My Little Secret or Sub Rosa*

Why do I paint so many roses?

It started out that I just wanted something beautiful to paint, but now it has a greater meaning for me.

The rose is one of the most sentimental flowers.  I love the symbolism of love and beauty—our lives opening like petals, among the thorns of pain, hard work, and disappointment. They represent how God can bring good out of misery. This quote sums it up:

“As the rose blossoms under the sun, I shall blossom under the eyes of God.”

Being, catholic, I also love the symbolism of the red rose as Christ, and his suffering on the cross. In Christian lore, a rose bush was said to have grown at the site of Christ’s death. His blood is often associated with a red rose, combined with its thorns, symbolizing the ultimate sacrifice. A rose, the queen of flowers represents Mary, the Queen of heaven and earth—the Virgin Mary is called a “rose without thorns” because she was free from original sin. Legend has it that roses blushed with shame when Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden. 

Each flower I paint is a form of prayer and gratitude. May Christ and Mary unfold in me a better understanding of human hardship and help me to blossom into a better person. 

My wish for all who view my paintings is to see their version of spring and to have a little beauty touch their lives.

To work is to pray. (John Singer Sargent)

Good art is a form of prayer. It’s a way to say what is not sayable. (Frederich Busch)

Each one prays to God according to his own light. (Mahatma Gandhi)

If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is “Thank You,” it will be enough. (Meister Johann Eckhart)

* The Latin phrase sub rosa means "under the rose" and is used in English to denote secrecy or confidentiality. In Christian symbolism, the phrase "sub rosa" has a special place in confessions. Pictures of five-petalled roses were often carved on confessionals, indicating that the conversations would remain secret. The phrase has also been understood to make reference to the mysterious virginal conception of Christ. 

Candy Factory IV

July 29 – September 9, 2010
Candy Factory IV
This juried exhibition features local artists, from Prince William and counties to the south and west. There is no theme in this exhibition to allow artists of all media the opportunity of presenting images that are on foremost in their creative minds. 


Artist Reception July 31, from 6pm to 8pm.


Center for the Arts
Caton Merchant Family Gallery
9419 Battle Street
Manassas, VA 20110
center-for-the-arts.org

Gallery Hours:

Weekdays: 10 to 5

Saturdays: 1 to 5


The Center for the Arts of Greater Manassas/Prince William County sponsors theatrical productions for children and adults, teaches arts classes, promotes visual arts and provides community outreach programs for local youth. Founded in 1984 by a group of artists and art lovers, the Center aims to enrich the quality of life in the Northern Virginia suburbs through arts performance and education. A theater, an art gallery and classrooms are located in the historic Candy Factory building in Old Town Manassas, at 9419 Battle Street.

An Invitation to the 12th Annual Oatlands Four Seasons Art Show and Sale

July 2 - 25, 2010
20850 Oatlands Plantation Lane
Leesburg, Va. 20175
703.777.3174
www.oatlands.org


Hours: 10am - 5pm, Monday through Saturday, 1pm - 5pm Sundays
Free and open to the public.

View some beautiful artwork from local artists featuring local scenes. Take a leisurely drive and visit the stately mansion, beautiful rolling farmland, exquisite gardens, a repository of more than 200 years of American history and culture — all of these can be found at Oatlands Historic House and Gardens near Leesburg, Virginia.

Established in the early 19th century by George Carter, Oatlands was a thriving wheat plantation and base for numerous business enterprises until the time of the Civil War. During most of the 20th century Oatlands served as the country estate of Mr. and Mrs. William Corcoran Eustis, affluent Washingtonians with strong ties to the American political arena.

Come visit the Oatland’s historic carriage house — it is a wonderful venue which serves as a perfect backdrop for the 12th Annual Four Season of Oatlands Art Show and Sale.

What the Birds Sing . . .

“The birds they sing at the break of day, ‘Start again,’ I hear them say.”

—Leonard Cohen

Spring is here—my roses and clematis are blooming in my garden, the lawns are lush and the world is full of bird-song.  It’s a time of renewal—of starting again. 

Sometimes, as I admire the master painters’ work of yesterday and today—I wonder what struggles they endured and what it was like for them as art students? Their works of art make it all look so effortless and easy—as if they had no struggles at all. Did they ever have to start again?

