My Elder Friend, Helen, passed away recently. She had an emergency surgery in June, which she surprisingly recovered from, but she didn't actually recover and after a long six months, with her life filled with shifts and changes, she passed away quite soon after a last visit with her son. Her spirit is dancing in the Cosmos and today we released her last earthly essence from the Blue Ridge Parkway into the valley that drew her to Virginia almost 20 years ago.
Helen was such a close friend, confidant and ally; a treasure in my life. The 20 years difference between us didn't matter at all, except she had many stories to share from those years. We traveled together, shared our issues, our ups and downs, spiritual views and most specially, shared art together.
We had many years working in the studio together, creating assemblages to express, expunge, transform and shift, and at times resolve, our inner dynamics and our outer challenges. We even coined a term for our work - Aspect Art - art that reflects 'aspects' of one's self.
We collaborated on pieces together, made pieces as gifts for each other and really found that both of us in the studio at one time, added a special, vitalized dynamic to our individual creativity.
And after a few years, we also wrote a small book about our way of working 'from the inner to the outer', called - naturally - Aspect Art - Art As the Soul's Journey.
2016 begins an era in my life without Helen, but all we shared lives vibrantly on.
Helen |
Looking into the Valley from the Blue Ridge Parkway |