I went to a civic ceremony this morning, the dedication of a new memorial in Cassino, when I might have been playing in my studio.
There were five of us from our group there, watching, paying our respects, taking photographs for the website. But I must admit that during the mass three of us snuck around the corner and discussed religion rather than listen to the full mass. The other two had disappeared back to work. None of us attend church now, but still had much to say. The Italians were interested in learning about other religions... there is not a lot of choice here, in the south of Central Italy! First I had to clarify that "Protestant" does not mean "non-believer". Not easy, sotto-voce with my amount of Italian. Much hand waving on my part.
Religion has come up for discussion a bit lately. Even in blogs I know.
http://sleepythinking.wordpress.com
Today two of us agreed that we felt closer to "God" and more in tune with our spiritual lives in the mountains than we do in church. There was no debate about organised religion now being a business.
But you can't live in this community without being in a church sometimes, without being involved somehow. The church in my wee village has to be one of the most beautiful in Italy. Outside, you wouldn't give it a second glance. Inside, there is a wonderful serenity. Sometimes if I hear the choir practice I slip inside and listen. There is no organist, they don't need one. I wonder why this feels more real than the pomp and ceremony I witnessed this morning?
Our local priest comes from Madagasgar. He has a huge smile, and lopes along like an athlete. I say "our" because I live here. And the church in the centre of the village is like another room in a huge house, a house that houses 90 people. We share him with another village. Once the mass or ceremony is over he is out of his robes faster than one would think possible, and outdoors mixing happily with anyone lingering to chat. Which of course is what you do, in Italy. That's what piazzas are for.
After Cassino it was time to enjoy my studio. It is still a work in progress. But there was a moment of revelation for me. *I must clean the windows. As soon as possible.* They have been cloudy since I bought the house nearly a year ago.
It is not easy, cleaning these windows. They haven't been done for many many years. I did the ones in the cantina, I needed the light in there. I probably needed it in the kitchen too, but not enough to climb up, remove the shutters, take the windows off the hinges, and bring them down to attack with a pot scrub.
I have a sense that the discussions about religion, and cleaning my windows to let in more light, are related somehow. I could look for the links but I think that, if you want to, you will make them yourself.
Sometimes I visit the church in the cave behind the village, it is 1,000 years old and has no windows. I have a painting of it hanging in my studio. But now, I plan to clean the studio windows. Now it is important.
7 comments:
I wonder. Is that your work on the kitchen oops I mean studio wall?
Yes, it is still over near the fireplace if you are one of my previous visitors, dear anonymous.
was me, poised .....
great spot up there for drying wings, and lots of little orange and black butterflies up there too...
Is that your signature, now?
A poppy?
Yes... I had a problem with knowing what to sign, at about the same time I had an identity crisis about being a professional artist. I was doing the works for the landscape exhibition here in Italy and said to a friend "I don't know what my signature should be". He said "Kay, sign with a papavero" (poppy). And as I was doing more work with the museum and peace campaigns, and I always wear a poppy to the memorial services here, it made sense. I figured that the message of remembrance and peace is far more important than my name. Every work I sell gets a copy of the part in my "Tracciando L'Ombra - Tracing the Shadow" brochure about the peace poppy... fortunately I have it in Italian too.
Here it is in English...
The red flower known as the Flanders Poppy has been associated with death on the battlefield since the Napoleonic wars. There it was noted that the poppies were the first plant to grow over the graves of soldiers. This link was recorded in poetry during WWI when Canadian Medical Officer Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae (1872-1918) wrote In Flanders Fields.
Inspired by McCrae’s poem, Miss Moina Michael (1869-1944) of New York campaigned successfully to have the red poppy adopted as the national symbol of remembrance. This was formalized by the American Legion in September 1920. Subsequently, Frenchwoman Madame E. Guérin established groups to manufacture artificial poppies to raise funds for the widows and children of war veterans. She and her supporters promoted the adoption of the red poppy as the international symbol for peace. The first official “Poppy Day” was Armistice Day, 1921.
An ideal choice the poppy. So very you and so closely connected with one of the things you are passionate about. (I noticed it when I first saw the picture on this site.)
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