“I can no longer stay quiet in this world, I have a voice and I feel it reverberate off my internal walls, making its slow climb upward until its melody can be heard all around.” Elin Stebbins Waldal
Typically, I paint with no thought of documenting the process. This work was different, however. If you visit Kim’s blog, you’ll understand why, which is my reason for posting the work.
Witness the power of love and community that can occur between online friends who have never met in real life, yet share an emotional bond as deep and rich as though they live next door. I am quite touched by both the heart and soul of Totsy, sharing her gift of artistic talent to capture Kay in all her beauty as a loving tribute to Kim and her family. Kay is Kim's dearly departed sister, so brutally murdered almost two years ago in an act of domestic violence. I dare you to click on the above link and not be touched...
For me this act of kindness rings coincidentally true to the core with a totally unrelated conversation I was having a mere two days ago with a good friend of mine, whereupon this rather astute observation was made to me (I've purposely changed and bracketed the pronouns to show how striking and relevant that observation indeed is):
That's what humans do: 'Form attachments'. Doesn't need to be face to face. If [they] weren't "real" in cyberspace what would have compelled [Totsy] to do what [she] did for [Kim]? We are real. So real that [Totsy] is spending time on a person [Kim] who [she] is most likely never to meet, ... but has caught [her] imagination.
The Yin and Yang, a symbol of the interconnectedness and interdependence of seemingly polar opposites. One can not exist without the other against which it contrasts in order to provide meaning. There is no hot without cold, light without dark, joy without sorrow, and so on. Each side carries the seed of the other.
I was sifting through the old vinyl collection when I stumbled across an old favorite. Such a hypnotic and spellbinding musical sound, coupled with great lyrics worth thinking about as I relax and write. Enjoy!
Wrapped Around Your Finger
by The Police (1983)
Lyrics:
You consider me the young apprentice
Caught between the Scylla and Charybdis
Hypnotized by you if I should linger
Staring at the ring around your finger
I have only come here seeking knowledge
Things they would not teach me of in college
I can see the destiny you sold
Turn into a shining band of gold
I’ll be wrapped around your finger
I’ll be wrapped around your finger
Mephistopheles is not your name
I know what you’re up to just the same
I will listen hard to your tuition
You will see it come to it’s fruition
I’ll be wrapped around your finger
I’ll be wrapped around your finger
Devil and the deep blue sea behind me
Vanish in the air you’ll never find me
I will turn your face to alabaster
When you find your servant is your master
Oh, you’ll be wrapped around my finger
You’ll be wrapped around my finger
You’ll be wrapped around my finger
Another Valentine Day is upon us; a time to ponder love, romance, and matters of the heart. Ah, love! Is there any other emotion that has proven more inspirational to artists, poets, writers, and composers throughout history? I thought I’d pull together a number works that capture love in its many different forms – hardly an exhaustive list but fun for me and hopefully for you. Enjoy!
The first selection evokes a rapturous, emotional, caught-in-the-throes-of-passionate-entrancement, mutually shared kind of love. The song is a barcarole (literally, a boat song) with its rhythmic tempo rocking gently back and forth as though floating upon the water in a Gondola. Lyrics originally in French, with English translation provided.
Belle Nuit O Nuit D’Amour from Offenbach’s Les Contes De Hoffman
French: Belle nuit, ô nuit d’amour, Souris à nos ivresses, Nuit plus douce que le jour, Ô belle nuit d’amour! Le temps fuit et sans retour Emporte nos tendresses, Loin de cet heureux séjour Le temps fuit sans retour. Zéphyrs embrasés, Versez-nous vos caresses, Zéphyrs embrasés, Donnez-nous vos baisers! vos baisers! vos baisers!
Belle nuit, ô nuit d’amour, Souris à nos ivresses, Nuit plus douce que le jour, Ô belle nuit d’amour! Ah! Souris à nos ivresses! Nuit d’amour, ô nuit d’amour!
English Translation: Lovely night, oh night of love Smile upon our joys! Night much sweeter than the day Oh beautiful night of love! Time flies irretrievably Forgetting our tenderness Far from this happy place Time flies for ever. Burning zephyrs, Fill us with your caresses Burning zephyrs, Give us your kisses! your kisses! your kisses! Ah
Lovely night, oh night of love Smile upon our joys! Night much sweeter than the day Oh beautiful night! Ah Smile upon our joys! Night of love, oh night of love!
Of course there are other kinds of love. How about a sad and hopelessly love-struck peasant beginning to believe his Elixir of Love potion he purchased might actually be working his dream woman? Now that’s a haunting kind of love.
Una Furtiva Lagrima from Gaetano Donizetti’s L’Elisir D’Amore
Italian: Una furtiva lagrima Negli occhi suoi spunto. Quelle festose giovani Invidiar sembro. Che piu cercando io vo? Che piu cercando io vo? M’ama! Sì, m’ama, lo vedo, lo vedo.
Un solo instante i palpiti Del suo bel cor sentir! I miei sospir, confondere Per poco a’ suoi sospir! I palpiti, i palpiti sentir, Confondere i miei coi suoi sospir Cielo, si puo morir! Di piu non chiedo, non chiedo. Ah! Cielo, si puo, si puo morir, Di piu non chiedo, non chiedo. Ah! Cielo, si puo, si puo morir, Di piu non chiedo, non chiedo.
Si puo morir, si puo morir d’amor.
English Translation: A furtive tear Welled up in her eye… Those carefree girls She seemed to envy… Why should I look any further? Why should I look any further? She loves me, yes, she loves me. I can see it, I can see it.
To feel for just one moment The beating of her dear heart! To blend my sighs For a little with hers! The heartbeats, the heartbeats of hers I feel, To mingle my sighs along with hers. Heavens! I could die; I wish for nothing more; nothing. Heavens! I could die; I wish for nothing more; nothing.
I could die, oh I could die of love.
No references to romantic love would be complete without some mention of Romeo and Juliet. In Bellini’s Opera, I Capuletti e i Montecchi (The Capulets and Montagues), Juliet sits in her chambers pining for the forbidden love of Romeo.
O Quante Volte from Bellini’s I Capuletti e i Montecchi
Italian Text Oh! quante volte, Oh! quante ti chiedo Al ciel piangendo Con quale ardor t’attendo, E inganno il mio desir! Con quale ardor t’attendo, E inganno il mio desir! Raggio del tuo sembiante Parmi il brillar del giorno: L’aura che spira intorno Mi sembra un tuo sospir. L’aura che spira intorno Mi sembra un tuo sospir.
English Translation (a lot is lost in the translation – sorry) Oh! How many times, Oh! How many times I’ve asked you, Crying to the heavens ardor to which I await, And deceives my desire! Ardor with which I await, And deceives my desire! The radius of your countenance Is like the shine of day to me: The breeze that blows around me I think of one of your sighs. The breeze that blows around me I think of one of your sighs.
Bah! Enough already with the Romantic kind of love. How about a good old-fashioned seductive, saucy, sultry, forbidden kind of love? These following two selections from Bizet’s Opera Carmen have a taste of it all: bondage, dominance, flirting, biting, spitting, and of course, submission and surrender to lusty naughtiness. What’s NOT to love?
Sometimes you really don’t need words to feel the sultriness and oozing sensuality. A Spanish Guitar and a Tango Flamenco will do nicely.
Wishing all of you a love-filled day, whatever meaning and interpretation you may choose for love. Happy Valentines Day.
