Personal Symbolism

Isn't it gorgeous? It just arrived in the post from Jo at MYSTORY. I'm a big fan of squares, something so powerful and reassuring in a square so this is really up my alley, my colors too! She's made this brooch with little bits of fibers, thread, and her monoprints. You can see a larger piece here comprised of many of these squares and the effect is stunning. She also explained more about what's behind the project here and a monoprint tutorial you may enjoy here.

Even the wrapping had a great tactile feel to it, and tied up with what I think is gold silk...

Cute! Signed on the back in embroidery. Thank you, Thank you, Jo!

Earlier Bridgette from Contemplating the Moon was talking about exploring her inner symbols. I'd have to say that the square is one of my symbols, as is the number three, triangular compositions (not just the triangle- it's too obvious), and trees and the horizon.

I found the words that ring true to that symbol. I've been holed up, nice and snug, devouring books lately and was so lucky to find what I think was my new favorite book, Love and Houses, followed immediately by what I feel was one of the greatest books ever written, Their Eyes Were Watching God. This story is told without pretensions. It is a story about a woman finding herself, which the critics at the time thought was a trivial subject.

I don't know if this will have the same power out of context, but this part hit me with such force and I can't read it without weeping. It is a quote about horizons.

"She had been getting ready for her great journey to the horizons in search of people; it was important to all the world that she should find them and they find her. But she had been whipped like a cur dog, and run off down a back road after things. It was all according to the way you see things. Some people could look at a mud-puddle and see an ocean with ships. But Nanny belonged to that other kind that loved to deal in scraps. Here Nanny had taken the biggest thing God ever made, the horizon-for no matter how far a person can go the horizon is still way beyond you- and pinched it in to such a little bit of a thing that she could tie it about her granddaughter's neck tight enough to choke her."

Wow. Part of the annoyance of being a visual artist is the difficulty that sometimes comes from trying to put our work into words. So finding a writer who was able to write so powerfully about the same metaphor was very moving. It helps me to organize my words just a little better so that eventually, I may be able to explain what it all means succinctly and with coherence.

Do you have a set of personal symbols? Have you been able to explain them?