Dappled and Wabi Sabi

Happy   oil/canvas   10 x 20 x .5

I recently read a few books on the Japanese notion of Wabi Sabi. The three important principles are: Nothing is Permanent. Nothing is Finished. Nothing is Perfect. What a relief! I believe that these principles further the connection to process over product. One of the books was a children's book done in beautiful collage work about a calico cat.....named Wabi Sabi. For me, this whole notion cemented the connection to my appreciation of The Dappled. The French have a notion of beauty called "jolie laide". This translates literally to pretty/ugly. Perhaps this is all tied up with Joseph Campbell's notions of paired opposites.....where the marrow of life can be found. The plastic notions of perfect beauty are discarded in favor of a more honest, more imperfect beauty that can be found just about anywhere we look....any small visual that gives pause. Happy, my friend's calico beauty, died this year after a long happy life. My painting of Happy is a celebration of her life, my friend and a tribute to dappled, to jolie laide and to wabi-sabi.