Claudia Smith

Dreams Have No Color II

Oil

Artist Statement: My oil painting proclaims and celebrates that divine moment when we are aware that our strength and salvation comes through being one with Christ, each other, and all Creation - right down to the Earth beneath our feet. By acknowledging, reflecting and sharing the love of this Universal Oneness, we become whole, giving potent form and beauty to our bodies, souls and relationships.

My painting and its accompany poem,
"Dreams Have No Color," is a call for attention and acknowledgement that human needs and feelings are universal. There are no color barriers. The commonality of our hopes and dreams are proof that we are created equally in God’s likeness.

DREAMS HAVE NO COLOR

She keeps her dreams tucked deep inside a secret, private place;
their sweetness lies there waiting to wrap around her like the fragrance of spring honeysuckle.

Her dreams have changed over the years; as her body ripened, so did they:
from dolls and dresses with yellowed lace, to wishes so special they hurt.

She tries to keep them in neat white piles like her mother’s linens,
but like hollyhocks along a fence, they blossom in rainbow profusion and disarray.

When the week has been razor-sharp or too heavy to carry anymore, she lets them whisper in her ear;
their breath is warm against her cheek, making her chest ache with wanting.

It suits her best to dwell on them at night against her pillow;
the darkness and the measured beat of her sister’s sleep make them more believable.

She wonders if “dreams-come true” only happens to girls who have fair skin and wear expensive shoes;
her throat is tight from daring to dream with dusty bare feet, against rough sheets.

Bio: Art has been my passion from the time I could clutch a crayon. I have an intense need to capture the energy, essence and connectivity - the oneness - of subject matter. This often spills over into an accompanying poem.

I'm a graduate of Michigan State University, and a former art teacher. I've worked in interior design, and am a published cartoonist and illustrator. I've shown my art in many venues. This year, I'm scheduled to exhibit my art in three different galleries in AZ and WA. I'm chairperson for St. Anthony in the Desert's Art Council, which invites visiting artists to display their work. I write an article on each artist for the local newspaper and for the church's website/newsletter.

 
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