dimanche 19 janvier 2014

Changing Light


For a long while my heart was divided between a strong need to immerse myself in Nature, a growing tenderness for my fellow humans, and a calling to create something out of it all. 

Late afternoon sky in the Mile-End

Absorbing the natural world meant loosing track of time and thoughts, which is harder than it sounds, but quite addictive. This is what we truly are here for, I thought - and I often felt sad, deprived and guilty when I had to work indoors, missing the changing light of that day, the pull of the wind, the voice of the trees.

On the other hand, drawing and painting this beautiful world, animals and humans included, seemed intimately linked to our mission as a living being, which is to bring forth our unique, vibrant way to feel and to love. 

One of my good friends: a huge Cottonwood (Populus Deltoides) in Parc Lafontaine.
The pale young leaves in the foreground belong to a Red Oak (Quercus Rubra)

The way a tree holds up its branches to the light becomes a living, changing sculpture of its love affair with the sky, the wind, the other trees, the small creatures inside and around. 

As a human being, however, I must organize my thoughts and my days, practice my skills tirelessly, and get involved in many practical preoccupations (like getting some food on my plate) before I can bring forth my own way to see the world - through art and storytelling, or dance, or music. 

But here I am at last, on the dawn of 2014: my technical skills have developed satisfyingly over the years, I can truly see where I am going, and if I scarcely make a living as a translator, I now have the time and energy to bring forth various art projects - seedlings from my soul on their way to becoming trees.

This blog is where you can watch them grow  :o)

Tender leaves from another friend: Rowan (Sorbus Aucuparia) on Mont-Royal

As a bonus, each post will include a French and an English version, complete with photos, drawings, sometimes a painting... I have quite a nice program in store, in fact. You’ll see. 

Was it the same for you, I wonder? Was the creation of your blog (your book, your music band) dictated by a sense that it could not really wait any longer? That you had to share something important, even if you were not quite sure yet what it would turn out to be?

PS - French version coming tomorrow, under the title Lumière changeante :o)


5 commentaires:

  1. Oh my gosh! And here you are! I can't wait to see what you have in store AND improve my pitiful French tat the same time. I'm so so so excited I feel utterly inarticulate! Congrats!

    RépondreSupprimer
    Réponses
    1. Thanks Milla, I am as excited as you are! And your happy support means a lot to me :o)

      Enjoy your bike ride - et à bientôt pour la suite !

      Supprimer
    2. Et voilà ! The French version is online - I forgot to say that each version will feature its own selection of pictures. Enjoy :o)

      Supprimer
  2. Emmanuelle! I am so glad you are beginning your journey and I look forward to the places you will take us...the location of which you may already know, and hopefully some that will be a surprise to even you. I wonder what form your beauty will take, as it emerges, happy to finally have a venue. That struggle between civilized living and the true nature of being human, is a tension that I have always struggled with as well. I know the work I do is important, and yet I would give it all up in a heartbeat if the world was intact, if just living in the forest and growing vegetables was an option.

    BIG congratulations and blessings. So excited for you!!

    RépondreSupprimer
    Réponses
    1. Oh Mary, your words go straight to my heart. Thank you! And yes, just as you say, having a place to let my creations bloom into the world is truly motivating, but it's also an open door to possibilities that will make themselves known to me along the way.

      Let's take advantage of the multiple levels of connection this civilization is offering us - to promote and create a new way to live the world, so that more and more of us become attuned to our environment... instead of taking nature, animals and other people as granted. We can open our eyes and hearts at the same time!

      Supprimer