The following quotes are reminders for me and I hope an inspiration for other painters who are wondering when their canvases will sing.

“Every good artist had to learn how to paint. Some may have taken to it more easily than others, but none just started out making great pictures. There are no child prodigies in painting. That’s important to keep in mind, because it tells us that painting is learnable. It’s not a gift from the gods.”

—Gregg Kreutz, from Problem Solving for Oil Painters

“A journey of a thousand canvases (miles) begins with a single brushstroke (step).”

—Confucius

“Learning from books and teachers is like traveling by carriage, . . . the carriage will serve only while one is on the highroad. He who reaches the end of the highroad will leave the carriage and walk afoot.”

—Johannes Itten

“For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.”

—Aristotle

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”

—Mahatma Gandhi

“A person wanting to become an artist might simply go purposefully and dedicatedly to his or her room with a few books and a thousand blank canvases for four years.”

—Robert Genn

“Teachers open the door, but you must enter yourself.”

—Chinese proverb

In the same way that nature has her seasons — I also have to prepare the ground, plant the seeds and do what is necessary to grow. As a painter, I will take my cue from nature and ‘Start again.’  I leave you with one more . . .

“I would like to paint the way a bird sings.”

—Claude Monet

Art at the Mill, 2010

An invitation to Art at the Mill, Spring 2010.

Above is a sneak preview of my five paintings that were selected for Art at the Mill.

April 24 through May 9, 2010

Burwell-Morgan Mill

15 Tannery Lane

Millwood, VA 22646

Hours: Sunday-Friday, 12-5pm; Saturday, 10-6pm

Admission: $5 for adults, $3 for seniors, students free

An operational gristmill, built in 1785 and sitting at the crossroads in the quaint village of Millwood, Virginia, becomes an extraordinary art gallery every spring and fall. Art at the Mill is the semi-annual art show and sale sponsored by the Clarke County Historical Association with support from the Berryville/Clarke County Chamber of Commerce.

Jill Brabant invites you to "Art at the Mill"

April 24 through May 9, 2010

Burwell-Morgan Mill
15 Tannery Lane
Millwood, VA 22646

Hours: Sunday-Friday, 12-5pm; Saturday, 10-6pm

Admission: $5 for adults, $3 for seniors, students free

What could be better than a leisurely drive in the country, fine art and good food! Visit the Burwell-Morgan Mill for the Spring Art Show, see the operational grist mill in action and be sure to taste some goodies from the Locke Store directly across the street.

Check out Sunday Drive on youtube.com by kalacaw for a sneak peek at the Mill in action.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I07Yx-aUStE

Oh, and did I mention a portion of the sales go to a good cause? 24%of each sale goes to the Clarke County Historical Association, which owns and operates the Burwell-Morgan Mill, in addition to collecting and preserving the history of Clarke County. And 2% of each sale goes to the Sarah P. Trumbower Memorial scholarship, which is awarded to a deserving local student majoring in the arts.

Motherhood and Creativity

Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.
Pablo Picasso

Sometimes I think my four-year-old son, Dylan teaches me more than I teach him! As I watch him play, learn and interact with the world around him, I see lessons that I can apply to my oil painting endeavours.

1. Banish self-doubt. When Dylan is creating, he has no fear or second guessing–he wields his crayon or brush with bravura!

2. Enjoy the beauty of simple things and view them with fresh eyes. My son is fascinated by every day objects, such as the colors and shapes found in a small pebble, and he has no pre-conceived ideas that a stone is grey or brown. (To paint well, one must view the world with fresh eyes . . . grass isn’t necessarily green and apples aren’t always red!)

3. Seize the moment. Young boys are a whirlwind of activity and full of energy. I will seize the moment and find time to practice, study, paint and draw . . . every day.

4. Be curious and play. Learn how to maneuver paint with a brush, palette knife, and even fingers. (Learn and be curious about how to make different marks—thick/thin, soft/hard, and light/dark brush strokes . . . play with paint.)

5. Have resilience and determination. If Dylan wants something, he doesn’t quit. His persistence is really something to be admired, as well as endured! Do I exhibit that kind of determination? Through miles of canvas—wisdom and honing of my craft will come.

Dylan, 8 x 10 oil by Jill Brabant Mixed media, 11 x 14, by Dylan Brabant