K r i s t i n  G u s t a f s o n  A r t

We Are All Connected | Shadows of Nature | The Goddess Suite | Caribbean | Costa Rica | Gulf Coast

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We Are All Connected

As an animal activist and a concerned environmentalist this series finds its philosophical inspiration in our Native American culture. It’s an ongoing series in which each painting’s metaphorical theme reflects my emotional reactions to current events, either national or global. My use of gold, silver, and copper metallic leaf represent the sun, water, and the land in some paintings and are merely decorative enhancements in others. The first paintings in this series were small watercolors created for an Earth Day 2003 celebration; inspired by the often quoted words of Chief Seattle:

“This we know…The earth does not belong to man. Man belongs to the earth. All things are connected, like blood which connects one family. Whatever befalls the earth, befalls the children of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life-he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself. “

The premiere acrylic/metallic leaf painting , “We are all Connected”, symbolizes the earth, sea, and sky. It represents my years in the Caribbean when I explored the underwater beauty of coral reefs from St. John to Virgin Gorda, before the coral reefs began slowly dying from man’s encroachment.
 
 The second painting in the series, “The Storm“ , was created when the debate to go to war with Iraq was dividing our nation.
 
 “The Garden of Innocence” represents an idyllic forest where all sentient beings--except humans--can live peacefully and without conflict. It was painted once the war began. There are many creatures hidden in the woods, including a cat, butterflies, and my favorite, the small horse in the center.
 
 The botanicals in this series are stylized representations of tropical flowers I’ve nurtured as house or garden plants. Their backgrounds of gold and copper leaf represent the sun and earth. Highlights of silver represent droplets of water on their petals or foliage.
 
 “Dance of the Shamans” took a year to perfect. Many transformations were acceptable but not as dramatic as my final choice. Thirteen birds swoop, swirl and sit amidst the swells of the sea , the spacious skies, and the copper tinged earth. The thirteenth bird, in the center, is a white dove hidden in the negative space created by the purple bird and the smaller golden bird hiding in the plumage of the peacock. Universally birds are considered messengers to and from the Creator. In this painting I have created several shamans transforming(shapeshifting) into birds to connect with Spirit.
 
 “Shamans at Midnight “ is a diptych portraying these shamans dancing in the upper heavens at midnight.
 

kristindesigns@hotmail.com

Original prices range: $1200- $6000