Art that gives off energy… It’s nurturing and sweet. If you ever had the opportunity to gaze upon one of the world’s great art works, you will discover there often is an innate aura. This inborn deep-rooted feeling the art projects is by no means an accident. Nor is it a fluke of lighting, location or the crowd surrounding it. It rarely is the result of the viewer reading the biographies and histories of the artist that created it. Is it the actual painting scene itself, perhaps in some cases it is, but even the most fundamental abstract painting can literally create the viewer’s heart to palpitate.
Paintings by their very nature are made up of paint, and that paint can be applied to a multitude of surfaces. One could guess that maybe the pigments in the paints themselves impart a special kind of intrinsic vibrating energy. Artist paint is made up of various substances from the earth, those substances or minerals certainly do reflect an energy, after all that’s how minerals are made, they’re derived from the forces of nature. Paint itself, most likely is not doing the job in transmitting what the artist felt, or how the artist lived, which almost always ends up in the painted creation itself.
Art is influential; not everyone can tune in. I discovered that those that walk through a museum, especially one of the great museums of the world, and they take that journey through every corridor by themselves, somehow connect with the distinctive and sometimes peculiar energy that is rushing off the work of art and embracing them.
I have been blessed with the opportunity to visit many of the great art museums. I have stood before countless paintings that have been celebrated throughout the world. I discovered that many of these profoundly crafted and beautiful works give off interesting energies. I remember going to a museum show that featured Arshile Gorky, now I admit, I had read a book about his life. I had a pretty good idea of the trials and tribulations he went through while he created his paintings. My family and I really wanted to see his art in person, and interestingly enough there was dynamic quality, and spiritual force exuding from each and every one of them. There was plenty to go around. My wife had emotional feelings that shook her lifeblood when she tuned into his art. My then teen daughter had her own interpretations, which were surprisingly mature. She expressed the feelings anguish and a spirit of unrest. Which I thought was pretty insightful considering her age and what I knew about Gorky.
Fortunately most art; and I’m glad to say I see it often projects ‘Milk-N-Honey.’ It just makes you feel good all over, brings joy and comfort to the spirit. Myself, and just about everyone on the planet, at least judging by the crowds standing in front of the Mona Lisa picks up some energy from the painting. But I believe that poor lady has very little to give, especially now that she is ensconced behind an indestructible barrier. The artist Leonardo da Vinci, seemed to be personally obsessed with this portrait. We can only guess what all was going on in his life during the many years he worked on this most famous painting of all times.
You may not know this but interestingly enough, the one painting that has literally been seen by most of the world’s population was, Warner Sallmans’s famous head of Jesus Christ, painted in 1940 from a sketch she created in 1924. Initially 500 million copies were sold. The number multiplied exponentially when reproduction started appearing on clocks, lamps, and music boxes etc. Sallmans’s painting has been seen by more people than any famous work of art, or any painting for that matter. And virtually no one knows the name of the guy that painted it. Sallman was a freelance illustrator living in Chicago.
Why do I say “Milk-N-Honey couples with art?” There are a bunch of good reasons a glass of milk with honey has benefits for the human body. [You can Google it to find out more.] But just like the goodness derived from this special combination, I believe art delivers a tonic for the soul. Sour milk, like sour art, is not all that good for you. Look for art that is uplifting and makes you feel positive. It doesn’t have to be a great museum piece. Surprisingly, when I’ve wondered around various museums, and looked into the poorly lit corners, where the lesser known artists are relegated to. I discovered the best energy, partly because these poor men and women artists have not been exposed to huge amounts of onlookers. Most of their energy is intact and has not been siphoned off.
There is a painting that I have always wanted to see in person, it’s the beautiful, Flaming June, it’s permanent home, Museo de Art de Ponce in Puerto Rico. My wife and I hope to travel there someday and see the work in person. In my way of thinking, this work goes way beyond ‘Milk-N-Honey’. This is emotionally beautiful and energizing, it’s extremely captivating, even when you see pictures of it on a computer; which we all know the energy of the painting rarely, if ever, transcends the glass on the front of it mobile device or screen.
Some works of art that you see in person, resonate so deeply within you, that you can recount the feelings you had when you first stood in front of it, many years later. What magic goes on between the creator of the work and the viewer or viewers, that have the opportunity to see it in person. To this day I have never met anyone that has visited a museum, large or small that hasn’t walked away with a spiritual lift or connection with a particular piece of art.
There have been times in my life when a glass of milk with honey in it was not enough. I discovered a good dose of art was the perfect prescription and it rendered the most in wholesome benefits.
There is a small art museum in Upland California named The Sasse, or The Sasse Museum of Art. On one occasion when I made a visit there; I was drawn to a particular work of art by Fr. Bill Moore, a Catholic priest who donates the proceeds from his art sales to charity. The painting of his that I was drawn to was called ‘Morning and Evening.’ The work was an abstract. It gave off a wonderful energy, and I consider that to be pretty amazing when it happens, because it’s quite rare these days. I later found out that the museum created a book of his artworks entitled ‘My Last Art Beats.’ This is a small museum located in what you may describe as a practical warehouse space. The founder and curator of the museum; Gene Sasse, has managed to collect art through donations from artists from all over the world, many of these talented artists are quite famous. But on that day of my visit, “I” for whatever reason zeroed in on Father Bill’s painting, it gave off a special kind spiritual vibrance. That doesn’t happen very often, but when it does it’s a great feeling and it lifts one’s inner light.
Milk-In-Honey is easy to make, but great art that projects energies that are so profound that the viewer walks away completely refreshed is not so easy, when it works, it’s kind of like they just had a delicious and nutritious honey milk. The comparison may be a reach, but I guarantee you, if you ever see a painting that speaks to you, and nourishes you: you may just think you had a glass of milk with a heaping teaspoon of honey. That nutritious combination is loaded with numerous health benefits, just like a work of art can be, and often does refresh the body-soul and probably makes your brain a little healthier. Next time you have the opportunity to see art in its native habitat, and not through the social media looking glass, you may be experiencing a heart felt revival that will last you a lifetime.
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