention.

Welcome to this blog. I hope you will return and feel free to comment more.

Love,

Kim

Dianne said...

Dear Kim, it is facinating to read about your "Horizon" theme. Your paintings are quite beautiful and I am glad you are still obsessed with the sea/sky relationship. I think it is so important to identify what motivates us to paint, to discover our themes. I am still wading around, trying to discover my themes, but find myself flitting from one thing to the next. Blue Sky Dreaming is talking about her 3 themes in her latest posting.
In this new year, I am going to discipline myself to explore one or two themes in depth.
Thanks for getting me thinking!
Love Dianne x x

Andrea and Kim said...

Thank you, Dianne. To have YOU say my paintings are beautiful is a real honor. It seems for me, I have to paint, paint, paint, paint before I can identify anything particular. It is important, however for me the process is long.

I suppose the point is I cannot begin with a theme (idea for a series) and work from there. If you want to see an example of this, on my web site there is a Music Series...see how far that went. Both the Horizon Series and the Contemplation Series happened in retrospect...so the "theme" developed from within over a longer period of time allowing my muse to explore first.

I will visit Blue Sky Dreaming later on...thanks for the heads up on her posting.

Isn't it interesting how the end of the year causes so much reflection?

Thanks Dianne,

Love,

Kim

sukipoet said...

Kim this is so exciting. To see you make the connection between your sea/sky horizon photos and your obsession w/horizons. To me, that is often the way it is. I see only later in retrospect where something came from. so much lies beneath conscious awareness and I think painting/writing allows this hidden image or words to arise and be expressed without our knowing right away the source.

Looking at your paintings with the sea/sky horizon in mind, I can say yes, that looks so clear now esp in the top and third pictures. It's so intersting. Cant wait to see what evolves for you next year Kim. As for me, I dont have themes. Even in my writing i didnt write about or from themes. Although i recently attempted to do a "theme" with the well series that didnt get beyond two works so far.

Andrea and Kim said...

Suki, we INFP's are so much alike! It seems when I begin with a them, as oppose to allowing it to emerge, I do not take it very far, either. The thing is you never know when you might come back to it. :)

I have to tell you when I saw these photos again, the understanding felt as though a concrete block had hit my chest. I could hardly breathe.

I am also eager to see what next year brings, Suki. I am eager for you, as well...I think you have some doors to be open for you in 2009...does it feel that way for you?

Hugs Sweet Suki!

Love,

Kim

soulbrush said...

mmm, i'm a bit too skittish to dwell on one theme only, but love your simplicity of lines, so artistic. hugs and happy new year with an award for you on my blog. (ps have sent off my submissions to ttatf, so excited!)

Andrea and Kim said...

Thank you, Dear Soul!

No need to dwell today to be sure. I sounds as though you have been contemplating quite a bit lately anyway.

Ohh, I think there are several of us who are popping things off to TTATF these days! Who knows what will happen, but it is exciting. I am glad for that opportunity and will keep it around for the next few years to be sure.

Okay, I am off to see what you have in store for me!

Thank You!

Love,

Kim

~Babs said...

Hi Kim,
It's easy to see "horizon" in these works, which are beautiful!
As for exploring themes,,,sometimes it can work for me. My series "Painting Out Loud" is one that works the best for me,,,in oil.It took me a while to figure that out.(So maybe that answers your question)
I hope to get back to some oils in the New year,,,I seem to have been stuck on collage lately, but I love that too.
Aw heck,,,I love it all!

Unknown said...

Kim, I can easily understand your fascination with horizons, they are the most beautiful thing, I so seldom see them here in the City:). When we went to Germany a week ago, we drove into dawn, so to speak, and saw the sun rise, and I was able to watch the entire sunrise and look at the horizon all that time, how beautiful that was, just watch the colors and hues change.
When I look at your paintings, they really express horizon, and I think that you could spend your lifetime painting horizons and never loose inspiration!
I have this kind of revelation concerning faces, I have always been obsessed by faces, and realized this after having worked on my textile masks, and then came to draw people in the metro...
And now remember that when I was a teenager, I always drew faces in my schoolbooks and notebooks, on my jeans, on anything you can draw on....
Thanks for making us think about our "horizons"!
love
Andrea

Andrea and Kim said...

Thanks Babs!

I love your "Painting Out Loud" series! So were you just working along and felt as though you were "painting out loud" and then decided on the title?

You do love it all...but maybe oils will be a part of your 2009. Whatever you do, I know I will love it!

Hopefully you are now feeling better, Babs!

Love,

Kim

Andrea and Kim said...

Hello Andrea...

A lifetime of Horizons! I think you are right!

I love your story about watching the sunrise on your way to Germany and can imagine the beauty of the light. I think that is what holds so much for me the colors and the light (without one you can't have the other).

Faces...yes, you are an artist of "Faces"....I wonder where else that will take you?

Thanks Andrea!

Love,

Kim

marianne said...

Happy New Year Kim!
Hope the new year has lots of happiness on it´s horizon for you!
>M<

Love the paintings! Pondering the light is just like the northern light......

Andrea and Kim said...

Happy New Year to You, Too, Marianne!

I also wish for a lot of wonderful things for you in 2009!

I am glad you like these paintings.

Love,

Kim

Yvette said...

Kim, so glad I met you..lots of love..many logs next year for us to share
yvette

Andrea and Kim said...

Yvette,

I look forward to a great deal of sharing in 2009!

It has been wonderful meeting you and seeing your beautiful feltings.

Love,

Kim

Lynette said...

Kim your 'Pondering the Light' is so exquisite and I can see how you are obsessed with those gorgeous photos! All of your horizon series works are gorgeous and oh so inspiring, thanks for sharing!

Lynette said...

oops Kim, I got the titles mixed up and I meant to say that 'Horizon 3' is the one I adore with that soft band of pink light glowing on the horizon. Although I also love the subtle beauty of 'Pondering the Light' too and those colors and rich glazes in 'It's about Time' are pretty awesome!

Anonymous said...

I think I see your connection to peace, calm and horizons.

I have not been attracted to peaceful horizons in my art works. I am more stimulated by activity and motion. Aaah, a horizon with fireworks exploding will excite me.

Andrea and Kim said...

Thanks So Much, Lynette! I think this is a series which I will keep around for quite some time. I just can't seem to get enough of it. :) It means a lot to hear this series is well received, too.

Oh, don't worry about getting them mixed up...I am the same way with connecting names with paintings (even my own). :)

Thanks so much, Lynette!

Andrea and Kim said...

Hi Chewy,

You are more of an action kind of artist. Thank goodness we are different...those fireworks sound pretty exciting!

Thanks!

loriann signori said...

Kim, Howdy neighbor!

I love your horizon series, especially the one that sparked it all, Horizon 3.
Where do you live in Virgina?

Loriann

Andrea and Kim said...

Hello Loriann,

I am a bit fond of that series, too. We must have similar taste, because Horizon 3 remains one of my clear favorites. I know I have a lot of 'Horizons' left to paint...they just do not want to leave me nor I them.

I sent you an email about our location.

I look forward to talking with you more.