May 2023 Art Journal Post by Jenny Meehan
Kingston Artists’ Open Studios
Kingston Artists’ Open Studios is my focus for this month. It’s going to be good… Come along and meet some of the wonderfully creative people living and working in the Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames! It’s free and there are plenty of venues to visit. There is a huge variety of different kinds of art work available. For more information take a look at the Kingston Artists’ Open Studios website:
Text from the website:
“KAOS is a group of professional, semi-professional and experienced artists living and working in the Kingston area.
Our unfunded, voluntary group was set up in 2010 to raise the profile of and broaden access to the visual arts in Kingston. Since then we have built up a diverse membership of artists and makers working out of their own spaces in and around the borough.
Each year we open our studios to the public during two weekends in the summer for the annual Kingston Artists Open Studios.
For more information see our Open Studios page. Please note Open Studios 2023 will take place on 13th-14th and 20th-21st May.”
You can view some of the Kingston Artists’ Open Studios Catalogues here;
https://www.kingstonartistsopenstudios.co.uk/past-catalogues/
And THIS YEARS HERE:
While there are plenty of new artists this year many of us have been taking part in the Kingston Artists’ Open Studios event for a while and looking at past catalogues is quite a handy way of getting a feel for how expansive and interesting a bunch of artists we are! The 2023 catalogue doesn’t have my name in the inside cover… Printing error, but I am inside under the venue listing’s… I’m at venue 16, which is 14 Liverpool Road Kingston!
Here’s a short video I made of the work I’ve put up this year:
Ash Wednesday Reflections
I wrote the following blog entry in February, but didn’t have a place for it in my March journal post because I had already written a chunk on text on spirituality and I like to keep a good mix of topics in each blog post ideally. Plus the March journal post already took about 25 minutes reading time which is much longer than I tend to aim for usually! I just have a habit of adding more and more on when the mood for writing comes. So here are some Ash Wednesday reflections! Even though it’s a few months back!
It’s Ash Wednesday today. And though I have been weeping today it’s a sadness enfolded with love as I recognise that those points and places within my life where I lost connection with my Creator, parts of self, and others, though terrible in their own way, did not mean that I was abandoned by the loving presence and reality of Divine Love.
I despised myself, felt I was essentially bad, and believed that I was unacceptable to God. This was far, far, from the truth.
I’ve made many damaging and destructive mistakes and held onto some horrible, distorted ideas which caused damage to myself and others. I do grieve those. Many of those things I learnt from others, yet I took them and believed them to be true. I am sorry for the ways I have erred. It’s right I should be. They served no one well.
There’s a lot about “repentance” spoken about today, but let’s consider this…
The word “Metanoia” in Greek means “a change of mind,”. This “change of mind” indicates an opening of the understanding that leads to transformation. It’s a positive movement… A kind of revolution which isn’t just about looking backwards and feeling sad and sorrowful but also looking forwards.
“Metanoia” was Jesus’ first message upon beginning his ministry (Mark 1:15, Matthew 4:17), but is unfortunately translated with the somewhat moralistic sounding word “repent”
Here’s a quote from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/spirituality-of-change-2017-05-29/
The meditation can be viewed on its entirety via the link above. The meditation itself was adapted from Richard Rohr, The Art of Letting Go: Living the Wisdom of Saint Francis (Sounds True: 2010)
Quoted extract:
“Metanoia, Jesus’ first message upon beginning his ministry (Mark 1:15, Matthew 4:17), is unfortunately translated with the moralistic word repent. Metanoia literally means change or even more precisely “Change your mind!” So it is strange that the religion founded in Jesus’ name has been resistant to change and has tended to love and protect the past and the status quo much more than the positive and hopeful futures that could be brought about by people open to change. Maybe that is why our earth is so depleted and our politics are so pathetic. We have not taught a spirituality of actual change or growth, which is what an alternative orthodoxy always asks of us.
