More Icons...and the connections between them.

I've been thinking about what inspires me to create - and how interesting it is to connect seemingly disparate images or concepts. Funny, too - how a story can set my mind in motion.

I've been wanting to create a series of Icons for a long time. It all started with inspiration from Russian Icons and ancient mosaics, religious themes, etc... and it has broadened.

I completed two new Icons in the past month or so - the Queen of Sheba and a piece I'm titling Rayhanna - she's a djinna.

I recently read "The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye" - a book of fairy tales by A.S. Byatt. It started that crazy mind of mine going...reading more about Djinns [genies], female Djinna [there are lot's of them!]... and on. I wanted to create a Djinna with the pattern of cesm-i bulbul in the background.
It's a specific Turkish technique of creating glass - usually a spiral of cobalt blue and white [the nightingale's eye]... but my Djinna just HAD to be yellow and olive with orange hair...so my color scheme got out of whack. So, it's not really true to form, but true to me.

I've had a thing for all things Turkish for about 18 years. And, it's probably one of my favorite places on earth.

I've had a thing for the Arabian Nights for ever... I have an amazing book from my childhood and the images from the Aladdin story are easy to conjure up... especially with an Eidetic memory!

The Queen of Sheba married King Solomon. One of her parents was a Djinn [probably her father since she had very hairy legs!]... and there are stories of how King Solomon enlisted the services of a Djinn.

In Turkey, Solomon is Suleyman...like the Magnificent! Topkapi palace... the Harem...you know. Weird, isn't it? I had the two images in the works for weeks and didn't even think about a connection.

I'm still in the Icon phase... I have three pieces in the works - Ariadne and Theseus [and the labyrinth], Mother Nature and St. Sophia [Hagia Sophia - back to Istanbul again!][Sophia is wisdom].

I never got around to St. Helena, but it's still percolating.

Previous Lives leaking into this one?

I had a recurring dream when I was in high school. The dream was in third person - Instead of seeing out of my eyes, I saw myself. I was an Italian soldier during World War II. I was young, handsome - in uniform. During a skirmish in St. Peter's Square -- "I" was shot in the back. Of course, at the time, I didn't know it was St. Peter's. As if it was a film, I saw myself falling / dying - toward the camera.

I was about to go overseas for the summer, and the dream seemed like a portent - an omen of doom. My friend Sharon & I were heading to Italy after a 2 month stint on a Kibbutz in Israel. When we arrived in St. Peter's, I freaked. That was the location of the dream [the converging lines, the colonnades. So, from that time on, I'm convinced that was a previous life.

I'm into some crazy metaphysical stuff - and had my akashic records read [stick with me]. In this reading, I found that another previous life had been lived as a nun who went into the convent against her will - and one who had taken a vow of silence. This is supposed to explain why I talk too much in this life.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of my weirdness... but as I posted my newest work on my web site, I noticed a theme... a Catholic Saint [from Italy], an Italian opera, an Italian painting... what's going on in my head?

I've always had a thing for images of the Madonna [the first one], golden halos, Russia Icons and women's faces. So, I'm not surprised these elements are showing up in my work. And, the mosaic tradition continues.

I love opera - Italian, of course.
The most beautiful place on earth? Venice... and where I studied the amazing mosaics at St. Marks.

And, with eidetic imagery and art history hanging out together in my brain, artwork I've seen before is finding its way into images I create today.

So, there seems to be a theme happening...?! The newest piece is the beginning of a series of Icons. This one is "St. Catherine of Bologna - Patron Saint of Artist." The top image is entitled "Tosca" and look - I've done Boticelli's Venus 4 times!

A little strange... my background is Hungarian, Jewish, New Yorker. Anyone in the mood for a nice seafood risotto?

What's Happening Now... S A Schimmel Gold

At the moment...

The last few years have been a whirlwind of activities, many taking me away from and out of the studio. I've been distracted at times, and have participated in too many activities. I will spend the next 6 months hunkering down, concentrating on my new direction; re-shaping my work, paring down the messaging and preparing 10-12 large pieces for a serious showing.

I am not participating in a lot of events – you may notice my calendar is short of openings, shows & festivals. I am also not cranking out new pieces as much as I had for shows, etc. This was planned.

• For one thing, I had major surgery last week and am recuperating. It will be several weeks before I can return to my normal work schedule. The surgery date kept getting moved, so it was difficult to plan ahead or make a lot of commitments.

• Second, going to art festivals in this economic climate can be depressing – yes, I still get incredible reactions to my work, but I know a lot of people are hurting and just can't make purchases of luxury items... let's face it, art is a luxury!

• And third, after the Access Hollywood gift lounge, I am committed to completing several custom portraits for celebrities, so these custom pieces have been and will continue to tie up my time for a while longer.

• I have been asked to create a book, and also to teach workshops. I will be taking some time to explore this direction; investigate if, how and when I would move forward with these projects.

• But, most importantly, I have a series in mind that I believe will take me as an artist to a new level. My intention is to create a modern collection of Icons – using the traditional Russian Icon as an inspirational “jumping off” point – using my pop-art style & unusual color palettes to create something completely unique. And creating my own resource images.

  • I often use images provided by the advertising machine – whether for beauty or fashion or even celebrity.

    • For this series, I will style and photograph my own images.

    • Instead of using models or actors as subjects – I will use ordinary women and through my art – transform each of them into an Icon. A new mythology of women will go along with the series. Curious, yes?
      

  • I will continue to use advertising ephemera, junk mail and other “potential” debris to create my work, including found objects beyond the 2-dimensional.

    • In addition, all materials used to create the image will be non-toxic, acid-free and water-based. I will continue to upcycle, reuse, repurpose and recycle whenever possible.

  • I will be posting progress and photos on my blog, so keep posted.

Am I still selling art? You bet.

I do have a one-woman show at Translations Gallery in Denver – opening May 1, 2009.

I still have work at the American Gallery in Carmel and Raw Style in Santa Monica – both in California. And, I have several pieces here at my home studio – private appointments are available. You can always check my site to see what is available... and send me an email for pricing.

One last thing - the name game: S A Schimmel Gold... Sandhi, Sandy, Sandra...etc. What's the deal?

S. A. - I like using my initials. They're not gender nor age specific.

I started using Sandhi about a year ago as a new way to spell Sandy. It's a sanskrit word - the meaning works. I like it.

Schimmel Gold. Okay, I was Schimmel for SO long, "Schimmel Art" [the business name] started when I was still single.

When I married Mr. Gold 4 1/2 years ago, I added Gold to the end of my name. No hyphen.

I'm not a jeweler.

A lot of people still call me "Schimmel" - some use both. I don't really mind, but Mr. Gold does. And I am proud to be his wife, so I like having Gold at the end of my name.

I look forward to talking more!