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SPIRITED WOMEN
- Joy Krauthammer
Dear Spirited Women,
For the last 11 days on Spirited Woman tm FaceBook's site (thank you and congratulations, Nancy Mills), it has been uplifting, inspiring, and thoughtful to view your souls' beautiful offerings. I felt that a community had become more visible and inclusive. I know that in America, this hour, tonight will be midnight and becomes 12-12-11, when the "12 day Share Fest" finishes at 12 pm with a celebratory internet party.
As an 'Artist of Life', participating has been fun for me. I have loved offering my own Herstory recent art creations in different mediums. I submitted my expansive, intricate, passionate, holiday, fun, visionary and also subversive graffiti art, along with a couple quotes. I have posted some of my 70 sites filled with illustrated explanations. I have posted my support, and compassion for other Spirited Women.
My last submission included here, is on the other very serious side of life which addresses challenges, trials, strength, courage, hope, transition, transformation and healing. Below are 3 photos.
One is of a life-size heavy sculpture* made of ceramic, weaving, rope and bronze that I purchased in a Sedona gallery a couple decades ago. She is a BOUND WOMAN. She represents what I honestly felt I was at the time, and experienced; and that felt bad. I saw in her an endurance to stand tall and erect that I, too, owned during constant challenges on many levels. Bound Woman was my support group, my ally. You may see that to empower her (and thus myself), I decorated and embellished Bound Woman over the years with personal accessories; goddess pendants, hearts, amethyst, art museum buttons, and powerful meaningful amulets: personal spiritual enriching symbols (Mogen Dovids, Hamsas, Sephirot) of my Jewish faith. (My trinkets came out of drawers to be visible and healing.) Consciously, slowly I have turned BOUND WOMAN into beautiful supported woman. I also made her my purple hat rack as I finally didn't need to see the Bound Woman pained facial expression. Being Bound, she has no visible arms or hands to give or receive. Toes are partially visible in their bound state.
In my foyer, adjacent to Bound Woman is a whimsical colorful JOYOUS CREATURE; a taller than life-size metal sculpture that I purchased at the Beverly Hills Affaire in the Garden art show, also around the same era. She holds my MBA '94 graduate cap, ethnic bells, hamsas, Tibetan decor, etc., and is my 'grab a sun shirt' rack, and is also ready for me on rainy days to give me weather essentials. (I have not yet opened the hanging umbrellas.)
For two decades, here in the kitchen where I work, practice drumming for gigs, create and write, flies Bali WINGED WOMAN. She is a light-weight wood painted sculpture I purchased in Bali when I had bravely escaped temporarily from being bound. (I breathe deeply recalling the past.) WINGED WOMAN was my secular strength, symbol of my potential, my HOPE. She is beautiful and looks out at me all the time as she swings freely in the breeze, reminding me of the FREEDOM that I needed, and the FREED WOMAN THAT I AM, a bat chorin. If you look closely behind WINGED WOMAN, you'll see delightful gold and purple ANGEL, holding out to me, her star. My daughter sent purple ANGEL to me, knowing I would like her, even though I say, "no physical gifts".
Friends, I bless you to always reach for the freedom to be, all that is rightfully yours to express in Four Worlds: spirit, mind, heart and body. Thank you, Spirited Woman for this festival of freedom that I have so greatly enjoyed.
As my old and worn t-shirt from Atlanta says, "Do What U Love, Love What U Do, and the Whole World Will Come to U." That's another story...
Love,
Joy
~
Forgetting that I had written on "Winged Woman" in Spirited Women, I wrote a few words for my photo submission on "Defying Gravity" for IPG/Image poetry group aka Lyric Photography, 2019 week 39.*
FLYING LADY Defying Gravity
© Joy Krauthammer 9.2019
This Free Woman has accompanied me, led me since 1991, 28 years so far. I am grateful for the initial experience and to this day.
Back story. In Bali I found this Flying Dewi, the Rice Goddess of Bali Mythology and (during an era of caregiving) I mamash needed the inspiration of Freedom. Took time in art gallery to dismantle her large painted wings of freedom and package her up to bring her back with me to the Indonesian cruise ship. The one lane island road with traffic had slowed to a still and I was late, and down hill I ran. Only for my much older travel friend Liliane, I hitched a ride for her on back of a motorcycle and she easily made the little boat and ship deadline as I RAN... Once at the dock I literally had to jump far with flying lady onto the little moving boat to take me to departing ship. Wheww.
Lovely Purple fairy wizard was a gift from my daughter for Mom's Day. I love them both.
With each rolling earthquake shaking us, I feel badly that this wonderful flying lady Free Woman, gets bruised getting swept, thrown against the walls, yet she returns to freedom's flight.
* © Joy Krauthammer
Lyric Photography aka IPG 2019 wk39
“Defying Gravity” from Wicked
“So if you care to find me
Look to the western sky!
As someone told me lately
“Everyone deserves the chance to fly!”
And if I’m flying solo
At least I’m flying free
To those who ground me
Take a message back from me.
Tell them how I am defying gravity!
I’m flying high, defying gravity!
And soon, I’ll match then in renown
And nobody in all of Oz
No wizard that there is or was
is ever gonna bring me down!”
© Joy Krauthammer
© Joy Krauthammer
© Joy Krauthammer
BOUND WOMAN
BOUND WOMAN and JOYOUS CREATURE
.
WINGED WOMAN
&
PURPLE ANGEL
embellishment on purchased sculptures,
and photos by Joy Krauthammer ©
* Bound Woman sculpture by Naida Seibel, Sante Fe. and photos by Joy Krauthammer ©
"A solem prisoner marking time, until release."
"Alone, bound, yet dignified..."
"Hand woven fabric, bound in dyed sisel, face in inflexible bronze. There is strength that comes from acknowledging one's bindings."
- Naida Seibel.
.
