The Optimism of Color

By: Linda Joyce Ott

Oct 22 2019

Tags: acrylic painting, catastrophe, collage, collage art, mixed media, mixed media art, mixed media painting

Category: Art, Conceptual Art, Dance of Life, Fine Art, Life after Death, paintings, Spiritual

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Readers and followers of my Optimism of Color Blog may wonder at my posting this rather depressing work. But it connects to my having started this blog celebrating life in 2012 – a year after my near death experience.  

The canvas of this painting with a rough sketch of a collapsed figure lay on my studio wall for several years, gestating, I suppose. I had a hard time working on it as it dealt with my catastrophic accident leading to my having, and surviving, 5 cardiac arrests on January 6, 2011 – the Feast of the Epiphany. Completing “Catastrophe” and posting it has removed what seemed like an albatross from my studio wall and lifted my spirits!

The low resolution photo of the painting may make it hard to read the words on the canvas, but as they are important to its meaning, I’ve provided a few notes on some of them.

On the morning of January 6, 2011, I had made the following entry in my journal: SO COLD!!! 2 million fish dead in Chesapeake Bay…100,000 dead drum fish in the Arkansas River…40,000 velvet swimming crabs, starfish, lobsters, sponges and anemones on beaches…10,000 blackbirds dropped from the Arkansas sky on New Year’s Day…450 dead birds in Louisiana…hundreds of snapper fish dead in New Zealand…50 dead jackdaw birds in Stockholm.

I felt that these words, which could have been my last written words, were prophetic, a harbinger of the catastrophe that would soon befall me. I knew too, that I would have to incorporate them into my painting. I embroidered and positioned these journal notes on the left side of the canvas – just above the words – Later that day death took me 5 times!

On the right side of the canvas, I embroidered words from a Jewish prayer that had always moved me: Each of us is a shattered urn, grass that must wither, a flower that will fade, a shadow moving on, a cloud passing by, a particle of dust floating on the wind, and a dream soon forgotten.

To see more of my photos and art, check out my website http://www.lindajoyceott.com

About the Optimism of Color Blog

Every Tuesday and Friday, I’m posting a photo or piece of art that I’ve created that reflects what I call the Optimism of Color. Through vibrant colors and bold visceral forms, these works shout out my joy at being alive, and my good fortune at being able to continue to make art after a near death experience.

Each of the images I post brings a smile to my face. I hope they bring you similar joy and laughter through the Optimism of Color.

All photos © Linda Joyce Ott 2019
Links may be used provided that credit is given to optimismofcolor.com.