Cynthia Bourgeault describes this process of transformation:
“[It is] the full emergence of the glory of the mind of Christ. The alternative orthodoxy begins in a view that God is not opposed to us; God is for us. How is God served by people who fail to germinate? God is rapturously delighted in every human being whose heart breaks open and blooms. Then, as human beings come to their glory, the world comes to its glory. It’s a view which is inclusive, recognizing that human beings on all paths are called to glorification, to the full emergence of the human being. It’s evolutionary in that we are a work in progress, both individually and collectively. Creation itself is not static but dynamic.”
The above quote is from Cynthia Bourgeault, Returning to Essentials: Teaching an Alternative Orthodoxy, disc 1 (Center for Action and Contemplation: 2015),
So…
This is pretty good too…
“Conversion is a permanent process in which very often the obstacles we meet
make us lose all we had gained and start anew.”
– Theologian Gustavo Gutierrez
Being willing to open up and trust our Creator in the middle of either great external or internal change is always a challenge but I do believe it’s worth it because we can both heal and grow.
We need courage. I need courage. And a forever opening heart. Courage is my word for this year, as I seek deeper connection with myself, others, and to embrace the divine Holy Spirit, who is manifest so beautifully and mysteriously in daily life.
Visiting Art Exhibitions
It’s certainly an advantage living on the outskirts of London. Due to the pandemic, my exhibition visiting went down to zero but now things are back to normal it is certainly really lovely to be able to visit some galleries, museums and concerts and I am going to make more effort this year to get out and about, especially as I can currently still walk for good distances. I say this with a hint of caution, because my non operated knee has started giving way which is really annoying. I need to keep exercising, to both loose a bit of weight and also strengthen my left knee. Hopefully that will be enough.
While I am fine with having another knee replacement, I am 58 now, and it would be better to just have one which lasts until I die, especially as the right one (2017) may need to be redone at some point. I don’t know for sure, but I really like being able to walk and I really didn’t like being unable to walk without a stick before my last knee replacement. Pain and immobility are not fun. You can get through anything but I have bad memories of the time before my knee replacement and I don’t want to go there again if I can help it.
The only reason I don’t go to more exhibitions is time management, and the fact it’s possible to do a lot of research online. Yes, there’s nothing like standing in front of a piece of art; particularly sculpture; which I often find I enjoy looking at more than paintings. But it is also very handy to find art which is interesting on the internet, and I find a lot of reading, books, and research papers on the internet too. It really is fantastic.
However, as someone very easily stimulated by what’s around me (sometimes a little too much!) I have to be very careful of “exhibition overload”. I also like to give things time… there’s no substitute for time… to really meditate and contemplate on an artefact of any kind. Contemplation takes a lot of time. (I’m the same with spirituality as I am with art!) Little is always more. When I want to overload, I will skim the internet and barrage my brain with images of all kinds and it’s true that interesting relationships can come from doing this activity. So quickly scrolling and jumping from one thing to another has its own place. But periods of stimulation also need periods of rest and inactivity if we are to delve deeply into life I think. Balance is a good and admirable aspiration!
To sit and give one piece of art 15 minutes or so is not something that we do so easily. Less is definitely more when it comes to looking at art. It is hard to give anything a full ten minutes of attention sometimes when looking around an art gallery, particularly if it is quite busy and there is lots to see. I normally go around, pick a few examples I want to look more deeply at, and then return to them for a longer look.
As well as the delight of actually being in a physical art gallery and viewing a real physical art exhibition, there is also a pleasure to be had in looking back at photographs you’ve taken and remembering the thoughts and feelings that that piece of art evoked at the time. Memories are very underrated. We can get a lot of pleasure from them. Again, maybe it’s about slowing down and about not moving so fast? To welcome the new and the new pleasures of every day is great. But to remember the old ones is also great too. Maybe I’m just getting old but there’s a certain richness to be found in remembrance of many things.
