Poppies: A Favored Subject

Poppy Field    Jim Plesh   acrylic on masonite  48"x48"
private collection

Poppies have long been one of my favorite subjects for paintings. 

The symbolism associated with poppies is beauty, magic, consolation, fertility and eternal life. The Egyptians included poppies at funerals and in burial tombs. The Greeks used poppies in the shrines of Demeter, goddess of fertility, and Diana, goddess of the hunt. Poppies have long been used as a symbol of both sleep and death: sleep because of the opium extracted from them, and death because of the blood-red color they commonly display. A second interpretation of poppies in classical mythology is that the bright scarlet color signifies a promise of resurrection after death. In modern times, poppies have been associated with Flanders Fields, where they serve as an emblem of those who died in World War I.

A poppy is one of a group of flowering plants in the poppy family, many of which are grown in gardens for their colorfulness. Poppy flowers have four to six petals. Petals may be almost any color, and some have markings. Before blooming, the petals are crumpled in the bud, and as blooming finishes, the petals often lie flat before falling away. A whorl of stamens is in the center of the flower. All species of poppies are attractive, and most are cultivated as ornamental plants. A few species have other uses, principally as sources of drugs and foods. 

Part of my infatuation with poppies as a subject is their simplicity of beauty - crisp, clean and colorful, creating immediate and graphic recognition. While the poppy flower may have four to six petals, a simple splash of red or yellow with a spot of black is quickly recognized as the impression of a poppy. Such a beautiful and recognizable subject allows me to put the music on, take canvas, paints, brush and palette knife and create with spontaneous freedom. Whether a single poppy or a field of poppies, the creativity flows freely, allowing me to avoid unnecessary detail and definition; I can go beyond that, directly into the feeling, essence, simplicity and beauty of the subject, or model, if you will. The resulting work beckons the viewer’s interpretation beyond the recognizable obvious.

Lady in Red

Lady in Red    Jim Plesh

acrylic on canvas   36” x 48”
currently at Gallery 164, Bonita Springs, FL

As I’ve indicated in past articles, many of my paintings are inspired by remembered times and occasions.  Lady in Redis one such painting. 

Many years ago as a young man I was in the service and found myself stationed for a period of time at Fort Bliss, Texas. Fort Bliss is a very short distance from Juarez, Mexico and I,  like many stationed there, found my way on occasion to the the city of Juarez. The visits were colorful and sometimes crazy for young servicemen, and presented ample reference for creative inspiration. 

Lady in Red represents the many women who were in high supply there and in search of  the young soldier’s meager funds. The colorful dresses and sweet perfumes marked the streets, bars and cafes, where the wise treaded with caution and care. 

Remembering the sights and times spent in Texas and Juarez I rendered several works of art depicting those remembrances. The rain storm cloud seen across the sky many miles away. tumbleweed blowing around helter-skelter, the bull fights and yes, the ladies of Juarez, presented images to be captured on canvas.

Juarez II      Jim Plesh

acrylic on canvas  48” x 48”

private collection

I recently walked into the gallery where the Lady in Redpainting was on display. The attendant at the gallery alerted me to the fact that two women knowing that I was due to come in waited for over an hour to discuss the piece. When I explained the inspiration and meaning of the painting one woman spoke to the other saying “I knew it! You can see the sadness in the eyes and the feeling of despair in that young lady”.  She had waited an hour for confirmation of her interpretation of the art.  And she was pretty much right on.  

Incidentally, for the record, I never had any encounters with the lady in red, or her many associates. And I didn’t drink the water or eat the food in Juarez either!

Searching For New Beginnings

                                  ”

Warrior and Woman    acrylic on canvas    48" x 48"    J. Plesh

As we grow, the events of life contribute to who and what we are. Creating art is somewhat the same. A painting includes a series of events or steps taken to grow the image. And like life, our art continues to grow after each accomplishment. The creative process is one in continual search of a new beginning. The ending is for the viewer. The completed painting tells the artist’s story, but by then the artist is already at a new beginning—exploring, visualizing, seeking a new story to tell. This is the way art is made. This is the creative process—moving in the direction which gives the artist his or her greatest pleasure, excitement and challenge. The painter must render canvas after canvas, searching and perfecting, before he can freely express himself with spontaneity and authority. The freedom that results from these efforts has no boundaries.  Not unlike life itself.

Thinking Abstract

October Fusion   acrylic on canvas   36" x 48"    J. Plesh

The human mind is a powerful tool. It allows us to remember, to know, to think—particularly, to think abstract thoughts. The definition of abstract is “existing in thought or as an idea but not having a physical or concrete existence.” Abstraction tends to be like an iceberg: 90% is in the subconscious and 10% shows up in the conscious mind. We often have no idea what’s going on below the surface.

Mentalists know all about this. They’re not psychics; they just know how to influence people without them realizing it. A mentalist can lead a man to guess that a tie, hidden from sight, is blue with white polka dots. The man thinks that his guess is completely random. And he guesses right! What are the odds? But in reality he was manipulated. The man’s conscious mind didn’t even notice it, but a blue car with white polka dots had passed by, according to plan, before he made his “guess.” (See the show Deception.)

Involuntarily, the mind throws things (like the blue car) into its storage closet as it goes along. Then suddenly, something tells us we can take out one of those items and connect it with something else. There are some items that tend to show up in everybody’s closet and make the same connections. Warmth, power, anger, or perhaps the experience of autumn may all be connected with the color red. Other items are more individual. The memory of a red couch in a childhood home may translate into a feeling of comfort or reminiscence when the person sees red. 

Most of the time we don’t even know this is happening, but abstract paintings can give us an awareness of this process. Maybe we still can’t pinpoint the connection we’ve just made; but as we look at the painting as viewers, or create it as artists, we feel its results. Somehow, the abstract painting has become more real and recognizable to us. Individual meaning crystallizes in our mind, along with our own unique acceptance and appreciation—much of it unarticulated by words. We’re thinking abstract.

Kimberly Landenberg                               Kimberly is a contributing writer for the creativeinsight blog