Finding Balance

Over the last 22 days, a lot of this culture has permeated my being. One of the greatest things that has touched me is their recognition of both darkness and light. They believe that there would be no “white” magic if black magic didn’t exist, and visa-versa. Their ceremonies all seem to not only include both light and dark, but fully embrace it as an important part of life. This has been amazing for me to witness because I used to not even acknowledge darkness. In my mind, light was the only way to peace and love, and people who recognized the importance of darkness or heaven forbid, embraced darkness with open arms, were the problem. But it was upon me truly respecting the darkness and realizing that their needs to be a balance that my true path as an artist began.

           I once had an astrologer tell me I needed to do some “dark art”. At first I thought she was crazy, but I know now why. It is in the moment when my feet first dance and the beautifully dark charcoal disrupts the white of the page, that I wholeheartedly embrace the Balinese mindset. The paper would just be a sheet of paper if I hadn’t combined it with the dark as night charcoal. It is in the balance and the contrast between the white page, the black charcoal and the middle tones of gray that breath life into each piece. 

 3 DRAWINGS IN STAGES