Ode to Scarlet Created for Dance of Dreams Exhibit
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the “Dance of Dreams” Art Exhibit Reception on September 27, 2019. The show ended October 31, 2019.
As part of the reception, Special Guest Dancer May Kesler performed interpretive dances focused on two of my 12 dream art paintings. It was a wonderful treat to collaborate with May on this creative art and dance adventure.
The first dance, “Journey of Dreams” focused on the many places, situations, and feelings we experience when we close our eyes and sleep. This dance companioned the painting, Dreamtime Journey.
Ode to Scarlet, the second dance, wove the story of a series of dreams over the past 30 or so years. A scarlet snake appeared in each dream, and over the years, my relationship to and with it changed. At first, it startled and scared me. Over the years, we eventually found a way to co-exist into a deep friendship, before it died in my arms! This duet dance companioned the painting, Shedding Fear.
Finally, we honored this entire dream series by symbolically transitioning the Scarlet snake image to its new life as a symbol of healing. This new 3D artwork was unveiled and fastened to the top of a walking staff, becoming a Staff of Asclepius. The Asclepius symbol takes its name from the Greek diety associated with healing and medicinal arts in Greek Mythology.
Thank you to Shauna Simon and the Simon Says Yoga family for hosting this exhibit of my dream-inspired artworks, and most of all, for their welcoming spirit, enthusiasm, and support for local artists!
Janet Fox Featured Artist Reception – Dance of Dreams Art Exhibit
You’re invited to my “Dance of Dreams” Art Exhibit Reception at Simon Says Yoga to see many of my dream-inspired artworks. Special Guest May Kesler will perform interpretive dances for two of the dream paintings. Located at 4611 Sangamore Rd, Bethesda, MD 20816, the exhibit continues until October 30, 2019. The turquoise and copper painting on the right side of the image is part of my painting, Dreamtime Journey.
Alexandra Sherman, September’s Featured Artist, will also close her art exhibit at the September 27 Reception.
I’m thrilled to be part of Gallery 209! Beautiful art from talented artists working together to make it happen. Check out this video for an introduction and sampling of our art.
Our current exhibit runs from January 31 – February 27, 2018. If you’d like to make an appointment to see my art, send me a message via my contact form.
You’re invited to Janet Fox’s Featured Artist Reception in Gallery 209 on November 3rd; the show continues through November 28th. There’s more… on November 4th and 5th, come on by for the Open Studios Art Weekend, at Artists & Makers Studios 2 in Rockville.
December, 2017 Note – A bit THANKS to everyone who stopped by for my November show and allowed me to share my art and stories with you. I enjoyed hearing your stories, too! 🙂
Hatless Fedora | encaustic, paper and antique lace
Encaustic Fedora
My challenge was to create a 3-D encaustic fedora for “The Wearable Hat Show,” curated by DC art collector Steven Krensky and a mystery juror. The show offered artists in the metro DC area a unique opportunity to make a statement through the art of the hat.
Since encaustic medium works the best for me when on a solid base, I built a plaster cast from a fedora. After the plaster cast dried and cured, I primed it with encaustic gesso and again let it dry several days. Then I applied a base layer of clear encaustic medium, then added colorful papers, encaustic paint, oil paint stick, and finished it with a few “hatless” lines of text from a French dictionary. I found a piece of grandma’s antique lace that was just right for a brim wrap, added my signature and voila, the “Hatless Fedora” was finished.
Hatless Encaustic Fedora | encaustic, paper and antique lace
“The Wearable Hat Show,” with 49 funky hats from regional artists, is on exhibit at the Artists & Makers Studios 1 and 2. My encaustic fedora is at A&M 2 location, at 12276 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, MD. The show opened Friday, September 8th, and continues through Wednesday, September 27th, 2017. Viewing hours are 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Tuesday-Friday, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Saturdays, and Sundays/Mondays by chance or appointment.
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⇒For information about purchasing this or a similar artwork, contact Janet Fox.
The dreamer’s dreamscape… I’m in a big city, sometime during the daylight. I’m positioned high enough to see onto the flat rooftops of multi-story buildings. On one in particular, I see a small group of burly men working with vats of molten iron. The first man, with dark hair and closest to the roof’s edge, takes a shovel full of the hot liquid iron and puts it into the second vat. The man at this second vat then does the same thing, shoveling it into a third vat. The third man does the same thing again, into a fourth vat.
Suddenly, my attention speeds back to the first man. As he toils away, a spec of the hot iron splashes on his arm and he thunders out a throaty roar as it burns him. Instantly angry, he throws a little blob of the molten metal from his shovel and over the edge of the roof.
Instantly, my perspective changes and I’m down in the beautiful cool green park below. I see that the hot blob raining down has formed a small ingot as it cooled off. This ingot is orb-shaped and simultaneously also forms a small rectangle, which slightly protrudes from one side of the orb. The rectangle has a company’s logo on it, although I don’t recognize it.
I’m far enough from the building and safely out of the way. I hope none of these flying blobs will hit anyone innocently walking by, as it would definitely hurt… or worse. I think I need to warn them, although I don’t see anyone else in the area. I’m also not sure how I would warn them…
The heat of raw energy
Exploring this dreamscape, I’m struck by the intense masculine energy on that flat roof. Big, burly men in repetitive, machine-like actions that no weak or refined person could, or would, do. This intense raw energy is a brute force to witness. But there’s not any particular end purpose, such as a molded metal object, for all of this doing. Or perhaps the purpose is to gradually cool off the hot metal.
Pain and anger instantly spark, though, when the heat burns. The instinctive masculine energy cries out, forcefully throwing the molten iron away after it has hurt him. And he does so without regard to what, or who, might be below.
Calling cool and calm energy
As my dreamer’s perspective changes, so does the feeling. It’s almost tranquil in the coolness and greenery of the park below. The energy in this space feels much more feminine and nurturing. But in this park space, which could easily be full of playing children and their adults, people could be at grave risk of being hurt from above. My dreamer is thinking ahead, but thankfully, no one is in immediate danger.
Dropping molten metal from a roof
Reflecting on the raining hot metal reminded me of historic “shot towers” in our country’s early days. In the 1800’s, men built and used these towers, such as the Philadephia’s Sparks Shot Tower, to more efficiently make lead bullets for muskets. They dropped molten lead (not iron) from the top of the tower into cooling water below, forming round bullets. Hopefully, nobody below was hit by any of the cooling bullets!
Iron’s symbolism
Iron is a curious part of this dream. Iron, by mass, is the most common element on Earth. We use iron, combined with other materials that strengthen it, for so many structures and objects. It’s also a critical component of our red blood cells, transporting oxygen throughout our bodies.
Mars, often associated with the masculine, is red due to high iron content. Iron’s atomic symbol is “Fe.” In the context of this dream, these two letters also start the word “fe”male. In past days, “ironing” clothing was often women’s work. And how many times have we had “too many irons in the fire?”
About The Dreamer’s Orb
While creating this dream-inspired encaustic painting, I focused on finding harmony between masculine and feminine energies. Choosing simple lines, shapes and color palette felt right. I’m enjoying exploring this dream imagery and with many other ideas swirling in my head, The Dreamer’s Orb will be the first in an eventual series.
This painting was also selected as the cover art for the spring 2016 issue of The Rose In The World.
How do you “too many irons in the fire?”
⇒For information about commissioning a similar artwork, contactJanet Fox.
