demiurge of paledamiana

The arts are the veins that thread through all that is everything. Personally, without the arts my life would be Dorothy-pre yellow brick road.

I adore the reminders the universe throws in my face when I am too blind to see. This past weekend was such a pie in the face.

Attending the Boardwalk Art Show is an annual joy. We were in dire need of a small jaunt so we trekked our way to the beach. We found an artist whose work we lamented not getting last year. Robert Kastrinos (myspace.com/rkastrinos http://www.spiritualknowledgeinstitute.org/RobertKastrinos/index.htm) is a potter and sculptor whose pleasure emanates through his work. His oil lamp heads are infused with personality and the joy in each creation story is a work of art itself. Have a conversation with him and you come away seeing life in a slightly different angle. It’s lovely.

We traveled down the booths and found Hussein Saidi (http://www.ujamaart.com/). Hussein is an artist who I met at Stockley Gardens about 6 years ago. His mixed media work on plywood drew me in and I took a journey through the fields of his piece. I passed the fire, walked over the bridge and voyaged through the trees finding such peace all the while standing still in the middle of Norfolk. (Oak Tree Market - 2006)
We talked about the beauty in the grain of wood and I recall going back to work at Home Depot and staring at the pieces of plywood and seeing many paths. I saw his work develop over the years to incorporate urban scenes and dancing in the rain but always there was the presence of serenity. I was so happy to see an old friend and loved catching up with our lives with this thread of art being the tie.

Unbeknownst to Hussein, I just emerged from a dark depression. Seeing his friendship made my cheeks hurt from smiling. His words of encouragement and friendship were the balm I needed to continue my desire to create. I am lucky to have a great support system that encourage me every day but sometimes the darkness takes away that message. To see a comrade with great energy took me out of my head to see the simplistic beauty of art. I proudly hang his piece in my house as a reminder of the universe’s message and what flows in the desire for creation in spite of it all.

I am so thankful that the universe put in place so many years ago a kindred spirit. It also reminds me of the many kindred spirits that have crossed my path over the years.

I am a lucky gal.