Tangled Thought

Tangled Thought (2017)

When I started this painting, the idea was to create another version of the String of Thoughts painting because I feel there is still a lot more to explore. As I was adding the yellow string, I got the idea of wrapping it around the cloud. Not sure why, but it felt right. I don't always come with the name of the piece right away. I tend to let it it for a while and eventually, an idea will come. Two weeks later, Tangled Thought came to mind, and while searching for a quote that would resonate with the painting, I found this one : 

"Move outside the tangle of fear-thinking." 

- Jalaluddin Rumi

Fear is definitely a thought that can leave you bounded or trapped if you let it, but if you act despite of the fear, you realize that there was nothing to fear in the first place, it was an illusion : False Evidence Appearing Real. This is what this painting reminds me of, the fact that most of our fear are illusions. Although it seems like the string is restraining the cloud, it cannot do so because the  clouds is not a solid object, it can't be restrained.  

String of Thoughts Knot

I recently created this painting as a continuation of another series of paintings using the idea of thought clouds and strings. As I was painting I decided to add a loop on the strings on the last cloud and the title that came to me after taking another look at it was String of Thought Knot. I like the idea of matching the painting with a quote I feel resonates with the painting, and the quote that I chose for this painting is the following quote by Michael Ondaatje: 

"We all have an old knot in the heart we wish to untie."

- Michael Ondaatje