HENENI
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WHEN MOSES STOOD BEFORE THE BURNING BUSH AND WAS CALLED BY NAME FROM WITHIN, HE RESPONDED, “HINENI.”, HERE I AM!" (EXODUS 3:4)
This one simple Hebrew word conveys more than a simple indication of being physically present in a location, the word “Heneni” is an existential expression. I’m not only here, but I’m here. Spiritually, I’m all in. I’m prepared to reflect on who I am, what’s important to me, and how I can effect change for others.
ONCE IN A LIFETIME
HENENI, is central to my life and art, I’ve found that when I’m attuned to the fluidity of life’s waters, not distracted by what might be or what was, I’m able to see the burning bushes all around me. I intuitively capture what I see and feel using the colors and shapes of the emotions I’m feeling in the moments of creating.
And without my art, there is a part of me that remains invisible, misunderstood, unheard or seen. My art is a means to express myself when words fall short, relay my experiences, and connect with others. It gives me a voice to say, “Here I AM
When I wander, worry, or think of happiness as a future event,, HENENI serves as a reminder to stay focused on the present to accept what I have and make the most of it, that true joy is being in the flow of the creating, embracing the mystery of the future and the promise of unknown, and life unfolding.
HOW DID I GET HERE?
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I found myself in a different world - with a brush in my hand.
And I asked myself, how did I get here? Why am I doing this?
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Moses sees a bush burning in a field that others failed to notice - I see potted plants on fire or a field ablaze with dancing fairies- Moses saw that though the bush was on fire, it did not burn up. So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up."
Like Hopper, Cezanne, Monet, Kandinsky, Georgia, O’Keefe, Dr. Seuss, Van Gogh, and Colonel Sanders, I came to my calling later in life. I'm an innovator and entrepreneur with an insatiable curiosity, always drawn to work that allows me to create from a blank slate and sail in unchartered waters. Somewhere along the path I've traveled, I unleashed new outlets for my creativity, which ease the pain of change and loss and help me to live in the moment and reconnect with joy.
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Had Moses not been curious and present, he would have, like the many other Shepards, walked past an opportunity to experience the full promise of what life has to offer.
LOOK WHERE MY HAND WAS
My methods rely on the promise of the unknown and things out of my control. Once I commit to the stroke, it leaves its mark, and the next move is based on the last stroke.
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I create using “Brushes” of all types, digital to physical. I use intentional camera movement to paint a scene in the same way I work with watercolors and a horsehair brush to capture and manipulate colors and shapes. In all cases, I dance with the brushes and take what they give me, knowing that l don't have total control of the piece.
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I work without expectations of what I will create and know that everyone who sees my work will view it from their perspective-and love it or hate it, see it differently, notice different aspects have different feelings or attribute meanings to it - which I find endlessly fascinating.
WHERE DOES THIS HIGHWAY GO TO?
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MY WORK IS INFORMED BY THE LATTICES OF COINCIDENCE WE CALL LIFE.
I never let a burning bush or question pass me by, as I frequently ask myself, "I know what this is- what else could it be? " about concepts and things, the meaning of conversations and life. I don't fail to forget words or phrases like consipulant, or ubiquitous spread, because I never know when they will come in handy.
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And, so as I go through my day, I may be drawn to an emotion or a rake, or a bird, or a cup of coffee or a group of people drinking coffee, or a napkin stain or a tree or …..And the result is what you see here. A tree that looks like a stream which is the flow of life.. or a bush that appears to be burning
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When I'm letting my intuition drive me unencumbered by thought, listening to the rhythm of my soul. I accept that I don't know what I'll end up with and enjoy being in the zone until the work is done.
So, I continue to explore with a beginner's mind what I can see, imagine, and capture- and have no idea where any of this is headed, so, as the saying goes, "wherever you go, there you are," - and I hope you'll join me on the adventure.
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HENENI