This is part of the reason I write this blog. I sometimes look back on a year in the past and it normally proves to be a very interesting and thought provoking experience as I reflect on how I was and where I was at then, and put that next to where I am now. Or at least where I think I am now! To be honest, I am never quite sure!
Recent Mosaic
I’m moving into my painting time of year but I still have been tinkering with mosaics I started at the beginning of the year. Here is one. It’s called “Solidarity”
I will put them away I think now but plan to start again in the Autumn when painting is not so easy in a cramped house with limited space. Making mosaics doesn’t take up so much room as I am making them not much bigger than A4 in size
Title of this mosaic is “Solidarity, Sister”
Painting Examples
More Christian Spirituality Thoughts
As woman, and a woman who needs very much to embrace, and to be ministered to, through a deeper, female, divine realisation of Creator God, I was very blessed in the St David’s Day Eucharist I joined on the 1st of March this year.
It is very important to me that my faith experience and spirituality are not restricted or limited by the male God persona we are presented with through the patriarchal writings of the Bible. That men wrote its writings is just the way it is, but for me, my conceptions of divine love need not to be limited by heterosexual images and expressions.
A male perspective is great, but it is just one. And it’s out of balance in the Bible. There is some female imagery and other expressions, but not very much. Many women relate more intimately to a female voice, persona, imagery, mythology, and experiences etc… All these many things which women commonly share.
I find myself often looking at other spiritual literary works which encompass the feminine divine a little more generously . They add a lot to my life, and strengthen my appreciation of God as female. Yes, we know God isn’t male or female, yet as mere humans we do need patterns of identity to make certain relationships and connections. In order to grasp certain elements and feel affirmed in our sex and sexuality, male images and female images can have a big impact on how we feel about ourselves and how we process and interpret experience and life in general.
For a sense of identity and a full sense of acceptance, power and grace, and also to help me navigate my way through life, knowing God as mother and female matters immensely.
So…
In the Bible, the persona of wisdom is female. Creator God expressed in the form of wisdom is a real help to me! There are various passages, but this has been great to reflect on!
(I have changed the object from male to female as this is how I used it in my own reflections)
“1Whoever fears the Lord will do this,
and whoever holds to the law will obtain wisdom.
2She will come to meet her like a mother,
and like a young bride she will welcome her.
3She will feed her with the bread of learning,
and give her the water of wisdom to drink.
4 she will lean on her and not fall,
and she will rely on her and not be put to shame.
5She will exalt her above her neighbours,
and will open her mouth in the midst of the assembly.
6 she will find gladness and a crown of rejoicing,
and will inherit an everlasting name.”
The text above is (slightly adapted as I have changed the sex of the object) from Sirach 15 1-6 (Ecclesiasticus 15 1-6)
Blog
On the theme of women and spirituality, it was way back in 2013 that I wrote my poem “St Julian” which I partnered with my painting “The Comforter”. You can listen to me reading this poem on YouTube here:
Here’s one translation of a small section of some of St Julian of Norwich writings:
“The mother can give her child to suck of her milk, but our precious Mother Jesus can feed us with himself, and does, most courteously and most tenderly, with the blessed sacrament, which is the precious food of true life … The mother can lay her child tenderly to her breast, but our tender Mother Jesus can lead us easily into his blessed breast through his sweet open side, and show us there a part of the godhead and of the joys of heaven, with inner certainty of endless bliss … This fair lovely word ‘mother’ is so sweet and so kind in itself that it cannot truly be said of anyone or to anyone except of him and to him who is the true Mother of life and of all things. To the property of motherhood belong nature, love, wisdom, and knowledge, and this is God.”
Julian of Norwich was a medieval English mystic who celebrated “Mother Jesus.” Her feast day, May 8, always falls near Mother’s Day.
Kittredge Cherry, who publishes the website ” Qspirit” writes:
“It’s not known if Julian herself was queer, but some of her ideas were. Julian is often listed with LGBTQ saints because of her genderbending visions of Jesus and God. She wrote, “As truly as God is our Father, so truly is God our Mother.”
