anonyrrie: Message (Illustration Friday - Fortune)

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Message (Illustration Friday - Fortune)

Message
16" x 16" x 1" mixed media on wood panel


Happiness

There's just no accounting for happiness,
or the way it turns up like a prodigal
who comes back to the dust at your feet
having squandered a fortune far away.

And how can you not forgive?
You make a feast in honor of what
was lost, and take from its place the finest
garment, which you saved for an occasion
you could not imagine, and you weep night and day
to know that you were not abandoned,

that happiness saved its most extreme form
for you alone.

No, happiness is the uncle you never
knew about, who flies a single-engine plane
onto the grassy landing strip, hitchhikes
into town, and inquires at every door
until he finds you asleep midafternoon
as you so often are during the unmerciful
hours of your despair.

It comes to the monk in his cell.
It comes to the woman sweeping the street
with a birch broom, to the child
whose mother has passed out from drink.
It comes to the lover, to the dog chewing
a sock, to the pusher, to the basketmaker,
and to the clerk stacking cans of carrots
in the night.

It even comes to the boulder
in the perpetual shade of pine barrens,
to rain falling on the open sea,
to the wineglass, weary of holding wine.

- Jane Kenyon (1947 - )

49 Comments:

Blogger valerie walsh said...

Just Beautiful! Love the words too!

1:57 PM  
Blogger Digital Scott's Illustrationblog said...

Very beautiful. I like the storytelling. Someone else posted a pic with a bird with a jewel in it's beak for this week's IF topic too!

2:28 PM  
Blogger ° said...

think this is ur best to date in this style lov it!!!

2:44 PM  
Blogger Caroline said...

This is dreamily gorgeous Carla!

2:54 PM  
Blogger Random York said...

Beautiful Carla! It looks like a timeless fable!

3:24 PM  
Blogger Ellen Byrne said...

I love all your stuff, Carla!

5:14 PM  
Blogger Kathleen Rietz said...

So beautiful! And the accompanying poem is a perfect selection for this artwork. This truly is amazing. My favorite one!

5:16 PM  
Blogger david santos said...

Very nice, Carla!
Have a good week.

5:17 PM  
Blogger Leah said...

this is so beautiful, carla. i love it!!

5:25 PM  
Blogger Aravis said...

Your paintings are not only beautiful, as I've said before. They always have this luminescent quality that I love. There's also the sense that there's more to see if the viewer takes the time to look. For example, while writing this I just noticed the musical notes on the roof. It's touches like that which keep me looking.

6:55 PM  
Blogger creativelenna said...

Carla, this is so full of feeling. I find it hard to describe how much I like the bird holding the same image as you see in the woman's earring. I love the green marbled papers that you have added white drawings to, and the white stars in the window. The contrast of the sky is perfect. Do I see spirals of handmade paper in the grass or am I dreaming?????
Love this!

8:56 PM  
Blogger Dana S. Whitney said...

What I know about your work is there will always be an interesting slant. The Kenyon poem is tickling the back of my brain. Hope I can find the "itch" before this week's Fortune runs out.

9:22 PM  
Blogger jessielavon@yahoo.com said...

just passing threw darling,come visit

9:59 PM  
Blogger Susan Tuttle said...

Oh my! Karla--this is breathtaking! I just stared at it for several minutes, taking in all of the details, symbols, layers. There is so much there, and it is all so beautiful.

I enjoyed the poem by Jane Kenyon--very moving and so true.

Big Hugs,
Susan

10:26 PM  
Blogger studio lolo said...

Another beautiful image Carla! And the accompanying words are always so right on. And by the way, we couldn't have been closer in our bird interpretations! Great minds, kindred spirits :)

12:20 AM  
Blogger Merisi said...

Happiness, lost and brought back -
such an expressive painting, and poem, too. It's always a great moment when I find a new post of yours. Thank you!

1:34 AM  
Blogger Ro Bruhn said...

I sit in anticipation waiting for the next painting and you never disappoint. Another beautiful piece Carla.

Ro
xo

7:21 AM  
Blogger Ginger*:) said...

Oh Carla, This series is just breathtaking! Each image comes to life and tells a story so deep within the canvas that I keep coming back here to look at your illustrations. The texture, tone, color, and sense of mystery are enhanced by the attention to detail and design. Wonderful~

8:32 AM  
Blogger shannonjyl said...

love it!

9:29 AM  
Blogger Michelle Lana said...

Such beautiful work carla! Very very nice!

