I have not done an intense "Jesselism" piece in a while and somehow I woke with the spirit of the Buffalo/Bison in my brain. Letting go to the paper, and giving way to different incarnations, is both powerful and precarious. During this painting process, I asked both Joy West and my husband, Gary, to give me their visions and insights. I am left vulnerable, yet wide open, when I ask for other people's opinions in the middle of a work of heART. My Muses I respect both of Joy & Gary when it comes to their intuitive abilities. They both had great advise and I gently moved and changed the painting following their rhythm and yet listening closely to my own truth. The end result held a certain magic for me and even though the other paintings have their own appeal, I think Buffalo Power represents the best of all the versions I painted. The good thing about taking photos as you go is that now all the other images are available as prints and products at: Jessel Miller Buffalo Versions. I welcome all of you to share your thoughts and feelings about any of these pieces. Respond at jesselgallery@napanet.net LOVE JESSEL and the Buffalo/Bison
Here is what Joy West, one of my muses, wrote about in the process of watching this painting emerge. I would send her images daily as the piece evolved and we would talk about what we did or did not see or understand about the piece. I think her words are insightful and powerful. "It really takes the interaction between the painting (and thus the artist) and the viewer for a story to be told. It morphs with each new person who views it. In the beginning of this buffalo story, I felt no connection, could not tell a story. By the second incarnation, there was an awakening of sorts, but still no real story. By the third phase, we were communicating, these faces and I, of the respect and dependency the buffalo had in this land, of the native ability to shapeshift into buffalo/man, understanding and honoring while still slaying it, of conservation and consumerism going hand in hand. And here's the magic of storytelling for me: It takes just the right story from someone else for me to see the first two incarnations in a whole new light, to join in a story exciting and well worth telling, to see through new eyes." Joy West
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Happy Friday Everyone. Here are 2 flower arrangements to add color and beauty to your day and to let you know I Care About YOU. Big Hugs from Afar, Jessel You can design your own frame and matte colors when you purchase this print at Jessel Miller Products
Some images are messy and confusing, yet they tell the truth in simply ways. This began as a wolf painting and the bear pushed it's way into the picture. I move aside and just let the energy flow through me.
"Wolf Teaches us about living our life powerfully, more freely and passionately guided by instincts. Look at what supports your authentic self and the true expression of yourself. Do not be led by others, follow your true self and passions. Bear teaches us to stand up for ourselves, our love ones and for what we believe in. Do you need to be alone, to reflect and contemplate your life journey? Like the bear, we should follow our instincts and call on our own wisdom. Bears show us that wisdom comes from within. We are one with Creation, one with all." Discovery - Full Circle
It is said that after a long series of events or changes, the same situation that you started with still exists. My journey over the last 6 months came Full Circle this month. About 10 years ago I began to play with acrylics. Most of my artistic expression has been created in watercolor. I was told, just after graduating with a Degree in oil painting, that I had atopic dermatitis and would have to "give up art." I told the Doctor that I would never give up art. I would just change mediums. Watercolors fascinated me in high school, so I started down the very long path educating myself in this new medium. As a young child I trained for the Olympics in Gymnastics. One of the greatest lesson I learned on the balance beam was "never look down; always look to the end of the beam and you would not fall off." The concept was to keep the goal in your mind as you walk the narrow beam. To this day, it has served me well as a life lesson. With this in my mind, I began my 15 year devotion to a new medium and put myself through years of training to learn the intricate and complicated nuances of watercolors. Now, as I develop and grow into another new medium- acrylic, I have followed the same road of daily experimentation. The circle began with acrylic abstraction in December 2019. I then went to intense realism and now ,I am slipping back into complete . I float for a time in a place of quiet meditation. It feels good to have something to say with all the recent complicated concepts found in my figurative work. It is also wonderful to murmur wind-filled whispers to the world and allow space between words and responses. I watch as my cats take long, lingering moments to stare out at the world and never say a word. I am lounging in the luxury of stillness on the roof in the evening and letting the paint drift and flow. June 2020
The journey to my current work was built on a lifetime of self discovery and personal growth both in life and art. A great force is at work on the planet constantly, yet the current state of the earth is moving me to express the deepest echo reverberating around the world. There is a yearning and pleading voice speaking through me and I consider it a privilege to answer the call. I had the honor of seeing Oprah in person. The most poignant moment in her speech was a line she said her friend, Gayle said to her when she was complaining about her life. She said "USE ME, USE ME, USE ME." In other words stop complaining and put your powers and potential to work for the good of others. That has been my mantra for years and is to this day. Art is a very personal expression. Each of us gravitates to different subjects, styles and mediums, yet the one thread sown, is the desire to silently speak through color, line, design and concept. 2020 is a cornerstone year in my life path. I have taken back my artistic soul and dedicate myself to my heART every single day. I am not sure the work will resonate with the everyone, yet I am sure that I cannot get in the way of this force of nature pulsing through me and guiding me to my new style I call "Jesselism." I invite you to take a moment and share your thoughts about the new work. I welcome your truth and hope that in some small way these new images move you, shake you, wake you and make you feel....something. I want to give all of you something bright and cheerful and full of promise.
