Timeout for Art: Magic Swirls

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art by Lisa Brunetti, painting old wooden floors, the magic of spirals, the magic of swirls, Timeout for ARt: Magic Swirls

“Magic swirls about us like an invisible fog of energy that can be tapped by those gifted enough, using a variety of techniques that center on layered spelling, mumbled incantations, and a burst of concentrated thought channeled through the index fingers. The technical name for this energy is “variable electro-gravitational mutable subatomic force,” which doesn’t mean anything at all–confused scientists just gave it an important-sounding name so as not to lose face. The usual term is “wizidrical energy,” or simply “the crackle.”
Jasper Fforde, The Song of the Quarkbeast

Those who know me well will agree; there are times when magic seems to swirl around me like an invisible fog of energy!  As I’ve mentioned before, batteries in watches usually self destruct within weeks;  elevators and copy machines sometimes malfunction when I punch the buttons.  Electric car windows stop working.  Sometimes street lights flicker off or on when I walk beneath them.

Tres Manos – Acrylic

Many times I receive an unexplained strong burst of energy that precedes unstable weather.    I am usually unaware that this painting frenzy has seized control until I finally stop for a break!  Two days ago I painted on the balcony/deck until dark, stepped inside and noted that the power was off; I resumed painting by the light of my flashlight!   Three days later and still without power at the house, I wondered, “Could that vortex of swirls in my painting have caused the power outage?!!!”

Nicolas critiques the energy of the swirl…

No;  most likely it was caused by drizzle hitting the salt-encrusted electric cables at one random point in a five-house circuit.   The power company will get around to fixing it, most likely later and not sooner!

Inspired by an artifact in Casa del Alabado/Quito Ecuador

Spirals seem to have their own source of energy, and painting those spiral motifs weans me into a focused unhurried state of mind.  I am aware of what I’m painting, yet I turn the control over to the paint, the brush and the energy of the design.   I no longer fight to stay in control of the work.  It flows, and I ride the wave of energy!

An easy way to transfer frustrations!

Take a few minutes and draw some tornado-like scribbles on a sheet of paper.  Let your mind forget about all pressing matters, and surrender to the tornadoes.  Next draw some spirals in the same easy round-round-round format, yet make them a little more orderly than the tornadoes.  After that, start with the center of a spiral, follow it out about four times, and then let your pencil go wherever it would like to go!

That’s what I did with paint brush in hand when I painted the upper deck floor.  First two coats of agua stop (a plastic-type sealer) were rolled on the old wooden floor.  Then white paint mixed with blue and green hues was lightly rolled over the white.   A second application of white/blue/green strengthened yet softened the dappled effect.

Next came the first spiral, painted at no point in particular – just as a beginning point and then, like dancing, I allowed the brush to go wherever it wanted to dance.

It waltzed across the floor!

Dawn on the River – One could not ask for a more pristine start to a day!

Since the main focal point from the balcony is the view of the river, I wanted the floor to play secondary cast.   Hopefully it enhances the view, yet does not detract from the view.

Wood Putty fills a few flaws in the floor; another tiny application of paint will camouflage these repairs!

The Moon Window will be something that others see later.  They can then pause from viewing the river and enjoy another swirl of energy that radiates from the moon!

One artist friend soberly states, ‘You are not from this planet,’ when he critiques some of my work. Recently he commented about the photo of the paintings below, “And to think that both paintings came from the same mind.”

Diablo Humo (left) and Botanical in Progress (right)

The power outages at the house could be blamed on the weather and the magic swirls of energy.  They could also be blamed on the pre-flight tests on the Magic Carpet!   I’m not sure if the power will be working when I return to the house, but the countdown for the Airlift-Flower Drop will most likely start on Sunday night!

Detail: Moon Window – It’s come a long way from a sunny-side-up egg!

FYI: Inti Raymi/Diablo Huma reached his destination of El Dorado Arkansas, but has embarked on a new adventure to Washington DC!  Stay tuned for more stories about Diablo Huma!

Take a time out this weekend and have fun spawning your own vortex of energy.  Tap into your magic and fly!  Z

(PS- The rains resumed as I typed this post while charging the batteries in town!)