Home from Church

12x9

oil on board

 

I had a wonderful experience Saturday night...my gallery in Bloomington, the Venue, owned by David, Gabe and Michelle Martin Coleman, hosted an event!  the idea was to choose 10 artists and 10 poets..the most creative people they could find (their words) and pair them up.  the artists brought in two paintings apiece..then the poets selected one painting each.  they were then to write a poem inspired by the painting at hand... last Saturday we had five collaborations and next Saturday the remaining five will be read...my poet was the most delightful woman and one of the first poets they contacted.  she said my painting really spoke to her and after hearing her poem I will never look at this painting in the same way again!.. below is Tonia Matthew's poem, "Home from Church":

 

At first

loneliness:

the single figure,

the sky spilling into the street,

the blue shadow on the roof

a single bell toll,

the street moving from sunlight

into the dense shade

of overhanging trees.

 

But then

through a break in the fence

along the path,

sunlight slides,

soaks into a clump

of orange flowers,

sets them on fire.

 

The small woman

dressed in black,

white kerchief over her head

pauses     there,

leans on her cane.

She has come home from church

where she lit a candle,

sat in the cool dimness

alone.

Now, she is on her way home

to that small, silent room

 

But, see      she has stopped,

warmed by the glow of the orange flowers.

Waiting, perhaps, for them to speak.

 

 

here we are at the Venue last Saturday night!!