Her discussions of Jesus as a mother sound radical even now, more than 600 years later. Her omnigendered vision of the Trinity fits with contemporary feminist and queer theology.”
When I first discovered St Julian of Norwich in 2012 and learnt more about her and her writings it had a great impact on my relationship with both myself and God. I had several years earlier shifted my mindset from a male, patriarchal straight conception of what God was like, but appreciating my own need for connection with the feminine divine was a gradual process and I identified with much of St Julian’s writing and aspects of her life.
In a recent short video I created this year, I realised that part of my St Julian Poem resonated with this recent work. My recent short film which touched on the theme of emotional connection and intimacy with self and others is called “A Shadow Play”. I’d attended a counselling course through which I learnt more about the “shadow self” and this partly inspired the work. The spoken word poem in the video is a recent one, inspired by attending music concerts by students at Morley College. The process of “coming into” myself more deeply generally is also a key influence on this short film.
Watch it here: https://youtu.be/uExUXt7mp44
Section of my 2013 Poem” St Julian” which links up with this short film
” I need a way forward
The indistinct marks of the walls enclose me
I push through, unknowing
into the Spirit
who first bore me.
It is not the now, the then, the will be
I see all three
in one small speck
which running down
splatters, splinters
the hardness
of all dimensions
of our being.”
St Julian Poem was written in 2013/In 2018 the section above was also used as a stand alone segment for poetry submissions.
Qspirit, which I mentioned above, is a super project and resource on the net og which I have been enjoying immensely. Here’s a bit about it. The text quoted is from the website.
“About Q Spirit
Q Spirit promotes LGBTQ spirituality with saints, history, art and books. The website fosters religious and artistic freedom by teaching love for all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. It expands the meaning of holiness for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) people of faith and allies.
The Q Spirit project comes from lesbian Christian author Kittredge Cherry. She founded Jesusinlove.org in 2005 and launched Q Spirit in 2016. She is passionately committed to Q Spirit because it grew out of her own personal journey as an author, minister and historian.
The Q in Q Spirit can stand for queer, questioning one’s own sexuality or questioning spiritual and religious traditions with quality content. The website questions standard Bible interpretation and conventional history. It also aims to find lost information and lay the foundation for future interpretations, sort of like the Q Source for the gospels. “I bring a spirit of questioning authority and checking facts to my work,” Cherry said. “Q Spirit is a quest for spirituality beyond all boundaries.”
So Byee for now, with these words…
“As truly as God is our Father, so truly is God our Mother.”
Do you need exciting, engaging, images for a book cover design?
My artwork is particularly suitable for themes of: faith, religion, philosophy, Christian, church, all faith traditions, inter-faith, spirituality, the subconscious, psychoanalytic themes, mindfulness, contemplative practices, healing, health, both physical and mental, trauma recovery, metaphysical and psychological focused writings, the devotional life, and many other subjects.
Indeed, pretty much any subject matter or theme which benefits from a more abstract graphic image; one which also conveys basic feelings and ideas in an open and experimental manner; would benefit from it’s clarity of communication being enhanced by one of my art images.
From the lyrical abstraction of some of abstract expressionist style textured paintings, to the geometric abstraction clear edged imagery, which I also produce, the value of non representational imagery in book cover design which is both colourful and interesting, and stimulates the eye with colour and striking composition, cannot be under estimated.
If you are looking for something particular, do contact me, because I only display a small amount on the internet and may even be able to create something specific to your needs, or be able to locate something from my extensive archives which meets your need.
Twitter: jennymeehan@jennymeehanart
https://linkedin.com/in/jennymeehanart
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Who is Jenny Meehan? (Well… I’m still trying to work that one out…)
Jenny Meehan (Jennifer Meehan) is a painter-poet, artist-author and progressive and contemplative (Christian faith tradition) based in East Surrey/South West London. Her interest in Christ-centred spirituality and creativity are the main focus of this artist’s journal, which rambles and meanders on, maybe acting as a personal (yet open to view) note book as much as anything else. Trauma recovery, mental health awareness, and psychotherapy/psychoanalysis are all very interesting. And yes; it’s me writing this. Feels odd… But it’s fun.
