Art and Spirituality

Foreword:
When speaking of art, one often thinks of France -- a beautiful country that has cultivated countless great artistic talents. In the course of their educational, and professional careers, many artists become involved in philosophy and psychology, and even spiritual fields for the purpose of realizing the true Self and going beyond their previous limits to produce greater and more touching creative works.

A French sister initiate, Anne Despretz is one such artist. After graduating from the National Superior School in Arts Bessieres in Paris, she first became a professor. Then, after realizing the significance of painting to others, she became a professional painter. She often holds exhibits of her works and takes part in group exhibitions. She has received many awards and is widely recognized in the French art community for her artistic achievements. In this exclusive interview, Anne shares with us her creative world, her pursuit of the Truth, and her family life since she began practicing the Quan Yin Method.

Q: Anne, could you please tell us why you took up a career in painting?

A: I loved painting even when I was very young. Also I enjoyed reading all kinds of books. As I grew older, I gradually realized that we can transmit a myriad of messages through artistic creation, which is like a shortcut through the brain leading directly into people's subconscious and hearts. Thus, painting became increasingly important in my life.

Q: Your pieces include both black-and-white figure sketches and brightly colored, abstract watercolor paintings. Could you please say something about this aspect of your work?

Pic 1

Pic 2

A: I use contrasting black and white to emphasize the light radiating from inside of people. It's like writing with black ink on white paper, clear and simple, and that's enough. For example, take the elderly woman in this copperplate engraving entitled ". And Smiling in the Sun." We can see that she's so happy inside that she seems to be deeply absorbed in the sun. I have noticed that anyone who sees this painting can perceive the light and joy conveyed in it. (Pic 1)

On the other hand, I also use brightly colored abstract watercolor paintings to interpret the energy around us that may not be felt by all. Why do I involve myself in these two greatly different painting styles? Because the left side of the brain is in charge of logical thinking and concepts, which belong to the rational domain, and corresponds to black and white drawings. However, the right brain controls our intuition, which shows our unrestricted emotions and corresponds to color paintings. It's better to balance both sides of our brains. Though these two styles are completely different, both are related to light. I hope that in this way people can feel and understand the impulse of the true Self and of Nature.

Take this abstract painting, for example. (Pic 2) The lines in the painting seem to be dancing. This penetrating light beam represents energy at work and symbolizes the endless cycle of life in nature. Underneath the painting is a poem that I wrote describing the myriad things embraced and nourished by light and music. In addition, I often create melodies to add to poems. Music plays a big part in my creative work, especially song.

The poem entitled "Brilliances of Verdure" reads as follows:

Brilliances of verdure, Tatters of light, Morsels of music, Or murmurs of the wind,
Brilliances of verdure, Tatters of light, Morsels of music, Or murmurs of the wind, Sweet sounds prolong into eternity, And traverse the Earth, Live in children's hearts. Their movement is rhythmic, Non-ephemeral freshness, Which transcends time.

Next Page