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A Year With Rilke: Paintings & Poetry & Blogs

Writer: sharonkingstonsharonkingston

Moscow During the Winter, by Leonid Pasternak

Silenced with Unspeakable Hope, by Sharon Kingston oil on canvas, 36 x 36, private collection a painting inspired by the words of Rilke

I recently discovered a blog that couples a piece of art with a Rilke poem for every day of the year, based upon the book A Year With Rilke–translations by Joanna Macy and Anita Barrows.  The paintings or sculpture are by Rodin, van Gogh, Cezanne, and Pasternak; artists who all had associations with Rilke.  I thought it might be fun to occasionally compare one of my paintings inspired by Rilke’s words next to the art chosen by the blog’s authors for the same poem.  I’ll begin with one of the first paintings I created in the Reading Rilke Series back in December of 2009. This painting evolved from a photograph of LaPush taken by my friends Kristin & Hugh during a vacation to the Olympic Peninsula late summer of 2009.  As the Olympic National Forest is considered one of the quietest places on earth–it is appropriate to have this place inspire the painting titled Silenced with Unspeakable Hope.   

It seems our own impermanence is concealed from us. The trees stand firm, the houses we live in are still there. We alone flow past it all, an exchange of air.

Everything conspires to silence us, partly with shame, partly with unspeakable hope.

From the Second Duino Elegy

Ruth at A Year with Rilke Blog says this about Rilke and Pasternak.


 
 
 

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    Sharon Kingston is a Bellingham WA (Washington) based artist.  As an oil painter she uses the properties of her medium to create paintings that respond to both the atmosphere of her surroundings and poetry. This method of looking inward and outward and, in the moments of painting, finding her way on the canvas is her approach to creating paintings infused with poetry and the memory of landscape. The atmospheric element of her work is a testament to her desire to create spaces that are undefined, contemplative and allow room to reflect and accept uncertainty. Poetry, by nature open ended, is used both in the conceptualization of the work and as a part of the studio practice. The words of Rainer Rilke have informed Sharon’s work for many years, but she also turns to contemporary poetry when it resonates with her life. She uses layers of transparent color, reveals forms by concealing and unearthing pentimenti and suggests elements of landscape in her process.

    People describe her paintings as ethereal, atmospheric, contemplative, PNW inspired, and filled with light and mood.  She has a storefront art studio in downtown Bellingham and welcomes you view her paintings in person.

    SHARON KINGSTON STUDIO

    203 PROSPECT ST

    Bellingham WA  98225

    studio gallery 
    open by appointment

    please send me a text with the
    day and time you'd like to come by.
    360-739-2474

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