10:43 AM  
Blogger Luisa said...

fantastic piece! :)

1:42 PM  
Blogger Roberto Picasso said...

Hi Carla,

I'm enchanted with your illustration and the poetry with references to the prodigal son.

Perhaps happiness is prodigal, and we don't need to seek it--it will return to us when least expected.

Thanks,
Robert McLaughlin

5:03 PM  
Blogger steve said...

Wonderful, contemplative square piece Carla. The crow's a bonus here! I keep forgetting to grt you back on my bloglines (I'm still recovering links from past changes). I'll get to that now then. It's always a pleasure seeing what work you've been up to.:)

7:15 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This is a stunning piece Carla. Your work never fails to leave me in awe of your talent.
hugs
Marie

4:45 AM  
Blogger PennyBlue said...

Great Poem...great painting! I really like your style!

10:59 AM  
Blogger TheTart said...

Big sigh ... I love this.

Thx for stoppin by the RV!

Smooch,
The Tart
; *

1:23 PM  
Blogger Heartful said...

Wow!! Perfectly exquisite and enigmatic - your painting and the poem both.

1:32 PM  
Blogger Colorsonmymind said...

I love the textures in your recent work. Wow they are so rich and full of emotion. Wonderful.

Hugs

2:51 PM  
Blogger isay said...

i also like the texture and the pattern

....there seems some kind of understanding in how the bird and the lady were looking at each other.

i like the poem,too and even read them twice and louder.

3:38 PM  
Blogger LDahl said...

It is just beautiful Carla! I've really loved these paintings that you've been doing.

5:28 PM  
Blogger esillustration said...

wow this is awesome!!!

5:31 PM  
Blogger Kay Aker said...

Whatever you're doing, please keep on doing it! Such rich imagery!

7:09 PM  
Blogger Linda said...

so mezmerizing, oh i just noticed the earing! i love love this painting!

6:20 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

i think this is my favorite. great textures, colors, and layering. i love her eyes and lips...so beautiful

11:49 AM  
Blogger Susan Schwake said...

carla - this is my favorite so fat to date! really really REALLY lovely!

12:26 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

YOur paintings always full of enchantment and grace!! BEautiful!!

3:49 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This is just what I specifically like :-) Beautiful work !

4:29 PM  
Blogger kj said...

carla, i just love your landscapes!! they have a magical mystical quality to them that only you could do. and having seen one of your original paintings, it was more stunning that one could imagine from your blog.

i also love this poem!! i wish i had written it!! hee hee

8:14 PM  
Blogger Ian T. said...

Would we recognise the harbingers of fortune or happiness if they made themselves evident to us? Perhaps contentment is the best thing to hope for.

This is a masterful piece. I love the sense of an up arrow about the house, growing above her head, and going in the direction the raven is indicating to her. Nice that you picked the classic bird of ill-omen to represent something potentially positive. The right-to-left diagonal in this piece is also very powerful.

Truly, an excellent picture - don't let this one go easily, someone should be honoured to have it hang on there wall.

8:59 PM  
Blogger Ian T. said...

Excuse mispelling :)

8:59 PM  
Blogger HARDWAX said...

There is always something of the rare and beautiful in your work, and it goes much deeper than the paint and canvas, or in this case, the wood panel. I wish I were a poet.

1:48 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

What a fantastic piece! You know how much a dig crows. I love what you captured here.

So magical.
Hugs,
a.

1:31 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I feel a surge of energy running through me after reading the poem and gazing at your specatular painting. I admire your connection to the spirit...within. You inspire, Carla!

1:33 PM  
Blogger mag.nolia said...

So beautiful! :) »

1:08 AM  
Blogger Anette Heiberg said...

Very beautiful!

Anette Heiberg
www.wynlen.no

4:03 AM  
Blogger trowbridge chronicles said...

The air of mystery, and the subtle textures that you imparted into the painting is very impressive, Carla. A beautiful painting.

10:35 AM  
Blogger tiffini elektra x said...

I love the mix of paint and mixed media. So perfectly balanced. Amazing rich deep colors. This is just so gorgeous - I love the blues in the skin tone. And her hair is insanely amazing!

9:55 PM  
Blogger katie said...

this is so gorgeous - i could state at it for a long time!

jane kenyon is one of my favorite poets, beautiful choice, beautiful blog....

katie

8:36 PM  
Blogger Judy Scott said...

Not visited for a while, your art just gets better and better if thats possible this is so amazing. Judy x

7:39 PM  

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