Artists & Writers Who Ignite Us

Agostino Arrivabene, "Martyrium. S.Dorotea," Oil on linen, cm 70x50

What is it about a particular painting, poem, photograph, piece of music, dance performance that sets us so on fire? There’s clearly an alchemy at work here which cannot be contrived or predicted, a mixing of what the artist brings forth from the imagination, together with what we ourselves carry to the experience: our own unique psychology, personal history, those all-but-forgotten stories from our past.

The following, then, is a very personal pick list of those who have resonated both with my readers and myself, artists and writers who shared with us, through their work and interviews here, precious glimpses into their psyches and souls: sometimes tender and exquisite, other times painful, even disquieting, but always courageous, insightful, honest.

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When Courage and Goodness are Synonymous: Interview with Classical Figurative Painter, Luke Hillestad

“It’s when characters in a picture are overflowing with Dignity, when I feel empathy for them, and I can sense they feel that for each other. All of my favorite work seems to have an abundance of dignity, empathy, and fantasy. For me, Courage and Goodness are synonymous.”

It seems to me that if we meet our truth with goodness/bravery – the result is beauty…Comfort – protection – consolation – we definitely long for these. Irony – at least as a philosophical groundwork – seems a shortcut – with no real satisfaction

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The Quietest Moments: Thirty days of destruction

What are the characteristics of love, after all? Attention, care, affection, eros, mystery, joy, comfort, fear, unity, possession, passion, sincerity. And yes, these are all characteristics of the emergent experience of great art. And the artist’s hand which shapes with care shares all these things.

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