The Source

Denita Benyshek, reverse-painted and collaged glass. 6'3" H. Private collection, San Francisco, CA.
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  • Hi Denita + Tim - creative artistic expression, talent is encouraged, nurtured early + runs across our generations.  I was studying art in Grade 7 - 9, the great master's, had a fabulous art teacher, qualified with opportunity for an art scholarship, however, by circumstance [summer age 16] detoured... into the helping professions age 17, serving for 50 years.   This year's my Golden retirement [Nov] and I'm returning to my first love connection I found within expressive art forms...                                                                                                                                                             Love of natural nature, symbols, colours and music/dance all move me deeply.  I keep a song in my heart [Mom loved music] and with the vibrations and flow states in these moments - I peak, see images and hear words that help me heal.  Guess my muse is God...for me God is love.  My teacher informed me there are 4 degrees of God's Love - Storage, Eros, Philos + Agape and I have been fortunate to dip myself in all of these wellsprings that have quenched my thirsts...met my variable needs...and at this stage of my life, I'm content...in heaven on earth living/thriving on a spiritual life which I dreamt about walking in 1991...so good when dreams are fulfilled, come true.  Peace + Love Linda    

  • This is a fascinating topic for me. My Muse has been a powerful influence for me (a strong Anima, a strong Erotic drive– both sex and art, a strong religious longing and a strong esthetic response all converge in a passionate life force that funnels into the calling of the Muse for me.) I am very curious about other peoples' creative muses. What do women respond to? I've never heard a woman say that their own womanly being is their muse, but this makes perfect sense to me! (Both on the personal and the collective levels). I've had a hard time getting answers from women artists I know...

    I'm also very curious how sexual orientation relates to artistic inspiration. Does a gay artist respond to the Anima as creative force or is the sexual figure the carrier? I am quite sure that the erotic force is paramount. I'm also convinced that much of what we think of as a "sex" drive is actually an erotic longing for transcendent connection that has more to do with art and the connection of spirit than a longing to exchange body fluids! It's just that our bodies already know how to do sex, we already have the equipment and the training, so it offers a clear pathway for connection!

    I have been trying for years to make some sense of these desires. Doing lots of writing and some limited experiments, but anything outside the norm is difficult. I wonder who else is working in these areas. Got any ideas?

  • Not that men have not been great sources of inspiration for me, too.

  • You're right, Tim. This medium is just about impossible to photograph (not that any work of art makes the transition to photography without some, if not much, loss). I'll post a detail later. The work started with me drawing a large vase. Dull. So, I began dancing in my studio, no music, with the large vase and how could it be moved? Pouring. Like Ingres "The Source" - only another woman is not my muse. For many women, their own womanly being is their muse. From themselves, through their own bodies.

  • Very intriguing imagery! I suspect that we're not seeing nearly the light and texture that is in the original... Well done!

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