When collecting becomes art

I could never call myself a very straight forward artist.  My artistic identity is engraved as part of my overall inner structure.  It will not leave me of its own accord, and I am adamant not to erase it.  It is there enhancing life, even when life challenges its artistic energies.

For this reason my eyes collect. They are eyes of an artist, may they be so for 120 years.  They search and fantasize over daily discoveries.  Because of these eyes I learn not to take the obvious for granted, and to redeem beauty in the ugly.  People, me included, repeatedly use the same materials, producing traces of their repetitive lifestyles. My eyes fall in love with the intricacies of these material, and I am pulled to collect them.    By collecting these left overs I record my personal life. The collection turns symbolic, representing deep aspects of the daily minutae of the collective soul.  I find these very symbols in the ancient text and discover how they are used to express basic acts of humanity.
Returning to the subject of identity: My identities as feminine, mother, wife, therapist, are woven together by the artist in me.   There are times when my body is tired but my soul is still aflame.  Eyes are windows to the soul.  When my mind is busy my heart is still finding the ryhtm of creativity in the background.  In these moments of life, when physically I fail at creativity, visually I am still playing the role.  The subjects of my collections are discovered especially during these diffiuclt transitions of life, when I feel too week or incapable of tangible artistic work.  I began collecting dust during the period of immigration from America to Israel, and into marriage, a new home, without much space or money.  Tea lights marked a stressful period in university, the bones were gatheres after a difficult medical experience which left me drained mentally and physically.  Glass shards have been collected throughout my life transitions, when things break and I grapple with loss.
During all these natural moments of life, when I am drained for good reasons or for difficult reasons, as an artist, I refuse to despair.  Instead, I search for beauty, symbolism, and meaning.  I may not have the energy to create, but I have the strength of patience and the creativity of time.

So today, after the birth of my third son, (with much mazal tov may he live until 120) and a difficult pregnancy and birth, I may not yet be able to form the ship I dream to build.  But I have discovered a new collection.  Almond shells.  I then remember that almonds are a symbol in the bible for love!  I will turn to the bible and collect almonds' meanings from there.  Meanwhile I document the collection, until the need subsides.

Thank you for the eyes of inspiration, Master of the Universe, and for the ancient texts filling daily mundane tasks with deeper meaning.

 
 I will bez"h continue to post images of the collection until I reach the "final product."