{"id":14807,"date":"2017-09-01T01:10:50","date_gmt":"2017-09-01T06:10:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/paganpages.org\/content\/?p=15337"},"modified":"2017-08-24T19:16:51","modified_gmt":"2017-08-25T00:16:51","slug":"imelda-almqvist-about-painting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/2017\/09\/01\/imelda-almqvist-about-painting\/","title":{"rendered":"Imelda Almqvist About Painting"},"content":{"rendered":"

Imelda Almqvist About Painting<\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

People often ask me about painting. I teach courses in making art internationally and do a fair amount of public speaking, as well, so I am often asked questions about my own process\u00a0and my relationship to my own paintings.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Over the years, as paintings have gone off to exhibitions and galleries and I have hosted many Open Studio Days, I have written my\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>artist’s statement<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0on many\u00a0occasions, as artists\u00a0are supposed to do. I observe\u00a0constant shifts in my own consciousness\u00a0bringing\u00a0fresh insights. I doubt this journey will ever end! (it will probably continue beyond my departure from the earthly realm!) This means that I am always engaged in\u00a0re-writing and\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>trying to find even better words for processes that happen in the place beyond words!\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em>Today those earlier artists statements are interesting artifacts because they track and map my personal creative journey over a period of three decades.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/i><\/p>\n

(<\/i><\/span><\/span>Sadness, monoprint 1997<\/i><\/span><\/span>)<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/b><\/u><\/i><\/span><\/span><\/strong>E<\/b><\/u><\/i><\/span><\/span><\/strong>ncounter <\/b><\/u><\/i><\/span><\/span><\/strong>w<\/b><\/u><\/i><\/span><\/span><\/strong>ith <\/b><\/u><\/i><\/span><\/span><\/strong>W<\/b><\/u><\/i><\/span><\/span><\/strong>hite <\/b><\/u><\/i><\/span><\/span><\/strong>C<\/b><\/u><\/i><\/span><\/span><\/strong>anvas<\/b><\/u><\/i><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/h5>\n

For me every painting starts with an encounter with a blank canvas or white sheet of paper.. There is a seed concept: an idea, a colour, a\u00a0shape,\u00a0a piece of music, a sudden insight, often a possible\u00a0marriage of two unlikely things.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Once I start the process of painting I am in dialogue with the spirit of the painting I am working on. That which seeks coming into form and embodiment through art actually\u00a0guides the process.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In shamanism we call this\u00a0<\/span><\/span>hollowing out\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/em>or<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/em>being\u00a0<\/span><\/span>a\u00a0hollow bone for Spirit<\/span><\/span><\/em>, for luminous beings from other realms. Beings more evolved than myself come forward\u00a0offer a higher perspective on events on Earth and a glimpses of other worlds behind the Veil.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/i><\/p>\n

(<\/i><\/span><\/span>\u00a0UNDERTAKING Oil Painting\u00a01994<\/i><\/span><\/span>)<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

About <\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/strong>S<\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/strong>elling <\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/strong>P<\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/strong>aintings<\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Do I sell paintings? Yes. Will I sell any painting to absolutely anyone who expresses interest in it? No!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In our culture we often rate artists (and authors!) by their sales The selling of work means\u00a0that other people put value on what we do. To be\u00a0<\/span><\/span>“successful”<\/span><\/span><\/em>\u00a0we need to regularly sell paintings or sell many copies of a book. My younger self, fresh out of art school, “bought into this”. Art School instils a very particular idea of what it means to be a professional (and commercially successful) artist!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Over the years my own helping spirits have taught me many powerful lessons and my perception has shifted completely.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Once someone got in touch about buying a painting. The spirits said \u00a0no, it is a piece of your soul they are trying to buy, don’t do it! \u00a0<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Another time I promised someone a painting of a very powerful goddess. This painting went missing for two\u00a0years and only reappeared recently. She was not willing to go and she was angry that I had not consulted her before making the promise. Rightly so! Lesson learned!! OUCH!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

However, most of the time when people get in touch about buying a painting, the spirit of the painting is thrilled and very excited. Everything flows very smoothly and all arrangements fall into place easily. Then I say my goodbyes and the painting starts a new life in a new home.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

(While I was at art school the teachers warned us against people “choosing a painting to go with the colours of their sofa”. In truth I have not seen too much of this over 30 years of selling art!)<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

(<\/i><\/span><\/span>DADDY IS A BALLOON \u00a01997 Oil.<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Painting\u00a0title inspired by a paper on Art Therapy)<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Paintings as Trusted Allies and Teachers<\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

In November 2016 I gave a presentation at\u00a0<\/span><\/span>“Threshold<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/strong>“, the annual conference of The Gatekeeper Trust.\u00a0There was a beautiful audience of about 100\u00a0people. I had a made a power point presentation in which many of my own paintings (inspired by spiritual work done all over the world) appeared.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

After that talk (and the reactions I received from many people) I could put into words something I have always known, on some level<\/span><\/span>:<\/b><\/i><\/span><\/span>\u00a0the spirits embodied by my own paintings are my trusted allies and teachers.<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/strong>They go wherever I go. They will often go on missions too, performing healing work for a person, family or location or appearing in someone’s dream to provide important guidance on a big decision or career move.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In that moment I realised that for me\u00a0<\/span><\/span>painting is about a life led by and dedicated to Spirit.<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/b><\/i><\/span><\/span>I<\/span><\/span>t is about an intimate relationship with powerful beings that come forward \u00a0to help those on Earth – but they can only do so if we invite them and welcome their help.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

It was not just me giving a presentation: it was me and my whole team, all of us doing this!\u00a0It was not nervous, only overjoyed. You can watch this presentation on Youtube:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

“Gods of Portals, Life Transitions and Liminal Spaces\u201d<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n