If you would like to give money to help support my creative practice I can accept it quickly and easily through the Paypal.me process. Simply put the following in your browser:
paypal.me/jennymeehan
and follow the prompts. Please consider supporting my work in this way if it strikes a chord with you and you are able to do so. Unfortunately there isn’t a system in this facility for me to send a thank you. But if you do use it, then understand that I am grateful.
Another way you could support my participation in the visual arts could be by praying for me, if that’s part of your daily life. I’m a progressive Christian in faith focus, but prayers from any religious tradition are ALL VERY WELCOME! Creativity is a gift from God, and if you believe in a LOVING Creator, and you feel my creativity reflects and connects with your sense of the divine presence expressed in the world, then throw in some prayers for me. I need strength and encouragement in many ways.
General Info on Redbubble.com
Help with buying prints, soft furnishings, home decor and other merchandise for the home from redbubble.com
Redbubble are a “print on demand” site which I upload selected artworks up onto, meaning the products and prints can be manufactured by Redbubble and orders fulfilled directly by them.
There are thousands of artists on there, so it can be tricky to locate my specific art prints unless you have a link or the full artwork title.
So if you want to order anything with my art and design on, and are having difficulty locating it on redbubble, please do contact me directly via my blog with a screenshot of what you have seen and want and I will locate it for you and send you the link. Or alternatively send me a bubblemail if you already have a Redbubble account.
Putting the full title in Google within speech marks also usually brings the specific artwork up, particularly if you add AND Jenny Meehan to it.
Contact Jenny Meehan AKA jennyjimjams here: https://jennymeehan.wordpress.com/jenny-meehan-jennifer-meehan-how-to-contact-me/
https://www.redbubble.com/people/jennyjimjams/explore
Buy Original Fine Paintings by Jenny Meehan
If you require original fine paintings in the lyrical abstract style, then contact me!
Why read “Jenny Meehan – Contemporary Artist’s Journal: The Artist’s Meandering Discourses – poetry – painting – spirituality (mostly!)?
This artist’s blog is probably of most interest to artists, art collectors, art lovers and basically anyone who is interested in fine art, poetry, creativity, spirituality and psychology (and their related areas). Art curators and art collectors interested in British 21st century female contemporary artists, women and art, religious art, spirituality and art, and psychoanalysis and art, I imagine will probably enjoy dipping into this Jenny Meehan Contemporary Artist’s Journal. Skimming is vital… It is a “Meandering Discourse” after all, written for my benefit as well as hopefully other peoples!
Art collectors are often interested in the processes, techniques, interests and influences of the artists whose work they collect, and sharing my thoughts and perspectives through a blog is an important dimension of my creative practice.
I describe my painting as being romantic, expressionistic, abstract and lyrical. Art collectors interested in lyrical abstraction, abstract expressionist, and essentially romantic art, are likely to find my paintings an interesting and exciting addition to their art collection.
Bit of blurb from past website:
“Jenny Meehan is an established artist who has been exhibiting for over ten years, mostly in the UK. Notable exhibitions include, most recently being selected for the Imagined Worlds touring exhibition of artworks inspired by the poem ‘Kubla Khan’ and inclusion in “Building Bridges, the Female Perspective” at Tower Bridge Victorian Engine Rooms in 2016. Jenny has been a keen supporter of various charity art exhibitions over the years including the National Brain Appeals ” A Letter in Mind” at Gallery@oxo, South Bank, London and the “Anatomy for Life” Exhibition for Brighton Sussex University Hospitals Trust in 2015
Selected by a wide range of judges in open submission exhibitions, her work appeals to the aesthetic and emotional discernment of many, and has been displayed in many prestigious galleries. These include the Dulwich Picture Gallery, London, in 2015, as part of their Open Exhibition, and the Pallant House Gallery, Chichester, West Sussex, as part of the Pallant House Gallery/St Wilfrid’s Hospice Open Art Exhibition in 2010.
