In October 2015 my water series, Water: Chaos and Creation, featured in a solo exhibit at The Delaplaine Art Center in Frederick, Maryland. While several of the paintings have been sold since then, a few still remain in my collection. Water continues to be featured in many of my paintings, so I thought I would share a bit about the significance of my water series and what was intended in the original exhibit.
Water is vital to our very being. It is cleansing, washing away dirt and grime. But out of control water can be destructive. In some creation mythologies water represents the chaos before creation, but becomes a life-giving source when order is established. Water is also beautiful – a mirror reflecting the light and colors around it and ever changing. This poetic beauty of water and its symbolic nature are the major sources of inspiration for the paintings in my water series.
My series of water paintings seeks to capture the abstract qualities of water and reflections, shapes and forms that will change in a fleeting moment. Moreover, these paintings are imbued with a deep appreciation for creation and a love for symbolism and allegory. Together these paintings visually narrate a story of water and creation. Several of the paintings illustrate the early chaos of the unformed world through designs that lean heavily on abstraction (i.e. Fury of Water I, II and III and Sunlight Dancing on Still Water). As the “world” takes form and is given order, the paintings take on a more representational style (Creation Emerging). Much of the content of the paintings as well as several of the titles (Springs Gush forth in the Valleys) were inspired by descriptions of water in the Psalms.
Although my exhibit was almost five years ago, I still find myself inspired by water – both the symbolic attributes of water as well as its abstract form. Water finds its way into many of my paintings, even if it isn’t the main subject matter. I imagine that I will continue to revisit the theme of water as my paintings continue to evolve through the years.
The paintings that are still available from my Water Series can be found on my website: https://amybrowningart.com/portfolio-2/water-series/
