Sometimes mental health takes a dip this time of year as we ready for the inevitable fury of winter. I love a fresh snowfall on a sunny winter’s day, but winter also fills her bag of tricks with brutal winds that come with power outages, icy roads, frozen windshields and other such nonsense. On days when “glum” drops by for an uninvited visit, I go in search of magical visual art; it is the cure all for any ailment I might have. As luck would have it, I found just what I needed – Jon Foreman, the artist, not the musician, in this case.
Jon is a British land artist, and his work is deliciously sublime. His canvas is often the Pembrokeshire coastline in south-west Wales where he spent his childhood. Jon explains that land art is “using natural materials in a natural environment.” With its ephemeral quality, “the practice of land art is a really pure form of letting go,” says Jon. In a world that seems perpetually hurling stresses of one kind or another at us, it is creativity that provides the antidote.
Jon uses only those materials that are available around him when he creates one of his masterpieces. He works collaboratively with his surroundings, creating designs that seem almost of a mathematical nature, bordering on the mystical. The weather and tides determine the length of stay for his creations and sometimes others interfere with the designs. The fact that his art is not permanent may be the very best part of it for Jon. He enjoys watching the sea reclaim his work and the symbolism of such – nothing lasts forever, life is ever-changing. It gives him a sense of calm and peace both in the creation of his art and in its fading away. He only needs enough time to capture what he has created on film when he has completed his work. Jon transforms spaces, creating art galleries that are not bound by bricks and mortar, are not limited by schedules and security.
We are often told as children that to be an artist one must be able to paint or draw. “Being creative” is all that matters to qualify one as an artist. There are no rules, no limitations, no template within which to fit. “There is an endless array of ways to be creative,” says Jon. “Explore,” advises Jon, try anything that sparks an idea.
I spent a lot of time watching YouTube videos and photos of Jon Foreman’s art. The designs are mesmerizing with their sense of symmetry and seemingly effortless perfection, stones placed just so, leaves and moss gathering to tell a story. All these ideas are safely nesting in Jon’s soul, waiting to ooze from him to find expression. Just as I hoped, the wonder of his work quietly opened the door and firmly escorted “glum” out of my home. Calm was restored.
I urge you to find your way to Jon’s work by visiting his website at www.sculpttheworld.smugmug.com. He also has a Facebook presence at www.facebook.com/SculptTheWorld. Maybe your inner artist will be inspired to create your own masterpiece.
wendistewart@live.ca