Jenny Meehan’s work has been included in several academic projects and and publications including “Speaking Out – Women Recovering from the Trauma of Violence” by Nicole Fayard in 2014 and the ongoing “Recovery” Exhibition project – Institute Of Mental Health/City Arts, Nottingham University, also in 2014. While her romantic, lyrical, expressionistic, abstract paintings offer a contemplative space free from cares and concerns, other strands of her practice engage with subjects ranging from violence, trauma recovery, psychoanalysis, and mental health.”
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COPYRIGHT INFORMATION FOR OTHER IMAGES
Permission is always sought before use. When I include images, I do so in the belief that this will not cause commercial harm to the copyright holder. I believe that this is fair use and does not infringe copyright. Images are used in order for me to comment and reference them in relation to my own creative and artistic practice. When I include extracts of text, I also do so with the understanding that again, this is permissible under the widely accepted fair usage terms with respect to copyright.
Outline of my “Fair Use” rationale, which is applicable to all images from other sources which I include on this blog:
There is no alternative, public domain or free-copyrighted replacement image available to my knowledge.
Its inclusion in my blog adds significantly to my narrative because it shows the subject which I want to refer to and relate to my own artistic practice and is necessary in order for me to communicate accurately my observations/critical appraisal/appreciation/educate my readers, in understanding my perspectives on art and life. Inclusion is for information, education and analysis only. The text discussing the significance of the included art work is enhanced by inclusion of the image. The image is a low resolution copy of the original work of such low quality that it will not affect potential sales of the art work
| My own images can be licensed for use easily and quickly. DACS have price lists on their website for different types of use, which should be used only a guide for a proposed fee. It’s a starting point. I can normally be flexible. |
Original Fine Paintings and Digital Prints by Jenny Meehan
My original artwork has two main strands: Lyrical Abstraction, painterly, fluid, with a lot of focus on light, how it bounces off the surface, textures and finishes, and Geometric Abstraction (created through digital imaging software) in which I focus on flat areas of smooth, solid, and translucent colour; ideally intended to be printed on even, matt or semi-mat surfaces.
While I’m experimenting with the overlap between the two, and make it my practice to regularly try out new mediums, in order to keep my artwork fresh and steadily evolving, identifying the strands in this way is helpful for clarity. I use writing and poetry in my art working and now prefer to use sol-silica paint over acrylics or oils, though I am still known to dabble in many different types of paint, due to their particular material and visual qualities!
If you would like to give money to help support my creative practice, I can accept it quickly and easily through the Paypal.me process. Simply put the following in your browser:
paypal.me/jennymeehan
and follow the prompts. Please consider supporting my work in this way if it strikes a chord with you and you are able to do so. I do need support in order to continue my art working.
My artwork is particularly suitable for themes of: faith, religion, philosophy, Christian, church, all faith traditions, inter-faith, spirituality, the subconscious, psychoanalytic themes, mindfulness, contemplative practices, healing, health, both physical and mental, trauma recovery, metaphysical and psychological focused writings, the devotional life, and many other subjects.
Alongside my mainly lyrical abstract paintings, there is another important strand in my work which includes more of a narrative. Well, some kind of narrative. Through my writing, and my participation in ongoing psychotherapy, I draw on my subconscious. It’s this process of self reflection, examination, and other contemplative practices which are rooted in my own faith tradition as a Christian, alongside a good dose of yoga and West African drumming, which have created an exciting way ahead for my work with visual art. I think it’s the relationship between my writing and visual work, particularly through poetry, which helps determine the direction in my art practice.
I’m a member of Kingston Artists’ Open Studios: http://www.kingstonartistsopenstudios.co.uk/product-category/artists-m-to-z/
Jenny Meehan - Art Journal 