By Aminah Herrman
Art and music has been a part of my ancestral DNA.I studied drawing, color theory, surface design, ceramics and took many workshops to explore where I fit into the creative stream.
I first felt a new spark teaching creativity to children. I spent 10 years in early childhood development. Eventually I started a business creating folk art and painted furniture and had a show room at Dallas Market. We were approached to design a line of large decorative scenes for KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut nation wide. Seven years of nonstop production eventually dried up. I became a gallery manager for a gallery called Ventana in San Antonio.
The gallery emphasis was on spirituality. This became the joy of my creative work life.
I taught classes using the Artists Way for several years and again was inspired by the discovery and inspiration others were finding through this process. I continued to paint and show my own work and developed a community of artists in San Antonio.
Life changes, loss of loved ones and a major move from Texas back to California after 27 years away has been cathartic. I was fortunate to get a small grant from SICA to rent a studio space in Sacramento and was my work space for five years. Recently I moved out of my studio and discover the joy of having a home studio which has better natural light.
I have worked in water color, oils, house paint, gold leaf and oil pastel..
Recently I have been painting small water color landscapes on excursions with Benedict as we navigate this pandemic and balance the monotony of four walls and days that run into the next.
The last image painted was a still life from my dining table which was done in oils during Ramadan entitled, “Quan Yin Appears For Dinner” Everyday in the late afternoon before break fast, I would walk past Quan Yin sitting on the table, with the orchid as an umbrella over her, and the gorgeous afternoon sunlight streaming in on the table. It simply begged to be painted.
Images and color convey all kinds of stories and meaning.
To me they are as really as anything else
very lovely
Hi Aminah, Thanks for sharing your artwork. I have a Quan Yin watching over me from a high shelf in my basement studio. Mine has a round faced, chubby infant in her arm. It’s a cheap ceramic knick knack containing a very deep meaning, I don’t even remember where I got it. For years I had a close connection with the inner feminine motive energy (anama) which Mother Mary and Quan Yin represent. I explored this energy and its representation in my artwork as well. For men these images are effective reminders of both vulnerability, and continuity; the soul and consciousness. By extension, she represents our deepest fears as well as our greatest hopes. A great symbol for comfort, grounding, and stability in our current situation. LP
How wonderful to see that you are happily painting beautiful things that enrich us all!
So glad you have a home studio!
Beautiful, Aminah!