Artist Statement
EMERGENT series
My current work began after I completed a series of colored pencil drawings that were abstractions related to the sea. My work has evolved from my practice of of mindfulness meditation. Through meditation, I have discovered a new trust in my consciousness. These drawings might begin with a concrete object from the outside world like a shell, then they are transformed by my perception of what I see. At this point, it is automatic writing or painting. I have a visceral response to the imagery and reflect upon it as you would a meditation.
The theme of The Emergent Series centers on the idea of a protective shell and emergent bodies. Because of its hard casing, the shell is a protective image, always guarding life, as a shelter for pearls. The shell symbolizes the protective quality that love takes. There are many examples in art and mythology of the shell and the body such as Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus". The Hindu goddess Lakshmi was created from the grit and pearls within the shell. In Hinduism, the conch shell is symbolic because it awakens the heart of the faithful and calls to those who live with heart-filled love. The golden mean spiral found in the nautilus shell is symbolic of life's unfolding mysteries. Sacred geometry is a term used to describe the basic building blocks of the universe. The ancient science explores and explains the physical and energy patterns that create and unify all things. It reveals the sway that the universe of creation organizes itself. I arrange abstractions in delicate patterns of lace like tendrils, traditional egg tempera painting allows me to achieve the detail to create these patterns. Using bright vibrant colors, I juxtapose these with deep, dark hues. The earth tones suggest the nature within us and around us. A surreal quality occurs when the imagery is magnified, as if one is looking deep inside an organism.
TRANSFORMATIVE BODIES series
In this series, I have taken many of the organic drawings that I made and incorporated them into the body and the emotions one can go through in a day. Some are created on acetate which allows for a shadow to be casted on the paper behind the drawings. Others are done on white paper. I started this series while studying at Maine College of Art in the summer of 2016.
Bernadette Calnon-Buote
My current work began after I completed a series of colored pencil drawings that were abstractions related to the sea. My work has evolved from my practice of of mindfulness meditation. Through meditation, I have discovered a new trust in my consciousness. These drawings might begin with a concrete object from the outside world like a shell, then they are transformed by my perception of what I see. At this point, it is automatic writing or painting. I have a visceral response to the imagery and reflect upon it as you would a meditation.
The theme of The Emergent Series centers on the idea of a protective shell and emergent bodies. Because of its hard casing, the shell is a protective image, always guarding life, as a shelter for pearls. The shell symbolizes the protective quality that love takes. There are many examples in art and mythology of the shell and the body such as Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus". The Hindu goddess Lakshmi was created from the grit and pearls within the shell. In Hinduism, the conch shell is symbolic because it awakens the heart of the faithful and calls to those who live with heart-filled love. The golden mean spiral found in the nautilus shell is symbolic of life's unfolding mysteries. Sacred geometry is a term used to describe the basic building blocks of the universe. The ancient science explores and explains the physical and energy patterns that create and unify all things. It reveals the sway that the universe of creation organizes itself. I arrange abstractions in delicate patterns of lace like tendrils, traditional egg tempera painting allows me to achieve the detail to create these patterns. Using bright vibrant colors, I juxtapose these with deep, dark hues. The earth tones suggest the nature within us and around us. A surreal quality occurs when the imagery is magnified, as if one is looking deep inside an organism.
TRANSFORMATIVE BODIES series
In this series, I have taken many of the organic drawings that I made and incorporated them into the body and the emotions one can go through in a day. Some are created on acetate which allows for a shadow to be casted on the paper behind the drawings. Others are done on white paper. I started this series while studying at Maine College of Art in the summer of 2016.
Bernadette Calnon-Buote