Guardian of Solitude
By: Katherine B. Topolniski
A guardian of solitude is conceived at the timberline. She is encircled in poetic gatherings of sticks and feathers and stones. She bends in to listen deeply to the entwined debris and hears a knowing whisper. Authentic little voices of characters, surviving in imagined places, will her to hear their words.
Pure thoughts enter her mind slowly, and the message eventually comes easily. Lyrical expressions of natural experiences lend themselves to graceful immortality.
The exposure of the mountains collides with her soul. Like a child’s hand feeding a bear, she tentatively embraces the power of it all. Physical output is part of the equation, if she is still her vitality fades, empowered strength disappears and she becomes lost in weakness. She works hard to feel the freedom on her face, motivated by the majesty.
Embellishments on circular perfection, the life force of matter speaks in vibrant monochromatic tones to her now. A single rock in a creek bed has a lifetime of stories to tell, and she sinks into the truth of the land, an interconnected guardian of solitude.
Jane’s Workspace
Jane Newman is a versatile creative force, from landscape design to fine art, she is also a community leader and plays a role in leadership development at The Banff Centre. Jane’s home studio in Banff, Alberta is an inspired open space, collections of items, materials and projects-in-progress. Calling Banff home since 1977, Jane’s natural-material assemblage artwork a deeply rooted in her passion for the natural world.
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