This is a Series I love painting because the concept is simple and the results are joyful and magical in quality. All my floral images are available in products and make wonderful gifts all year round. Enjoy my arrangements JUST FOR YOU. Art is a Vase of Flowers that Never Die by Jessel Miller Mixed emotions swirl and sway Around us as we try to deal With all the trauma in our day And all the sadness that we feel I look to nature for my calm And gather blossoms one by one And in my mind I hear a Psalm About the air, the earth and sun. It whispers to me blooms be near And put them in a vase so tall And every time you feel the fear Paint their colors on your wall Take a brush, a tube of paint Splash the canvas to and fro Trust me this can not wait A freedom felt first time you'll know Simple flowers in a vase Painted on the wall you see Every day within your space An Eternal Loving Memory ~ Happy Father's Day Join Up
"Join up is a method of bonding with a horse through body language and positioning. According to some, this is part of learning to 'speak horse'. Body position and eye contact are used to send the horse away from the handler, and eventually to invite the horse to approach." This term touched me the first time I watched it happen on a TV series I recommend called "Heartland." The intimate and loving connection between this family and their horses is a living example and microcosm of the world itself. Microcosm means a community, place, or situation regarded as encapsulating in miniature the characteristic qualities or features of something much larger. We are all living in these tiny circles that have gotten smaller with this universal concern. This time in history is a lesson in Horse Wisdom. Practicing the concept of Join Up seems like something humans need to incorporate in our lives today. Give each other space to move forward or away without judgement. Jessel Process Page Let's Join Up! Poem by Jessel Miller Right before me, stand and stare Daylight shining eyes that share Larger than life, earth bound dancers Freedom calling land life prancers "Join up" gestures reach the soul From great tall mare to tiny foal A gentle connection of the heart Humanity learns to hit Restart. ___________________________________________________________________ Jessel Miller Classes I am now teaching an Acrylic Painting Class by Appointment. (3 person maximum in the gallery) Rooftop Evening Classes Available for (4 person Max) $75.00 per class Please call 707-257-2350 and reserve a place. Experience the playful world of letting go to paint and paper The past 6 months my spirit has been filled with promise and excitement each morning as I raced into the gallery to paint a new vision.
Right now, my tender, disquieted heart is overflowing with tears. This country was first inhabited with Indian Tribes devoted to saving the earth and honoring the seasons. Our history is being tested as we reach out with banners and protest the injustice of lives lost. It has taken me to a place of grave concern and consternation. Where do we go from here? How do we heal the wounds as far back as the original settlers on this land? I am reaching out to YOU today and would love to hear your thoughts. I yearn for a peace-filled planet, yet right now, for the first time in months, my soul sits sadly mourning this moment in history. The painting above came as a surprise. It started with a daytime landscape and ended with a buffalo moon,and stars in the shape of a buffalo, and a tent with an eagle lighting the way. The process page reveals my journey to this painting's end. Silhouette Process Paintings The World is in turmoil, not only from an inner virus, also from the outer virus, The universal cry is for Equality for all Humankind. This painting came the week before the global outcry about racial inequality. I was raised in a small town in Canada. My only knowledge of the African American culture came from the beautiful photos of my father, who spent World War 11 as a doctor in Africa tending to the sick. I loved the peace I saw on the villager's faces and the laughter in the children's eyes. When I moved to the United States in 1965, I was shocked by the outright prejudice toward of the Black community. My first gallery exhibition and series focused on the amazing spirits of the women of Africa. My Soul is aching for the world to calm down and heal and yet, I understand the anger and sorrow felt by the injustice all around. My Prayer today is to look to the future in our hearts and see the univere healed and happy and aligned with the grandeur and magnificent beauty we are blessed to experience. We are the light and we really need to shine right now! Mayor Jill Techel shares this reminder with us: “We can only begin to heal as a community and as a nation by listening, by hearing, and by understanding. We must face adversity by facing it together and by finding strength and love in each other.” |
Jessel Miller
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May 2022
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