Comments on: Artist’s Life – What’s Boring and What’s Not!

By: Päivi

Päivi — Tue, 29 Jun 2021 12:18:16 +0000

In reply to Lynne Braga (Louisa Ellingham). Thank you, Lynne! I think you and Hilma would be good friends, at least! Because Hilma had a lot of connections with Finland, we Finnish are very much interested in her work today too. We have had a few exhibitions, and I have seen her work in two. Very impressive pieces which seem to be not only spiritual and fantastic but also intellectual in some ways. About negative painting: I think it's like world's wonders: difficult at first, but once you get it, there are opportunities for it all the time. I like the mental shift of seeing beyond the obvious that comes with it.

By: Cathy Murray

Cathy Murray — Sat, 26 Jun 2021 13:11:57 +0000

for Lynne/Louisa: This may or may not be what you’re looking for: https://amzn.to/3gXr9Cx (Hilma af Klint: Notes and Methods) which claims to be the first (2018) English translation of her notebooks.

By: Lynne Braga (Louisa Ellingham)

Lynne Braga (Louisa Ellingham) — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 22:20:33 +0000

Another venture into the mystical, right on the heels of your last post! I’ve been interested in Hilma af Klint for some time, but always promised myself that I would study her and her work in depth later–and later hadn’t arrived until now. Thank you so much for reintroducing her. When I first saw the amazing diagramatic works that people said were obscure or unintelligible, I immediately thought: she was a mystic. On reading some references this afternoon, I think I’d be inclined to say “intensely mystical visionary” work; she was a spiritualist, interested in a variety of occult subjects, attended seances and attempted “automatic writing.” Of course, without her writings, her actual words, we can’t be assured she was a mystic, but when I read about her progression in her art, changing from one way of seeing to another throughout her life, I might cautiously say “yes”. Interesting that Kandinsky, Malevich and Mondrian were also profoundly concerned with the unseen dimension. It would be so fascinating to read Hilma’s “Studies on Spiritual Life” (1200 pages!) This reference: “I describe the way and meanwhile I am proceeding along it” (which seems to be a quote from her) has a mystical authenticity, to my way of seeing. But I was surprised that she wanted her art hidden for 20 years after her death. I almost think that she might have understood that as we would “progress” in the 20th C. , the world would become more oriented to the sciences and technology and much less to the “metaphysical”. But it is to our benefit that her pieces have survived. I would love to see more studies done on Hilma and not only her incredible paintings, but her writing too! Please let me know if you find any books in English about her ideas.

In this post, your ideas on the inner life of the artist coincide with my remarks in your last post relating to the spiritual element of art. I love negative painting, but find it difficult–something to work on! It is wonderful that you are able to exhibit your art this summer and I hope you have incredible success! Thank you again, Paivi!

By: Päivi

Päivi — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 14:18:14 +0000

In reply to Michele. Thanks so much, Michele! Your comment brightened my day!

By: Michele

Michele — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 14:15:32 +0000

Paivi! How beautiful, both the painting and the post. I so enjoy reading, not only of the history of our artists, but your process of thoughts while painting and the beautiful results after having processed so much. Thank you for sharing your journey with us. Congratulations on the paintings that grace the walls of the exibitions! Much love to you Paivi. XO